Bang Tango
7 p.m. Saturday
Samurai Saki House
3034 N. Portland
I moved to L.A. and then the rest is history, Lesté said. We were signed six weeks later, and weve been going ever since.
Thats not technically true, inasmuch as within three years of their 1989 glam-metal debut, Psycho Café, and its minor hit, Someone Like You, the band was dropped by MCA, another victim of Nirvanas tsunami. But that wouldnt be the last chapter, because Lestés never seen this as anything but a lifetime endeavor.
Ive had a hit, and its a great feeling and everything, but the one true thing that came to me at a younger age is that this is not about getting an overnight hit. he said. Its about having a career.
Bang Tango plays Saturday at Samurai Saki House.
One of the things that distinguished the group on the Sunset Strip in late 80s was its sound. While the guitar featured those trebly, candycane-sweet runs indicative of the eras metal, the rhythms were fueled by funky, hard-thumping bass.
The idea was to have strong bass lines, no pre-thought-out notion of any sort. I wanted the guitars to drop out in certain spots and when they did, the bass was so prominent with the drums, Lesté said. It really lets the songs breathe a lot. Thats really important when youre writing songs. They have to have breadth and everything, but also a solid punch and groove. We just kind of loved that sound.
The guys endured a cycle of breakups and reformations throughout the 90s. In 1999, Lesté went in another direction, hooking up with former BulletBoys guitarist DJ Ashba to form Beautiful Creatures, a more contemporary, angsty, post-grunge act. The whole thing arose when another band with a major label deal approached Lesté about replacing its lead singer, but its manager had a better idea. He said, Why dont we just build a band around you and get you your own record deal? Lesté said.
Were not Mötley Crüe we know that.
Joe Lesté
For a stretch, Bang Tango and Beautiful Creatures were alternating projects for him, but for the last few years, Bang Tango has been his main focus, hitting the road to rebuild its audience, using the same thing it initially did: a hot live show.
Lestés assembled a crack backing unit that banters maniacally in twisted camaraderie. Drummer Trent Anderson bags on guitarist Scott LaFlammes penchant for Addiction shirts.
Trent dresses pretty cool, but at least Scotty can change his clothes; Trent cant change his voice, Lesté said, referencing Andersons high pitch, reminiscent of televisions Saved by the Bell character Screech. Were just a community of bullshit-slingers.
Bang Tangos currently putting together tunes for its as-yet-unrecorded sixth album. He said theyve started writing massive songs that sound like a hybrid of Bang Tango and Beautiful Creatures.
I love playing with all these other bands and new bands, seeing old buddies. Its just like being a part of an awesome community, he said. I may not make much, but Im still here. Were not Mötley Crüe we know that, but were not the smallest beans in the bucket, either.