Emo’sFriday, February 21
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Supersuckers the time before that — caused a riot. It was a small riot, but a
riot’s a riot. So, have they done like their new Epitaph CD says and been
Scared Straight, or are they still the punk-rock hellraisers of old?
Singer Eric Davidson, calling from his home in Columbus, Ohio, contends the
Turks are sensitive, caring men. Sort of.
“We’re not one of those bands like the Dwarves or someone, throwing bottles at
people and trying to fuck with them,” he says. “I kind of goof around with
people, maybe take a baseball hat off their head, but we don’t really do that
kind of `fuck you,’ throw bottles, try to kick somebody in the head or
something. It’s not really that kind of thing.
“It’s just that we’ve got a lot of energy, we’re kind of fast and stuff and
people just get into it. And usually, if you go on later at night, people are
more drunk and we’re more drunk. Most of our shows aren’t all that violent,
it’s just that you hear about the ones where that happens.”
The Turks’ songs work the same way: Though all boil with ripened punk-rock
pugnaciousness, the ones that really get you going are the ones that make fists
clench and pulses race. Scared Straight is full of potboilers like
“Bachelor’s High,” “Professional Againster,” “Look Alive Jive,” and “Shoot the
Offshoot,” all of which make Davidson seem a touch modest. Los Angeles jury
verdicts are less volatile. Still, Davidson insists he’s pretty normal; he’s
not one of the real crazies out there — though he’s proud to have
shared a stage with some of them. Like one member of the Candy Snatchers, who
had his very own rock & roll ritual:
“First time I saw him, he cut his head with this bottle,” says Davidson. “We
said `Ow,’ and he said, `No, every time I do it in the same place so I don’t
get a new scar next time.’ Now that’s a fun band.” — Christopher Gray
This article appears in February 21 • 1997 and February 21 • 1997 (Cover).