Diesel Dudes :: Candy Whips :: Pink Stilleto
(3/1/24)
Thee Stork Club, Oakland, CA
Shot and written by Fiestaban Photography
Wild, unhinged and winning the Presidential Medal of Honor for most push-ups done during a rock show, Diesel Dudes really are in their Roman Empire era. They and their duo of transgressive muscle-bound dancers are freaks of another color, testing the limits of hardcore punk while performing feats of strength. Check out their 2023 release New Muscles and look for them at this yearβs Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland.
Candy Whips
Itβs electronic in glam and leather with Candy Whips. Captain Wendy Stonehenge (who stage presence bears a striking resemblance to Christopher Guestβs Nigel Tufnel), Greg Downing, David Kurtz, Melanie Burkett and Warren H are here with a Iggy Pop-meets-Devo, ready-to-party energy with a message. After the release of Automaton, Stonehenge thought of hanging up his musical hat, but the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021 brought a renewed interest in expressing the disappointment he had with his fellow countrymen, thus birthing the acerbic-but-dancy Days Like These. Guiding the crowd on an other-worldly odyssey through their synth-pop sensibilities, including a tremendous cover of Duran Duranβs βThe Chauffeur (Blue Silver)β, Candy Whips is for people who want their Ramones to have a bit more flair.
Pink Stiletto
Her second show, Kazakhstan-born Valery Kvochkova is back as the lovely, leggy New Wave phenom Pink Stiletto. With influences from The B-52s to Soviet-era Italo Disco, she is pure, fun-loving β80s synth energy. Mind you, growing up in the post-Soviet Eastern Bloc, Kvochkova isnβt just making New Wave bangers simply for dancingβthis is the music of the Reagan/Thatcher West that heralded the fall of the Berlin Wall. For her and for previous generations, this wasnβt the cocaine-fueled Wall Street era or CBGBs, this was literal freedom from the Kremlinβ¦this was individual expressionβ¦this was life! And Pink Stiletto is giving a that voice to that life. Debuting her newest track at Thee Stork Club, a cover of Ronnie Griffithβs βDesireβ, her tracks are every bit as polished and layered as any Simple Minds or Soft Cell single, but with a voice that harkens to Lene Lovich or Nina Hagen. Weβre looking forward to more from her! Check her out when she opens for Riki on April 4th! And be sure to listen to her single, βSynthesizeβ.
