It is easy to dismiss a band called Johnny 2 Fingers and the Deformities as a gimmick band until you see them live.
I always seem to miss the Moose Jaw blues/rock/ trio, but was glad I caught them at the Slice, Wednesday, April 20.
They are decidedly are not a gimmick as tiny, bearded, beaming frontman John Dale actually does have two fingers. He was dwarfed by towering bassist “Tangean ”Travis Geib as he bounded around the stage and into the audience by the end of the set, Gibson SG in hand, like AC DC’s Angus Young as the band blasted through a hyperactive set of gritty, riff laden blues and blues rock and even added a touch of high octane country. Drummer Cannonball Kelly Gower hammered the skins.The rhythm shouted gang vocals for extra power.
The trio played a very animated and extremely tight set of gritty, dirty blues rock music, focusing mostly on original music from their last aptly named EP “Built To Rock and Roll, as well as new music from an album to be release later this year, plus older songs from his previous albums.
Vocally Dale sounded like a mix of Ian Blurton and Robert Plant. Guitarwise he leaned more towards to AC DC. An early highlight was “We’re All In This Together.” He played some funky wah wah pedal on one highlight.
The more straight ahead rock songs were in the same ballpark as Black Thunder and Wolfmother.
He switched to another guitar to play some deadly slide while Geib played a really melodic bass solo,leading in to a highlight “King of the Underground” and another about working a terrible job.
Dale quickly broke a string on that, but he powered through that and traded it for his SG, which was n excellent excuse for drummer Gower to play a harp solo and segue into an amped up version of their ‘country’ song ‘Singing Outta Tune.”
Dale and Geib wandered into the audience for “Built To Rock And Roll,” Dale climbed on top of a table for an extended solo which included a few bars of the Inspector Gadget theme, as Geib grooved at his feet and helped him down as the band called it a night around midnight.
Local alternative rock trio the Supervoid opened up a the show for about 20 people with a solid set of ’90s inspired alternative rock along the lines of the Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins, powered by frontman Jon Vornbrock’s piercing screams and guitar.
They played a familiar set of original music , ending with “ Take My Life.”
