"From the New York Dolls to Toilet Boys, the most bitchin' glam-punk-rock bands have always called the Big Apple home. Up-and-comers Semi Precious Weapons continue that time-honored scuzz rock tradition.
The raw and brutally trashy quartet rocked the packed Roxy last night with their explosive presence. The flamboyant face of SPW, Justin Tranter, royally claimed the stage in glittery platform boots, a torn yellow polka-dot nightgown and blonde-bleached hair, reminiscent of Billy Idol. The sight of him screamed, “I don’t give a fuck!” while his fans actually screamed in excitement.
The glitter-punk four-piece kicked the party off with their infamous self-titled track, “Semi Precious Weapons”. They easily coerced their massive audience to start moving with the song, known for its dirty, infectious lyrics, "I can't pay my rent/But I’m fucking gorgeous." Sure, it’s not profound, but it's fun, it’s catchy and it's a great excuse to tell your landlord when the rent is due. Following their smash hit was, “Her Hair is on Fire”, an aggressive dance anthem to the tune of “The Roof is on Fire” with quirky lyrics that everyone quickly caught on to.
Not only are SPW’s songs overly energetic, they put on a radiant, high-powered on-stage performance. During "Sticky with Champaign", Tranter had a champagne bottle labeled with his face handy, eager to pour it in the mouths of his front audience fans. Boys and girls drowned in booze with the bubbly drenching their hair, faces and clothes. They didn’t seem to mind. Shortly thereafter, Tranter tactfully demanded to “see titties”. Genius! Get them drunk before taking their clothes off! That was more David Lee Roth than Bowie, but who's keeping score?
With the boozing, some additional stripping and mic-deep-throating, SPW can certainly come off as obnoxious and vulgar. However, they don't give a shit. Either way, they still know where their roots are and they appreciatively give credit where it's due. They closed the night with the reminder, "We are Semi Precious Weapons from New York Mother-Fucking City, and we hope you ALL GET LAID!"
You can catch them on the Monster Ball 2010 tour supporting their fellow NYC glam-queen, the one and only, Lady Gaga—somebody'll be getting laid on that tour… "
—Source: Jessica Nguyen of Artistdirect.com
