It’s hard to imagine a more forceful statement of intent than “Riot on the Strip,” the bruising first video from James Williamson & the Pink Hearts. Co-written by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Williamson and band frontman Frank Meyer, “Riot on the Strip” is just one of the incendiary flash bombs to feature on next month’s highly-anticipated Behind the Shade album. Behind the Shade is released June 22, 2018 on LP+CD, standalone CD, and digitally via Leopard Lady Records.
James Williamson, most famous for his role as guitarist and co-songwriter on the massively influential Raw Power by Iggy & the Stooges, is set to make his most stylistically diverse musical statement to date with the Pink Hearts. Fronted by Los Angeles-based vocalists Frank Meyer (the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs) and Petra Haden (the Haden Triplets), the Pink Hearts’ repertoire encompasses everything from feral rockers to soul-searching balladry. The band has announced two upcoming concerts. Tickets for the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29 can be purchased HERE and for the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on June 30 HERE.
“’Riot on the Strip” is one of the rabble rousing songs on the album that’s kind of an anthem to disgust, disaffection and dissatisfaction,” Williamson recently told Classic Rock Magazine. “It rocks hard and feels good. The riff and solo are unmistakably mine.”
Meyer, the song’s lyricist, continues: “It’s about the downfall of the L.A. music scene. The lyrics deal with the tendency of music labels to latch onto something cool, like an underground scene or new sound, and then turn it into something uncool, generic and lame. It feels like they take something organic and artistic and just stick it on the factory belt to churn out product. In the song, the kids get so fed up over being bought and sold that they rebel and start a revolution, storming through the streets of L.A., burning down the whole industry.”
Additional players on “Riot on the Strip” are bassist Jason Carmer, drummer Michael Urbano, and keyboardist Gregg Foreman.
The “Riot on the Strip” video was directed by Amy D’Allessandro Stolz for Bella Nova Pictures. D’Allessandro will shoot her debut feature film, The Subconscious Dreamer, this summer. The video was lensed by cinematographer James Stolz. Visit their Vimeo Channel.
"Riot on the Strip" lyrics (Meyer/Williamson)
“They say they tried to teach us but we would never would learn
They say they tried to beat us but they always got burned
They played by the rules we set the rulebook on fire
They said I was a bastard, a real live wire
They tried to take the money and dock my pay
I said listen here mister this is gonna end today
He tried to bring a knife to a blazing gun fight
and found himself dead under the Chevy headlights
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
They say we never listen, they never gave us a chance
Music politicians with their corporate dance
They tried to take our scene, that underground sound
And then blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
The Tower is burning, the Whisky‘s gone to shit
And now we got a riot on the Sunset Strip
The kids just want some music and none of this bullshit
Are you kidding me with this?
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
Never learn
Burnt and burned
Flash bomb sounds
Machine gun rounds
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
Hey Hey There’s a riot ....”
James Williamson, most famous for his role as guitarist and co-songwriter on the massively influential Raw Power by Iggy & the Stooges, is set to make his most stylistically diverse musical statement to date with the Pink Hearts. Fronted by Los Angeles-based vocalists Frank Meyer (the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs) and Petra Haden (the Haden Triplets), the Pink Hearts’ repertoire encompasses everything from feral rockers to soul-searching balladry. The band has announced two upcoming concerts. Tickets for the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29 can be purchased HERE and for the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on June 30 HERE.
“’Riot on the Strip” is one of the rabble rousing songs on the album that’s kind of an anthem to disgust, disaffection and dissatisfaction,” Williamson recently told Classic Rock Magazine. “It rocks hard and feels good. The riff and solo are unmistakably mine.”
Meyer, the song’s lyricist, continues: “It’s about the downfall of the L.A. music scene. The lyrics deal with the tendency of music labels to latch onto something cool, like an underground scene or new sound, and then turn it into something uncool, generic and lame. It feels like they take something organic and artistic and just stick it on the factory belt to churn out product. In the song, the kids get so fed up over being bought and sold that they rebel and start a revolution, storming through the streets of L.A., burning down the whole industry.”
Additional players on “Riot on the Strip” are bassist Jason Carmer, drummer Michael Urbano, and keyboardist Gregg Foreman.
The “Riot on the Strip” video was directed by Amy D’Allessandro Stolz for Bella Nova Pictures. D’Allessandro will shoot her debut feature film, The Subconscious Dreamer, this summer. The video was lensed by cinematographer James Stolz. Visit their Vimeo Channel.
"Riot on the Strip" lyrics (Meyer/Williamson)
“They say they tried to teach us but we would never would learn
They say they tried to beat us but they always got burned
They played by the rules we set the rulebook on fire
They said I was a bastard, a real live wire
They tried to take the money and dock my pay
I said listen here mister this is gonna end today
He tried to bring a knife to a blazing gun fight
and found himself dead under the Chevy headlights
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
They say we never listen, they never gave us a chance
Music politicians with their corporate dance
They tried to take our scene, that underground sound
And then blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
The Tower is burning, the Whisky‘s gone to shit
And now we got a riot on the Sunset Strip
The kids just want some music and none of this bullshit
Are you kidding me with this?
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
Never learn
Burnt and burned
Flash bomb sounds
Machine gun rounds
There’s a riot, a riot in the strip
There’s a riot, Better not get hit
Hey Hey There’s a riot ....”