Monday morning I hopped in the car to make the trek down to Los Angeles California. The mission, capture one of my favorite up and coming bands and hit all my favorite food spots. The band in question is Frankie and the Studs. I had been trying to get down there for their residency at Harvard and Stone in Hollywood, California. This was their last night there and in my opinion, it was the best night to attend. Opening for them were Lizi and the Kids and S8nt Elektric.
Up first was Lizi and a couple of Studs. For whatever reason, the Kids were unable to make the gig so two of the Studs stepped in to fill the roles (Jonny Martin and Nick Rossi) . Lizi and the Kids is an Italian post punk band along the lines of Green Day. With the fill in members, Lizi didn’t miss a beat and rocked the meager stage. At one point, she was joined by Frankie Clarke for a power packed version of “Dying Inside”. Before we knew it, the set was over and they had gained a bunch of new fans.
Lizi and the Kids are:
Lizi: Elisa Gionangeli – guitar/vocals
Alex: Alessandro Galeti– bass
Lookie: Luca Chianella – drums
Set list:
1). Never Enough
2). This Town is the Place
3). Loveless
4). No Friends
5). Overthinker
6). You Don’t Need Anyone
7). Crazy Eyes
8). Dying Inside
9). Stand On My Own
10). Go Hard or Go Home
S8nt Elektric was up next. This band is pure rock n roll. Fronted by Brianna Carbajal, a sassy redhead in a snake print dress, she worked the stage like a seasoned pro. The rest of the band was crammed on the stage and at the beginning of the set, I was worried about one of the guitar players and bass player wracking their heads on a beam cutting across the stage. Fortunately, it didn’t happen. I did get a little heads up on the drummer, London. I was talking to Gilby Clarke‘s (Guns and Roses, Heart) wife Daniella before the set, and she was singing the praises of London. She told me “he plays like a young Tommy Lee“. Man, she was right! This guy plays hard just like Tommy and has a similar style. The guitarists and bass player, played with veteran experience despite their age. Though it was only a short six song set, they played at 100% the entire time. I am definitely looking forward to an album release sometime in the future!
S8nt Elektric are:
Briana Carbajal – vocals
Niko Tsangaris – lead guitar
London Hudson – drums
Eric Matt – rhythm guitar
Jack Kleinman – bass
Set list:
1). Subliminal
2). Live On
3). All I Do
4). A Little Taste
5). Nothing Escapes the Night
6). S8nt Elektric
Frankie and the Studs were up next and they are a band you wish you heard of earlier. This band rocks! Frankie Clarke is pretty much the only staple of the band as she has a group of guys that handle the role of the Studs. This performance had members of previous performances I have seen. The set list was filled with the usual suspects of their songs with the exception of one new song, “All Around Me” and the Sex Pistols classic, “Problems”. Opening with “Run”, the audience exploded and Frankie and the Studs kept that intensity up until the end. Johnny and Frank kept up with Frankie even after playing double duty with Lizi. Nick was a beast on the drums as usual. For “She’s Insane”, Lizi took over the guitar for Frankie so she could go insane on the stage.
Frankie and the Studs are:
Frankie Clarke – guitar/vocals
Nick Rossi – drums
Johnny Martin – bass
Frank Salazar – guitar
Set list:
1). Run
2). Hole In My Head
3). High On Yourself
4). Can’t Stand You
5). Flash
6). I’m Not Your Victim
7). Sick of You
8).Dance With You
9). She’s Insane
10). Problems (Sex Pistols cover)
Follow Lizi and the Kids on social media
Follow S8nt Elektric on social media
Follow Frankie and the Studs on social media
Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
