THE LOWBROW ROAD SHOW VIBRO-PSYCHOTIC: 1999 - 2001 FLAMETHROWER: 2001-2003 At the same time John had just gotten into his second marriage (his first was a drive-thru in Vegas) with an exotic dancer and they were both infatuated with the return of burlesque. Almost as if events had been quietly building a foundation for the real thing, this unique group burst out of Vancouver and began touring America (including being asked to play at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City). They performed with bands like Robert Gordon, the Guana Bats, Slim Jim Phantom and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - getting great reviews for both the CD and the live show. They headlined the Mandalay Bay House of Blues in Las Vegas for 2002 Halloween - during which the Dollz were stoppped from performing by onstage security due to management complaints that the show was too risque. BJB was influenced by surf guitarists and the punk'n'roll scene so their developing sound was quickly adopted by the greasers. sCare-oline was also now bringing her passion and skill as a belly-dancer to the stage, performing in her own handmade outfits while John & Co. kept the beats together for her exquisite gyrations. The Voodoo Dollz had grown fully into burlesque, with the costumes and mad antics that went with it. This was the first group of its kind anywhere, and the first band of this genre to make it out of Canada since forever and the first CD was picked up by El Toro Records in Spain. Looking for a new drummer (again), John approached Ricardo Calderon at a McDonald's, because he embodied the dangerous rock monster John was creating. Ricardo actually was a drummer on vacation from Calgary and jumped in. After another West Coast tour (playing with bands like the Go-Getters and Deadbolt), El Toro Records brought them to Europe to the 10th Annual Psychomeeting in Calella. This amazing festival was filled with people from the greaser lifestyle and featured bands like Demented Are Go, Frenzy and Restless. After that show John partied big with his favorite psychobilly singer, Sparky from Demented, who proclaimed to all that BJB was the best thing at the festival. Between the music and the sexy burlesque intertwined with the lyrics there was a hell of an impact. The rest of the European tour was similar, ending with BJB headlining the second stage at the Sjock Festival in Belgium, between the Seatsniffers and New Bomb Turks. The US Bombs and Belgian DJ Ungawa were front row of 1500 people for the 'Kitten with a Whip' catfight. Never content to keep things simple, John started bringing more styles into his songwriting. Between the sounds of exotica he had been hearing in Europe and the rock he had grown up with he brought his new and old influences together on the second Big John Bates album - the rock'n'roll / exotica of Mystiki.
MYSTIKI: 2003 - 2005
TAKE YOUR MEDICINE: 2005 - 2007 Take Your Medicine began in the studio of Marc Lesperance in East Vancouver, a producer/engineer and musician that had worked with a number of good friends of John's including Ray Condo. Shooting for a raw, lo-fi sound they began by recording the vintage drums straight to mono. The feel was continued by producer Todd Simko who pushed the vocals through tube compressors, John's vintage Guild amplifiers and 1959 Gretsch. This was the first time that they had been able to road-test many of the songs before recording and there was a strong emphasis on getting that feel out of the production. This led to many of sCare-oline and Big John's favorite performances on record while the stripped down rock'n'roll songs exhibited a combination of the influences that fueled the past and held a clear look at the future of the band. Take Your Medicine was released in Europe in April 2006 by Wolverine Records (and eight months later in North America by DSR). Starting with a Canadian and a US tour (supported by Boston's Reverend Glasseye) they had the luxury of beginning their relationship with burlesque performer / pin-up girl Little Miss Risk. After an initial chance meeting they quickly found her vision and dedication to Burlesque performance and the visual potential of the group opened up new boundaries that hadn't been explored by the band --- or by any other group. The Wolverine release also meant the band could head back to the continent where their name and popularity had grown while they were away. Jammmed clubs were more than ready for the BJB & the Dollz live show. The CD charted on blues radio, college radio, internet radio and specialty shows. It was featured on playlists from rock'n'roll to blues to garage. This led the BJB group to ensure their newest show was bigger and tighter than ever. At the end of the tour they returned to Vancouver to document the first chapter in the world of Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz with the DVD Live at the Voodoo Ball.
LIVE AT THE VOODOO BALL: 2007 Live at the Voodoo Ball was an astonishing undertaking as the band was in Europe during the inception and only arrived back in Vancouver for a few days before the June 2006 concert. Marcus Rogers from Cinestir Productions was in charge of the five-camera crew, the Hive brought in the RADAR and the venue was arguably the best live club in Vancouver - the infamous Richard's on Richards. Seating over 400 and decorated in the best macabre fashion, Dicks on Dicks (as it's known) hosted the First Annual Voodoo Ball devilishly well. The DVD features 15 tracks (from all three albums) selected and mixed by Todd Simko from the 25 or more that were performed that night and seven infamous Voodoo Doll numbers. The band played fast and hard and required no overdubs on a DVD that unequivocally shows the music industry that this constantly evolving blues / punkabilly / burlesque show is the best of both worlds - and is second to none.
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