Tuesday, 5/27/97 Rowdy bands set to storm campus MUSIC: Ziggins,
Slightly Stoopid combine vastly different flippant styles
By Vanessa VanderZanden Daily Bruin Staff Two bands. Two
distinct styles. Two distinct personalities. One rude show at the
Coop. "We wear a lot of hats, we trash our gear, we insult our
audience, and we don’t play until we get free food," quips Brad
Ziggins, drummer and vocalist of his self-named band about live
performances. "We like deli trays, fresh fruit and dairy products.
And if we don’t get that or Lunchables at the Coop we’ll burn the
campus down." UCLA may be in for a fiery evening as The Ziggins
rock the Cooperage tonight along with Slightly Stoopid, both on
Skunk Records. Booked as a surf show, the event covers a wide range
of genres, from the Ziggins’ semi-surf, semi-punk, sometimes
country whirlings to Slightly Stoopid’s reggae-ska-punk-metal-rock.
And, just as their musical renderings vary, so do the demands they
place on audiences. "We’re just playing to have fun," Miles
Doughty, guitarist and singer of Slightly Stoopid claims of his
band’s non-deli tray contract. "We love to jam on stage. If people
like us, that’s great." In some ways, the same could be said of The
Ziggins. They throw in the occasional country song during shows
when most fans come out to see them play surf and punk songs off
their latest release, "Ignore Amos." Also, even though fans become
enraged at The Ziggins’ habit of playing only half of a cover song,
the naughty tricksters do it anyway. "We leave ’em hangin’ and they
hate it. They start throwin’ vegetables like cauliflower and
avocados, which hurt ’cause they have the pit inside so it’s like
being hit by a baseball," Ziggins recounts. Yet, it doesn’t stop
him from eating those nutritious weapons. "I don’t cook ’em. You
can taste the vitamins that way." While salad makings may not play
as essential a role in Slightly Stoopid’s shows, a belligerent vibe
often exists. However, the conscientious band usually follows
invigorating punk tunes with mellow reggae songs to settle crowds
down. And, if that doesn’t work, Doughty’s nine years of wrestling
team training comes in handy. "I wouldn’t fight someone in a brawl,
I’d wrestle," he decides. "No need to break my guitar hand that
way." His priorities clearly in order, Doughty left a local college
after six weeks to further his music career. Currently working at a
sports jersey shop, he makes ends meet while continuing to write
songs and touring the West Coast with his three-year-old band.
Having known each other since childhood, the three-member ensemble
offers a tight sound, reflective of their Slightly Stoopid
mentality. "I always get really stoned and then I write," Doughty
relates of the creative process. "The bassist and me play the
acoustic guitar together every day so we’ll also come up with
stuff." Living within a four-block radius of each other makes these
sessions easier. Every weekend brings the group closer together, as
they hit the road for another show. Yet, such a mobile lifestyle
calls for more companionship than can be found among humans. "I
have a dog," Doughty explains. "He’s a Doberman named Aries. He
guards the van, a 15-passenger Dodge, and bites anyone who tries to
get in. It’s cozy. It’s just the three of us in there and the dog."
Apparently, transportation vehicles hold a special place in The
Ziggins’ hearts as well. After existing for 10 years, the current
two-year line-up of Ziggins musicians have learned to appreciate
the friend that delivers them to gigs. Their upcoming album will
reflect this attachment. "’Stand By Your Van’ will be the name of
our new album because we just got a new van," Ziggins relates. "I
can’t tell you the color of it because then people would come up
and find it and rip all our stuff off." Truly a concerned band, The
Ziggins always enjoy the places their unidentifiable van takes
them. Once, after driving from Sacramento to Santa Cruz, only to
find out the show got canceled, they high-tailed it all the way
back north to make $30 at an unbooked club. Dedication or
sado-masochistic obsession? You be the judge. "As we’ve been
playing for more years now, we’ve been insulting more and more
people with our music," Ziggins relates, caught in a reflective
moment. With his thoughts drifting to the future, he continues,
"After we get our check, we’re gonna loogie on the sign in front of
UCLA. How’s that sound?" Like a definite plan. The Ziggins and
Slightly Stoopid play a free show at 7 p.m. today at the
Cooperage.