Rock Gods #299: Adventures in Our Little Music Scene

The Slipperz never forget their first show. It’s the only one they’ve played so far. They had just found a lead singer, Ben Monck. The debut gig went OK. Then Monck had a climbing accident the following week, went into a coma, and remains at Southwest Central General today, four months later.

The other Slipperz, who admit that they were just getting to know Ben, and had all turned down invites to join him on the mountaintop that fateful Friday, feel dutybound to honor their fallen comrade. They’ve played several shows without a vocalist, as the Lipless, NoBen and Monck-Ridden.

“There’s a resolve,” says Jen Essanay, who grew the band out of her knitting circle. “You hear bands say ‘This is bigger than any of us.’ More than the sum of its parts, like that. Well, this is about Ben, and Ben’s not here, and we’re only here doing this because of Ben. Make of that what you want.”

Ironies linger. Ben’s fall was due to slipping on a wet rock. This observations drives his bandmates nuts. “We were named after shoes. We were padding around a dorm room watching The Shocknuts on TV and saying ‘Hey, we should start a band. If we’d wanted it to be about climbing, we’d be The Cleatz.”

Monck-Ridden plays The Bullfinch on Thursday, a benefit to pay some of Ben’s bills.

Tonight: Ha Hoo Whooeee! at the Bullfinch; they’ve finally written a theme song that uses their band name as background sounds. … The Silent Years at Hamilton’s, doing pre-fuzz trance covers … Mr. Inferno hosts a goth nostalgia night at D’Ollaire’s, featuring underworld one-hit wonders Unkindest Cut, Extreme Decorating and Surprise Presents. …