Death Rode Dallas

I remember seeing this band with my friend Jason Burris (Conniptionfit, Cult Ceavers, Protest) back in like '96 or '97 at Moon Tunes (this warehouse thing south of downtown Dallas). Burris told me that he wasn't even sure the band were gonna play that night because there had been so many incidents at their shows. They couldn't book under their actual name because no one wanted their venue fucked up. It turned out it was them, and the promotion was all done word of mouth (I'm not sure how Burris found out about the show, he always had a pretty good handle on the underground, but then again I'm sure Mike Wilshin told him about it). The show was supposed to start at like 9:00 so we got there at 8:30. Turns out the show was only $2 to get in because the kegs they were supposed to have got lifted en-route to the venue so we had to go get our own. By the time we got there...the band was about to go on but people were still yelling about how bad the opener sucked (don't even remember their name). Burris told me the farther away from the band itself the better so we camped around this old couch with some refer-stinkin' hippies (which seemed out of place, but then again there were a lot of different types of people there) and waited for the show. Out of fucking nowhere, the music started but it was behind us...turns out the band set up a fake set so they could play on wireless and fuck with the crowd. Awesome, except we lost about 5-6 beers out of our 12 right off the bat as a pit started. I have to admit...I was a little shaken...but I felt like it was cool...or at least that I should think it was. Anyway, the band only played a few songs when one of the guys singing (I wasn't even sure he was in the band) got into it with 4 guys and got bloodied pretty bad so the show didn't go on as they say. Everyone stood around for 20-30 minutes to see if they would come back or if another band would play but nothing came about. A few people through bottles at the walls of Moon Tunes (as if it was any help) but people pretty much just filtered out and left. I'd never really heard of the band since and too bad too because for all the drama...they were pretty fuckin' good.
(one of the very few pics that exist of a Death Rides show courtesy of J. Burris)
(((03)))