Our Take on the Monster Ball

Hi loves,

It's A.J. and I am posting to let you know our take on the St. Louis Monster Ball. 

First off, the show was everything. My mind can't comprehend all the many adjectives you could use to describe how great the show was. But before the show was our actual trip down (or up, technically) we had a horrible experience with our hotel and travel arrangements, etc... and we were running extremely late (Go Fig.) but we finally got ready and ran down the street to the arena for the Semi Precious Street Corner Giveaway.  We got there about 10 Minutes late and saw our favorite boys there, signing stuff and taking pictures and needless to say... we both got extremely giddy and starstruck.  

I mean, for us, it was seriously a dream come true.  Jawsh and I have been listening to SPW for a reallly reallllllly long time and had never gotten the chance to meet them (since we've lived in podunk Kansas all our lives) and now that we were here - and they were right in front of us.. We had NO idea what to say.  But of course, they were extremely nice and we gave them a bottle of Veuve that we bought.  And met some fam and it was awesome to hear all the things they liked about the site.  It made me see that we are clearly the luckiest people on Earth to have contact with the most amazing group of musicians EVER!  After they went in for sound check, Jawsh and I just stood on the corner next to a man in a black studded mini with stilettos and an army helmet and we just had NOTHING to say.  I feel like it went by so fast.

But it was time for the show!  Starlight took the stage first and spun some great records - she really got the crowd warmed up - and she danced/drank/laughed the whole time. (Jawsh fell in love.) And she started playing 'I Could Die' and we freaked! She is a seriously talented artist.

Then it was time for our boys to take the stage - CREAM! - They played a sick-ass set.  Jawsh and I decided not to record the whole set, cause we wanted to sing and dance the whole time.  But we did get the intro! But first, check out this haute photo by Todd Owyoung of Justin getting myself and Jawsh 'Sticky'. We're in the lower corner of the pic takin that pagne!

We screamed, dance, sang, cried (all pretty terribly) but it was well worth it.  They're seriously some of the most energetic, fun-filled performers around. Jawsh caught Justin's sweaty towel (we missed the fetty necklace :( ) but at least we got the towel.

Then Lady Gaga took the stage and absolutely mind-fucked everyone. :)

In the end, we had a life-changing time.

Thank's SPW for making us feel comfortable in St. Louis.  We Love You. You Love You.

Aj & Jawsh XXXO

Melophobe.com Reviews Semi Precious Weapons

melophobe | Semi Precious Weapons - Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY; Apr. 26, 2010)

The mantra of glam-rock provocateurs Semi Precious Weapons is simple: “We are Semi Precious Weapons from New York Mother-Fucking City, and we hope you ALL GET LAID!” Recognizing that the band has the musical chops to back their scandalous message and gaudy antics, the Village Voice recently voted Semi Precious Weapons as Best Band in NYC, and Lady Gaga chose them to open her latest international tour.

Vocalist Justin Tranter adores the spotlight, but not only because he’s an egotist. Tranter insisted, “I want all the lights on me, so that the audience can fuck each other in the dark.” I didn’t spot any public fornication, though I did see some fans oblige Tranter’s call to “Show me some titties!”
When Semi Precious Weapons throw a party, they call the shots - literally, in my case, when Tranter grabbed my camera, stuck it in his skin-tight spandees and snapped away. I’m not sharing any out-of-focus crotch shots, but you can see his thieverous ways here (shot #4).

Most NYC scenesters are so wrapped up in their own hipsterness that they forget that rock ‘n’ roll, at its core, is a cathartic celebration of our carnal instincts. Semi Precious Weapons are filthy, glamorous, sexually provocative, dangerous and fun as hell: pure rock ‘n’ roll.

Semi Precious Weapons D-D-Dominate Chi-Town!

Semi Precious Weapons took the town of Chicago by storm Friday night, Check out some pics/vids from that night:

--Picture Source @kayla4queen

Semi Precious Weapons, Breedlove, Lady Starlight, & Nico Vega will be kicking off their Mini-US Tour tomorrow night at The Roxy in LA! You can still buy your tickets for that show HERE!

*04/26: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)

04/27: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club (Tickets On Sale Now!)

04/30 San Diego, CA @ Warren Field/UCSD (Ticket Info Coming Soon!)

"There is no better way to start a riot than with Semi Precious Weapons!   The New York rockers finish their Japanese tour with Lady Gaga on the 19th of April and they start again with her in Europe on the 7th of May. Rather than going on a holiday, the band has announced some all-ages headlining shows in April.  They will also dominate an arena near you as they continue to support Lady Gaga on The Monster Ball Tour in North America." - Artist Advocacy

Opening all dates, is "Rock 'N Roll Cabaret" artist, Breedlove.  Check out some of his tunes here!  Also Semi Precious Weapons just confirmed via Twitter that the amazing multi-media artist Lady Starlight will be spinning records at the starred dates below. And also performing is L.A. based rock band, Nico Vega, who have previously performed with Semi Precious Weapons at past shows.

Artist Direct: Semi Precious Weapons

 "Armed with glitter, glamour, fashion and fame, Semi Precious Weapons kicked off their tour at the Roxy Wednesday night, and ARTISTdirect.com’s Jessica Nguyen had the pleasure of experiencing it all…

"From the New York Dolls to Toilet Boys, the most bitchin' glam-punk-rock bands have always called the Big Apple home. Up-and-comers Semi Precious Weapons continue that time-honored scuzz rock tradition.

The raw and brutally trashy quartet rocked the packed Roxy last night with their explosive presence. The flamboyant face of SPW, Justin Tranter, royally claimed the stage in glittery platform boots, a torn yellow polka-dot nightgown and blonde-bleached hair, reminiscent of Billy Idol. The sight of him screamed, “I don’t give a fuck!” while his fans actually screamed in excitement.

The glitter-punk four-piece kicked the party off with their infamous self-titled track, “Semi Precious Weapons”. They easily coerced their massive audience to start moving with the song, known for its dirty, infectious lyrics, "I can't pay my rent/But I’m fucking gorgeous." Sure, it’s not profound, but it's fun, it’s catchy and it's a great excuse to tell your landlord when the rent is due. Following their smash hit was, “Her Hair is on Fire”, an aggressive dance anthem to the tune of “The Roof is on Fire” with quirky lyrics that everyone quickly caught on to.

Not only are SPW’s songs overly energetic, they put on a radiant, high-powered on-stage performance. During "Sticky with Champaign", Tranter had a champagne bottle labeled with his face handy, eager to pour it in the mouths of his front audience fans. Boys and girls drowned in booze with the bubbly drenching their hair, faces and clothes. They didn’t seem to mind. Shortly thereafter, Tranter tactfully demanded to “see titties”. Genius! Get them drunk before taking their clothes off! That was more David Lee Roth than Bowie, but who's keeping score?

With the boozing, some additional stripping and mic-deep-throating, SPW can certainly come off as obnoxious and vulgar. However, they don't give a shit. Either way, they still know where their roots are and they appreciatively give credit where it's due. They closed the night with the reminder, "We are Semi Precious Weapons from New York Mother-Fucking City, and we hope you ALL GET LAID!"

You can catch them on the Monster Ball 2010 tour supporting their fellow NYC glam-queen, the one and only, Lady Gaga—somebody'll be getting laid on that tour… "

—Source: Jessica Nguyen of Artistdirect.com

Semi Precious Weapons take you back to disco prime on the strip - Soundbleed.com

It was a scene straight out of 1976: Justin Tranter, the front-man of  the daring glam-group Semi Precious Weapons, pouring champagne (from a bottle emblazoned with his own picture I might add) over the entire crowd at The Roxy in LA, as girls bared their chests in excitement and chanted “IT’S OKAY, IT’S OKAY,” in unison. Needless to say, every Semi Precious Weapons show becomes its own experience. Returning to the west coast for the first time since their stint opening for Lady Gaga, last night’s gig served as a sending off of the Weapons to Europe, where they’ll continue touring with the one-woman pop megashow until this summer. Upon seeing them headline their own gig however, it became difficult to conceive how they don’t upstage the Lady herself.



Taking the stage shortly after ten, SPW dove right in to the action. Dressed in an oversized shirt, six-inch sequined ankle boots, and skin-tone tights, Justin Tranter  towered over the stage and was truly a sight to behold. Bassist Cole Whittle was literally wearing rags over his person and ran about the stage in a frenzy, occasionally colliding with Stevy Pyne on guitar and stopping every once in a while to hiss at Tranter. Their presence couldn’t be contained to just the stage, and in between costume changes Tranter and Whittle fondled their way into the roused crowd, forcing everyone to dance. The set was generous, and ran through their well-known tracks, “Her Hair Is on Fire,” “Put a Diamond In It,” and “Magnetic Baby,” as well some new material off of their upcoming album, a copy of which Tranter made sure to throw aimlessly into the
crowd.
 
It’s difficult not to love the Precious Weapons, honestly. Even those in the crowd who were, shall we say-standoffish, couldn’t help themselves. Tranter and his crew have created music that’s a glimpse of extravagant glam rock in its heyday but with an attitude that’s crass and accessible.  In their gritty New York world, it’s okay to be broke and to party harder than anyone, so long as you look good and have a damn good time in the process. And while it may be easy to scoff at lyrics that ask the listener “who wants my baby?” and to bite down on diamonds, they put their money where their mouths are and present a live show that backs up the decadent chaos of their music one hundred percent.

--Source: Soundbleed.com

Guest Of A Guest Reviews Semi Precious Weapons

"It was a night of champagne spraying, boob tapping, glitter heels and rock last night at the Semi Precious Weapons show at the Roxy.  If you're not familiar with this NYC glam rock band yet then you will be. Their shows are not for the faint of heart but are blast for people who love them some fabulous, sexually charged cross-dressing, punkish pop and stage diving.

Known for their flamboyance, wild shows and rock 'n roll attitude, the band did not disappoint their fans on the left coast. Although they haven't even released a full length album yet, the group already has a huge following of adoring fans who dress up in gaudy outfits for their shows and know all the words to their songs.  The Roxy was jam packed with them as Justin Tanter, the lead singer with a penchant for eyeliner, lingerie and hooker heels, incited them with his crazy stage stunts (spraying champagne into the crowd, wrapping the mic cord around his neck, putting a bra over his face while singing, etc…) and kept urging the ladies to "show [their] tits!".

Exactly what you'd expect from a band signed to Perez Hilton's label and will be touring with "LADY. FUCKING. GAGA",  as Tanter proudly announced last night, on her Monster Ball world tour."

 --Photos courtesy of Guestofaguest.com Click Here For MORE