IN THE BLACK & WHITE: 003 - Buck Gooter

Posted by: pjsykes – May 12, 2009

Buck Gooter
05.10.09 The Triple - Richmond, VA

Buck Gooter "Infant Eyes"

Buck Gooter "Send Me Friends"

Last Sunday, the band arrived from playing the final USA IS A MONSTER show in Brooklyn where they were interviewed by the Brazilian MTV. I was ready for the full Buck Gooter experience and was not disappointed! Terry Turtle, standing relatively in place, ran his acoustic guitar through distortions, phasers, flangers, and delays. Billy Brat conducted a theremin and operated out of a suitcase full of drum machines and small keyboards... when not flailing around the room.

The first time I met Billy he was working at the Little Grill, a collectively owned restaurant located in Harrisonburg, VA. I had just slept in my car so I could be there when the cooks arrived to set up my photo show. After a brief discussion we quickly discovered some mutual friends and a similar taste of music. He gave me a business card for his band and I filed it away until they finally played Richmond. By then Henry Rollins had picked up a copy of their record and spun it several times on his radio show Harmony In My Head.

photo by: PJ Sykes

My first Buck Gooter show was at Nara Sushi, a tiny "venue" where I was inches away from the band. Billy still thrashed and jumped around as if there were acres of room to do so. After the show we solidified our friendship with a ceremonial handwritten-on-a-bar-napkin email exchange.

photo by: PJ Sykes