CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES, Wickeda
27.02.2010, Party Center '4 РљРњ', Sofia - Bugaria
words by Ivaylo Alexandrov, photo:В Alexander Popov

Nasso, I’m mad at you! Out of 365 days in the year, you have chosen 21st of January to get sick and make me write about something that is indescribable. And instead of happily spending the night in sweat and whiskey, I am sitting and wondering how to start the story.
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Well, I’ll begin from the end – “Bro, even if these guys were playing tomorrow, I’d still be here. And I’d be waiting for more!”

And this is only one of the enthusiastic comments, flying in snatches out of breathless youngsters, crashing in my screaming for rhythm ears about midnight when Cherry Poppin’ Daddies left 500 people happily squeezed out and ready for all night adventures.
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For the second time in Bulgaria comes a great band that plays mostly swing and again it is the same one as in 2008. There is hunger (“and thirst!” yells the dried throat and frowns upon anything different than whisky) for such music here and it is nice when somebody things of the jolly music.

It is enough to look for a moment at the people around me anytime during the two hours when CPD are shaking the former military restaurant to smile wide and jump in the rhythm with the crowd of happy people.

The night begins early, we are filling the hall until 8.30PM, we find each other among the people and we are welcoming WICKEDA. Well, whatever happens, wherever we are, these guys just can do it. You are never at a “concert of Wickeda”.

You are always at their party. They are getting on the stage and the mood peaks ass-high unless you are a devoted misanthrope who has slaughtered children in the last few hours.

For an hour Erol & Co. pour so much joy and warming the crowd so much that the people are screaming for more  when they leave the stage one after another. And before they get down, they hit us with 'Obicham', 'Mariana', they give us one 'Whiskey with peanuts' and never cease the grinning dialogue “band-crowd” which they really know how to do and they are one of the most warmhearted bands ever.

"Now here’s the part when we sing something and then you sing it back. Let’s do the contrary this time!” And Erol, with a serious face sings every nonsense that he hears for cheer and laughter all around.

And the band around him, playing so well together, bursts out with every little sign for this so typical for Wickeda hodge-podge of ska, reggae and punk. Did I say punk?
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'Break On Through' вin this reading wakes up vast moshpit. Vlado Popa sings along again behind the drums and the sharp sight of the frontman focuses on Kolyo The Gillan in the hall and the legendary voice of Kontrol “has heard a familiar song and I just couldn’t keep from singing it” and jumps at the stage for 'Най-щастливият ден'.

And this is like a blast for the crowd. Yes, I know where will we be on 24th of March!

While we are screaming cheerily in our ears between the bands, we are sending the more well-intentioned (or more lame) of us for drinks, before us appears Ceco Surmata and starts a typical tirade of rhythmic rhymed idiotism to present the already appeared on the stage Daddies.

First Gillena, now Surmata, just like 2 years ago! Loud growl fills the hall, the hands are flying up without caring that they are holding drinks. 'Dr. Bones' comes for visit. The tongue is wet, the breath is spirited, the body is shaking, the eyes are flashing. Diagnose swing.В 

It is chronic, rub down with whisky. Inside! The band rushes with its hysterical-fueled music, Steve Perry swings on the stage as if he is possessed and even though “my voice is totally gone due to some damn virus I caught in Greece”, he sings and dances like a demon. And foully slips the greasy 'Here Comes The Snake' which makes the body to wrap around the closest lady around you, while the singer slides like a lizard under the rhythm of the song.

In the moment when CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES get on the stage, the condense in the air reaches the one of a Black Sea coast city in an August evening, the mood yet burns the tips of the fingers and there isn’t anyone who does not shake in the devilish rhythm if the swing.
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But most of us are not just shaking but we jump, dance, craze, roll, scream while for the best dancers there is a place in the center of the moshpit where talented and enthusiastic couples are taking turns for hot dances.

I have never seen such a thing at a concert. Even the musicians often stare the swinging bodies, the flying chicks and the sweaty guys who are plunging to catch them. It is not by accident that we are only a few hundred meters away of the madhouse. And if they send a car from there to pick us up, the first to go will be Dustin Lanker.

The keyboard player jumps around the synth, goggles, screams, sings along, makes monkey faces, bends under his instrument, while above his head his fingers leap on the keys drawing rock and roll melodies on the rhythm of the songs or throws his legs in various directions while he beats a few tones on the piano.
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New member of the band is the guitarist William Marsh and besides that he seems barely of age, he still hasn’t absorbed the madness of the freaks around him and calmly hits the sleazy rockabilly chords on the hysterical songs.

After the quintessence of the term “party” - 'Zootsuit Riot', Cherry Poppin’ Daddies are hiding for a minute to jump back without the brassection and Steve to catch the guitar and fill a glass of punk with 'Irish Whiskey'.

And when the concert really ends, it seems that nobody wants to leave and in the hall long after the end there are people dancing and drinking, drowned in the decadent atmosphere of the West. Bring another one!

GALLERY