Can a record change your life?

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , on August 13, 2017 by J.J.

“Can you believe we are really here?”

That was our theme throughout our European adventure.

“Can you believe we are in this hotel room with Paul Size?” “Can you believe we are watching ZZ Top in this tennis area?” “Can you believe we are in the middle-of-nowhere, England?” “Can you believe we are in the Borderline?”

Can you believe The Red Devils are back?

There was a moment, watching The Red Devils from the side of the stage in Dublin’s 3Arena, performing to thousands of music fans, that it really hit home: I have been listening to this band for 25 years.

Would “young J.J.,” at 20 years old on July 28, 1992, hearing The Red Devils for the first time, immediately buying the disc, and putting it on heavy rotation all that summer, really believe he would be here in Ireland with the band? And 25 years to the day, no less — 28 Jul 2017.

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Souvenirs, the week after

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , on August 6, 2017 by J.J.

We are still unpacking suitcases (and our brains, a little bit) a week after seeing The Red Devils for the first time in 25 years.

Here are some of the scraps and souvenirs we brought back.

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Chasing the Devils’ Tale: Tour dispatches from Europe (parts 1-7)

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , , , on July 30, 2017 by J.J.

Nofightin.com is following The Red Devils on tour through Europe, whether they like it or not. Come here for our dispatches from every show as we go. Words and others by J.J. Perry; tour photography by Tina Hanagan

ZZ ROOFTOP (Show 1: Stimmen Festival, Lorrach, Germany 21.7.17)

I wrote about The Red Devils show earlier. But here is what didn’t happen onstage.

Hundreds and hundreds of fans (an organizer told us capacity is 5,000) crammed into the old marketplace square, an intersection of several streets where the stage was set. Stimmen is a several-week festival, with an eclectic lineup (the day after ZZ was a performance by Grace Jones).

After the Devils’ set, we muscled through an elbow-to-ass crowd to a hotel bar for beers. We met Paul Size when he came down for a refill and he invited us up to his room where, from two large open windows, we could watch ZZ Top’s set.

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Lester’s legacy

Posted in lester butler with tags , on July 29, 2017 by J.J.

The Red Devils’ story is tangled and troubled, to say the least. That the band has been able to take their show on the road this summer is satisfying for the musicians and fans alike.

One Devil is not so lucky.

Lester Butler was many things — artist, friend, brother — but he also could be complex and frustrating, especially to bandmates.


A few years ago, the guitarist Alex Schultz, who played with Butler in the short-lived 13, told us that his experience with Lester was different than it was for the Devils just a few years earlier. Schultz described Lester in his 13 years as clear-eyed, focused and creative.

It was 20 years ago this month that I last saw Butler at two shows with 13, and my experience was as Schultz described. I spoke with Lester then, and he seemed humbled that his music meant so much to me and my friends. He was gracious and funny and quite different than in my first encounter with him in 1992.
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25 years of ‘King King’

Posted in red devils with tags , , on July 28, 2017 by J.J.

On this day in 1992, The Red Devils’ debut album, “King King,” was released on Def American Records.

The party will be on tonight as the reunited Red Devils open for ZZ Top at 3 Arena, Dublin, Ireland.

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Red Devils launch social media channels 

Posted in red devils with tags , on July 27, 2017 by J.J.


Back in 1992, bands still sent out hardcopy press kits with black-and-white 8-by-10 band photos.

There were no “event pages,” “likes and shares,” text alerts or even cellphones or the internet for most of us.

Without a record label, marketing team or management, The Red Devils have been putting together their 2017 tour and promotion through their own social media and web presence under the brand “Red Devils Music,” ostensibly managed by Big Pete:

REDDEVILSMUSIC.COM: The band’s URL redirects to Big Pete’s own site, which has a lot of backstage stuff, tour dates and merch news.
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Bluefunk, Borderline shows will close Red Devils tour

Posted in red devils with tags , , on July 26, 2017 by J.J.

We are in the last week of Red Devils reunion shows, and everything winds down with two club dates.

These will be can’t-miss shows for hardcore fans: Not only will the band be able to stretch out in longer sets, but they will certainly be amped up for their return to clubs. Besides, who knows when this group might get together again, if ever?

Nofightin.com will be at these two shows — will you?

JULY 29: Bluefunk Rhythm and Blues Club, Poynton

We have heard nothing but cool things about this little club, and are excited to be down there. The place is in the little “provincial” town of Poynton, according to Garry White, who operates the club.

Poynton is about 15 miles south of the O2 Apollo in Manchester, where The Red Devils opened for ZZ Top Tuesday, just a few days earlier. Locals for sure will want to attend the ZZ show, but don’t overlook the Devils on their own — they made their rep in clubs like the Bluefunk. Downhome and righteous.

Garry tells us that DVL — featuring Guy Forsyth and Robin Davey and other members of The Hoax — sold out the club last year. Time to do it again!

DETAILS: Bluefunk Rhythm and Blues Club, Poynton Legion, SK12 1JY Poynton. Showtime is 8-11:30 p.m. Tickets: bluefunkclub.wixsite.com


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