with Special Guest WAXY The Red Barn Saturday, February 8, 2020
By Noe Gutierrez
LITTLE VILLAINS and WAXY will be performing live at The Red Barn in Palm Desert, California on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 9 p.m. The show is FREE to attend and is open to 21+. This marks the first-ever live performance by LITTLE VILLAINS in the United States…EVER! The band completed two European tours in 2019 in support of their first album Philthy Lies.
Little Villains were formed in 2006 by none other than the legendary MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, James Alexander Childs of AVON and UK Rock group AIRBUS and the Welsh bass player Owen Street of desert rockers WAXY and sludge group VAILS.
The band plays ‘Hard and Heavy Rock and Roll’; that’s it!
Unfortunately, Philthy is no longer with us, but his music shines on in true ‘Motörspirit’ with his exceptional performance on the LITTLE VILLAINS Philthy Lies (2019) album available on Heavy Psych Records and the soon to be released Taylor Made (2020) on Cleopatra Records. Both albums prove his explosive drumming technique was more than intact many years after his departure from MOTÖRHEAD.
Despite personal circumstance preventing the band from ever breaking out, it has been decided that the music deserves to be heard with the band signing to Heavy Psych Sounds and will be represented by Childs, Street and the very capable AIRBUS drummer Chris Fielden to continue the group’s legacy and grow!
LITTLE VILLAINS Back Story
Summer 2004
As fate would have it, two British musicians met by chance at an electronics store on the other side of the world in Los Angeles, California.
With a smirk one of them said, “You probably recognize me, don’t you?”
The other snickered and replied, “Yeah, no shit!”
With that, the two locked into familiar British “humour” in between the ‘what the fuck brought you here’ conversation.
Philthy: “What are you doing on Monday?”
James: “Dunno, starting a band?”
Philthy: “Okay, I’ll be round with a 6 pack.”
James: “Uhh… okay, great.”
Seemingly impressed with each other’s cars, a black 1970’s Corvette Stingray hot rod and a Porsche 924 sporting a Union Jack paint job, they sped away, back into the jungle.
Over a large tasty jacket spud (loaded baked potato) and a homemade schlop, LITTLE VILLAINS were formed by the one and only Philthy and Childs.
Regular jamming ensued with a lot of ideas being demoed in-between endless banter and stories of the road.
2005 rolled around and Childs headed off on the road in support of the VIC DU MONTE’S IDIOT PRAYER and PERSONA NON GRATA releases.
Backstage at a show in the UK, Childs was impressed that a group of lads had travelled all the way from Swansea in Wales to Bristol to see the band, as explained by a rather rowdy young lad named Owen Street.
He hooked up a show with his band The Buffalo Kings in Swansea where Childs saw him shred the bass guitar for the first time and immediately invited him to Los Angeles to jam with Philthy.
Street somehow showed up the following year complete with bass guitar, surf board and Ford Mustang convertible.
The LITTLE VILLAINS line-up was complete!
After some crazy nights, jamming and living the dream, LITTLE VILLAINS were ready for the studio.
In February 2007, Childs accompanied Philthy to his “lockup” (storage) to locate Philthy’s original DW drum kit from 1982 for the session at Unit A Studio in Palm Springs, California, where tracks for the Philthy Lies album were laid down.
After the sessions, Childs and Philthy discussed management and the possible future for the band. They both decided that circumstances beyond their control would prevent them from pursuing it any further. However, they agreed to continue to record for fun.
So, with that, Childs continued his career with VIC DU MONTE’S PERSONA NON GRATA and formed AVON .
Street joined the desert band WAXY touring with the likes of KYUSS LIVES and formed his killer Welsh Sludge duo VAILS.
Unfortunately, Philthy was taken ill in 2011 and would leave the USA for good, returning to the UK where he eventually passed away in 2015.
In 2018, after much deliberation, Childs decided to locate the 2-inch reels from the sessions and finish work on the album.
The album showcases Child’s strong, hook filled song-writing, plenty of harmony, formidable guitar, Street’s growling bass and, of course, features Philthy’s undeniable pioneering drumming style that oozes with attack and ‘Motörspirit’!
Philthy Lies is like one last stand, and a fitting epitaph for one of the world’s very best Rock ‘n’ Roll drummers.
The band are currently in the studio recording material for a new album that will be a follow-up to Taylor Made that features the late Philthy Animal on drums and Alan Davey of HAWKWIND on bass and will released on April 3, 2020 on Cleopatra Records.
Little Villains – Running Around
