GAS
HUFFER
ER
People always mess up their
name, and it frustrates them to
no end, so I asked Tom Price
from Gas Huffer point-blank, is it
one or two words, and does it
piss you off if they get it wrong?
"It's four words," he explains,
"and I get pretty irate. It
wouldn't be so bad if it didn't
combine the 's' and 'h' sound
to make the 'sh' sound-
gaSHUFFer-people better
watch out if they do that."
Gas Huffer is a Seattle four-
some with Tom on gee-tar, Matt
Wright on vocals, Don Black-
stone on bass, and Joe Newton
hittin' the skins. All have been in
previous bands, most notably
Tom, in the legendary Seattle
art-punk band the U-Men, but
also Holy Ghost People, Aerobic
Death and The Kings of Rock.
Gas Huffer formed in 1989,
and it's been one hell of a hoe-
down since then. The Huffer
released numerous singles and
compilation tracks on a bevy of
small labels. "We put our first
album out as singles, we didn't
record it all at once," says Don.
"We just couldn't say no to any
indie label that wanted to put
out a seven-inch." They finally
put out an Lp appropriately
titled Janitors of Tomorrow, fol-
lowed by a few more singles and
their second Lp, Integrity,
Technology and Service.
Gas Huffer's most recent Lp.
One Inch Masters, on Epitaph,
had Huffer purists wondering if
their psycho-punkabilly sound
would change with the move to
a larger label. Fear not, Huffer-
heads, the album is the same old
Gas Huffer: Fun, twangy, rockin',
biscuits-n-gravy punk that'll have
you stompin' yer feet and kissin'
yer cousin. And guess what,
kids? The vinyl comes with a
free comic book inked by the
Huffsters themselves, with tales
of Irony and Pathos.
But hey, hodad, you're still
missin' out on half the fun. To
truly know Gas Huffer, you
must experience them live.
Joe pounds them drums so
hard you'd think he was havin
a seizure. Why?
"Cuz I'm full of hate, bitter-
ness and bile. The only way I can
keep up my nice guy persona is
by bangin' the drums so hard,"
sez Joe. Proficient axemen Don
and Tom bag the corny rock star
poses and stick to punkin' out,
whilst madman Matt shakes a
bone, flies like a bird and
spazzes out like a Junebug in
heat. Don't try to stand still at a
Huffer show, it won't happen.
And the songs themselves.
wrap around fine lyrics written
mostly by Matt that'll set yer
teeth to grinnin'. Sand fleas,
movin' pianos, hotcakes, girls
and the convenience store on
the corner are just a slice of the
subjects the lyrics cover. Nothin
too deep, just downright fun.
Where does Matt get the inspi
ration for his lyrics?
"Personal experience, crazy
fantasy, sometimes what fits into
the music, and one part soda
water mixed with one part brain
scramble via riding around in
the van forever on tour."
If you didn't catch them on
their recent US tour, don't fret,
they'll be back eventually 'cuz
Gas Huffer loves to tour, even
though, as Don puts it, "We get
drunk, get hangovers, get sick,
nobody comes to our shows.
and we don't make any money."
In parting, I asked the guys for
a few last words for the kids.
Don: "Longboards, wide
boards and wide trucks. Bigger
wheels, smaller pants!"
Tom: "Keep on rockin' in the
free world."
Joe: "It's all what you make it,
we're still havin' fun."
Matt: "Catch us while you can,
this might be the last time to see
us while we're still cool, before
our heads get bloated from
being on Epitaph. Plus, what's
up with those tiny wheels?"
That said, Gas Huffer is off
into the sunset, off to another
show with more fans to please,
more beer to drink, and more
tales to tell.
-Wez Lundry
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