The Whisky A GoGo West Hollywood, CA
Web: ninefinger.com
Contact: [email protected]
Players: Mike Whinny, vocals; Joshua Picard, guitar; Buddah, drums; Ian Shea, bass
Material: Ninefinger is a hard rock band hailing from Los Angeles and laying down the rock ever so passionately. The music is very similar to that of the Stone Temple Pilots, Bush and Alice in Chains; grungy and rough, but with a little bit more melodic flavor to it. You can really sink your teeth into most all the tunes, such as the opening tune, “This is Your Life.” With its great intro, the song set the stage for a great night of rock & roll.
Musicianship: All the musicians’ play is top notch. Whinny has a very strong, distinctive voice resembling that of Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. It made for some interesting comparisons, but in the end, Ninefinger won with a more harmonious and melodious sound. Picard channels Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine on the tune “Conditioner,” and even pulls out some signature Morello licks that wow the audience and make everyone want to jump up onstage and head-bang with the band. Shea and Buddah stand tall between two trees (Whinny and Picard are both easily six foot) and although Shea and Buddah aren’t six foot in stature, their play was six-nine—super-solid and thunderous was the rhythm section.
Performance: This performance was excellent. Whinny is a great frontman with a strong, powerful voice that was heard from The Whisky all the way to Colorado. He had the audience singing and dancing as he paraded around the stage trying to connect with every person in the room. Shea and Picard stood tall as Buddah pounded out the beats to an almost perfect time. Very fun show to watch.
Summary: Ninefinger is a superb band all around. Great background vocals accompany well-written tunes, and although grungy and dirty, the songs are put forth with grace and elegance. Odd time signatures are blended into great rock & roll tunes, “Live or Die,” or you can have some in-your-face grunge like “Speed Queen Redux” shoved down your throat and love it. Any way you roll it, Ninefinger is a band to watch out for. – Pierce Brochetti
