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james baker experience

  • i should have been deadI Should Have Been Dead Years Ago The Raw Life of Stuart Gray
    Directed by Jason Axel Summers
    (Magic Umbrella, Inc.)

    Never was a truer phrase uttered. But you have to see the film for the vivid, stupid, quite astonishing reality about Stuart Gray - and aka Stu Spasm of Lubricated Goat, Salamander Jim, The James Baker Exprience and many more - to sink in. 

    What you really need to know, though, is that “I Should Have Been Dead...” is an essential rock documentary. Director Jason Axel Summers allows truths to emerge gradually, along with a relentless demonstration of Stuart Gray's talent and determination to play - I should add that his bandmates are people you want to hear more of as well.

    Oh, yeah? Well, look: Mudhoneyalert. Tex Perkins alert. And, importantly, neither dominate. 

    And, thankfully, “I Should Have Been Dead...” is MARKED SAFE from Henry Rollins AND Bono.

    So, spoiler alert: either look away now and buy a ticket, or read on, and then buy two, or three tickets. Here's the Facebook page.

    The film opens with Gray's current band, the Art-Gray Noizz Quartet. And they're damned good. So much coiled energy. I could waffle about the band but I won't (but you'll love Ryan Skeletonboyand his deliberately-wonked two-string bass and Bloody Rich's eloquent drums, and... get the idea?)