Upon entering the quaint tea room nestled in the historic Parisian neighborhood, I marveled at the privilege of residing in such a sophisticated and cosmopolitan city during these refined times. As the orchestra manifested at the rear of the foyer, weaving delicate melodies such as "Donkey Dick" and "Golden Shower," and as the graceful vocalist passionately rendered the poetic verses of dainty ditties like "Grab 'em by the Pussy" and "Chicks with Dicks," it became evident that the evening promised a delightful fusion of wit and elegance.
Not.
This was The Mentors' first-ever Paris show, in a career that spans nearly fifty years and the club was infested by punks and headbangers young and old waiting to witness this historic moment. Bassist Steve Broy, also known as Dr. Heathen Scum, a rock n' roll lifer who is committed to waving the rape-rock flag despite being afflicted with Parkinson's disease, has assembled a great line-up of filthy perverts and derelicts to do the tunes justice on this European run. They are: Maurizio "Angus" Bidoli on lead guitar; Manuel Galati on drums and Alessio Medici III on vocals and guitar. But the specifics of who is behind the executioner masks matters very little. What matter is the band's steadfast commitment to performing classics like "Get Up And Die" and "When You're Horny" with the unwavering ethos that has defined them for over four decades: alcohol-fueled provocation, sophomoric shock value, and a sleazy, scummy, scuzzy punk-metal approach that would make The Lone Rangers look like consummate professionals.
Yet what sets them apart from other shock punk rockers like GG Allin & the Murder Junkies is that The Mentors aren't meant to be taken at face value. And in that respect, they are the longest-running musical hoax ever to be perpetrated. What The Residents are to the hippie dippy art scene, The Mentors are to the punk rock underground: an avant-garde collective of musical saboteurs. But mostly, it's just a lot of big, dumb, noisy fun.
