Hot Snakes Disband!

While we were all bar-b-queuing and blowing things up over the long weekend, some downright shitty news spread across the Internet like a guitar neck straight to the groin. Hot Snakes, one of the most raucous and fierce bands we've encountered in recent years, are apparently calling it quits-- this, according to a hand-written and scanned update from Snakes guitarist and Swami Records head John Reis, posted on Swami's official website and dated July 1.

The message read, in part, "...So the rather sad news to report is that Hot Snakes will be packing it in after our current plans. It was a complete thrill to be part of and satisfied my insatiable hunger for sinister, throbbing action. Thank you to all that urged us along and leant (sic) an ear for us to abuse."

Reis, Rick Froberg, Jsinclair, and Gar Wood formed Hot Snakes in 1999, making it the most recent collaboration between Reis and Froberg, who also starred together in Pitchfork (no, nobody sued anyone; the band broke up in 1990) and the groundbreaking math-punk crew Drive Like Jehu.

Hot Snakes released two LPs (Automatic Midnight, Suicide Invoice) before RFTC/Black Heart Procession drummer Mario Rubalcaba came on 2003. Last year, they issued Audit in Progress, presumably the last new material we'll hear from the band. Late last fall, Hot Snakes gained further notoriety when it was discovered they recorded the final BBC Session with legendary DJ John Peel before he died of a heart attack in Peru.

As for current and future Snakes plans, Reis went on to write, "Before we recede into our spider holes we have a couple more shows planned." The band is slated to finish up dates in Australia and Scandanavia, although Reis also hinted toward farewell shows in New York, London, and Southern California, either Los Angeles or San Diego. Or both.

07-06 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
07-08 Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel
07-09 Sydney, Annandale Hotel
08-12 Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
08-13 Emmaboda, Sweden - Emmaboda Festival

href="http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/h/hot-snakes/peel-sessions.shtml">Hot Snakes: Peel Sessions EP
href="http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/h/hot-snakes/audit-in-progress.shtml">Hot Snakes: Audit in Progress
* Hot Snakes:

Posted by Matt Amis on Tue, Jul 5, 2005 at 12:00am