TRIBUTE BAND GREATNESS >>>

In this week's Volcano, Steph DeRosa offers up her take on the South Sound's best "tribute" bands. (It's not online yet, so you'll just have to pick up a paper, dammit.)

Tribute bands, you see, are far different that run-of-the-mill cover bands (or at least DeRosa is adamant about proclaiming this). Her piece this week is provided as a guide to help you relive some of music's greatest moments and bands.

Naturally, as part of the article and list, DeRosa spoke with the locally legendary Hell's Belles, far and away the world's most top-notch all female AC/DC tribute band.

Sadly, not all of the Belles responses would fit in print.

Luckily, we have a blog ...

STEPH DEROSA:Usually men in bands have bras and panties thrown up on stage. What is most often thrown up on stage during a Hell's belles set?

Mandy Reed (playing the part of AC/DC's Cliff Williams): I think we have had a good mixture of things thrown on stage...surprisingly just as many bras as men's boxer shorts...maybe even more bras.

LisaB (playing the part of AC/DC's Malcolm Young): Same type of thing, really.  Mostly women's bras.  Gratefully, we don't get much in the way of panties.  Occasionally, people get really carried away and throw dangerous objects like drinks, but it's almost always because they are just having a really good time and not because they are mad.  Unfortunately for us sometimes, they just throw whatever they have on or in hand.

Adrian "Angus" Conner (playing the part of AC/DC's Angus Young):  Some kind of baseball cap. People like to challenge my Arizona hat. I just like the A on it. 

DEROSA: Your performances look to take a lot of stamina.  Do you have a workout regimen?

Reed: I personally don't work out as much as I should, which is probably why I always feel like I've been run over the next day after a show.  I know Adrian does a lot of swimming, yoga and Pilates, which keeps her in really good shape. As much running, jumping, and rolling around on the ground with all that high-octane energy, it's a good thing she has the drive to keep fit.

LisaB: Everyone does their own thing.  I have a current injury due to my over zealous workout party.  Sometimes if we are really inspired, Adrian and I will work out together when we are on the road. 

Conner: Yes, I swim laps. Light Yoga. Light Pilates. Totally boring new school rock n roll lifestyle. 

DEROSA: ‘80s pop artist Terence Trent D'Arby (Sananda Maitreya) was rumored to have said he had sex more than he washed his dreadlocks.  Would that be the same for Hell's Belles lead guitarist, Adrian Conner?

Reed: Uh...I'm probably gonna leave this one for Adrian to answer...

LisaB:  Adrian????  I think you should answer that one. 

Conner: I WISH!!!!!!!!! I love my sexing. 

DEROSA: Crowd's favorite song?

Reed: AC/DC has sooo many great, well written songs, that it's hard for us to pick one, let alone a crowd.  We have all kinds of shout outs for different songs coming from the crowd.  I think the greater population says they like the Bon era stuff better, but I'm willing to wager a big portion of them have a Back and Black record in their collection.

LisaB: They seem to really love the big ones.  "Back in Black," "You Shook Me" and "Highway to Hell."  Oh yeah, and "For Those About to Rock. "

Conner: Tie between "You Shook Me" and "Highway to Hell"

DEROSA: Band's favorite song?

Reed: This list can go on forever. We cannot pick just one. SOME of the band's favorites include (but aren't limited to) "It's A Long Way To The Top," "Problem Child," "Riff Raff," "Down Payment Blues," "Overdose," "Shoot To Thrill," and "Rock n Roll Damnation." I'm probably forgetting a whole lot here.

LisaB: I know that we all have fun playing "Have a Drink on Me." "Shoot to Thrill" is super fun.  "Walk All Over You" and "Problem Child" are also favorites.

Conner: I can't speak for everyone... but the one we play is "Shoot to Thrill." The ones I love that we WILL be playing soon: "Long Way To The Top" and "Ride On."

DEROSA: Ever suffered any injuries during a show?

Reed: I don't recall suffering injuries DURING a show, except Adrian once bloodied her lip trying to stage dive with guitar and all...there may be more that has happened on stage that I'm not remembering...  However, we've played a lot of shows with injuries happening from somewhere else.  For example, Lisa has played shows with a broken hand, Adrian has played shows with a badly sprained ankle, and I've played not long after having carpel tunnel surgery. 

LisaB: YES!!!  Someone, in their hysterical love for AC/DC, knocked into my mic which in turn, knocked out my tooth!  I scolded the audience after that.   One time, during an Angus spin, Adrian came into contact with some glass that had broken because someone tossed it up onto the stage (see question number 1) and she cut herself up pretty good.  We had to administer first aid on the side of the stage.  

Conner: Cut leg from Broken glass in Portland. Almost broke me tooth, but didn't at Hell's Kitchen. Sore knees. Almost every weekend I get a little rug burn from spinning. But my knees, man, ow.  In thirty years, you might see me with a walker. 

DEROSA: Many theorists have analyzed the name "AC/DC". What would you say the AC/DC stands for in the world of Hell's Belles?

Reed: If we are speaking of the actual term "AC/DC" I believe the Young brothers got the idea off of their sister's sewing machine.  AC/DC as a band and their music stands to be one of our greatest musical influences as musicians, and are at the top of our list as being our rock-n-roll heroes.

LisaB: In the world of Hell's Belles AC/DC means "Let There Be Rock!"

Conner: Recently the Donkey Show asked if our cup sized matched AC/DC. At first, I didn't know if I could answer the question without pissing off the girls and compromising the "strong women" theme of our band. But then I got curious, because that's really funny. And our boobs are awesome. So I asked the girls and we are AC/DDDDC.