Could any band have worse luck than MicLordz & Sauce Funky? Four days after the Windsor-based band set out for a 17-stop Drop Tour, their 1995 GM Safari broke down.
“It's been four times since then and every time it's something new,” says drummer Charlie ‘C Mack' McKittrick. “First it was the power steering line. Then a frost plug on the engine core wasn't working. Tires needed replacing and we ended up running out of gas.”
Each time something happens, there's a moment of dĂ©jĂ vu. “But hey, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Right?”
It's this mantra that's making the rebellious, controversial band determined to succeed.
Although the five-piece rock-infused, hip-hop group has had a Keystone Cops start, they're ready to complete their western tour, debuting locally at The Taphouse this coming Saturday.
Composed of vocalists Mike ‘AlerG' O'Phee and Dayun ‘Boots' Marjanovic, bassist John ‘RogĂ©' Rodgers and guitarist Matt ‘Matte' Lalonde, they just released their Drop EP in June.
“In Drop, there's three songs with the full band and three acoustic songs. We wanted to show our diversity. The first three is what we do at a live show. The next three have a different feel.”
With no-holds-barred lyrical content, a bold rhyming style, a punchy flowing rhythm and strong instrumental beats, they're just as likely to be influenced by Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan as Red Hot Chili Peppers or Rage Against the Machine.
“There's a certain rawness, a certain organic feel. You can make songs sound proud, shiny and phoney to a point. We're straightforward and we don't hold much back.”
MicLordz and Sauce Funky released their 2006 debut album, Family Tree, an 11-track that drew a lot of influences from the 1990-94 style of West Coast rappers.
The initial success encouraged them to polish their new sound playing at numerous live venues and festivals. After a noteworthy American college tour, they released a follow-up EP titled Funk You Up in 2007.
There was no stopping the band. In the spring of 2008, they released Sunset Ammunition, a full-length sophomore album. During the summer months, they opened for acts such as Finger Eleven, Sloan, Thornley, The Trews and illScarlet.
“We were coming into our own style. There were diverse challenges. At times it was difficult to know how much of one ingredient to put in — how much punk, how much classic rock, how much metal or hip-hop. It just evolved into a rock infused hip-hop style with all different genres tacked into one.”
“In Sunset, we were all over the place. But in the Drop EP we're very consistent. If you were to hear any three songs, you'd be able to pick them out.”
For more information visit www.miclordz.com.
