Lez Zeppelin (All-Girl, All Zeppelin) &
Tragedy (All-Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees)
Downstairs at the Middle East Club in Cambridge, MA
12/7/13
by Maia Kennedy
Lez Zeppelin photos HERE
Tragedy photos HERE
The cold winter evening warmed up quickly downstairs at the Middle East Club. First to take the stage was the band, Tragedy, the self-proclaimed “#1 All-Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees in the Tri-State Area.” Adorned in body hugging, chest-hair-revealing, sequined-leather costumes that left nothing to the imagination, these flamboyant, energetic performers took the Bee Gees to different heights. They played it the way it always should have been!
Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of Saturday Night Fever and dancing with my friends to the Bee Gees’ songs. These guys brought those memories back, but then added to the experience. Rather than attempt a perfect imitation, they put a new twist on it and definitely made it their own. They played several early 80’s disco hits by other artists in addition to the Bee Gees; their guitars screamed the metal tunes while the audience screamed for more. They had fun with their performance and urged everyone to join them, howling at the moon for, “Gimme Gimme Gimme (a Man After Midnight).”
When Lez Zeppelin came onstage next, you could hear the moment the hometown crowd first saw sexy-Steph. Decked-out in a shiny eye-catching red satin Red Sox jacket and wearing a devilish grin, she coyly encouraged the audience as they erupted into cheers and squeels.
This band describes themselves as all-girl, but they are definitely all-woman. While they expertly play their instruments and interpret the sounds of Zeppelin, they bring a hot sensuality to the stage that electrifies the audience, both men and women, gay and straight. They play every song to the hilt as if it were their last, riding the songs all the way to their final note in sweaty exhaustion. If you weren’t Lez-curious before the show, you definitely were after!
They constantly toyed and played with the audience, throwing out double-entendres in-between songs. When Steph broke out the double-neck guitar for, “Song Remains the Same,” Shannon, the blonde bombshell lead singer, smoothly purred, “I love it when she straps it on.” Her voice then explodes as she belts out every song, part Janis Joplin, part Robert Plant, but all-sexy.
This band plays for their audience and loves them too. They are in touch with many of their devoted followers, saluting a man in the front row, Charles Hunter, celebrating his 30th show with them.
I have now been infected with Lez Zeppelin-Mania. This was my second time seeing them. These women are amazing and I will keep going to their shows every chance I get.
Members of Lez Zeppelin:
Steph Paynes – guitar, theremin
Shannon Conley – lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine
Leesa Harrington-Squyres – drums
Megan Thomas – bass guitar, mandolin, keyboard
Lez Zeppelin Setlist
1. Immigrant Song
2. Rock n Roll
3. Black Dog
4. The Ocean
5. The Song Remains the Same
6. Trampled Under Foot
7. Misty Mountain Top
8. In My Time of Dying
9. Dazed and Confused
- Communication Breakdown
- Moby Dick
- Kashmir
Encore:
- Heartbreaker
- Whole Lotta Love
Members of Tragedy:
Barry Glibb – lead vocals, lead back-up vocals, lead rhythm guitar
Mo’Royce Peterson – lead vocals, lead back-up vocals, lead lead guitar
Disco Mountain Man – lead vocals, lead back-up vocals, lead keyboards, lead cowbell
Andy Gibbous Waning – lead bass, lead vocals, lead back-up vocals
The Lord Gibbeth – lead drums
Tragedy Setlist:
- Night Fever
- Jive Talkin’
- Disco Inferno
- Grease
- Islands in the Stream
- Gimme Gimme Gimme (Abba hit song)
- KC/DC & the Sunshine Band (A mashup of three KC and the Sunshine band songs done in the style of ACDC)
- Raining Men (Weather Girls song)
- You Should Be Dancing
- How Deep Is Your Love
- Stayin’ Alive
- Hot Stuff (Donna Summer song)