Artist description Melodic punk mixed with liberal doses of organized chaos with a frenetic style. Imagine the catchiest Misfits and Husker Du songs fighting each other while all cranked up on meth and drunk on cheap beer—but smarter.

Music Style Garage Punk

Musical Influences Misfits, Screeching Weasel, Nirvana,

Similar Artists Misfits, Screeching Weasel, Nirvana

Artist History Saltwater Vampires is a three piece punk band from Charleston, IL. We (Chris, Lance, & Travis) met in high school where we quickly formed friendships sparked by our mutual love of obscure music and by our distrust of mainstream everything. Each of us having some previous experience playing instruments, getting a band together was only a matter of time. We moved our equipment into Trav’s garage, and Saltwater Vampires was born. Starting with five songs Travis had previously written, we began playing and writing songs together as a whole. The first two years consisted mostly of heavy drinking and sporadic writing which eventually led to creating and refining a style and sound that was all our own-a sound we affectionately describe as…hook, heart, and balls. Over time, we perfected the anger/confusion-based love song which has become our specialty. After a few years of ignoring the music scene and avoiding public performances, we released a disc of ten songs chosen from our repertoire of over seventy originals, and entered the underground music scene…a scene that often seems to flaunt it’s support of bands lacking creativity and originality and shuns those who dare to rock the boat…a scene that often leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Nevertheless, we are currently playing venues in the tri-state area trying to build a fan base as we play our way out of obscurity…with future hopes of releasing a forty song debut album. Saltwater Vampires are uncompromising, unflinching, undaunted, and until now, untold… we are a small band that plays brave music.

Group Members Chris James - Drums Lance Shoots - Bass/Vocals Travis Shoot - Guitar/Vocals

Instruments Guitars, Drums

Albums Saltwater Vampires (self-titled)

Press Reviews SALTWATER VAMPIRES Saltwater Vampires (Mini-cd) Own Release) Hmmmm I guess I have reviewed hundreds of punkbands since I am doing my zine and what is so typical for the genre is that lots of them fall in the trap of being a bland copy from bands they have T-shirts from. Admit it, today in 2003 nobody is waiting for a band who sounds like New Bomb Turks or a band who think they are the next Sex Pistols as they wear some trousers with holes! Saltwater Vampires (stupid name but I like it) who are from Charleston (that�s the US) are a 3 pieceband who did something rather special...they sound like a punkpopversion from Nirvana! Yeahm it must be because of singer Travis Shoot that I�m referring to Kurt Cobain as the voice is so similar! But no, not N�rvanacopies (we don�t want them either) but just a band who are aware that punk has to sound original to convince an audience and with this mini-album they absolutely can, just because it pops! Forget image, remember songs and with that attitude you are going to be like Saltwater Vampires! The Original Sin (review from a foreign land) --------------------------------- Saltwater Vampires Live at Friend's & Co. Charleston, IL w/ The Arrivals and The Tossers October 26th, 2002 Coles County’s very own “punk separatists” Saltwater Vampires signed on as the opening act for Friday’s show. Four Chicago bands and one local act, a loud and music filled weekend was ready to begin. Saltwater Vampires have played at Friends a few times in the past, both in the main bar and in the warehouse attachment, the Dungeon, which is currently not in use. Composed of local musicians Travis Shoot on guitar and vocals, Lance Shoots on bass and vocals and Chris James on drums, Saltwater Vampires believe in the old school approach to playing their instruments and shows, as loud as you possibly can. This summer and fall the band played numerous shows in the Midwest from Columbia, Mo. to Rockford, Ill. In 2001 they recorded a 10-song demo with Matt Talbot [formerly on Hum and current member of Centaur] at his studio in Tolono, Ill. The band claims to have a catalog of about 60 to 75 songs and hopes to record a 40-song album. The crowd on Friday night was diverse and well rounded. Saltwater Vampires brought in a lot of Coles County residents. The Arrivals drew from a large punk and hard rock fan base. The Tossers tapped Eastern’s formidable Southside Irish crowd. Then there arel live music fans like myself, who were eager to see all three bands. Saltwater Vampires kicked off their set with “Plan B” and the three-piece never looked back. With Travis and Lance alternating lead vocals on specific songs, the band played hard, fast and loud through their entire set. “Devour You” followed and also appears on their self-titled demo. “Job Security” followed before going back to their demo two songs later with “Hey Love.” The band gave short shout outs after certain songs. At one point giving props to the Arrivals, saying that discovering the Arrivals was like waking up in July to find Christmas presents scatted everywhere. “In Disguise” brought the band back to the material found on their demo and “Disappointer” followed. Sometimes opening bands have a rough go of it, the crowd is still starting to come in and usually isn’t familiar with the band’s material. This wasn’t the case on Friday, as the local fans provided the spark that the rest of crowd began to feed off. Saltwater wrapped up their set with two more tracks off their demo, “Dishwater” and “Requiem.” It’s great to see an opening band take advantage of their opportunity of opening for more established acts. James’s girlfriend had a box of live CDs that she began giving away after the band finished. Although it may have helped that they were free, fans swarmed her after the show. The live material was taken from the band’s live appearance on WEFT FM in Champaign, Ill. in September. The track listing appeared on the disc and the set list was very similar to the one they utilized on Friday. The Arrivals set up their gear as Saltwater was breaking theirs down. There seemed to be a level of mutual respect between the two groups as members of both bands had short conversations during the downtime. -Ben Turner---@Magazine---Charleston, IL ------------------------------------- SALTWATER VAMPIRES “S/T” CD Saltwater Vampires, 2002 The Saltwater Vampires are a three-piece punk band from Lerna, Illinois. Although their name may leave a bit to be desired, their music, most definitely, does not. On first listen, the Saltwater Vampires sound as though they’ve been weaned on the poppy punk sounds of the Prairie State such as Screeching Weasel, The Bollweevils, and The Mushuganas - they’re full of snot, pep, and pop. Be that as it may, to dismiss the Saltwater Vampires as “just another pop-punk band” would be foolish. The band does a very good job of writing songs that would appeal to most pop-punk fans, but with a grittier, gutsier feel that is reminiscent of early Swingin’ Utters and bands like The Hudson Falcons and The GC5. Indeed, the vocals have a “weathered,” pub rock quality to them, which reinforce excellent lyrics that read like a diary of disappointment, desperation, and disillusionment. Nearly all of the disc’s 10 tracks rate high on the head bop-o-meter, and you’ll reach for the repeat button after hearing “Devour You,” “Burning Bright,” “Requiem,” and “Quicksand Years.” The “woah ohs” wear a little thin here and there (the disc’s opening track, “Dishwater,” is a prime example) and the bass is pretty much obscured in the mix, but these are minor complaints. The band sounds great, and the mid-fi production and raw guitar sound win points with me. Tired of by-the-numbers poppy punk and/or street punk bands that come across like a watered-down version of The Clash? If you pushed and shoved your way to the front of the line, you may want to order a copy of this CD. -Mario Solis ---punk-information.com---Mesa, AZ ------------------------------------------ Saltwater Vampires • self-titled • self-released • Fans of Screeching Weasel and the Queers will eat this up. This trio offers up 10 quick punk rock tracks loaded with 'whoa's, crunchy guitar and a nonstop beat and vocals that remind me of Social Distortion. The songs clock in at an average of two-minutes per track, so you can figure out the pace of these tunes. The lyrics are pretty solid, too -- mostly dealing with personal issues or stories of others' personal shit. This is a really impressive release from a band few have likely heard of before, but have a world of fans just waiting to discover them. -(CM) ---Impact Press---Orlando, FL

Location Charleston, Illinois - USA

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