Artist description Bill Bitner's aggressive playing style has earned him a reputation for coercing unusual sounds from a guitar. A rare recorded example of this can be found at the end of Heavy Planet Man: What appears to be a deisel horn blast is actually the feedback induced cry of Bitner's tortured SG. In the artist's words: "I recommend that you play the Sabres' recordings very loud. You should play music very loud as a general principal, but Sabres music in particular benefits greatly from volume."

Music Style fast-loud-alternative-indie-grunge-pop

Musical Influences Alcohol, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran, Everly Brothers, Motorhead, Neil Young, Ramones, Roky Erikson, Surfaris, Velvet Underground, The Who

Artist History The Sabres have a long and checkered past that's impossible to describe in any detail in the space allotted. The songs you'll find here were recorded at the height of their ascendency in the early 1990's. Against much sound advice, drummer Scott Ellis drove the final nail into the Sabres' coffin when he left to join the Navy. Although Scott wasn't the first drummer to leave the Sabres, the other members knew that the band could never be the same after his departure. As for what became of the Sabres, Scott completed his military service and joined a band called Pipebomb in Florida. Guitarist Bill Bitner and bass player Joe Blizzard went on to form the short lived but critically acclaimed Tang Spoons. After a stint as country artists in The Texas Catheters, Bill and Joe are currently working on a backlog of recording projects and occasionally perform a semi-acoustic duet as The Poor Craftsmen.

Group Members Bill Bitner-guitar & vocals, Joe Blizzard-bass & vocals, Scott Ellis- drums

Albums Candy, Under the Influence, Heavy Planet Man

Press Reviews I witnessed a unique performance by a local group known as The Sabres Saturday night at the Nitro Armory. While I'm accustomed to finding something lacking in a three piece band, this trio produces a sound that is full and energetic with no need for further accompaniment. Despite the loss of a string in mid song early on, the guitarist/lead vocalist, obviously a trouper, showed his thoughtfulness for the audience by refusing to subject the crowd to the frustration of waiting for an instrument to be restrung or tuned. Lest the band lapse into a less than breakneck tempo, the drummer pummeled his drums as if they were attacking him and two thin wooden sticks were his only defense. The bass player, seemingly unaware of his compatriot's capers, remained nearly hidden at the corner of the stage doing a peculiar slow motion indian rain dance while thundering along until the front man signalled a song's end with a nod, a stamp of the foot or the destruction of a nearby light fixture. As if the visuals weren't enough, the music was top notch. The Sabres played several Ramones covers as the Ramones would have played them exiting a burning building on amphetamines. The majority of their repertoire consists of fast loud high energy originals with diverse subjects such as rampaging space aliens and the dangers of inhalants. The show closed with an anthemic version of Willie Dixon's I Just Want to Make Love and the guitarist pounding his now stringless axe with a discarded piece of drumstick amidst shards of cymbal and other ruined bits that littered the stage. This was the most energetic performance I've ever seen anywhere, bar none. Ten stars out of five. Rob Sheridan, Putnam Post, 8/9/93

Location Nitro, WV - USA

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