Aggro Or Die!, Cult Of The Space Skull, The Meteors, EKG and Detroit 442 on a Friday night.
Cult Of The Space Skull at The Sanctuary 01/25/2025. All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
For the third consecutive time, the weather got ugly right before we were headed to a punk show. Tonight would start out with a killer show at The Sanctuary, and then a late show down the road at Outer Limits Lounge right after (a record release party for “Let Them Eat Coneys,” a Detroit punk band compilation 7”). The news was saying to stay home, and there were accidents all up and down I-75, but our fearless crew headed out (in multiple cars, no less). We stopped for sushi at our usual spot, but we kept it quick so that we wouldn't miss the first band.
We made it in plenty of time, and our first stop was the merch booths. I picked up a bunch of Aggro Or Die! and Cult Of The Space Skull stickers along with a souvenir set list (from this show), which I don't think I have seen offered by a band before. I'd had AOD's "Summer Dies" CD for quite a few years and took the opportunity to pick up their other CD, "Someday, Somehow, Someway," which I will be spinning this weekend. We grabbed beverages next and were up front and ready to rock by the time AOD hit the stage.
Aggro Or Die! was expected to be the most hardcore band of the night, and they didn't disappoint. The set was high energy, and even though the set list showed them ending on their marquee song "See You Next Year," they continued on with a few more. Their logo includes a video game controller, and the singer had on a “Street Fighter” shirt, so I assume some of the songs were about video games (that would be over my head; I’m not a gamer). The crowd was looking a little strange with members of the next band trying to blend in, and we were all ready when they announced, "Cult of the Space Skull is up next. Prepare your eye cavities!".
Next up was Cult of Space Skull, who we had actually seen before when they opened for The Queers. I'm sure there would be some comparisons to Gwar, with the costumes and theatrics. Their show tells a story, which is somewhat difficult to decipher with all of the blood and gore. There was also a lot of drinking (they were slamming Hamms beers nearly the entire show and must have went through an entire case) and scantily dressed women. The show started with a blood sacrifice, leading into a (big-headed, costumed) police officer coming out to arrest them for marijuana possession. They ended up pulling out his eyes and then cutting out his heart and eating it. There was also a skeleton "sky dancer" in the middle of the crowd and a band member dressed as a giant octopus (which audience member Mac McMayhem disposed of). The music continued throughout it all, and it was honestly a great show. I’ll be back to see them again.
Finally, the Meteors took the stage. I was warned at the door that The Meteors don't allow professional photos to be taken of them (I was told that I would be tossed from the show if I tried). Phones were OK, so I only took a few, and they were with my phone. I was expecting a psychobilly band with an upright bass, which I believe they used to be. They still had a psychobilly sound, with the singer playing guitar along with a normal bass player and drummer. They had a minimalist stage show compared to the previous band, but it was fun. The night was only half over, as we were headed over to The Outer Limits Lounge next for the "Let Them Eat Coneys" record release party. We had no idea what was in store for us.
The Outer Limits Lounge is only a few blocks down, past Smalls Bar, on the same road. It was frigid out, so we parked as close as we could and paid our $10 to get in just as EKG was taking the stage. I had never heard EKG before and didn't know what to expect. These guys are punk rock! As they belted out a series of punk rock songs, a mosh pit formed, and the band stripped down until three of the four were buck naked (something I hadn't seen since the early days of The Dwarves). I picked up a copy of the "Let Them Eat Coney's" 7" that this was a release party for, mainly to get the EKG song. They are playing two more times this coming weekend, and if I can find a way, I'll be at both shows.
Detroit 442
Finally, Detroit 442 hit the stage. Singer Lacy Sterling has been a fixture of the Detroit punk rock scene nearly all my life, starting when his earliest band Son of Sam used to play many of the shows at Blondies on 7 Mile Road. Detroit 442 is his best band yet, they absolutely killed it, and they also had a song on the "Let Them Eat Coneys" 7". A great end, to a great weekend.
