Dax Riggs brings songs of ‘Blood and Love’ to Chelsea’s

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By Jason Andreasen

Prior to performing at New Orleans’ Voodoo Music Experience, Dax Riggs, former frontman of such cult favorites as Acid Bath and Deadboy and the Elephantmen, will be pulling into Chelsea’s in support of his solo debut. Riggs’ latest effort, We Sing of Only Blood or Love, is a fifteen-track safari through shadows and the tortured soul, each one begging for the light of the stage.

Riggs’ affinity for the darker side of things has been a staple of his work, no matter what band or project he was working on at the time.

“I often think it’s just one long song, y’know,” Riggs thought aloud. “It’s about love and death. They’re the most important things I can think of. If you’re a person of a certain mind set, it’s actually inspirational.”

“They’re all kind of party tracks to me, but just kind of a funeral party,” Riggs said tongue-in-cheek.

Riggs also admits that growing up in Houma, around the vibes and scenery of Louisiana influenced his music heavily.

The real question surrounding Riggs’ latest venture is not as much where it came from, but why it came about in the first place. Why would someone who had sniffed success with a band like Deadboy and the Elephantmen decide to begin releasing albums under his own name?

“Well, my plan for Deadboy from the beginning was to have it encompass all my songs but be able to do them in different ways with different people,” Riggs confessed. “It didn’t ever seem to work out that way; it was always kind of a one-band situation from beginning to end. Going solo leaves me open to be different, which was the whole point of Deadboy.”

Riggs has obviously never shied away from being different, especially with his music. The progression for Riggs musically has gone from the psychedelic sludge-metal of Acid Bath to the melancholic rock of Agents of Oblivion to the poetic blues-rock of his latest album. While this might seem odd to some, Riggs couldn’t feel more at ease.

“It seems really natural to me because I’m really into a lot of different things,” Riggs explained. “I just always want to do something that feels new to me. Hopefully, the people who have followed me will be intrigued by things being changed.”

Coming off of touring with Queens of the Stone Age, Riggs is looking forward to Voodoo, but is in no way overlooking his performance at Chelsea’s. Amidst discussion of the band that will be with him on Thursday night, Riggs contemplated the differences between playing during the day at a festival and playing at a more intimate venue at night.

“Nighttime is the right time for this kind of music,” he said. “It’s always kind of weird to play it during the day, in the heat. It’s really a reptilian kind of music that is more at home at midnight in a bar. We get to play longer at Chelsea’s, too. Our shows are kind of psychedelic, in the true sense of the word – to show your soul.”

Riggs would have to start his set at about 5 p.m. in order to fully showcase the diversity within We Sing of Only Blood or Love. Despite the fact that none of the 15 tracks break the three-minute mark, each one is a separate individual endeavor. From the stripped down “Demon Tied to a Chair,” which begins like a lullaby and ends as if the demon has broken free, to the punk-tinged kick-in-the-teeth, “Radiation Blues,” Riggs’ swampy rasp is on display.

One of the most noteworthy tracks, among many, is “Night is the Notion.” The song wafts in like a mist over the bayou and is accompanied by thick and menacing guitar chords that set the tone for the song as much as Riggs’ vocals, varying from ethereal to abrasive.

Dax Riggs, having decided to ditch the Deadboy brand, will now release all his material under his own name for the foreseeable future.

“Yeah, I’m comfortable with that,” Riggs explained. “There will be a period of time, after the tour, where I take some time to write some new material. Just thinking about music, it’s driven me to create better things.”

For more information about Dax Riggs’ performance at Chelsea’s, visit ChelseasCafe.com. For a preview of what to expect from Riggs’ new album, you can check out his MySpace page at MySpace.com/DaxRiggs.

E-mail the author at JasonAndreasen@tigerweekly.com

Originally Published: Issue 584 - October 24, 2007

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