Some people might say that Blacksburg does not have much to offer musically, but that is only because there is more to Blacksburg’s music scene than what meets the eye. Blacksburg has long been home to quite a number of genre bending bands whose sounds are eclectic, they become too difficult to describe. Even though I don’t think that the word eclectic is fitting, since it implies an association with the New Age music genre, I feel like it would be the closest implication to their sounds.
I have been fortunate enough to grow up around Blacksburg and learn about what the local arts had to offer. In high school, I had the opportunity to discover the music of Doug Cheatwood, who frequently visited Blacksburg for solo performances. Ever since then, I have been following every release and have never been disappointed.
In 2006 Mr. Cheatwood made the best decision of his musical career; to recruit a whole band in effort to create a fuller sound and easier execution of performing the intricately multilayered songs he had written. At that moment Doug Cheatwood & the Bastards of Fate came to life, foreshadowing some of the most intense and controversial in Southwest Virginia today.
Cheatwood says that the idea of going back to the old meaning of the word “show” had always appealed to him. He says that a “show” should be both theatrically and musically engaging, which is exactly what this band’s performances make true.
When I had met with the band, there was five of them; drummer Doug Shelor, Guitarist/Trumbonist Benjamin Pugh, Bassist/Saxaphonist Jason Wells, Vocalist/guitarist Doug Cheatwood and keyboardist/violinist Camellia Delk. However, I noticed that a famed member of the band, Bernard, was missing.
Where is Bernard?
-Jason Wells: He’s actually a part of another realm, so he’s not here right now. He’s kind of nocturnal.
I paused for a bit, thinking about how he never actually repeated his name. I wondered if I wasn't even supposed to say his name, kind of like how no one is supposed so utter the words "Lord Voldemort" in Harry Potter. Even though I was a little alarmed, I decided to shrug it off and go through with the interview anyway.
Would you like to describe your sound?
-Doug Cheatwood: We’ve been described as melodramatic pop.
-Camellia Delk: Headless bride-core, I like that one the best.
-Benjamin Pugh: Genre pop.
-Jason Wells: Top 40.
-Doug Cheatwood: But don’t you have to actually break into the Top 40 to be a Top 40 band?
-Jason Wells: WELL, we’re emulating what is popular in the Top 40. Kind of like polka, Slayer and the sound of old people singing.
-Doug Shelor: Old people are cool; they know a lot of shit.
How did you become such a controversial band?
-Doug Cheatwood: We just put on our usual show and sometimes it’s received differently in different places.
-Jason Wells: I think we’re the nicest people you’ll ever meet. It’s just that people have different senses of humor at times.
Any upcoming shows we should know of?
-Doug Cheatwood: Well we are going on tour during the first week of August with Joe Jack Talcum from the Dead Milkmen and he’s performing songs from all of his [previous] projects.
-Jason Wells: He’s the guitarist and one of the singers from an old punk rock band called the Dead Milkmen, best known for “Punk Rock Girl” which got a little bit of MTV airtime a while back.
-Camellia Delk: (laughs) Yeah, I listened to the Dead Milkmen back when I was in middle school. I still can't believe we're going on tour with Joe Jack Talcum from the Dead Milkmen. I remember hearing "Bitchin' Camero" on the radio in second or third grade when I lived in Salt Lake City. I mean, how many chances will I get to go on tour with someone I looked up to as a kid? Thank goodness for the Bastards of Fate!
So I understand that a record label has courted your headless bride-core band?
-Doug Cheatwood: Actually, this was something done through my label, Shadowbuster Records. I’ve had some people help me run it, particularly my friend Todd. Since creating an actual label is such a huge project, he’s been helping me with the business aspect of it.
-Jason Wells: It’s kind of like self-courting, almost. Which sounds very controversial.
How did you all start wearing suits to your shows?
-Jason Wells: Well for our first show it was mandatory, there was just no other way to do it. Then we kind of all just stuck with it. But if I ever get a hold of a cookie monster outfit, then maybe I’ll wear that to shows.
So you were all required to wear suits for your first show?
-Doug Cheatwood: Not really, but for some reason everyone showed up wearing suits and Camellia was wearing a dress.
How long have you been together as a band?
-Jason Wells: We just had our one year anniversary as a band over on the farm on the 4th of July.
Do you have any side projects?
-Camellia Delk: The Slaying Mantis
-Benji Pugh: The Sad Gnostics
-Jason Wells: Eschato
-Doug Shelor: The Situationist
How does it feel, being the only female in the band?
-Camellia Delk: Not bad at all, especially since I have had the same experience in the past having been the lone female in bands like A Fine Line, LaBianca and The Galen Kipar Project. The only thing that REALLY annoys me is when we're playing with another band for the first time and they always shake hands and introduce themselves to everyone in the band BUT me because they automatically assume I'm just a girlfriend or friend of the bandmates'. It’s sad that the thought of a girl playing an instrument seems to be so uncommon.
I understand that the band started out as Doug Cheatwood’s solo work. What made you think of recruiting an entire band?
-Doug Cheatwood: I was really hesitant to get a band because I had a hard time finding people that I enjoyed playing with. Then, these guys kind of fell into my lap. I’ve know Benji forever, we’ve been making noise together since high school.
-Jason Wells: I think it’s always really hard to find people you can get along with musically.
-Doug Cheatwood: and this has basically been my first band, not counting my band in high school that I was kicked out of. They eventually named themselves “Blue Sun.”
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
-Jason Wells: It involves potions in the forest and funny hats.
-Doug Shelor: No, they’re actually dead-serious hats.
Do you have any new releases that people should be aware of?
-Doug Cheatwood: We just publicly premiered our brand new t-shirts, which people can get at our shows. We will also have them available online when we release our new album on September 1st.
-Doug Shelor: They’re pretty smokin’ shirts, we have a pre-sale going on right now for the CDs too.
Doug Cheatwood & the Bastards of Fate are going on tour in August and will be performing at Ceritano’s on August 4th with Joe Jack Talcum, Deral Fenderson and the Lee Street Riots. Doors open at 7:30pm and admission is $5 per person.
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