Photos By: Karen Curley

12/30/2009 – This band’s got me thinking that I should be hanging out in Orange County and/or San Diego a lot more.- It seems that the bitches are significantly hotter, music is more original, and audiences do more than just stand around with their hands in their pockets. To avoid confusion, this particular show did not take place in SD or Orange County, it took place at the Roxy in Hollywood, but I’m assuming by the influx of eye-candy and rabid/active concert-goers that people from those areas made a mass exodus north to witness Unwritten Law tear the house down.

This was the first time I had ever seen people crowd surf at The Roxy; most of the time, audiences just stand there. When Unwritten Law played, the crowd flew into a frenzy, jumping on and off of stage like it was one of those bouncy houses that Latino people rent whenever it’s time to have a serious party; and a serious party it was as everyone from douché bags wearing too much hair gel to the most blatant lesbian I’d ever seen took a dive off stage into the swirling pit below.

Unwritten Law played all the classics and a few gems from their up-coming record to be released this spring on Suburban Noize. I have to say, Scott Russo is hands-down one of the best frontmen I’ve ever seen. His rock-and-roll swagger, goes well with his hard-not-to-recognize vocal style. He smoked at least a half pack of cigarettes throughout the set (highly illegal in L.A.), and kicked more ass than a rebel motorcycle gang.

Unwritten Law is a very consistent band. With the exception of 1996’s The Oz Factor, which I’ve never heard, therefore can’t comment on, every album they release is good from beginning to end. Their live show also follows this simple formula. Just when I thought they couldn’t rock any harder, the band walked off stage, leaving Scott by his “Lonesome” (pun intended). Scott began “She Said” as a solo acoustic number and was re-joined by the band at the songs climax, re-exploding into their earlier hard rock opus.

They also played a cover of Grinspoon’s “More Than You Are,” which I found to be appropriate, as Grinspoon is the Australian version of Unwritten Law (or vice versa).

Anyhow, this review probably doesn’t really do these guys justice, so you should do all of the following 3 things:

1. Download Unwritten Law, Elva, Here’s To The Mourning, Music In High Places, and The Hit List on iTunes (follow links).

2. The next time they play in your town, go see them live.

3. Read our feature article, “How Unwritten Law Took Back The Power.”

Opening act, Beardo was exceptionally entertaining. Hailing from Van Nuys, CA (a real shit-hole) this ‘Sunset Strip’ personality is hard to miss with his curly-headed, two-toned mullet that looks less like real hair, and more like a Davy Crockett-style coonskin cap. Beardo strutted on stage wearing a high school letter jacket, skinny jeans, and a flannel shirt (with the sleeves cut off). He played a combination of old-school hip-hop and white boy OC punk rock that was more amusing than musically innovative, but hey, who cares if it’s simplistic and not too technically proficient if it gets the crowd moving?

Taintstick played after Beardo. The high point was when singer Jason Ellis brought a stereotypical OC party girl on stage, got on one knee and serenaded her with power-balled “I want to Shoot A Load on Your Face.” – I laughed so hard, I nearly shat my pants.