Talking to Jerry Lee Queen, bassist and singer for Huntington’s Black Knots, you get the clear sense that he takes rock ’n’ roll — and the band that he’s held together for seven years — quite seriously. After some lineup changes, countless shows and regional tours, Queen’s hard work and perseverance are paying off: The band has signed to a pair of punk labels and is set to release self-produced CDs at the start of 2009.
But for the 27-year-old Queen, labels and publicity can come and go; it’s the band and its music that matters — that, and having fun. As Black Knots finishes touring and prepares to go into the studio to follow up its debut “Hellbent to Kick It Out,” he stated in no uncertain terms what the band means to him.
“We’ve paid our dues in spades,” Queen said. “All of us have been playing for years, getting better at what we do, and now we’re really proud of the rock band we’ve become.”
The relentless touring that’s taken the Knots recently to Winston-Salem, N.C., through Cleveland and into Detroit (rock city) and back — has helped hone the Knots’ “viciously raw yet endearingly foul” version of rock.
“We’re tight as a drum at the moment,” Queen said. “When you play as much as we do, it just frees you up to have a lot more fun on stage.”
The Knots (Queen; Greg Gatlin: lead guitar; Bobby Balboa: rhythm guitar; Captain D: drums) recently had their hard work and dedication pay off in the form of a pair of deals with L.A.-based Deadbeat Records and Teenage Heart out of Boston to release the new CDs, a full-length and an EP, respectively.
But the Knots know that being on a label and putting out CDs isn’t the main goal of their band — it’s being the best band they can be night in and night out.
“That has nothing to do with if the public has yet to find you or you’re signed or whatever,” Queen said. “You know when you’re good, the rest is just icing on the cake.”
Queen’s diehard attitude about rock led Rock 105’s Jay Nunley to call him “Mr. Fierce F---in’ Integrity” when he was working for Nunley at 92.7 in Huntington. It’s a compliment he’ll always remember.
“I’m very opinionated when it comes to rock and roll,” Queen admitted. “I think it should be appreciated, and I have a tendency to talk down to people that just don’t care about music, that are just consumers chewing it up with no appreciation for it.”
As the Knots prepare for their Saturday night show at The Empty Glass with Cleveland cowpunkers The Whiskey Daredevils and local horror-core punk band The Big Bad, Queen closed with a bit of subtlety and understatement.
“We just do what we do to the best of our ability, and luckily we do it pretty damn good.”
Want to go?
Punk rock at Empty Glass
Featuring The Whiskey Daredevils, The Big Bad and Black Knots
WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St.
COST: $5 to $8
INFO: 345-9893 or www.emptyglass.com