Bruised and Battered band spotlight

Since late 2005, Santa Ana natives Bruised and Battered have witnessed some pretty destructive backyard gigs and house shows, all of which have been caused by loyal fans during the band's set. At their most recent gig, the pit inside the house became so overwhelmed and flooded by people, that the humidity in the room caused the windows to fog and sweat out profusely, which then prompted fans to smash them open for the sake of some fresh air. This caused neighbors to call the police, which ensued 18 police units and a helicopter above the property, ordering everyone to leave the perimeter. Bruised and Battered can honestly say that wasn't the first time one of their gigs ended in such a manner, as the band always seems to end their performances with such hype and attention, even the cops get involved at the very end.

Bruised and Battered has experienced a number of break ups, reunions, and replacements, yet currently, the band has reunited permanently to finally branch out and venture outside the North Orange County area, where they've retained some underground recognition. The recent formation of the band consists of the original line-up, with the exception of the original bass player, who is now being replaced with Kenny Gomez of goregrind band ExD.

Co-founder of the band and drummer Serbando Vargas shared that the band is finally ready to take things to the next level. "Back then this was something that we just did for kicks. The scene in Santa Ana was full of a lot of punk bands and there were always gigs happening every weekend. Sal [vocalist] and I had been in a band together already as The Decoids, but shit didn't work out. We wanted to play music at the gigs for all our friends and that was that. Now that we're older, mature, and gotten better at what we do, it's finally time to move on and show more people our music," Vargas said.

Bruised and Battered's music, while riddled with diverse influences, mainly sticks to street punk. Their music, no doubt, retains various themes that relate to the band's encounters with street life, growing up in an urban city, the issue of immigration, and being the underdog in a competitive world. Vocalist Sal Esquivel shares, "The song 'My Struggle,' for example, is completely all about the struggle we as people face in every day life. Whether it's bills, money, work, school, problems, whatever it is that people are overwhelmed by, that song for me, captures the reality of life," Esquivel said.

Currently, Bruised and Battered is working on new music, which once recorded, will be their third EP to date. While the band has come a long way since the early tracks from their teenage years as street punks, the band says they'll stick to their roots and not sway too far from the sound that got them recognition. Vargas says, "We definitely like different things now and we've grown to experience and appreciate different kinds of music, and for sure we're planning on adding more of what we know now into our songs if it sounds good. For the most part though, I think we did what we were doing really good, and if that works for us better, then fuck it."

Bruised and Battered keeps it old school, loud, and aggressive, so check out their DIY spirit at a nearby backyard gig or house show in North Orange County. When asked if the band had any final words of advice to say, guitarist Kevin Lopez shared, "Down the beer, up the Punks!"

www.myspace.com/bruisedandbattered99


-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior Staff Reporter

 

 

 

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