Decibel Demons

The venerable Ventura Theatre ends its winter hibernation Wednesday night with a long and loud Sno-Core 2000 tour featuring four bands--disciples of the decibel one and all--System of a Down, Incubus, Puya and Mr. Bungle.

The latter includes Mike Patton, former frontman for Faith No More, a hard-rocking NorCal outfit that melded metal and funk in a sonic yet tuneful outburst that lasted for more than a decade.

These days, blamed by some for the current rap-metal conglomerations, Faith No More is a band no more, but Patton is having fun with Mr. Bungle.

Usually just a side project, Mr. Bungle has been around for 15 years, or mainly when Patton wasn’t doing his Faith No More thing.

The Bungle boys have managed to release three albums during that span, including “California,” the latest.

Best described as more chaotic than accessible, Bungle music bobs and weaves from style to style, often in the same song.

Expect anything from spaghetti western soundtrack music to rockabilly to death metal, plus Mr. Bungle knows a bunch of covers from everyone from Jerry Reed to the Dead Kennedys.

Just ask Patton.

So how’s the Mr. Bungle biz?

Oh, we’re creeping right along. We’re playing a lot more these days than when I was in a big rock band touring all over for a year at a time.

Three albums in 15 years is pretty slow--what’s up with that?

That is ridiculous and pretty embarrassing. It’s just like Kansas, Boston or one of those bands.

What does the new one have to do with California?

It’s very pretty on the outside, but a real pain . . . on the inside, just like California. The other albums are more of a pain . . . on the outside--this album, at least, has a nice cover.

Who’s to blame for all this?

Mr. Bungle was started by myself, the guitar player and the bass player. We all played in rival death metal bands, and since neither was evil enough to cancel the other out, we joined forces.

What do you think Mr. Bungle music sounds like?

Oh God, I dunno. Make something up. I have no idea.

How is this band different from Faith No More?

Completely different styles. Completely different people. I was in that band for 10 years--it was too much to really sum up. There [were] a lot of great things and a lot of not-so-great things with four people. I was in both bands for a long time, and I always looked at the other as a summer vacation. I think it’s good to have a little balance in your life. You connect the dots.

Do you do any Faith No More songs?

No.

Does this band actually have a set list?

We do, but only about five minutes before we go onstage. We usually make the bass player do it--it’s his job. Actually, it’s not so much of a hodgepodge as you might think. It may sound like we’re just flopping around up there, but it’s all premeditated. We do what we find appropriate.

What are some of the covers the band plays?

There won’t be that much time for any covers this time. There’s four bands on this tour and we’re pretty far down in the bill--second, I think. We only get 40 minutes, and by the time we set up, it’ll be 30 minutes. Usually we do some ‘60s Italian pop, some B-movie country music and some psycho soundtrack music. By the time we get to Ventura, that should be the second or third gig on this tour . . . it should be complete destruction.

What’s next?

We want to try and see if the record label wants to let us put out another album.

DETAILS

System of a Down, Incubus, Puya and Mr. Bungle at the Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St.; 7 p.m. Wednesday; $23; 653-0721.

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Back in the early ‘60s, when Liverpool was the center of the rock ‘n’ roll universe, Jackie Lomax was right in the middle of it all with his band, the Undertakers, along with some of the town’s other players, such as the Beatles.

These days, Lomax is a blues guitarist living in Ojai and will do a hometown gig at Calypso’s Bar & Grill on Saturday night.

The Undertakers played often with the Beatles, not only at the famous Cavern Club, but also in Hamburg. As the house band at the Star Club in Germany, Lomax ended up backing traveling American rock stars such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Ray Charles. Later, Lomax made a deal with Brian Epstein to record an album for the Beatles’ label, Apple, and also made a separate deal with John Lennon to write songs for the label.

The first Lomax album, “Is This What You Want?” was produced by George Harrison and featured a fairly competent backup band that included Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

When Apple went away, Lomax relocated to New York and then to California.

Now, six albums later, Lomax still has the blues. Influenced by early American R&B;, Motown and the whole Watt-Stax thing, he doesn’t just do a bunch of oldies; he has continued to create new music.

It’s easier to find Calypso’s than Lomax’s albums, but Capitol did put out a compilation album of his work a few years ago.

DETAILS

Jackie Lomax at Calypso’s Bar & Grill, 139 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai; 9 p.m. Saturday; free; 640-8001.

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The wildly successful Sings Like Hell series, now in its sixth season, will offer another evening of eclectic music--this time of the bluegrass variety--Saturday night at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. Headlining will be the Del McCoury Band, featuring Del himself, a veteran of Bill Monroe’s band, now with a couple of his kids.

Known as the First Family of Bluegrass, the band has won every bluegrass award imaginable, plus a Grammy in 1997.

While the McCourys have the history of bluegrass covered, the openers may well be the future of bluegrass, a thrash-grass trio out of Wichita, Kan., with the funny name Split Lip Rayfield.

Their take on bluegrass is a bit more frenzied, featuring a tank fiddle, a banjo, a guitar and a Ford gas tank with a stick and a single string.

Their debut album is titled “In the Mud.” Upcoming concerts in the series include singer/songwriters Lynn Miles and Barbara K on Feb. 11. Country songwriters Guy Clark and Kevin Welch will perform March 3. And acclaimed roots rocker/producer T-Bone Burnett and Sam Phillips will raise some hell on April 22.

DETAILS

The Del McCoury Band and Split Lip Rayfield at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara; 8 p.m. Saturday; $28.50 or $32.50; 963-0761.

Bill Locey can be reached by e-mail at blocey@pacbell.net.