SF punks Culture Abuse kicked off a two month world tour in Washington, DC, last night. In honor of the event, the band also announced a tag-team giveaway with Fender as a way to try to give someone their first guitar. Here’s Culture Abuse frontman David Kelling:
“My Dad found the first guitar I ever got on the side of the road; it must have gotten run over and skid along the highway because it had a bunch of holes in the body. He filled it up with plexiglass and rubber cement — so it weighed a ton — and a lot of the frets were completely dead.” He continued, “I’d wanted a guitar for a long time but my parents didn’t get me one. They thought I would never be able to play because of my Cerebral Palsy. It affects my right side (so I’m left handed), but my right hand can’t hold any chords or even a pick, really. It’s not that they weren’t supportive of me, but I think they didn’t want it to bum me out if I actually couldn’t do it. So I just learned how to play guitar my own way. I played every day and took that guitar everywhere with me. My parents saw how far I’d come, so for Christmas, they gave me my cousin’s old nylon-stringed kids’ acoustic guitar that she never touched and it sat for years in the sun, warping and cracking all of the wood. I was embarrassed by it so i covered it with band stickers (thankfully for punk rock), but I still remember the first time I strummed it; a guitar where every string and fret worked — it was beautiful. I was in 7th grade then and I still have that guitar to this day and take it everywhere with me. I wrote every song for every band I’ve been in on it, and that was the only guitar I ever owned until Fender gave me this Jaguar. But what do I need multiple guitars for when there’s probably some kid out there, just like me, wishing for the tools to figure out their own way through life?”
Sound inspiring and wanna get in on it? To win, all you have to do is email cultureabusehq@gmail.com (or DM on Instagram @Cultureabusefanzine) and tell them what winning this guitar would do for you or someone you know. Meanwhile, head below to check out where you can see Culture Abuse on this run.
Culture Abuse are touring in support of their stellar sophomore album, Bay Dream, on Epitaph Records back in June.
September 7 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel ^
September 8 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop ^
September 9 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups ^
September 11 Detroit, MI @ The Shelter ^
September 12 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^
September 13 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^
September 14 Kansas City, KS @ Record Bar ^
September 15 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater ^
September 18 San Jose, CA @ The Ritz ^
September 19 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall ^
September 20 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent ^
September 22 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar ^
September 23 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge ^
October 4 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub *
October 6 Queens, NY @ Thrasher Death Match *
October 7 Charleston, WV @ Bully Trap *
October 8 Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 *
October 9 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge *
October 10 Boston, MA @ Hardcore Stadium *
October 11 Baltimore, MD @ Wind Up Space *
October 12 Long Island, NY @ Amityville Music Hall *
October 13 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place *
October 14 Toronto, ON @ Not Dead Fest
October 17 Southampton, UK @ Joiners *
October 18 Birmingham, UK @ Actress & Bishop *
October 19 Nottingham, UK @ Bodega *
October 20 Leeds, UK @ Key Club *
October 21 Brighton, UK @ Hope & Ruin *
October 22 Bristol, UK @ Exchange *
October 23 Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts *
October 24 Manchester, UK @ Star & Garter *
October 25 London, UK @ Boston Music Room *
October 26 Haarlem, NL @ Melkweg Anti Fest
October 27 Hasselt, BE @ Groezrock *
^ w/ Nothing
* w/ Gouge Away