User:Bunnyholmes/Cashmere Jungle Lords

Cashmere Jungle Lords is a pop music group hailing from Richmond, Virginia. They formed from the remains of The Mystagogues. The initial concept was that guitarist Rock Koplin, Drummer Sean Sumner and Guitarist Dominic Carpin would leave The Mystagogues and form their own group. Dominic proposed they bring John Moore into the group as bassist. Rock Koplin objected, but never told anyone why. So Cashmere Jungle Lords formed as a trio. Their first gig was in May 17th, 1984, opening at Rockitz for Joe "King" Carasco and the Crowns.

At the beginning the band was known for its inspired frenetic live show. Drummer Sumner pounded the drums with an animalistic fury. Guitarist Carpin was known for his bunny hop while playing his vintage Gretsch Tennessean through a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. He also invented amp surfing. He would turn up the reverb all the way on his amp, jump on top of it and shake it back and forth so that the springs in the reverb tank would shake uncontrollably and create sounds like crashing waves...They opened for Lords of the New Church, The Tailgators, The DelFuegos...All of the show reviews suggested that Cashmere Jungle Lords outperformed the national signed acts whose shows they were opening.

Drummer Sumner was splitting time as a member of the famous pop punk group, Death Piggy.

They recorded a four-song self-titled 7" vinyl ep at Richmond, Virginia's Audio Werke Studio in Church Hill, with Jason and the Scorchers guitar tech Dave Sutherland producing. The disc garnered critical acclaim in Colleg Music Journal and other trade magazines of the day.  The disc charted heavily on college radio.

Returning home from a gig one night at Matt's British Pub in Richmond, the band's sky blue E-150 van was nipped on the rear corner by a Lincoln Continental. The van flipped over on its side. Passengers included, Sumner's girlfriend, bassist Moore's pregnant girlfriend and his dog, Quiche. The van was totaled and they received a generous settlement. They used some of the money to buy a new van and stock the larder of the Oregon Hill band house, Slugland.

Sumner got in trouble with the law. He was involved in a crime of passion trying to stop another man from becoming involved with his girlfriend. He spent 8 months in jail for assault. the band couldn't remain idle while he paid his debt to society, so they began a quest for a new drummer. they auditioned numerous people, and decided on Brooklyn native James Kaylis to replace Sumner. When Sumner was released on good behavior, he wanted a chance to return to the group. The band put Kaylis on furlough and took Sumner to New York City to play The Rodeo Bar. Something was missing. The band's old chemistry was gone with Sumner. They decided to develop their sound with Kaylis instead.

The band booked numerous month-long tours of the eastern half of the USA to promote themselves. Notable among these were the Bratwurst Chitlin Overdrive Tour, The Amoeba Teardrop Tour, The Noble Savage Tour and The Open Mouth Insert Foot Tour. They slept on some of the finest hardwood floors in America, often staying with fans because they could not afford to pay for motels.

Returning to Audio Werke, they recorded an 8 song 12" vinyl ep called Oodjie Boodjie Night Night.