RICHARD REIDEL and the CCQs
Who Are Richard Reidel & the CCQ's?
Excerpted from PROFILE: RICHARD REIDEL & the CCQs, by Humphrey Mbuga, Philadelphia Observer
"Richard Reidel & the CCQs are a self-described 'underground punk band' at the U.S. Military Academy (a.k.a., West Point).
"They play a tough, meaty rock and roll with hints of the Ramones, Beatles, Green Day, Kinks, Cars, Offspring, and early Rockabilly. Guitars forward, thick bass and pounding drums. Vocals which are alternately earnest and sneering. Songs about the West Point experience which love it with one hand and smack it with the other.
"The band, fronted by the mysterious Richard Reidel, have been playing together for about two years. They formed during an impromptu jam session in a barracks latrine. Early gigs included Cullum Hall, the First Class Club, and the Fourth Regimental Stoops.
"Like many bands, they write and play their own songs. 'We just write about stuff that's relevant', they say. 'You know. Boodle. Rack. PMI. That kind of stuff.'
"The band recently recorded their first live album, 'Are You Alright?', at the VFW in Poughkeepsie NY. 'It was a great gig,' they say. 'There must have been twenty people there.'
"Richard Reidel & the CCQs is a band to be reckoned with. They're hard to define, and they like it that way. Their story is as tangled as the dark, greasy hair atop their heads, and their identities are as opaque as the thick glasses which shield their eyes. But their music is direct, crunchy, and as hard-hitting as a pugil stick to the gut (sorry, they gave me that one). Notwithstanding the dense West Point jargon, their music is not to be missed."
[NOTE: the term CCQ stands for "Cadet in Charge of Quarters", which is a rotating duty that sophomores (yearlings) and juniors (cows) perform about one day each month. It's a combination security guard/ watchman/ orderly/ barracks police. It's a 24-hour shift and you do not attend classes while on CCQ duty. The term "CCQ" is often abbreviated to "CQ" in cadet vernacular.]
Reprinted by permission
