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This article originally appeared on Noisey Australia.
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The Teotihuacan Spider Woman was a goddess of the Pre-Columbian Teotihuacan civilization. Said to sprout hallucinogenic morning glories she protected the underworld like some kind of badass hitwoman/deity. A more glamorous variation of the spider woman turned up and danced at a recent backyard party video shoot in the San Gabriel Valley hosted by Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds.
Appropriately titled “La Araña” or “The Spider,” the video tracks through a stylish Californian bungalow during an even more stylish party complete with finely dressed partygoers, tiki bar, make out room, some fun time dancing, and yes, a spider woman. Taken from La Arana Es La Vida, the fourth Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds album on In the Red Records, the track features rock n’ roll legend Kid Congo Powers (The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds) crooning and grooving in his own inimitable style.
Following their Australian tour in early 2015, Kid Congo and the band are returning Down Under this month including a show in Darwin which stylistically and geographically is some distance from the San Gabriel Valley.
Watch the video below and read a quick chat we had with Kid Congo and director Alex Terrazas.
Noisey: It looks like a fun party. What makes for a good party?
Alex Terrazas: Three dozen great friends, two record crates packed with excellent music, several dashes of booze and delicious tacos for garnish.
I like the odd moments in the video. The guy obsessing over records while couple of making out and the two girls catfighting. Whose idea were these?
Alex Terrazas: I’m glad someone watched the video. The ideas were all based on personal house party experiences over the years. I wanted the video to feel like a highlight reel of those moments.
Why “La Arana”?
Kid Congo: It’s a celebration of the femme fatal and how we love her. I was thinking about the poem ‘The Spider and the Fly’, Kiss Of The Spider Woman and the Spider Goddess of Teoteclan who hayrides the Pyramids of Mexico City and sprouted hallucinatory morning glories to protect the underworld. We love her!
The majority of people at the party and who reside in the San Gabriel Valley are Hispanic and Asian Americans. Do you think there is still cultural stereotypes of what kind of music hispanic people listen to and enjoy?
Alex Terrazas: Of course, which is why I was originally against having Kid dressed as a Mariachi for the video.
It wasn’t that long ago when you were last in Australia. What do you like about playing Australia?
Kid Congo: The people are up for fun and bonkers .
‘La Araña Es La Vida’ is out now through In The Red Records.
Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds Australian Tour 2016:
Aug 18 – Darwin at Lighthouse Theatre
Aug 19 – Fremantle at Mojo’s
Aug 20 – Adelaide at Crown & Anchor
Aug 24 – Castlemaine at the Bridge
Aug 25 – Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club
Aug 26 – Melbourne at NGV (DEGAS exhibition)
Aug 27 – Melbourne at Caravan Music Club Sep 1 – Sydney at Oxford Arts Factory
Sep 2 – Brisbane at the Triffid
