The Cheats

Punk Rock Band from Pittsburgh

Formed in the winter of 2001 out of necessity, The Cheats decided to create the kind of band that was lacking in the city – an old-fashioned, late-70’s-style punk rock ‘n roll band. Led by vocalist Todd Porter (aka Todd Cheat - former frontman of Silver Tongued Devil and Eviction), The Cheats have logged many miles on tour, adopting the DIY punk attitude that is crucial to the scene. Now on their second full-length, "Life’s Short…", The Cheats continue the pillage, leaving nothing in their wake but empty beer bottles and cigarette burns… just like they had always intended to. The sound of The Cheats is pure rock ‘n roll, tailor-made for beer baths, shout-alongs, and the inevitable purge after a long, hard night of drinking. Ready to provoke such behavior are tracks like the surging "No Time" or the catchy "I Don’t" and the raucous "Endless Vacation." Not wanting to waste any time, these two-minute bullets of hooks and blazing chords are built to destroy live, and they do just that. With Porter’s grizzled and gnarly vocals leading the way along with Wez and Eric Wrecker’s dirty power chords, The Cheats bust out a few fun covers, including "Surrender" by Cheap Trick and "Hanging On The Telephone" by Blondie. Both renditions are faithful and pure, showing these punk vets have more in them than reckless abandon. The band also tackles a little known gem written by Demolition 23 which featured Little Steven (Bruce Springsteen) and Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks) called "Hammersmith Palais." This kind of no-frills, no bullshit punk rock is hard to find these days, as The Cheats have become one of the last ambassadors of a sound that has been overrun with wannabes and scenesters. These ambassadors of the punk creed plan on spreading this gospel of infectious fury to anyone willing to listen, most notably, those who don’t know any better. A breath of fresh air that happens to smell like stale beer, cigarettes, and dirty sex, The Cheats will be around a lot longer than any of these punk and EMO poseurs will. You need this. You know you do.