Satan's Cheerleaders
Back in Halloween of '95, when triple sixes meant something, Satan's Cheerleaders, Squad 666, were raised from the very pits of Hell at a Flametrick Subs show. For more than a decade, the team engaged in glorious, macabre hijinks that have become the stuff of legend. Their demonic résumé includes opening for The Cramps at Stubbs, touring the West Coast with a jaunt through Death Valley for an appearance on the Doubledown stage in Vegas, taking over the God Games stage at E3, filming a live show at Antone's, and generally creating uproars.
The group held longtime residencies, first at The Black Cat Lounge and then Beerland, while frequently haunting Dallas's Club Clearview, Houston's Continental Club, and Oklahoma City's Green Door. In Austin, Forbidden Fruit was the original headquarters of Squad 666, their unholy sanctum. They were the terrors of 6th Street.
While the Cheerleaders are eternally grateful to their Flametrick Alma Mater, their talents are not limited to the psychobilly pep rally spectacular. In fact, they have made guest appearances on stage with such bands as The Misfits, The Pie Tasters, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Weird Al Yankovic at Fun Fun Fun Fest. And yes, they even possessed the stage with Mötley Crüe.
In addition to their many unholy cameos, these Big Bads found time to host surreal parties for a millionaire, have a mini film fest at the original Alamo Drafthouse, add ambiance to movie premieres, and moonlight as bodyguards. Their print portfolio includes Tattoo Savage, Skunk, and Bizarre magazines. Squad 666 were featured at Comic-Con, many hotrod shows, and even on the Learning Channel (one initiation became a spectacle narrated by Dweezil Zappa).
The ghastly girls choreographed offbeat performances for events like Extravagasm, Austin (Satan) Swim, and The Erotic Carnival. They also formed alliances with both newly-born Austin OG roller derby leagues and screamed for both! They danced for Fantastic Fest and lent their twisted talents to many, many benefits because, as it became known, they truly are very nice bad girls.
On October 31, 2007, Satan's Cheerleaders performed their last regular show with The Flametrick Subs. However, the Squad has played a few reunion shows since then. Their lifetime identity as bad girls doing good in the name of evil means they are liable to appear sometime, somewhere, when you don't expect it... and that would be truly wicked.
