The group dates back to September 1986. The very act of setting up the band took place an hour before Iron Maiden concert in Poznan, when Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki (vocal, bass guitar) met Robert "Litza" Friedrich (backing vocal, guitar) and they decided to sell the entrance tickets. The money they got was in no time spent on cheap Polish wine known locally as "kwas" (English "acid") The line up was then enlarged by Dariusz "Popcorn" Popowicz (guitar) and Maciej "Ślimak" Starosta (drums.) Soon they created a few song such as Barmy Army or Del Rocca which are performed live even these days. Unfortunately, after two months of blissful existence, the band suffered the loss of Titus - the leader, who had been called up to the army. Titus stayed there two years while the rest of the band performed with other bands. Popcorn joined Wolf Spider and Litza became a member of legendary Turbo and later Creation of Death. When Titus was finally released from the army, ACID DRINKERS was reactivated.
They first appeared on stage on 26th August 1989 in Wroclaw at a fairly big metal festival called "Metal Madness". They played three songs during which they remained completely still on stage, which was a pretty shocking idea as for a metal band at that time. The audience was absolutely taken aback. The same year they played only one more gig together with Turbo, Wolf Spider and Gomor.
In the meantime ACID DRINKERS recorded their first demo including Nagasaki Baby, Del Rocca and I Mean Acid. The demo noticed by Tomasz Dziubinski (Metal Mind Productions) was presented at Midem Fair in Cannes. A month later ACID DRINKERS signed a deal with Music for Nations. In 1990 ACID DRINKERS performed at Metalmania Festival in Katowice, which has been the largest metal festival in Eastern Europe for many years. The show was so excellent that not only fans but also critics and journalists regarded it as a triumph. In a blink of an eye the band gained popularity across the whole country. It was even called "Guns'n'Roses at Metallica's speed".
In October 1998 Litza left ACID DRINKERS, soon replaced by Przemyslaw "Perla" Wejmann. The same year the band was awarded "the Best Rock Band of the Year" by Polish Public Television. ACID DRINKERS also received "Fryderyk", the Polish equivalent of Grammy Award in category of "hard’n’heavy" in 1998, 2000, 2004. In 2003 Perla left the band. The place emptied by him was soon taken over by Tomasz ‘Lipa’ Lipnicki, the leader of another famous Polish band – Illusion. When Lipa left the band in march 2004, next guy joined the band. His name is Aleksander “Olass” Mendyk, guitar player from great hardcore band called None.
Acid Drinkers has always been one of the best and the most live-impressive Polish heavy metal bands. It has been estimated that so far they have played over 700 concerts in Poland and abroad. From 1996 to 2003 Acids headlined 7 tours and their audience reached a million of people. They headlined all the important Polish rock and metal festivals. The band supported many international stars, such as Deep Purple (in Katowice 03.06.1996 and 24.06.1998 and 27.06.2004 Legia Stadium-Warsaw), Ian Gillan ("Toolbox In" tour in Poland and Czech Republic December 1991), Megadeth, Bruce Dickinson, Sepultura, Paradise Lost and Slayer. The band has been recognized as the best Polish band of the 90s’ by Polish journalists, readers of Polish rock and metal magazines and, of course, BY FANS.
Line-Up
Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki - lead vocals, bass guitar
Wojciech "Jankiel" Moryto - guitar, bkg vocals
Darek "Popcorn" Popowicz - lead guitar
Maciej "Ślimak" Starosta - drums
Jennifer and Ben
Acid Drinkers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But, in fact, they were ten
The ten I have never seen
Though thousands there have been
Yes, and them I did adore
As their friends from second floor
When they got uot of my sight
Hey, Lord! What's the matter with you?
We are waiting for the miracle!
There were Jennifer and Ben
And the feeling that join them
There were Jennifer and Ben
Each of them a hooligan
There were Jennifer and Ben
And the feeling than join them
Was natural and evident
And blinding like atomic blint
Hey, Lord! What's the matter with you?
We are waiting for the miracle!
The lyrics to Acid Drinkers' "Jennifer and Ben" tell a story about the singer's perception of two individuals who they admired, but whom they never really got to know. The opening lines "There were Jennifer and Ben/ But, in fact, they were ten/ The ten I have never seen/ Though thousands there have been" suggest that the singer has observed many people in their life, but they were never able to connect with Jennifer and Ben, even though they seemed to be quite popular- the singer refers to them as "each of them a hooligan".
The second verse reveals that Jennifer and Ben were friends of the singer's acquaintances on the second floor, yet the singer never really got a chance to interact with them because they were out of sight. The repetition of the line "Hey, Lord! What's the matter with you?/ We are waiting for the miracle!" suggests that the singer is frustrated with the situation, and is perhaps exasperated by a lack of divine intervention. The final verse seems to highlight the energy and intensity of the connection between Jennifer and Ben, and the feeling that "joined them." The singer suggests that this connection was "natural and evident/ And blinding like atomic blint".
Overall, the lyrics to "Jennifer and Ben" are somewhat cryptic, and may be open to interpretation by each listener. They speak to a sense of longing and frustration that many people can relate to, either in terms of feeling disconnected from others, or feeling unable to connect with specific people who you admire or find intriguing.
Line by Line Meaning
There were Jennifer and Ben
In this story, there existed two people named Jennifer and Ben
But, in fact, they were ten
Though they may appear to be just two people, there were actually ten people involved
The ten I have never seen
The singer has not personally witnessed these ten individuals before
Though thousands there have been
Despite there being many people around, the artist has not crossed paths with these ten individuals
Yes, and them I did adore
Despite not having met them, the artist expressed love and admiration for Jennifer and Ben and their group
As their friends from second floor
The singer considered them to be friends despite not actually living on the same floor as them
When they got uot of my sight
The singer became anxious and upset when Jennifer and Ben left their presence
I was in an awful plight
The artist was in a difficult and distressing situation without Jennifer and Ben around
Hey, Lord! What's the matter with you?
The artist is questioning a higher power regarding their current struggles
We are waiting for the miracle!
The artist and their friends are hoping for some sort of extraordinary solution to their problems
And the feeling that join them
Jennifer and Ben shared a special connection with each other that was felt by others
Each of them a hooligan
Both Jennifer and Ben were rebels or troublemakers in their own way
Was natural and evident
Their connection was genuine and obvious to those around them
And blinding like atomic blint
Their bond was intense and overwhelming like the bright light of an atomic blast
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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