THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE HOODLUM FRIENDS
The friends your mother warned you about.
"Sneaking out the back door
To hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine."
-- I Wish, song lyrics (Stevie Wonder)
PERFORMANCE SERVICES
Music is about engaging with an audience and connecting with a crowd. Allow us to take your event to the next level.
BOOKING: TheHoodlumFriends@gmail.com / Randy Parada 805-708-8303 / 805 968-3905
"I've seen hoodlums like this before."
"What are they fighting about?"
"Don't know. Don't know themselves, probably..."
-- The Wild One (Film)
Bars and Clubs
We’ve got music in our bones. We play songs that most everyone knows and loves. Songs that you can't help but sing along with and that get people up and dancing!
Corporate Events and Private Parties
Make it a day your guests won’t soon forget. Enliven private parties with live music. For corporate events, strengthen the bonds between coworkers.
Wedding Receptions
Memorable events call for an unforgettable sound. Our musicians enliven the atmosphere and help you celebrate your special day.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
"Just tell your hoodlum friends outside,
you ain't got time to take a ride."
-- Yakity Yak, song lyrics (The Coasters)
Because no experience is complete without music
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RECENT PERFORMANCES
UNSOLICITED AUDIENCE COMMENTS:
"You guys are great. Felissimo! No. Really. You are good! Felissimo!"
"I thought I was hearing a Roy Orbison record playing. You sounded just like him!"
"You guys are such good musicians!"
"Fantastic set list! You rocked!"
"I love the Hoodlum Friends. I re-scheduled my shift just so I could hear them again."
-- Jim, Security, Cold Spring Tavern
"The music started simply. Just a bass, keyboard and rhythm guitar... like a rusty Squeezebox. And then suddenly high above it -- a lead guitar sweetened it with a surf riff of such delight! These Hoodlum Friends were no performing monkeys. This was cover band music like I have never heard. It seemed to me that I was hearing the voice of God..."
-- Antonio Salieri, 1775
A few of the Santa Barbara venues where The Hoodlum Friends have recently performed:
Cold Springs Tavern
The I Madonnaire Festival
Hilton Garden Inn, Skyview Bistro & Bar
Lemon Festival, Goleta
Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara
Corner Tap Bar, Santa Barbara
Night Lizard Brewing Co.
Island Brewing Company
Dargan's Irish Pub
Figueroa Mountain Brewery
Brick Barn Wine Estate, Buellton
Downtown Santa Barbara State Street Prominade
- Old Town Coffee, Goleta
Pure Order Brewing Co.
Carr Winery
Nite Moves - Beach Concerts (Ledbetter Beach)
The Uptown Lounge
Stow House - Rancho La Patera, Goleta
The Brewhouse
M.Special Brewing, Goleta
M.Special Brewing, Santa Barbara
Corporate events, private parties, and weddings
ABOUT THE BAND
Behind The Scenes
"You hoodlums don't own the streets!"
-- Schrank, West Side Story
The Hoodlum Friends is a Santa Barbara, CA based cover band that plays an eclectic variety of classic rock and alternative / modern / pop rock, folk rock, and surf instrumentals. They play songs that are immediately recognizable by most folks, capture attention, and are upbeat.
A few selections from their repertoire:
CLASSIC '60s ROCK:
Miss You, Eight Days a Week, Help Me Rhonda, The Last Time, Rock and Roll Star, Roll Over Beethoven, I Saw Her Standing There, Not Fade Away, You Can`t Do That, Secret Agent Man, It's All Over Now, Not Fade Away, Revolution, Green River, Oh Darling, Come On Let's Go, etc...
ALTERNATIVE / MODERN / POP:
And She Was, Bang a Gong, Should I Stay or Should I Go?, Surrender, Jenny Jenny, Sweet Emotion, Runnin' Down a Dream, Already Gone, American Girl, Pretty Woman, Lonely Boy, White Wedding, Oye Como Va, The Waiting, My Best Friend's Girl, Go (Black Keys), Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Give Me All Your Lovin, Truckin, You Wreck Me, Tequila, Message in a Bottle, Take it Easy, Rocking in the Free World, I Love Rock and Roll, Surrender, Come As You Are, Blood and Roses, Welcome to Paradise, etc...
FOLK ROCK:
Mr. Tambourine Man, Eight Miles High, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, Feel a Whole Lot Better, Turn, Turn, Turn, etc...
INSTRUMENTALS:
Walk Don't Run, Apache, Miserlou, Penetration, Baja, Pipeline, Mr. Moto, Wipeout, Surf Rider, Hawaii 5-O, Hang 10 High, Mission Impossible Theme, Peter Gunn theme, etc...
BOOKING: TheHoodlumFriends@gmail.com / Randy Parada 805-708-8303 / 805 968-3905
" ...you ain't sliding around with your 'ol white hoodlum friends"
-- Aretha Franklin, in the film "Blues Brothers"
Michael Mills
Rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
Michael grew up by the beach. He lived the life of a surfer in an Annette Funicello 'B' surf movie. Except when doing his Billy Idol impression, he is the absent-minded, mad scientist Hoodlum. Listen to some of his song covers.
Randy Parada
Lead guitar, vocals.
Randy grew up in the San Fernando Valley. His Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar is the coveted secret weapon of the band. He memorizes good jokes. He is the easy going, quiet Hoodlum.
Lars Praiseman
Bass
Lars was famous as one of the original members of the band Hot Poop. They opened for a couple of even more famous bands at UCSB. As long as his golf game is going well, he is the optimistic Hoodlum.
Barry Birmingham
Drums and percussion
Santa Barbara drum teacher and professional musician, Barry Birmingham started taking lessons and learning how to play drums at age 11 from many local teachers in the New York and Southern California areas. By the time he was in junior high and high school he was playing in concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands and playing in local rock cover bands. See: https://barrybirmingham.com/
