While doing some YouTube research for my story on the Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band–which plays the Vancouver Fan Club this Wednesday–I came across a pretty cool video from 2009 for the tune “Mama’s Fried Potatoes”.

What struck me most about the clip–apart from the awesome shitkicker music–was the Rev’s use of a homemade shootin’ machine that he uses to blast the crap out of a watermelon and a jug of milk.

When Peyton called in from New Mexico a coupla weeks ago I asked him if those were common gadgets where he’s from, down Indiana way.

“Well it’s a common thing for kids to play with, I guess, if you’re like a teenager,” he said. “You make em outta stuff from the hardware store, then use hairspray to fire ’em. It’s pretty cool.

“We live in a very watered-down, suburbanite society,” he added. “Most people would probly be amazed at how easy it is to make weapons. They’ve yet to really create a complicated weapon. They’re simple machines.”

The only other time I’d seen a “spud gun” in action was up in Powell River, when my electrician father-in-law fashioned one out of PVC pipe and a barbecue starter, then used butane to blast chunks of potato off into the Strait of Georgia.

It came in particularly handy for creating a blizzard of confetti at his daughter’s backyard wedding back in ’96.