Fucked up news. I have been bummin' over this all day. This dude was a true rock n roller, the real thing for sure. Some of the best shows I ever saw were on their infamous 1996 tour, 4 shows with The Humpers. The sets were always short and ferocious.Lead vocalist Larry May had a broken leg and would start the set off on a stool but would inevitably be hopping all over the stage on one leg. Sometimes Matt would end the set covered in his own blood, wounds inflicted by the glass from a broken beer bottle. Traveled all the way to San Diego for 28 minutes of the Candy Snatchers and 35 minutes of the Humpers, then hung out all night waiting for the trains to start running again and it was so totally worth it. Saw them 2 more times after that and had been listening to them a lot lately hoping they would come to L.A. again sometime.



-------------------------------------
Obit from Blabbermouth:

THE CANDY SNATCHERS Guitarist MATTHEW ODIETUS Found Dead - June 30,
2008
Guitarist Matthew Odietus of the legendary punk band THE CANDY
SNATCHERS died on June 28 in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia.


An official cause of death has not yet been released.




Taking their name from an obscure, bizarre, and trashy 70's horror
flick late one night after drinking heavily, THE CANDY SNATCHERS
formed in 1992.

According to a November 2006 write-up on
ToeStubber. com, "the band's tried-and-true array of destructive
gimmicks kept the bookers guessing.

Depending on mood, singer Larry
May or axer Matt Odietus would sometimes cut their own scalp, '70s pro-
wrestler style — up by the hairline or wherever the blood would flow
most effusively.

Once, at CBGB, Matt bled out so much he almost
fainted, and eventually had to be carted off to the ER with a t-shirt
turban wrapped around his noggin.

Larry would smash glass bottles at
random.

Willy used lighter fluid to set his bass on fire, with the aid
of excited audience members who’d often get outta hand with the
flammables and torch Willy himself.

Drums were routinely collided with
and obliterated.

"


In November 2006, Matt spent 17 days in jail.

When asked how long he
had been out a short time after he was released, he said, "four scores
and seven eight balls ago they let me out," and "went on to tell of
the good times he had, friends he had made, the free food, and needed
rest he got," according to the band's MySpace page.





Video for Why I Drink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JmOlTvrGaE

Live in Denver 1998

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5GjJJZVJoc


Live in San Francisco 1996 (Larry with a broken leg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQlcv_uwICY



memorial torrent:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=203313&hit=1

RIP Matt.

I sold a lot of their records back in the late 90s.  They never made it to Western North Carolina that I knew about but were well regarded by crash and burn punkers and rock and rollers in the area.  I read about this on the Goner board yesterday.  A shame.