Review by Frank Plowright

Francis & the Vegas Tramps were once the next big thing, but as with so many next big things, it didn’t quite work out the way the band expected. Musical differences were raised, and the band members went their separate ways. Molly did become a star, but had to leave the band for success, and Ray now does okay as a DJ, but as Brian Kelly’s story starts Francis is just about earning a living as an Elvis impersonator in a succession of shabby bars. However that period of his life is about to end, which might have been some consolation other than it being due to his life also coming to an end. He’s found murdered in a hotel room along with the woman he picked up that night.

What follows is an intriguing mystery with viable, well rounded characters, but doesn’t leave well enough alone. In order to provide the retro-SF visual exotica, Francis & the Vegas Tramps is set in the future, but it’s a pasted together, ill-defined future, for most of the story only really only needed for visual effect and the occasional time-saving piece of technology.

Kelly is a tattooist by trade, and much of his design work has an underground aesthetic, populating the plot with iconic people and creations. He defines people and technology well, but has no interest in buildings or locations, and that leaves events without a visual foundation.

Too many early scenes also lack foundation, only there to move the plot forward, and because that’s Kelly’s concern, he misses opportunities to take it somewhere more interesting, a confrontation in a bar being an example. Once the revelations come tumbling out it’s apparent the future setting is necessary after all, but that’s two-thirds of the way through. Until then the feeling is that Kelly would have been better opting for a noir crime story set in the present day and beefing up that atmosphere.

With some qualms about the use of rape as a plot device, Francis & the Vegas Tramps slots together well enough, but cries out for a little more attention before completion.