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style-beat-webzine · 3 years

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Who likes to rock and roll?

I do, I do, I dooohooo (if you know you know)

So, you’re probably wondering why the rock and roll in all my socials, huh? We get it, Michelle likes to rock and roll, but why? Well here’s the story you little rockers, enjoy the whirlwind, it’s not really a whirlwind but that word felt right, haha

“It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled” - Led Zeppelin

And it really has been a long time since I rock and rolled, I mean I’m obviously referring to the pandemic, but also the fact that I haven’t photographed a concert in 6 years. I used to photograph bands with photo passes in the photo pit at concerts. Some of those passes have been for some of my favorite bands; The Maine, The 1975 and All Time Low (at the time, not huge ATL fan anymore) just to name a few bands. I stopped because I got too into my head that my photographs weren’t as visually pleasing as the other photographers in the pit with their big fancy lenses and expensive cameras. Obviously in retrospect, I’m an idiot to think that, but that’s how I felt at that moment in my life, so I stopped.

Here’s a picture I took of the band, The 1975. I think this was the last show I actually photographed with a press pass and haven’t photographed a concert since. That was back in December of 2015!! This particular show was at the Riviera Theater in Chicago, IL

While I was taking classes at my community college I took every single photography course they had to offer ranging from film to digital. I started out in film photography in high school then progressed to digital while I was at college, I became a fan of how cost effective digital photography was opposed to film photography that’s why I made the big switch, other than that I loved being in the darkroom developing images with chemicals and water washes. The professors at my college would leave out art magazines for us to read while our film developed, or if you had some down time waiting for your prints or film to dry. I found out about a music photography book in one of those magazines, the book was about the photographers who photographed rock and roll musicians. It’s called Who Shot Rock and Roll?, how perfect is that title!? I put it on my xmas wish list that year and got it!! I read that book the moment I got it and didn’t stop until I was finished, well I’m exaggerating because it’s pretty hefty in size, haha it was a really fun read, highly recommend if you’re interested in that sort of thing. I’ll link it HERE

After I read that whole book, one of my life’s missions was to get a photo pass and photograph a band in the photo pit, and I did just that. Did you know that it was The goddamn Rolling Stones that made the 3 song rule?! If you’re not familiar with the 3 song rule, it’s a rule that the photographers in the photo pit only have the first 3 songs to photograph the band before they have to get out of the pit. Bullshit right, but ok Stones, I see you and fuck you Sirs, respectfully. Sometimes you don’t even get the full 3 songs, when I was photographing the band Circa Survive we got kicked out of the photo pit a song and a half in, (Anthony Green kept jumping into the crowd). The bouncers told us we had to leave after the song we were currently photographing was over which was song number 2, but it still puts a damper on your spirit to hear you won’t get another song to photograph the band. Then there’s this feeling of added pressure to make sure you get the winning shot, or else the whole photo pass is a waste. I’m being dramatic, but you get my point.

Thankfully I did get that winning shot!! Here is Anthony Green performing with Circa Survive at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL in October of 2012

Honestly the adrenaline rush you get from photographing bands from the photo pit feels like a drug, and I became addicted. Any concert I was going to I tried to get a photo pass for it, most of the time I was successful luckily for me!!

Here’s a fun little side story about one of my favorite bands, The Maine. I got to photograph them quite a bit, and one of those times I was leaving my house to drive into Chicago to photograph them at one of their concerts, my Dad called me a groupie because I’ve seen them so many times and he recognized their name. I laughed so hard and said “I don’t sleep with the band, Dad!! I’m just going to take pictures of them, who do you think I am?” haha like wtf, Dad!? So then I had to teach him what a groupie was :)

Anyway, I’ve always felt that my spirit was a rock and roll one from an early age, I’ve always stayed true to myself and always felt like I rebelled against societal norms, because I saw the hypocrisy in a lot of those “norms.” But it was mainly because you know, certain situations throughout your childhood that made you feel like an outsider and all that jazz. Moving on from that tangent, one of my favorite things about Rock & Roll is that it’s origins stem from Black Culture. Don’t quote me, but I believe it was a mixture of jazz with rhythm and blues that were the foundation of what became the Rock & Roll genre. My dad was the first one who taught me that Little Richard and Chuck Barry were the true rock and rollers, and not all those classic 70s rock bands you hear so much about, (hint, hint: please refer to those groovy hair flips in the beginning of this post). I honestly didn’t believe him until I took a course in college called Mass Communication for my journalism degree. There was a chapter dedicated to how segregated the radio was and how white artists would cover the black artist songs. And you guessed it the black artist wouldn’t get any recognition for their actual work!! Prime example, when you hear the song “Hound Dog” who do you think of? Probably, Elvis right, or maybe Little Richard? White America hid shit from us yet again didn’t they, because the first person to record the song was a black woman named Big Mama Thornton who was a rhythm-and-blues singer. Where’s her page in the United States music history books? I mean I didn’t find out about her until this year (2021).

One day I was letting my mind wander and I thought who was the first person to record the song Hound Dog? I thought it was Little Richard, because I had a sneaky suspicion that Elvis certainly wasn’t the first. So I researched it and found Big Mama Thornton, and her voice is so powerful. HERE is a youtube video of her singing Hound Dog, and a mega plus, she’s plus size too, ahhhh she’s perfect!! I’m going to have to do some more digging on her and her musical career :)

Here she is, Big Mama Thornton!! I’d love to see what that dress looked like in person.

That’s basically how I’ve come to name all my socials with Michelle Likes to Rock and Roll, because I do, I like rocking and rolling through life. I always want to keep searching for new things that I find interesting and to discover new music and trends.

Enjoy your moment and thank you for the read!!

Sincerely,

Michelle

PS I found this video on youtube of Jimi Hendrix singing Hound Dog you can find it HERE

#lifestyle #blogger #psfashionblogger #fashion blogger #lifestyle blogger #rock music #rock and roll #led zepplin #circa survive #the 1975 #big mama thornton #little richard #elvis presely #jimi hendrix #style blogger #style blog #personal blog #lifestyleblog

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solenelanza · 7 years

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They said run, hide, tell. I just stopped, watched and hushed. Because I was abroad or not in the area. But the UK attacks collapsed daily habits a little. In the following weeks, just realized some things I did since:

Rushed online to get some gig tickets

Festivals, showcase, free or DJ sets. Any would be great. But I faced strange British reactions. All the gigs I wanted to attend were merely… sold out. It was a bit disappointing. But just picturing a full audience, vibrating, dancing, celebrating all together for one music artist made me smile.

Roméo Elvis au Festival Art Rock de St Brieuc (02/06/2017)

A post shared by Solly Alba (@sollyalba) on Jun 3, 2017 at 11:01am PDT

Played the uke, a lot, on my own or with friends

Oh it wasn’t One Love Manchester. But Don’t Look Back in Anger, and only this tune was played a lot. In private friendly casual live or with the band. But even at your usual spot, the whole pub stops speaking to sing with you, no matter the people’s age, origins and dream, this means much more than any multicultarism study.

Just a perfect (satur)day… 🎸🎶🎧 #music #vinyl #playing #ukulele #blur #frenchie #wtf #London #cover #rock More on londonkeepsrocking.wordpress.com or link in the description #blogging #passion #practice #Londonkeepsrocking #potd #picoftheday #pictureoftheday #photo #picture #bankholiday

Une publication partagée par WTFrenchie in Rocking London (@soleneelle) le 15 Avril 2017 à 5h26 PDT

Listened to music from the North

It was not as difficult as it’s the mainly part of my usual playlist. But listening to the words sung by Ian Curtis and to the Inspiral Carpets drums, it was not that hard to embrace a certain melancholy and a tremendous strength as well. The one I felt when I’d discovered Manchester city for the first time and it entered my Top 5 as the most beloved town in the world. Just wanted to write ‘she’ instead of ‘it’, as if it were the mother of a huge belt.

Met new people

Otherwise Charlie Hebdo, the only great tip was Get up and go. Out and to taste new things. New faces were cheerful, funny, sensitive and broke borders so easily. It was good to open your mind and extend peer groups. (Even if it was with a cat on rainy nights #forthosewhoknow ) Then, when I tried to call them back, some were busy, some were away, some were stealthy. We don’t act the same role in this disaster background….

And i needed it… 🎼🎸🍻 just a #break with #friends Thanks @_a_man_dine @aurepouiki #missyou #frenchie #westandtogether #home #London #care #love #fun #together #togetherstronger #stronger #time #chillout #goodtime #teatime #music #dontlookbackinanger #gluten

Une publication partagée par WTFrenchie in Rocking London (@soleneelle) le 6 Juin 2017 à 4h20 PDT

Talked to my plus ones a lot

Everyone said that they knew where they were when the attack struck. I am not sure I could point to the office I was in. But I’ll never forget the voice I heard and the ear that listened to me. For hours. It’s so bad but when this came, twice, the things that came through my mind were a series of portraits, so many brave kind sensitive women with whom I talked to after these bloody events. Because the most important is not the place but the people you were with. Thanks to them.

Walked on London bridges

Westminster, Millenium, Tower, Chelsea, Waterloo… I never realized how useful they could be. Well, when all these architectures closed down, you just can’t imagine how life was with the only first one. Yes I even learnt a lot about their stories since then. The London bridges linked the two worlds of the city together. Steps by steps, they gathered the North and South Banks, the sides of the Thames and the two faces of London.

#waterloo #sunset fine 🎶🎸 #kinks #song #picoftheday #picture #potd Wanna #more ? Check the #link in the #description or more on londonkeepsrocking.wordpress.com #rockinglondon #night #music #rock #London #landscape #lovethecity #raydavies #brother #rocking #blogging #musical #book #story #history #sex #drugs #rocknroll #sky #colours

Une publication partagée par WTFrenchie in Rocking London (@soleneelle) le 1 Févr. 2017 à 4h31 PST

Ate carefully

Every London foodie knows that : Borough Market is the belly of the city. Cakes, cheese, Foie Gras and ham sandwiches already warm heart and soul of visitors. I walked there sometimes to get vegetables, fruits, pies and to watch herb juice bars. And when Bridget Jones drove my way to her lonely neighborhood, I’d have wished to thank her so much to bring me back to this tasty spot. When the market opened again, I am sure: I would be there.

Kept calm and carried on

What I have learnt from the English is nonchalance. The unleashed feeling drove every Southern person going mad during queues or crisis situations. But after slowing down the stepping to the underground station, have you ever felt this feeling of coolness? On top of that, a peculiar philosophy is made out of their unexpected jokes, one that comes along with the motivational poster.

Never wished to stay here more than ever

When everything happened, I got your emails, messages, calls and lovely words. That’s very kind of you but you know how boring it is not to dare going out on Saturday night. Waking up after that never-ending night reminded me of some words from my very Parisian friends after Bataclan attacks : “I don’t get why people are escaping the city now, it’s not now that you should get away. This is the moment when you have to stay around, walk, meet, laugh, live.” Is it a synonym of love? I heard on TV that the reactions are “sadness, anger and from that angry feeling some activism can awaken.” Here I am – acting.

As a tourist, a student and an expat, it was and will be my favourite place in #London Feel today really sad but #wearenotaffraid #westandtogether #westminster

Une publication partagée par WTFrenchie in Rocking London (@soleneelle) le 23 Mars 2017 à 5h16 PDT

Solène L.

Let’s rock together !

Things I’ve done since UK attacks They said run, hide, tell. I just stopped, watched and hushed. Because I was abroad or not in the area.

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the-master-cylinder · 4 years

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The Boys Next Door (1985) SUMMARY:Roy Alston (Maxwell Caulfield) and Bo Richards (Charlie Sheen) are two outcasts of their high school community. Bo receives $200 as a graduation gift from his grandparents. Facing a lifetime of working blue collar factory jobs, the boys spontaneously decide to use the money to go on a vacation to Los Angeles.

During the drive to Los Angeles, Bo and Roy rob a gas station and beat the attendant (Joseph Michael Cala) with a crowbar. The next day, the boys go to a beach boardwalk, where Roy throws an empty beer bottle and it hits an elderly woman (Helen Brown) on the forehead. Three young women (Claudia Templeton, Mary Tiffany, and Marilou Conway) see this, and they chase Bo and Roy to a parking lot. The women yell at the boys and damage their car. Enraged, Roy starts the car and drives around in circles in the parking lot with the women still on the hood. After several loops, Roy throws the car into reverse, throwing one of the women from the hood of the car. After the incident, one of the women finds Bo and Roy’s dog, Boner the Barbarian, and reads its ID tag, which leads to speculation of where Bo and Roy are from.

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During a visit to La Brea Tar Pits, Bo expresses his wish that the world could just “go caveman” for one day, abandoning all rules and order. Roy agrees, and they spend their evening on the streets of Los Angeles.

Several additional encounters lead to more deaths, including a gay man Chris (Paul C. Dancer), a young couple (Richard Pachorek and Lesa Lee), and an older woman Angie Baker (Patti D’Arbanville) whom Roy kills while she is having sex with Bo. Eventually the duo are tracked and found by the LAPD and chased into a shopping mall. After unsuccessfully trying to steal some guns, Bo tries to talk some sense into Roy about surrendering. Roy refuses, and he orders Bo to give him the gun so he can go out in a “blaze of glory”. Bo refuses and shoots Roy when he tries to take the gun away. The police surround Bo and ask him why he killed his friend. Bo replies, “Because I had to.” Bo is then arrested and led away while reporters snap photos of him.

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The Boys Next Door (1985) Soundtrack No Way-Great White Hard & Cold-Great White I Got Nothin’- Iggy Pop The Need-Code Blue I Ain’t Nuthin’ But A Gorehound -The Cramps The Most Exalted Potentate Of Love-The Cramps Spellbound-Code Blue Let Me Rock-Chequered Past Is That So Strange-Code Blue Clean The Dirt-Tex and the Horseheads Face To Face-Code Blue

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CAST/CREW Directed Penelope Spheeris Produced Sandy Howard/Keith Rubinstein Written Glen Morgan/James Wong

Charlie Sheen as Bo Richards Maxwell Caulfield as Roy Alston Patti D’Arbanville as Angie Baker Christopher McDonald as Detective Mark Woods Hank Garrett as Detective Ed Hanley Paul C. Dancer as Chris Richard Pachorek and Lesa Lee as couple Kenneth Cortland as Dwayne Moon Unit Zappa as Nancy

Dudes (1987) SUMMARY: Grant, Biscuit, and Milo are punks living in Queens. Bored with their lives, they decide to move to Los Angeles, and set out on a cross-country drive. In Utah they assist Elvis impersonator “Daredelvis” with getting his trailer unstuck. Later, Grant sees a mirage of a cowboy on horseback. While camping in the Arizona desert they are attacked by a gang of vicious rednecks, and Milo is murdered by their leader, Missoula. Grant and Biscuit escape and collapse in the desert, where Grant again sees a vision of the cowboy.

The local sheriffs do not believe the boys’ story, having no record of Missoula or his gang and being unable to find Milo’s body as evidence of the murder. Grant resolves to track down the gang and avenge Milo’s death, despite Biscuit’s reservations. Heading back into Utah, they find one of the gang’s trucks overturned and several of the members dead. Before dying, one of them reveals that they planned to turn themselves in but were killed by Missoula, who is headed north through Wyoming to Montana. The boys also meet Jessie, a young woman who runs a gas station and towing business.

Catching up to Missoula’s truck, Grant and Biscuit engage in a high-speed shootout with Missoula and his buddy Blix, but swerve off the road and crash. They are rescued by Jessie, who teaches Grant how to shoot and ride a horse and strikes up a romance with him. Meanwhile, Biscuit has a dream in which he is part of a Native American tribe who are slaughtered by Union Army soldiers led by Missoula. Upon awakening, he begins to imitate a Native American warrior and insists on resuming the pursuit. Jesse outfits the pair in exaggerated western costumes and gives them use of a beat-up 1959 Buick Invicta complete with bull’s horns mounted to the hood.

In Wyoming, the boys find Daredelvis working at a rodeo and enlist his help to capture gang member Wes, from whom they recover Milo’s stolen jacket, but Wes is killed by a bull without revealing Missoula’s location. On the way to a ghost town where Missoula is rumored to be hiding, Grant once again sees the mysterious cowboy, but Biscuit dismisses it as an illusion. Finding the town empty, the pair get drunk and have a vision in which they meet the cowboy, named Witherspoon, accompanied by a trio of Native American warriors from Biscuit’s dream. Witherspoon magically transports Grant back in time to when the town was populated and raucous, while the Native Americans similarly transport Biscuit back in time to participate in a tribal gathering.

Awakening hung over, Grant finds a matchbook in Milo’s jacket that leads them to a saloon in a Montana town where they find Missoula and Blix. Trailing them into a movie theater, Grant and Biscuit open fire on the pair, but Grant hesitates and a shootout ensues; Missoula and Blix escape, while Grant and Biscuit are arrested and jailed. Missoula and Blix murder two sheriff’s department officers and invade the jail in an attempt to kill the boys, but Jessie arrives just in time to break them out. Grant manages to kill Blix and wound Missoula, and pursues him on horseback to an abandoned building, where he tackles Missoula off a high ledge. Missoula shoots Grant in the arm and Grant returns fire, killing him. Grant once again sees Witherspoon and the Native American warriors, now accompanied by Milo, who ride off into the distance and disappear in a cloud of dust just before Biscuit and Jessie arrive.

DEVELOPMENT In writing Dudes, scriptwriter Randall Jahnson was partly inspired by visits to Old West locations which he felt were “frozen in time”. In the early and mid-1980s, he later reflected, the punk and art rock scenes in Los Angeles were demonstrating a certain fascination with the West, exemplified by Wall of Voodoo performing cover versions of Spaghetti Western songs, the Dead Kennedys covering “Rawhide”, and the Meat Puppets mixing punk with country music, which influenced his crossing of the two genres in his script. He settled on the film’s title based on the Old West use of the term “dude” to describe a “tenderfoot” or “fish out of water”, city-dwelling Easterners unprepared for life on the frontier, seeing his main characters as modern “dudes”.

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Jahnson pitched his script to producer Miguel Tejada-Flores of independent film company the Vista Organization as “punk rockers out in the wilds of Wyoming”, which Tejada-Flores thought was an interesting idea, though a bit “out there” conceptually. He and fellow producer Herb Jaffe sought Ridley Scott to direct, but could not agree with him on the film’s “vision”. Penelope Spheeris first read the script in March 1986 and expressed interest. Tejada-Flores had been impressed by her previous directorial work, particularly her 1985 film The Boys Next Door, and felt that she could tell an enthralling story from the mix of genres present in Jahnson’s script. He showed The Boys Next Door to Jaffe, and the two agreed that Spheeris was a good candidate to direct, a choice which was solidified when she convinced them that she could make the film within their proposed budget and get good performances out of her actors. Jahnson was a fan of Spheeris’ 1981 punk rock documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, and agreed that she had the “punk rock sensibility” for the script.

I was hugely influenced and inspired by the punk rock and art band explosion in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. During that time a number of bands began to weave Western imagery and country music elements into their music. The Dead Kennedys recorded a hardcore version of ‘Rawhide.’ X, who’d never made any apologies for having an ear for Hank Williams and Merle Haggard, launched their rootsy side project, The Knitters. Wall of Voodoo covered Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ and the classic theme to ‘The Good, the Bad & the Ugly’ and even released an album titled ‘Call of the West.’

Then bands like Rank and File and Blood on the Saddle – who consciously blended punk and country sensibilities – began to appear. And the Meat Puppets emerged from the Arizona heat with their distinctive brand of desert slacker psychedelia.

Somehow I wanted capture this juxtaposition in a script. The notion of fatalistic urban punkers in a showdown with the vastness, beauty, and history of the American West amused and intrigued me. I placed the start of the story in New York City, so the journey of Grant, Milo, and Biscuit would echo the westward trek of pioneers in covered wagons.

I wrote The Vandals’ classic boot-stomping thrasher ‘Urban Struggle’ into the script because it spoofed the whole punks-out-West phenomena and kicked ass at the same time. So when the time came to cast the band playing in the punk club at the movie’s start, the Vandals and ‘Urban Struggle’ were the only choice. -Randall Jahnson

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PRE-PRODUCTION

Casting Spheeris wanted Jahnson to be part of the casting process, and invited him to many of the casting sessions, which was not common practice for directors. Jon Cryer, who had recently gained attention for his role in the hit film Pretty in Pink, was attracted to the eclectic nature of Dudes’ script as well as the opportunity to play the hero, which he had not done before. Spheeris favored Cryer for the film’s lead but also considered Keanu Reeves, and chose Cryer at Jaffe’s suggestion. To prepare for the role Cryer learned how to ride a horse and fire a gun, and got his ear pierced since the script called for Grant to wear an earring; the heavy earring caused the piercing to become infected. Being young and eager to play the hero, he performed many of his own stunts. He had difficulty with the scenes that required him to drive a car; He had earned his driver’s license while performing in Torch Song Trilogy in Los Angeles several years prior, but used public transport and taxis in his native New York City and had very little experience behind the wheel.

Catherine Mary Stewart became interested in the role of Jessie because “she was a strong female character, which is important, and also was somebody who could ride horses, shoot a gun, she owned a garage…Part of my fantasy when I was a little girl was to do exactly all that stuff, and when I came on the set I had an idea of what my character should be and what I sort of developed for myself, and Spheeris was very supportive of that.” In preparation for the role she trained with a stunt performer who specialized in gun play, learning how to twirl her revolver so it would slide right into its holster. “I was practicing that all the time,” she later recalled, “because I wanted it to be great.”

Daniel Roebuck, a character actor who had recently finished filming River’s Edge, was reading scripts in search of new roles and was struck by the uniqueness of Dudes. “It was not a John Hughes movie”, he said in 2015. “There was nothing like it. When I read it all I thought of was ‘I want to be in a Western.’ I was a little concerned about the punk rock stuff, but I really liked the Western stuff.” For his audition in front of Spheeris he wore a mohawk hairstyle, since that was what the script called for his character, Biscuit, to have. When given the part, he had to have the sides of his head shaved and his hair tied into place for the duration of filming since it was too time-consuming to take apart and re-tie the mohawk for each shoot. Roebuck was not into punk rock, however, describing himself as a “square”, and was so embarrassed to wear his hair in a mohawk every day that he convinced the crew to get him a wig to wear on days off from shooting.

Spheeris had featured Lee Ving’s band Fear in The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), and stayed in touch with him. It was through Ving that she met Flea, who had joined Fear in 1982 as the band’s bassist. Thinking he had a star quality, she cast him as one of the runaway punks in her 1984 film Suburbia. By 1986 Flea was active in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Spheeris reached out to him to be in Dudes, later saying that he brought to the role “a certain vulnerability and a certain sweetness that actually wasn’t written into the script, and played it in such a sweet, loving way that when the moment came that his character is killed in the movie, it was more powerful, because he was so lovable before that, and people don’t expect that moment.” Flea felt honored to be cast, since Dudes was a chance to work alongside trained actors whereas in Suburbia he had been among a group of “street kids” similar to himself, all without acting experience.

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Another musician cast in Dudes, though in a minor role, was John Densmore, former drummer of the Doors. Jahnson met with the surviving members of the Doors while working on his script for The Doors (1991), a biographical film about the band; Densmore had moved into acting, knew Spheeris, and had heard about Dudes, and asked Jahnson if there might be a part for him in it. Jahnson spoke with Spheeris, and Densmore was cast as one of the Montana sheriffs who is murdered by Missoula late in the film.

“I worked with a lot of great people on that movie who went on to do some really great work. They’re so thankful now that people are finding it and are being able to see it again. It’s so weird, because when it plays with contemporary audiences, they seem to get it,” Spheeris said.

“I don’t want to pat myself on the back and say my film was ahead of its time, but I do think it was an out-of-the-box film for its time,” Spheeris said.

Before Spheeris came on board to direct DUDES, Randall Jahnson meant it to be “a darker, more serious film than it became.” Spheeris found elements in the material that were ironic and funny, and she capitalized on them to make an enjoyably quirky movie.

“The tone was not as known then as it is now. I think it was a little difficult for Jahnson to see his film morph into something else entirely,” Spheeris said.

Spheeris saw DUDES as an opportunity to shake up the formula. To go along with the tone, Spheeris points toward Cryer’s involvement as a way to subvert expectations.

Cinematographer Robert Richardson walked up to my door, because there was no social media back then and I don’t know why he didn’t call me, and said, ‘You’re an amazing filmmaker. I would love to work with you.’ And I thought, ‘What the hell? Really?’ He had white hair back then, too. It was freaky,” Spheeris said. “I’m looking at the door right now and it was some freaky looking young guy with white hair. So I told him, ‘Well, I’m about to do this movie. Let’s party.’”

Spheeris and Richardson found a shooting style that mirrors the anxiety and tension of the film’s plot. Even the editing in DUDES (done by Andy Horvitch) has a calculated pace that’s full of energy and doesn’t slow down.

“Maybe the style just says a lot about me, because I live in constant anxiety and tension. I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. I’m really jealous of people who live without it,” Spheeris said. “I have that, and I think that may be the reason why I might appeal to certain audiences: They have it, too. It all feeds into the punk lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle that is very tense and anxious, and I’m a punk rocker at heart.”

“I honestly could care less about making any sort of narrative film today. The whole landscape of moviemaking is so different than it was back then,” Spheeris said. “I’m interested in movies that talk about social change and understanding human behavior.”

I really kind of love that Jon Cryer is leading man in Dudes. I feel like we all wanted Ducky to get the girl in Pretty and Pink. And this is like the opposite of a John Hughes film. Penelope Spheeris: I think that’s why he wanted to do it. He also says that this is where he learned comedy, on Dudes. He wasn’t comfortable with comedy before that.

Did you originally have anyone else in mind or had you wanted him? Penelope Spheeris: We looked at quite a few people. I don’t remember them all but I do remember Keanu Reeves. He must have been just a kid, I know, just a gorgeous little boy. Just a sweetheart of a guy. But I gotta tell you everybody was pushing for Jon because of Pretty in Pink. Keanu didn’t have any credits under his belt at that point. I like Jon too, and I’m glad he did it, but it was a stretch for him. Not only with the comedy but with the punk rock too.

Yeah. I feel like Keanu could have easily been a punk rocker. Penelope Spheeris: Oh totally. Even to this day.

Daniel Roebuck is joining you for this. Do you have a favorite memory of him on set? Penelope Spheeris: Roebuck? Yeah. He complained really a lot. Hahahah! The mohawk. How embarrassing it was. I was like, “No dude. You kinda look cool. Don’t you get it?” He had to wear a hat when he was not shooting because he was so embarrassed of the mohawk.

What was his persona off set? What was he about? What was he into? Penelope Spheeris: Total serious actor. It’s in his DNA. It was a push for him too to do the comedy but I think that’s what’s cool. They weren’t both natural comedians. That’s what’s great about being a good actor, they can morph into whatever they need to do and they both did it.

From the soundtrack to the cameos, I feel like Dudes has about a million Easter eggs in it. Is there something or someone people should look for when they watch it this weekend that most people miss? Penelope Spheeris: Yes, okay. I’ll say this in due respect because she just passed away, but Pamela Gidley (Fire Walk With Me) was an actress. She never got to high stardom but she sure did hang in there in the music business. She was this gorgeous 20-year-old in the scene in the restaurant. She’s the one who kinda lures Jon over to her table. So Pamela Gidley is in there. And I love that scene when Jon goes into the bar and talks to Lee Ving and actually approaches him. And the girl sitting on Lee’s lap is Christina Beck, and she was one of the girls in Suburbia.

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PRODUCTION/PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who had recently finished working on Platoon (1986), personally approached Spheeris and expressed interest in working with her. Tejada-Flores and Jaffe had been impressed by Richardson’s prior work, but did not think they could afford him; however, Richardson agreed to work within their cinematography budget.

Principal photography for Dudes began on August 14, 1986. The early scenes set in Queens were filmed in Hollywood, with establishing shots of the New York skyline and other buildings edited in to create the illusion of being in New York City. The opening scene, a punk rock show with the Vandals performing their song “Urban Struggle” (with its opening lyric “I want to be a cowboy”), was the first to be filmed. Cryer and Roebuck both had musical theatre backgrounds and were not very familiar with punk rock, and neither had been in a mosh pit before. Cryer later remarked that he found it to be rough, but fun and less violent than he had expected. Roebuck, however, recalled that he and Cryer were being trounced by the extras, who were actual punks, and that first assistant director Guy Louthan’s plea to the crowd to “not hurt the real actors” only caused them to be targeted more. Stunt doubles were used for some of the action, and the one standing in for Roebuck punched one of the punks squarely in the face. Flea, who had been to many punk rock shows, had no problem filming the scene: “That was very controlled in comparison to, like, a Black Flag show at the Starwood where people are getting sent out to ambulances all the time, and getting their heads really stomped in for having the wrong hair and shit…so I felt comfortable and fun in that environment”, he recalled 30 years later. A scene in which Grant, Biscuit, and Milo nearly fall off of a fire escape was shot in downtown Los Angeles with the actors at ground level, then edited together with shots of stuntmen dangling from a higher level. A scene in which Grant flirts with a woman played by Pamela Gidley and gets into a brawl with her boyfriend was filmed at popular punk hangout the Atomic Cafe.

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Production then moved east, outside of Los Angeles. The redneck attack and Milo’s murder, set in Arizona, were filmed in Agua Dulce, California at the Vasquez Rocks. The rodeo scene, set in the fictional town of Peckerville, Wyoming, was filmed in Clarkdale, AZ . Some of the desert scenes were filmed in the Four Corners region, including Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border; filming in this region was delayed by inclement weather including dust storms and rain. Filming in Arizona lasted four weeks, with additional location filming taking place in New Mexico and Utah. For one of the driving scenes, Spheeris suggested that Cryer, Roebuck, and Flea sing “Hava Nagila” while head-banging to show that their characters were enjoying their road trip. Catherine Mary Stewart joined the crew midway through filming to perform her scenes, including the jailbreak scene set in the fictional town of Crossfire, Montana, which was filmed in Cottonwood, Arizona. She had a lifelong passion for horses and was an experienced rider, so enjoyed filming the horseback riding segments, but suffered a broken ulna when she stopped her horse abruptly to avoid hitting a parked vehicle and was thrown into the vehicle herself. This occurred toward the end of filming her scenes, so it did not significantly impact the shooting schedule.

While filming the climactic showdown between Grant and Missoula, Ving heard that there was asbestos in the building being used and refused to re-enter it, so the sequence had to be rewritten and edited to show less of his character. Spheeris liked Flea’s performance so much that he was asked to return to filming so that his character could appear in the final scene, which had not been in the original script.

Bethlehem native Daniel Roebuck can still remember the disappointment he felt when “Dudes” opened 30 years ago to withering reviews and dismal box-office returns.

“We all worked so hard, and by that point [scriptwriter] Randy [Jahnson], [director] Penelope [Spheeris] and [co-stars] Jon [Cryer] and Catherine Mary [Stewart] were my friends,” Roebuck says. “So watching something you worked so hard on tank was not easy.”

But a funny thing happened to “Dudes” it became a cult classic. Time has been extremely kind to “Dudes,”.

Roebuck admits he had a hard time impersonating a punk rocker, particularly in a sequence that required him to endure the rigors of a mosh pit.

“Although my roots are in Bethlehem, I certainly have no problem dialing in the New York City attitude, which Biscuit definitely required. But I can tell you, the punk rock stuff proves what an actor I might be, since the heaviest music I listen to is usually written by Mozart or Rodgers and Hammerstein.”

One of the biggest adjustments for Roebuck was getting used to wearing his hair in an enormous mohawk.

“Let me be perfectly clear: I hated that mohawk,” he says. “Is there a word greater than hate? I don’t know. Despised it, regretted it, reviled it might all work.”

While Roebuck was squeamish about the mohawk, he was incredibly brave about doing his own stunt work, which required allowing someone to shoot an arrow four inches from his face.

“ ‘Dudes’ was without a doubt, my most physical movie, with fighting, horses, gunshots and arrows, and driving. Was I nervous with the arrow? Hell, yes I was! But I was young and stupid and had no children to worry about.”

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Dudes (1987) Soundtrack Urban Struggle-The Vandals Jesus Came Driving Along-The Leather Nun Number off the Bathroom Wall-Faster Pussycat Dirty Pool-The Little Kings Lost Highway-The Little Kings These Boots-Megadeth Yard Dog-The Tail Gators “Mountain Song’-Jane’s Addiction Rock ‘n’ Roll Till the Cows Come Home-The Tail Gators Show No Mercy-W.A.S.P. Vengeance Is Mine-Simon Steele & The Claw Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw-Keel Blue Suede Shoes-Carl Perkins Amazing Grace-Steve Vai Waltz Across Texas-Ernest Tubb Time Forgot You-Lethal Weapon Louisiana Swamp Swank-Steve Vai

CAST/CREW Directed Penelope Spheeris Produced Herb Jaffe/Miguel Tejada-Flores Written Randall Jahnson

Music Charles Bernstein Cinematography Robert Richardson Edited Andy Horvitch

Jon Cryer as Grant Daniel Roebuck as Biscuit Flea as Milo Lee Ving as Missoula Billy Ray Sharkey as Blix Glenn Withrow as Wes Michael Melvin as Logan, one of the gang members Axxel G. Reese as Red, one of the gang members Marc Rude as Sonny, one of the gang members Catherine Mary Stewart as Jessie Calvin Bartlett as Witherspoon Pete Willcox as Daredelvis Vance Colvig as Hezekiah, a prisoner in the Montana jail

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY wwwmcallcom randalljahnson.com https://www.dmagazine.com/ Wikipedia

DOUBLE FEATURE RETROSPECTIVE – The Boys Next Door (1985)/Dudes (1987) The Boys Next Door (1985) SUMMARY:Roy Alston (Maxwell Caulfield) and Bo Richards (Charlie Sheen) are two outcasts of their high school community.

#80sFilms #80sMUSICVIDEOS

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classiclasvegasblog · 5 years

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Request for photos and info on the Pussycat A-Go-Go

This is an old post from our original blog and one of our readers asked if I could post it here:

Any photos and history. I was a bass player with Don Corey and the Camps in 1966 at this club.

August 1, 2013 | Bob Ruppell 8/1/2013

The Pussycat A Go Go was opened in 1964 by Garwood Van, a longtime musician and bandleader on the strip. The Pussycat (had NOTHING to with the Pussycat dolls!)was the first live rock and roll dance club on the strip. It featured two stages, a back-bar stage, for smaller musical groups and/or Go Go Dancers that alternated with the larger bandstand on the dance floor. The club wouldn't really start kicking till after 2:00 AM, when the dancers, showgirls, musicians and those who worked the strip would arrive. By 1965, the Pussycat had earned its reputation as "THE" place to go for dancing and socializing. It was not unusual to find many of the strip headliners such as Johnny Carson, among many others, bumping and grinding on the dance floor. The Pussycat was also the hottest place in town to hear and see the newest, up and coming groups and artist, such as Sly and The Family Stone( who played the Pussycat beginning in 1967 as a six piece group) The Checkmates LTD ( with Bobby Stevens ) played their first Las Vegas gigs at the Pussycat. The Pussycat started the trend of dance clubs the major hotels now enjoy. The success of the Pussycat was quickly copied by other venues elsewhere on the strip as well as downtown, but none captured, then or now, the excitement of the Pussycat. The Pussycat also featured a small restaurant and a tiny casino, 2 or 3 Blackjack tables and a couple of dozen slots. The Pussycat survived until the late '60's. The Wynn properties now occupy the area where the Pussycat and the Colonial House ( with it's Pussycat-style club) once stood. The Pussycat A Go Go was truly the first, and some would say the hottest, dance club Las Vegas ever had. Anyone who had the experience of visiting the Pussycat in it's heyday, would agree. (Ask Sonny Charles, he was there!)

October 21, 2013 | Basse B

Nice article Basie B. My band, Stark Naked and the Car Thieves began playing at the Pussycat in 1966. Very improbably, we got an audition for Caesars to open Nero's Nook lounge, along with Checkmates, Ltd. only at the last moment they changed our name to "The Big Spenders" to help promote Sweet Charity that started a little after we did. There was a certain amount of controversy over all that and we returned to the Cat to play with bands like Sly Stone, Gary Pucket & the Union Gap, Six the Hardway, Fifth Cavalry, Tom Chase's great horn band. Jim Morrison had driven over from Orange County, Ca, to see us the night he got so badly beaten there, Unfortunately, it was our night off so we were no help. We were also there when Sly was chased off the stage and out of town. We went on to play the Flamingo Skyroom and the International Hotel's Crown Room, the second time Elvis was there and occupying the 17 bedroom suite next door. I'd enjoy talking with anyone who has information or memories of these days, especially as it relates to the band. I'm working on a memoir of the years between 1965 and 1971 called THINGS WE LOST IN THE NIGHT. You can see more about it athttp://larryjdunlap.com. Please contact me through the site. Best wishes to all.

June 8, 2014 | Larry J Dunlap

Hi Larry. I also played at the 'Cat' with our group The Orange Colored Sky in 68-69 three times I think.We had Morrison forced on us by the entertainment director Jack I think his name was (short guy bad toupe) Jim was so drunk (as usual) I had to hold him up on stage by the scruff of his jacket while he tried to sing a song. I remember thinking to my self at the time, that Im holding a dead man here.

May 26, 2016 | Tony Barry

The Poor Boy's played the Pussycat 1965. A great dance club and was packed all of the time. Loved playing there!

May 20, 2017 | Bob Allen

The entertainment director at the Pussycat in the mid-late 1960's was Jack Turner. (This was in his pre-toupee days)! Have often wondered what became of Mr. Turner, as well as another headliner (and Lana Turners last husband) Dr Ron Dante/ Ron Pellar, who played the Pussycat in 1966/67.

August 26, 2017 | Tony Barry

Hi stagemates! I appeared at the "CAT" the summer of 1964 or 65 (can't recall) with a group out of Saginaw, MI called The "Estyles." The other group was, of course, the Checkmates. I wonder whatever became of them?? I remember Lana Turner and especially. Dr. Dante who taught me a lot about Hypnotism (a whole book could be written about what I did with that info.😄 I know that Dante was for real cos he put my close friend Danny under and made him do a bunch of stuff totally out of character for Danny. In case you ever wondered,it was 4 real!!! Anyway,good to reminisce after all these years. Interestingly,that Devil's music--R&R-- Helped pay my way to a law practice now in its 41st year.the bass player became a PhD in Psychology and guitar player/lead singer a Civil Engineer. Much more in music accomplished, but solid careers backed it all. Best,Richard. (State Bar of Michigan #P-27181)

September 30, 2017 | Richard Dumas

My band, The Estyles played the Pussy Cat in 1996. The Checkmates were the house band and we were a traveling band out of Saginaw, Michigan. We met a lot of movie stars as we played. Guys like Bobby Darin sat in with us. Dr Dante did a great intermission show. That was the hottest club on the strip. Since we played until 6 am in the morning, the entertainers came to dance to our music after their performances were over. It was a great club and we had a great time playing there.

April 17, 2018 | Dr Don Steele

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funnythingshere0-blog · 6 years

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Def Leppard's Joe Elliott On The Rock Hall Nomination, Roxy Music, Elvis, And Much More

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/def-leppards-joe-elliott-on-the-rock-hall-nomination-roxy-music-elvis-and-much-more/

Def Leppard's Joe Elliott On The Rock Hall Nomination, Roxy Music, Elvis, And Much More

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 11: Joe Elliott performs with Def Leppard at Fenway Park in Boston on Aug. 11, 2018. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Thirteen years after becoming eligible, Def Leppard are nominated for the first time for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. Joining a stellar and diverse list of nominees that ranges from Roxy Music, the Cure and Kraftwerk to Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine and Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard can, as frontman Joe Elliott, add another notch to a resume that includes over 100 millions albums sold, two diamond albums (Pyromania and Hysteria) and a million concert tickets sold just on this recently completed tour with Journey.

Elliott fully credits the fans and the addition of a fan vote for finally getting Leppard their long overdue spot in this conversation. And for Elliott, as he explains in this very fun and fascinating conversation, that ranges from Roxy Music to discussing soccer with Robert Plant, the greatest thing about the Rock Hall honor to him would be sharing it with the Leppard fans.

Steve Baltin: What takes you to Hawaii?

Joe Elliott: We’ve been rehearsing for two days. After we finished this massive tour with Journey in the States we kind of hit the reset button and we’re starting here tonight. We’ve got two shows at the Blaisdell Arena, which is where Elvis did his Aloha From Hawaii comeback in ’73. We played here 35 years ago actually, but we’re doing the whole Hysteria album in sequence in the middle part of the show. So we’ve been here rehearsing for three days.

Baltin: So what one Elvis song from that special would you cover?

Elliott: I have no idea what he played. My Elvis is pre-army Elvis, before I was born. The stuff that I like of Elvis is the black and white Elvis if you like, “Jailhouse Rock.” But I am quite partial to “In The Ghetto,” that was a fantastic song. In fairness we were just in Memphis three months ago and we had a day off there so I did the honorable thing and we went to Graceland again, which has totally changed. I went there in ’83. Without Elvis there wouldn’t have been a plethora of other bands that were more of an influence on us. So we all think of him as the daddy of everything — with Jerry Lee [Lewis], Roy Orbison. They’re important, even if we don’t own a ton of their records we’re very aware of their value and it’s just interesting we’re here and there’s a big statue outside the venue and all that kind of stuff. It reminds you we’re a cog in a huge machine and it’s a good thing to be in.

Baltin: You’re part of a long lineage and in a few months you could be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with them.

Elliott: We weren’t looking for accolades when we got together as kids. We just wanted to be part of everything we grew up listening to. It was like, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could jump on this mad crazy train and have our own carriage?” The station we get on and get off at is kind of irrelevant as long as the ride is fun. And that’s what we’ve been doing for the better part of 40 years. And when you’ve been around this long you do tend to ricochet off different artists of your past and connect with them, whether it be [Pete] Townshend and [Roger] Daltrey last October, when we played with them in Brazil, to knowing Brian May from Queen for 35 years now. And there are a million others in between, It’s not like you feel like you belong, you just feel like you don’t not belong.

Baltin: Have you thought about the Rock Hall over the years you have been eligible?

Elliott: When we were made aware of that we kind of pushed it to one side and plowed on with our career cause the only thing we were really bothered about was making records, playing live, making more records, playing live more often in front of more people. That’s what we do. And then all of a sudden the fans get involved and then we become interested because it literally is about the important people in our lives, which is our audience. And even though, as we all know, the fan voting is one vote our of a thousand votes or whatever it’s the one vote the other 999 can’t help but take notice of because it’s all over the world. It’s in every magazine, on every website, every radio station.

Baltin: I know you are a big Roxy Music fan and it’d be fitting for you and Bryan Ferry to be inducted together. Is there anybody on this year’s list that would make it extra special for you to be inducted with if you get in?

Elliott: It’s funny you should mention that cause I said earlier we’ve been eligible for 13 years and it’s the first time we’ve been nominated. What I find astonishing is it’s the first time Roxy have been nominated and they’ve been eligible for 21. I find that absolutely bizarre because I suppose their argument is how influential were they. Say on a band like Duran Duran 100 percent. Between them and David Bowie’s Ziggy [Stardust] period they pretty much invented alien rock or whatever you want to call it. It was beyond glam. It wasn’t bricklayers in drag. They were actually punching the boundaries of music, especially when [Brian] Eno was on the first two records. The way things were you had this mad scientist with black feathers coming out of his back and this crooner guy dressed either as an army recruit or on his solo records as Frank Sinatra. It was a really bizarre image, but it was so striking and the music was so different. It was drum and bass, guitars, keyboards, but it didn’t sound like anybody else. Maybe this committee that I would imagine are 99 percent based in New York, or at least America, don’t really recognize the value of when “Virginia Plain” hit the airwaves in 1972. But the whole of Great Britain that was between the age of 12 and 16 stopped in their tracks and said, “What the f**k is that?” I don’t think they see that or are even aware that happened. T. Rex were huge.

Baltin: Have you thought about who would induct you?

Elliott: We haven’t even thought about it. You’re the first person who’s brought it up. It’s the first time I’ve actually thought about who we would have induct us because we’ve been nominated, we’re not in. If and when that thing comes in, whatever day you hear in December, that’s when we’ll sit down and go, “Alright, who do we hope we could get to do it.” Because at the end of the day we’ll put a wish list together and they might all say, “I can’t make it, I don’t want to do it” or, “I don’t think I’m appropriate, I don’t like doing that kind of thing, I’m nervous talking in front of people.” It’s gotta be a compromise I imagine. But I will say this much, I would take great pleasure in inducting Ian Hunter should he ever ask me to do it and he gets nominated and accepted because there’s one guy I do totally connect with. If he did get in I’m sure I’d be the first person he’d ask because we’ve now had a history and gone back since I first met him in ’77. But he didn’t know that because I burst into his dressing room as a 17-year-old kid to get his autograph and then I met him briefly in 1980. Then we got to know each other ’87 and ever since…I got onstage with Mott The Hoople when they reformed in 2014. I opened for them on the first tour, Ian’s been onstage with us. I’ve been onstage with him a million times. There’s a connection. I would do that. But I can’t see me getting the nod from Roxy. I genuinely hope they get in because I understand the respect factor of they could go, “Well done, guys, I love it when British bands do as well as you did, but it’s not my cup of tea.” I don’t have a problem with that at all because I can still sit down and talk to Phil Manzanera about coffee, Indian restaurants. I talk to people like Robert Plant all the time and we never discuss music, ever. It’s always soccer. So you can be on a different level with people that understand your success. They give you the thumb’s up and respect you, but they don’t have to be part of it.

Baltin: How do the soccer conversations with Robert Plant go?

Elliott: With Robert we talk soccer. We played the Garden in New York, he was playing the same night so we ended up talking the next day on his way to Toronto and all we discussed was soccer. That’s fine. I’m a realist when it comes to that. They always say, “Never meet your heroes.” That’s never been a problem for me because I don’t expect them to necessarily get what I do cause the kind of music Def Leppard makes doesn’t really have that much of a connection to a lot of the music I grew up listening to. It does to a point, You can hear little bits of other people’s stuff in our music. So much so that when we did the Yeah! album one of the reasons we did it was we actually wanted to show people where we mixed from. So when we did things like “He’s Gonna Step On You Again,” by John Kongos with the tribal drumming, it was a nod to the fact, “Yeah, I was listening to that kind of rhythm stuff when we came up with ‘Rocket.'” We cut “Street Life,” by Roxy Music on that record, because we were huge fans of the band and it was one of those songs we could Leppard-ize that. We could Leppard-ize David Essex, we kind of did a straight-forward cover of “Rock On.” We just wanted to show people where our musical influences laid. And they were Blondie and T. Rex and Bowie and Roxy Music cause we spent 25 years trying to tell the world we weren’t specifically influenced by Zeppelin, Sabbath and Deep Purple and all that kind of stuff. Everybody was trying to shove us in that thing. I said, “Look, they don’t listen when we talk, they’re gonna listen when we sing and dance.” So we recorded songs instead of doing interviews. “These are our influences.” So Roxy Music are part of that, but I’ve got a feeling they’ll probably get someone like Loudon Wainwright to do it (laughs).

Baltin: What bands in the Rock Hall already would you want to do a package tour with a la the Heart, Cheap Trick and Joan Jett “All For The Hall” tour?

Elliott: You name me any bands that we haven’t already toured with. We’ve toured with Journey, with Cheap Trick, with Joan Jett, with Poison, Heart, Foreigner. The last time we went out with a band that weren’t like minded, if you like, was Tripping Daisy in 1996. Trust me, it didn’t work. Lovely guys, very interesting band, but our audience went, “What?” There aren’t that many left.

Baltin: Have you ever done a full tour with Aerosmith?

Elliott: We’ve done festivals with Aerosmith, we’ve done a tour with KISS. Aerosmith would be great, we love Aerosmith. There’s enormous mutual respect from us to them and vice versa. So that’s one band where we get their music. Aerosmith are fantastic, they really are. They’re America’s band. They’ve been through, everybody up and down anything anybody could ever go through or should ever go through and somehow managed to survive it and it’s the original five piece, give or take a few years with Jimmy Crespo, they’ve been the same guys since 1969 or something. That’s kind of mental, it’s really crazy. And you’ve got to have a respect for anybody who hangs in like that, whether it be somebody a generation or two later like U2, Duran Duran to a point, Iron Maiden are all basically the classic lineup to the best of their ability.

Baltin: Are there moments that you can look at as having brought you to the brink of the Rock Hall?

Elliott: When we went out with Poison and Cheap Trick in 2009 that tour was huge. It was one of the tours I can look back at and go it’s part of the trampoline effect of where we’ve arrived at. We’ve had our wilderness years, don’t get me wrong. But even then we were still selling out 10 to 12,000 seaters. But when we went out with Cheap Trick and Poison and a year later I think we went out with Heart we were doing up to 20,000 people because they’re events. And we love being part of event. You’ve got to remember when we were kids growing up and looking at the adverts on the back of Melody Maker or whatever there were so many gigs where it was the Who with special guest Steve Marriott and the Moog. It wasn’t just special guests or plus support, they were like mini-Woodstock’s. And since day one, when we went out in the States we were the special guests for Pat Travers, Judas Priest and Ted Nugent. When we went out in ’83 we had Uriah Heap and had Krokus. Then in ’88 we had Tesla and L.A. Guns in Europe. We’ve never shied away from a band that is visible. We don’t see them as a threat, we see them as an addition. It’s just a better ticket.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2018/10/29/def-leppards-joe-elliott-on-the-rock-hall-nomination-roxy-music-elvis-and-much-more/

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houstonlocalus-blog · 7 years

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So Messed Up: An Interview with The Damned

The Damned. Photo: Dod Morrison

Growing up in the suburbs of Houston, having a solid record shop like Vinal Edge at my disposal was essential to discovering new music for me to listen to. One time with an armful of albums by The Jam and The Clash, the shop’s longtime employee Bob turned me onto the album Damned Damned Damned and introduced me to one of my favorite albums and bands of all time. The Damned were never ones to follow rules, and they definitely lived up to the ideology of punk while creating some of the best records of their time. Now, 40 years later, they’re touring the release of that record that changed my life, as well as changed the punk movement forever. Free Press Houston was more than giddy to interview founding member and guitarist Captain Sensible about the past, the present, and what they have in store for Houston when they bring the tour here in this month.

Free Press Houston: Does it feel like 40 years together as a band?

Captain Sensible: No, time has just flown by. When you’re enjoying yourself, etcetera. The weirdest thing is that Monty has been in the band 20 years, whereas our founder, the punk visionary Brian James was only with us for a couple of years. How mad is that? I don’t blame BJ for bailing out though. Me and Rat must’ve been a nightmare back then. A couple of right ****s.

FPH: Last year, you guys played at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall to mark the 40th year of the band. Was it surreal to perform there being a punk band, or did it feel right at home for you?

Sensible: We tried to book a gig there in the ’70s, but they banned us. That came out when the current management had a look in their archives and found the letter. Something like, “Not the sort of act we want at our venue.”

To mark our 40th anniversary the grand setting was perfect, now we are also a bit long in the tooth. And the stage is situated almost in the middle of the venue as well, which avoids us appearing like ants to those at the back of some halls I could mention.

FPH: The album, Damned Damned Damned is easily one of the landmark albums from the punk movement. Did you ever think that the band would get as big as you’ve gotten when you were recording it?

Sensible: Define “big.”

FPH: With the 40th anniversary edition of the album that was just released, the fact that “New Rose” was recently called the number one punk song of all time, is it strange to see something you did so long ago become so celebrated?

Sensible: We had no idea the record would be popular, let alone talked about 40 years on.

It’s a cliche, I know, but the whole thing’s been a roller coaster ride of massive highs and desperate lows. The high point was maybe the reception of the first album, it caused a bit of a sensation and suddenly we were on front pages. The record is manic and riff heavy. Nick Lowe did a great job of capturing the uncompromising nature of our 35 minute live set. This is the material the more recently arrived members of the band love to play and they totally nail it.

We were just making the music we wanted to hear ’cause there was precious little around at the time that had any get up and go. Glam rock had packed the sequins and gone — all we had left was country, disco and prog.

But mainly I was trying to change my own world ’cause for me as a teenager with little education to boast of, I had a life of drudge ahead of me at best. Or a vagabond of some sort. I was already known to the law and things could have gone from bad to worse. I was dossing in a Brighton squat, surrounded by junkies and ner-do-wells. Then punk rock showed up and saved me. Every band needs a chaos factor, and I became the Damned’s random unpredictable nutcase. My dream job.

During rehearsals I was sleeping on Brian’s floor, we spent our days traipsing around clubs attempting to blag support gigs, which paid peanuts so we were generally starving. When Stiff records offered us a record deal, the promise of a visit to a Wimpy Bar was the clincher.

FPH: The Damned were the first UK punk band to tour the US, correct? Did the tour go well and were there any nights that stand out in a positive or a negative way?

Sensible: The [Rolling] Stones had cakes and whisky sent to CBGB’s for us, along with some hookers if I remember correctly. We played some blistering sets, got drunk quite often and wrecked equipment. Meaning that by the time we reached Los Angeles, we didn’t have enough cash left for hotels let alone the airfare home. The Weirdos were kind enough to let us sleep on their floor, but to get home, we had to have a collection box at the venue for donations. Those were the days!

FPH: You guys never really called yourselves “punk,” but it was rather what the music press called you. With albums as diverse as The Black Album, what do you think the music of The Damned should be called?

Sensible: It’s punk. Mixed with goth, of course, a bit of psych, some melancholy, a smattering of garage, and a bunch of good old fashioned classic rock.

The critics slated our experimental departures from the two minute thrash format, but for me the first rule of punk is there are no rules. In fact punk is more an idea than anything to do with a bunch of famous bands. It says if you like something: music, art, sport, do it yourself. Be creative, everyone has a talent, the important thing is to turn off your TV and find it.

Punk was a reaction against the excessive rock star nonsense of the mid ’70s. The swaggering macho buffoons with a foot up on the monitors while boring audiences to death with long tedious guitar solos and lyrics about wizards and pixies. I’m happy to say we helped get rid of that. We’re just a bunch of wacky blokes who happen to make music, no pedestal required. For me that’s the punk way — don’t get up yourself.

Regrets? Well, I smashed a few fine guitars back in the day. I wish I hadn’t done that. But the way the band was, I’m talking about volatility and ego clashes here, it just seemed a better idea to trash the equipment that hit each other.

Studios especially could set things off. You’re ruining my song, well it’s a crock of *** anyway. That sort of thing. Rockfield, being on a Welsh farm, had a shotgun on the premises. I recall an occasion when Mr. Vanian, not best pleased with some irreverent backing vocals Rat and myself had contributed to his latest song, chased the pair of us across the fields blasting away. I didn’t look back to see whether he was aiming at us or — hopefully — the sky.

This tour and its across the board setlist is a celebration of not only 40 years of the Damned, but actually surviving a lot of extremely mad and debauched times in one piece, physically, if not quite mentally.

FPH: There are stories of you being set on fire, and the band lighting Elvis Costello on fire. Are those antics a thing of the past, or will we see a glimpse of Susie Lollipop?

Sensible: We were a bunch of absolute bastards. That’s the truth of it. People are always telling me appalling stories from back in the day. The “chaos years” I call them. Nowadays it’s like an eccentric old gentlemen’s club. Well, Mr. Vanian is single handedly attempting to resurrect the fashion for smoking a pipe. He has a collection of the things.

I’ve not got the right “figure” currently to bring Susie back. For some reason or other — large quantities of craft IPAs probably — I’m carrying a spare tire or two round my waist.

FPH: With this 40th anniversary tour, what should people expect to hear from the band when you perform in Houston this month?

Sensible: A special 40th anniversary career spanning setlist with no mix cheating, autotune, choreography or rehearsed chat between songs. We live for the live experience. A lot of stuff is unique for every gig. We thrive on having an element of danger to the proceedings, any other way is boring. Perfection is overrated, rock n’ roll needs all its rough edges left intact.

As it seems, the band has grown wiser in their latter years, and should be worth making it out for just to hear these songs performed live. You can catch The Damned on their 40th anniversary tour at House of Blues on Wednesday, May 17. The all ages show has sets from The Bellrays and Elhae, with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $20.

So Messed Up: An Interview with The Damned this is a repost

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