Batusis and Prima Donna - Washington, DC

Wow, what a fuckin' night.  I, my brother and two buddies suited up and hit The Black Cat for a night of loud guitars and alcohol!  First thing first, we gotta get there, so me and my two buddies meet up in Virginia and drive into DC, where my brother lives...he took a cab and met us at the venue.  It wasn't open at 8:00pm, and we were starvin', so we grabbed some sandwiches at Manny & Olga's Pizza (HUGE portions for a decent price, by the way).  It's a real hole-in-the-wall with no seating, so we stood outside and I got mustard all over my hands.  Good food ain't neat!

After the food, we discovered a tiny little record shop, Som Records.  You walk down a narrow flight of stone stairs and enter a tiny slice of vinyl heaven.  Within five minutes I heard a Velvet Underground bootleg being played, saw a double-LP Heartbreakers set (L.A.M.F. and Bataclan, Paris), Sylvain Sylvain & The Teardrops, and a pretty cool poster:

OK, our gullets were full, and appetite for music was sufficiently increasing, and the venue's doors were open...

The Black Cat is perfect:  dirty with a pool table, pinball machine, a stacked jukebox (Suicide was up front!) and a great bar.  First round is on me!  I copied my brother - as usual - and had a Pabst Blue Ribbon to get goin'.  Shane was in the pisser so I grabbed him a Stella, and Coop had a Captain & Coke.  We sat around and chilled for around a half-hour or so waiting for the music to begin.  Cheetah was walking back and forth through the place and was more than happy to shake a hand or two.  He never stopped smiling.

A toilet at The Black Cat

As soon as we heard the speakers boomin', we knew it was time to get in line.  About one minute and a handstamp later, we walked into "The Backroom," which is a pretty small, hot and sweaty little place with a stage raised about a foot off the floor and floor-to-ceiling speakers on either side.  The band we saw onstage opening for the Batusis wasn't good - THEY WERE GREAT.  Okay, here's the equation:  punk aggression + glam get-ups + a saxophone + a keyboard + lots of white-boy R&B riffs = Prima Donna.  The songs were anthemic, rude, crude, and beautiful.  And when the lead singer - Kevin Tyler Preston - stripped off his shirt to reveal a figure which Iggy may have owned 40 years ago, Cheetah Chrome took the stage and they did a stunning rendition of the Dead Boys' All This And More.  Really...it was fantastic.  They are touring continuously right now and I REALLY implore you to go and catch one.  They really knocked me on my ass. Preston is a fuckin' maniac! I bought their CD, but there is no way it'll compare to the brief set they played. What my buddy Shane will never forget is that after the last song, guitarist Erik Arcane accidentally dropped his Les Paul and smashed the headstock clean off - a $4000 mistake! As Shane pointed out, that turned out to be one expensive night for Mr. Arcane!

All This And More - Prima Donna with Cheetah Chrome

Erik Arcane and his soon-to-be-dead Les Paul, David S. Field & Kevin Tyler Preston

After a short set, Prima Donna left the stage and the room emptied.  While standing out in the bar, Cheetah walked through again, so I grabbed him and asked him to sign their EP.  "Oh, you've got the promo!" is what he said!  15 minutes and another PBR later, the Batman theme started to play over the speakers...

All I can really say is that Cheetah and Syl LOVE playing together.  They are having such a good time that everyone staring at them had huge smiles on their faces for the whole show, beginning to end.  It was a small crowd - about 50 people - but goddamn, they played as if there were 5000.  Other than a douchebag spitting beer at the band twice (the soundman then pwned him - and me - with a bottle of water and the douche never came back), the show went without a hitch.  Lez Warner and Sean Koos make a great rhythm section, too.  If you missed this tour, you really lost out - and tickets averaged around $12!  A concert performed by a couple legends for only $12?!  C'mon, what else are you gonna spend that on - dinner at McDonald's?  Starve a little and go to a show, instead!  As for the set, their take of I Wanna Be Loved was incredible.  It was definitely a highlight for me and Coop.  My brother was more partial to Sonic Reducer, as it brought back memories of a girl and a mix-tape from long ago...

Sylvain Sylvain, Lez Warner, Sean Koos, Cheetah Chrome

Syl and his gorgeous gold Gretsch

The setlist

The beer-spitting douchebag

New York Dolls in Newcastle - 4 September!

TICKET HOTLINE: 0844 477 1000
BOOK ONLINE: www.ticketweb.co.uk

Tickets for this rare intimate concert go on sale at 9am on Friday July 30th. All tickets are priced £12 and can be purchased from the Ticket Hotline number.

Venue 

The Cluny
36 Lime St, Ouseburn

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ

Click Here For Full Press Release

Lou Reed Live and the Black Holes in Space!

Well, I don't know anything about this picture other than a Gelkel Chelle either drew this picture or wrote a story to go along with it (or both), and it was written/drawn in 1976 (see top left corner).  Could be issue No. 1 of a fanzine?  Whatever it is, I'd like to find out one day!

The only other time I have seen this was as cover art for a bootleg CD of his 1974 show at Charlton Football Club, which, by the way, happens to be one of the best available recordings from the tour:

Epilogue - I just discovered the answer to my own question.  An Australian library citation reads as follows:  Kelly, Michael and Fabok, Michelle, Lou Reed live and the black holes in space : a graphic comic by Gel Kel and 'Chelle 

The Stooges Caught On Film

Before I go into the details, let me say that Cleveland is a great music city.  Dozens of venues on every side of the city allow for the biggest and smallest of bands to come in and play to the crowds.  Hell, even the Velvet Underground found a part-time home at the long-gone La Cave, located on Euclid Avenue.  A couple things that always helped Cleveland attract those bands were its location and its citizens.  Allow me to explain...

Any touring band trying to move from one coast to the other MUST hit the Great Lakes.  Big population centers in relative proximity to each other makes for multiple tour stops with relatively short drive times.  Toronto is practically adjacent to Buffalo, which is a couple hours from Pittsburgh, the arch-rival of nearby Cleveland, which is a couple hours from Detroit...Ontario...Toledo...Chicago...Milwaukee...the list goes on.  And almost all these cities have one major thing in common:  blue-collar residents who like sports, beer, and guitars.

Moving on, in the late 60s the average Joe could purchase a relatively inexpensive device known as the Super 8mm camera.  Combine that with the burgeoning reel-to-reel bootlegger scene, and you've got the makings of a whole lotta mini-memories.

Are you pickin' up what I'm startin' to lay down?

In January 1974, Iggy and his Stooges hit the Allen Theater in Cleveland.  Opening for Slade, the Stooges were the exact opposite of their headlining brethren.  Iggy was the Wang to Slade's Yin, so to speak (that's a Gerard Malanga joke for all of you in the know).  A very detailed record of this event, including snapshots, can be found at the amazing Kicksville 66 blog.  To quote Miriam:

"Nowadays, you may not bat an eyelash at the thought of gents opting for ladies wear, but speaking for myself, fresh from the boondocks and totally uninformed, my pea brain positively exploding with the unbelievably fantastic, super loud mess of class favorites blasting at us, combined with this guy Iggy, who was the most muy macho personage I'd ever set eyeballs on, despite the no-fly zone unmentionables, heck, I was ready to burst in flames right then and there and be toted home in an ash can."

Another great review can be found at the i94 Bar.  It's a little more revealing of what actually happened onstage, which was an incredibly shambolic performance on Iggy's part:

"It was a mess, man.  They did like three or four songs.  The band came onstage and they riffed on “Raw Power” I don’t know how long; that was like half the show, I think. Because they were all waiting for Iggy to come out.  I think they just pushed him onstage, because he came out flyin’ on the stage.  And he was totally, totally fucked up." - Chris Yarmock

Now, I wasn't lucky enough to be there.  In fact, I was nary a month old when Miriam apparently first fell in lust. That said, I have still experienced this event in some rapid, fuel-injected shots of noise and image.  "And how the fuck did you manage that," you're askin' yourself?  Well, let me put it to you simply:  This event was recorded.  Not the whole thing...and not professionally...but good enough to put a smile across my face.

One day, the owner of these recordings is gonna kick the bucket and hopefully one of us will be lucky enough to grab 'em.  It'll be a revelation, sorta like the legendary Norm Dolph acetate.  You have neighbors like him, stubbly old stick-in-the-muds who had their best times spending their paychecks after the factory let out.  No kids, just cigarette butts, empty cans of once-carbonated-now-flat drinks, and a perfectly manicured lawn - think The Deerhunter.  They'll spin a yarn better than anyone...but in this case, he's got what with to back it all up.

The Evolution of Lou Reed - Artist Unknown

I always liked this artwork.  I found it online around 2001 and have two theories:  1) It was originally drawn in the 1970s and scanned/posted online; or 2) A longtime fan drew it and then scanned it afterwards!  Much like the Tootsie Roll conundrum, the world may never know...

Drawings:  top left - Berlin/Rock 'N' Roll Animal Tour 1973; top right -  debut/Transformer tours 1972-73; bottom left - solo debut LP poster image; bottom right - Mick Rock's Transformer LP cover; center - Sally Can't Dance/1974 era

Iggy & The Stooges - Mainman Rejects Bootleg

Here's a great little piece of Iggy/Stooges history.  Some of these tracks are available on several other bootlegs - and the official Easy Action release, Heavy Liquid - but there is some question whether all of these are Iggy+Stooges or Stoogeless Iggy.  The bottom line is this collection is well worth having.  I'm Waiting For The Man...Purple Haze...a radio ad for performances at the American Theatre...this is what bootlegs are all about!

*NOTE:  As mentioned above, some of these tracks are officially available on the Heavy Liquid box set.  If there is interest, I can put together the tracks NOT in that box (or on other releases) and zip 'em up for download.

It's A Shame Nobody Listens to the Velvet Underground

Downtown Calling: New York City 1977-85

I found out about the NYC documentary Downtown Calling on one of my recent blog discoveries - Stupefaction - and wanted to pass it along.

From the mid-70s to the early 80s, the turmoil of New York City spawned an incredbile number of scenes.  Poverty, crime, drugs, disease...it all coalesced into a pressure cooker of ideas, where everything affected everything else.  I really don't think we'll ever see an artistic explosion of this magnitude ever again...

The Dandy Warhols World Tour

I have been a fan of the DWs for a long time.  My story goes like this:  I walked into a used CD store in my area, the CD Cellar, looking for some new tunes.  I couldn't find anything until the store employees dropped a new CD into the changer....and I walked up to the guy at the register and asked, "Who is that?!  Do you have a copy for sale?"  Five minutes later, I walked out of the store with The Dandy Warhols Come Down.  The song which caught my ears was "Be-In."  So, I encourage you all to check 'em out.

THE FIRST HALF OF THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR GOES ON SALE NOW!
While the band leaves for Europe today, presale for the first half of the North American begins NOW.

This presale is EXCLUSIVELY available for Dandy Warhols fans and those who are on the Dandys email list.

10/30/10 - Chicago - Vic Theatre
11/01/10 - Toronto - Phoenix Theatre
11/02/10 - Montreal - Le National
11/03/10 - Boston - Royale
11/05/10 - Brooklyn - Bell House
11/06/10 - New York - Webster Hall
11/07/10 - Philadelphia - Electric Factory
11/09/10 - Baltimore - Rams Head Live
11/10/10 - Asheville - Orange Peel
11/11/10 - Atlanta- Center Stage
11/13/10 - Dallas - Granada Theater
11/14/10 - Austin - La Zona Rosa

Get your presale tickets for these shows: HERE.  The password to access the exclusive presale is "TACOS"

The second half (West Coast) of the North American tour is currently planned for December, which we hope to announce in the coming weeks.

SUMMER TOURS AND FESTIVALS!

The Dandys have a whole slew of European and Australian Summer gigs, plus Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle, WA), beginning THIS WEEKEND!

EUROPE
+ Santander Festival, 7/24/10, Get tickets HERE
+ La Cigale @ Paris, France, 7/26/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Blue Balls Festival @ Luzern, Switzerland 7/28/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Plage de Rock Festival @ Golfe de St Tropez, 7/29/10, Admission is FREE
+ Parades de Coura Festival @ Paredes de Coura, 7/31/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Sala Heineken @Madrid, Spain, 8/01/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Paradiso @ Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 8/4/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Lokerse Feesten @ Lokeren, Belgium, 8/5/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Les Nuits Secretes Festival @ Aulnoye-Aymeries, 8/7/10
+ Koko @ London, United Kingdom, 8/8/10, Get tickets HERE
------------------------------------------------------
PACIFIC NORTHWEST (USA)
+ Bumbershoot @ Seattle, Washington, 9/5/10, Get tickets HERE
------------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA
+ Parklife Festival @ Gold Cost, 9/25/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Parklife Festival @ Perth, 9/26/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Parklife Festival @ Melbourne,10/02/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Parklife Festival @ Sydney, 10/03/10, Get tickets HERE
+ Parklife Festival @ Adelaide, 10/04/10, Get tickets HERE

More dates to be announced very soon. For all shows and details, visit The Dandy Warhols Official Website: HERE

Your Song for Wednesday - c/o The Ramones

monesOver at This Ain't the Summer of Love, NYC Dreamin' occasionally posts songs to remind you what music is all about.  Well, I am copyin' that cool SOB and doin' the same thing here!  This tune is sure to get ya fired up...The KKK Took My Baby Away, by The Ramones.

The quick background:  The song is about Johnny stealing Joey's girlfriend.  Funny how Joey was singin' about how Johnny's an asshole, and Johnny kept strummin' away...for decades!

Dee Dee often gets tossed aside by critics as a drugged-up and wasted, yet funny, punk.  This clip shows him in fine form - maybe his finest.  He will forever be underrated as a writer and musician, but I can tell ya my brother and I know better:

Saint Morrissey - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

MORRISSEY

There are several musicians that I truly love, but only one that I worship.  Saint Morrissey.  Thousands of people have written essays they have likely poured over for days - editing, re-editing, opening their thesaurus a dozen times - in order to perfectly encapsulate everything Steven Patrick Morrissey means to them.  I am not going to bore you with that crap.  I'm just going to say he is the greatest singer and songwriter of my generation and I love him.  (above photo by the magnificent Vini Reilly)

My all-time favorite Moz B-side, Swallow On My Neck:

And one of my favorite photos by the greatest of Mozzer's photographers, Linder Sterling:

November 8, 1991, Chicago

I have been fortunate enough to see him live twice, though not in his glory years during the 90s.  That said, it was pure Comeback Era Moz.  The first show was on June 2, 2007:

The second concert (November 2, 2007) was a birthday gift for my Beloved.  Here was one lucky stage invader.  Before her, a huge fatso was body-slammed by security, mid-stage.

There are none like him, nor will there ever be another.  And just because I appreciate you reading this, here is the rare "Stop Me" Smiths EP, issued in Japan: DOWNLOAD HERE

Batusis (Sylvain Sylvain/Cheetah Chrome) on the Radio, July 22!

Batusis begin their tour this week and on July 22nd, Alice Cooper will air an interview with Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome on Nights With Alice Cooper.  The show airs 7pm to Midnight, but interviews will frequently run during the fourth hour of the show (i.e. 10:00 pm) in most markets.

For a list of radio affiliates, check here:   "Nights With Alice Cooper" Affiliates.  If you happen to miss the show, you can download Alice's podcasts from the iTunes "Nights With Alice Cooper" page:  NWAC Podcasts.

For a list of tour dates, please check my previous blog post HERE. 

For Batusis Facebook page go HERE
  
"A wild blast of juke joint-infused garage rock replete with plinky piano fills, tambourine shots and hooting background vocals, Batusis come across like the American blues-inspired rock'n'roll the Rolling Stones have been struggling to achieve...for decades." - EXCLAIM

"...both proto-punk guitar luminaries rip it up and show just how raunchy and primal rock n’ roll can get." - SLUG

The Woman Who Birthed Goth - Nico

I have always been fascinated by Nico's music.  Like most people my age (mid-30s), I discovered her through the Velvet Underground.  But unlike most people my age, I dug a little deeper to discover her other works.  As the distinctive face of the Velvet Underground & Nico, she sang Lou Reed's songs.  As a solo artist, she not only sang covers and songs specifically written for her, but she crafted a superb catalog of challenging, doomed, intelligent music.

My favorite Nico era was in the early 1980s, when she had the Blue Orchids as her backing band:



Although her gigs rarely provided enough money for her heroin addiction, she toured sporadically and was able to record several albums - some with her patron, former lover, and former bandmate, John Cale.  Among my favorite songs of hers are Das Lied Der Deutschen (off of 1974's The End) and 60/40 (off 1981's Drama of Exile). 



Although heroin may elevate an artist's creativity for a short time, it almost always ends in either the death of that artist, or the complete destruction of their talent.  With Nico, even as heroin ate away at her body, she was still able to generate powerful songs with haunting depth and sorrow.  Funny, but as her former lover and bandmate Lou Reed became more and more commercial (and boring, in my honest opinion) in the 1980s, Nico continued the VU tradition of avant garde intellect.

I encourage you to hunt down author James Young's Nico: The End, as well as his Songs They Never Play On The Radio.

Video clips taken from Nico: An Underground Experience.

A Night With David Johansen - July 9, 2010

Wow.  What an unbelievable night of music this was!  DJ sang for about two hours (with a short intermission), accompanied by an extremely talented Brian Koonin, who has played with DJ on and off for a couple decades, including time as the sometimes-keyboardist for the reunited New York Dolls.

Jammin' Java is a coffee shop - with a bar, mind you - and a raised stage, with a crowd capacity at about 200.  Needless to say, the night was sold out.  Most of the fans were 50+, but there was a significant number of younger fans.  One noble kid wore a black Heartbreakers shirt.  What I was most proud of, is that I got my Dad to come with me.  He is into a lot of music I'd prefer never to hear, so I wanted to show him what real Rock & Roll and Blues sounded like when played by a master.  Unsurprisingly, he was beyond pleased with what he witnessed.

Before the show, I could see DJ sittin' out back behind Jammin' Java, where he was served some BBQ hot dog.   He looked cooler than all hell - in 90+ degree weather - in white boots, bell-bottom jeans, and a semi-shear flowered blouse/shirt, topped off with his yellow shades.  His girlfriend (I don't think he is married) was constantly walking in and out of the dressing room.  Koonin was sorta mingling around without anyone noticing him.  He hung out in front of the dressing room looking at his iPhone and walking around near the stage in complete anonymity.

The stage was a very simple setup.  DJ's stool with a small table to his right, where he placed a bottle of water, a tall cup of iced tea or pop, his harmonica box, and an atomizer for his throat (when someone asked what was in the atomizer, he said "Something I picked up in Amsterdam.").  He faced his music stand, and to his left was Koonin, who played guitar, the high-hat with his right foot, and a homemade bass "pad," which looked like a piece of mic'd wood with pickups attached to it.  It sounded just like a bass drum when he tapped it with his left foot.

The setlist covered his entire career and a number of blues tunes.  New York Dolls numbers, the solo years, Harry Smiths, John Lee Hooker, and a number of songs I had never heard before.  The songs I was most impressed with were off the newest Dolls LP ('Cause I Said So).  I like the acoustic versions MUCH more than the ones on the CD!  I hope (but doubt) someone recorded this tonight.  He sounded SO good and was in a great mood and performed every song with soul and passion.

He never asked people to stop snapping photos (even the ones using flashes) and plenty of people were shooting video.  Unfortunately, he wasn't signing autographs.

Videos below posted by RedlandsVideo on YouTube.

Setlist:

Funky But Chic - (off David Johansen)

Melody - (off In Style)

Boom Boom - (John Lee Hooker)

Temptation To Exist - (off 'Cause I Said So)

Memphis Blues - (W.C. Handy)

*new Johansen/Koonin song (Ain't Got No Death To Die)

Eight Men, Four Women - (O.V. Wright)

Ham Hound Crave - (off Shaker)

Somebody Buy Me A Drink - (off David Johansen & the Harry Smiths)

Making Rain - (off 'Cause I Said So)

Richland Woman - (off David Johansen & the Harry Smiths)

Better Than You - (off 'Cause I Said So)

South Coast - (Ramblin' Jack Elliot)

Rocket 88 - (Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm)

Maimed Happiness - (off One Day...)

Big City - (off In Style)

Old Dog Blue - (off David Johansen & the Harry Smiths)

I Ain't Got Nothing - (off One Day...)

*harp solo - (by Patrick Staley?)

Pills (off New York Dolls)

intermission

The Rope (The Let Go Song) - (the B-side to Frenchette)

Frenchette - (off David Johansen)

Looking For A Kiss - (off New York Dolls)

Heart Of Gold - (off Here Comes the Night)

My Love Affair wIth GG Allin

My brother and I have enjoyed listening to the shit-eating/throwing Jesus Christ Allin for years.  Ask me why, and I really can't give you a straight answer.  His lyrics were awful, his voice was awful, most of his bands were REALLY awful (with the exception of The Jabbers and a few other once/twice-offs), and his "studio" recordings sound like they were recorded in a toilet full of crap.  Somehow, he played with a couple big names:  Dee Dee Ramone (only for a single gig!), Wayne Kramer, and Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson (both of the MC5).

He hated everyone.  HATED everyone.  His hate knew no prejudices, so I guess he was an equal opportunity hater.  Pay a few bucks to see a show and you'll be greeted with him attacking you, punching you, bleeding on you...

My brother bought his Doctrine Of Mayhem LP off of a mail-order and I was immediately hooked.  Not because it was an amazing piece of musicianship, but because the legend, combined with the subject matter, is everything a teenage boy thinks about:  violence, loneliness, bodily functions, guitars, drugs, girls, and hate.

If you haven't seen the documentary, "Hated," then go do it now!

New Rock Supergroup: Black Country Communion

Black Country Communion, the Anglo American rock supergroup comprising vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian, and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, today confirmed the release date for their debut album “Black Country.”

Black Country Communion is the brainchild of producer Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin). The album, produced and mixed by Shirley, is mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig.  The band initially came to fruition when Kevin Shirley saw Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple Black Sabbath, Trapeze) and Joe Bonamassa join forces on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center’s King of the Blues event.  Shirley then recruited powerhouse drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theatre, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper).

The band, named after the industrial area in the British Midlands where Hughes and Bonham were born and raised, recorded the debut album at Shangri-La Studios in early 2010.  The band is planning a tour in 2011.

The album will be released by Mascot Records in the UK and the rest of Europe on Monday September 20th, followed by a North American release through J&R Adventures on Tuesday September 21st.

www.bccommunion.com
www.facebook.com/bccommunion
http://twitter.com/bccommunion
www.myspace.com/bccommunion
www.mascotrecords.com

Johnny Thunders: Remastered Hurt Me LP + Bonus Disc

Easy Action is rapidly bringing their first Johnny Thunders project to fruition.  Hurt Me, Johnny's 1984 "rebirth" LP, will be remastered and re-issued as part of a 2-disc set.  The second disc will be Johnny's 6 December 1983 acoustic performance at Dingwalls in London.  The Dingwalls show was essentially the London launch party for the LP, and JT played a long set full of classics and new stuff.  Just him and a guitar.

I have personally listened to the Dingwalls show, a first-generation copy of the master cassette, and it sounds quite good.  EA and the Chatterbox forum thought very hard over which live show to include with Hurt Me, and the fans chose Dingwalls over all others - hands down.  Who knows, EA may even have access to photos from this performance.

The liner notes have been composed by the inimitable British journalist Kris Needs, who is one of my personal favorites right next to Nick Kent and Legs McNeil.

Easy Action is working with the members of the Chatterbox forum to bring you long-out-of-print and never-heard JT material.  And just to remind you, this is not a bootleg enterprise; JT's estate is fully involved.

Stay tuned here for further details.