Masters of pyschobilly and quite possibly the greatest live band of all time.
And... curators and revivalists of the sickest and most twisted songs the universe!
Who else would perform at a mental hospital?
Many times o'er the years have I witnessed Mssrs Interior (rip) and Rorshach tearing up stages.
Fave memories?
High on acid at the Peppermint Lounge during the recording of "Smell Of Female"- my buddy Rob of the semi legendary Stinky & The Skunks taking a boot from Lux upside the head.
or
just watching Poison Ivy wielding that gee-tar, resplendint in fishnets. Grrrrr baby, real grrrrrr.
I want to also recommend the following link for Trebuchet- they have a fantastic interview with Lux and Posion Ivy detailing their love affair- It's sooo romantic that I have a renewed faith in humankind. Or something.
Here's one for ya's... last week I coughed right as I was swallowing a capsule. Instead of going down the gullet, it went up my sinus cavity. Where it proceeded to lodge for a couple of days, inflaming my head and causing me to intermittently blow out tiny time release pills and ultimately, a viscous gooey ball of blue gelatin.
I have also been a fair amount of pain due to my back issues and have been on a rather unhealthy regimen of vicodins lately. Which is fun and all, but I'd rather save my meds for recreational purposes. It does make listening to these guys pretty interesting. Just pop a vic and zone out.
Oh, and I heartily recommend Wolaver's Organic Brewing - Vermont made and their Wolaver's Alta Gracia Coffee Porter.
Holy cow, is it good! Dark beer, with the hint of coffee and vanilla beans.
Hey, it was Ronald Reagen's birthday this weekend, and all sorts of media outlets were fellating him. I will celebrate the 100th anniversary of that asshole's death, not his birth.
And here's something that you should all download! Some enterprising soul has put together an incredible compilation of crazy rock n roll, rock a billy and, well OMFUG. It's called Lux & Ivy's Favorites and it's 12 volumes of audio goodness. It's the kind of stuff that woulda been on The Cramps jukebox. You can access them here:
I've been cranking the pharmies and the toonage from this collection. It'll keep ya bizzy all day. Or something.
... Very Short And There's No Tiiiiiiiiimmmmmmme, For Fussing And Fighting My Friends.
I dunno, some old band sang that a while back. Hey now, thanks for all of the advice on how to deal with Mr. Asshole former boss. And the answer was... D- I ignored the lunch request and responded to his query about football (the 'merican version). I am sure he figured the implied message.
I could not have sat across from him without strangling him, so what would be the point in that? The highest road would have been to lunch and smile, but I am not that evolved I guess. So, discretion being the better part of valour, much smarter to just let it fly by and move on.
Hey, I haven't posted any music to download lately, so here's some... komplete with komments (try to figure out that reference!)
The Jam - Dead End Street (Kinks kover) - Paul Weller & company being the ultimate mod-ficianado's and covering multiple Beatles/Who toonage, here's a nice 'un.
The Damned - Plan 9, Channel 7 - From the Radio One sessions - That's not Unlce John, right? I get all that Brit radio shaowage mixed up. Hey - Pirate Radio wasn't a bad movie at all incidentally!
Received a letter from our State Labor Department mandating I go to "unemployment counseling". Failure to adhere would mean they could screw with my benefits. So, today I went. We were herded into an office and advised on various methods of assistance, including career consultation, training in email, resume advice; etc. All useful for the unwashed masses. However, as a former upper tier exec, I found it all depressing and humbling. That might be arrogant, but looking around at my fellow jobless, I could understand why most of them were unemployed. People had problems filling out simple forms. Sad.
On the bright side, I have used my addictive personality to continue hitting the gym almost every day. Where were YOU at 8 am on New Years' Day? I was running the treadmill. Of course, as I get older, it takes more effort to get the pounds to melt away and grow muscle. That sucks. But, better to beat the shit out of my body than beat the shit out of my liver. Or something. I've lost a couple of pants sizes already and put some size on my biceps. I guess i can always do some nude modeling if things get really bad.
We survived our Halloween excursion to Sin City. It could be called "From Big Elvis to Coolio in three drunken days."
This is "Big Elvis"... down to 400 lbs from his original 800 lbs!
Three solid daze of booze, broads, rock n roll, horror and fun! We ended up doing virtually everything on our list. Some of the hilights were the Fangoria Magazine Trinity Of Terrors, the best bar in Vegas: THE DOUBLE DOWN; where we consumed much ass juice and did not puke, and the Halloween weirdness on the Las Vegas Strip.
We dressed as disco zombies... complete with silver foil disco shirts and much blood and gore. Our back story was that we were on our way to Studio 54 and were killed by zombies. And we deserved it. Why? Because we were going to a disco!
Disco Zombie meets the Oral/ Anal Girls
We also took in the club scene at the Hard Rock Flesh and Fantasy Ball. That was weird multiplied by a million. Old Nazz invented a dance move called the sway and topple. It's when you drink so much that you sorta fall into people. Punk rock!
Freaks!
Oh, did I mention that we spent the entire three days with a total of 5 hours of sleep? The only was to avoid a grievous hangover? STAY DRUNK!
The view from our room
We gambled a little bit and did the snake diet... one meal a day.
And our last bizarre encounter was at a 5 am $5.99 steak and eggs casino restaurant, where Coolio sat at the table next to us and was completely out of his mind .
Oh... in case you didn't know... there are hot girls everywhere in Vegas... they must grow em in a field somewhere!!!!!!!!!
Summer's here (almost) and the time is right for dying and reanimating in the streets (or something).
Maybe it's due to the swine flu mania (which is really hitting my New York environs again), but I have been really into apocalyptic fiction and Zombie stuff as of late. Additionally, I got a nasty case of Poison Ivy, and I am feeling a little less than human.
Here's some stuff to check out:
The Stand (expanded edition) - Stephen King: Just re-read for the umpteenth time. I just never get tired of it. The first 150 pages or so are going to be the blueprint for whatever virus eventually does us in. Captain Trips, indeed. Breathers, A Zombies Lament: S.G. Browne: A clever tale written from the point of view of a sentient zombie. Being a Zombie isn't all fun and games, y'know.
The Living Dead - Anthology: Collected stories from authors such as Steven King, George RR Martin, Neil Gaiman, and many others. Runs the gamut from old West tales to future vision.
Day By Day Armageddon: JL Bourne: A diary of sorts written by a military man on survival after the dead start walking the earth.
For those parents who dissent, their precious children can be excused from these classes. Of course, once the cat is outta the bag with little Billy or Mary's peers, there's no way that they're not gonna hear about it.
Mixed feelings on all this. 10 and 11 year old children might be a tad too young to get the news that the stork is dead. On the other hand, younger kids better know this stuff, since alot of em are into the "exploration" phase already.
The Nomad's have never been very secretive about this stuff, especially as how Princess Nomad "crossed over" a couple of years back. So last summer, I explained the full monty to Nazz Junior.
And for my son and all his friends to learn the scientific stuff together was a good idea, since there is strength in numbers and this way they could all get freaked out together.
Now, of course, my son throws this stuff out at the most inopportune times, to get a rise out of us. Like talking about wet dreams at the dinner table.
This is the week that so many people, celebrate vindication and freedom courtesy of an angry diety and rebirth through sacrifice. Enjoy whatever rituals you prefer. Just remember, it's all in fun, until someone loses an eye (or worse).
I was really happy for a few hours yesterday. Of course, it was right after I had knocked off a six pack of this. Today, I am not so happy. Because I did not repeat yesterday's behavior.
Yet.
One of the problems with sobriety is the realization of how much happier one is when NOT sober. in fact, sober as defined: Marked by seriousness, gravity, or solemnity of conduct or character.
"Somebody told me you people are crazy. I don't know about that. You seem to be all right to me"
Lux Interior- to the audience at the Napa State Mental Hospital- 1979
Wow, Lux Interior died. This sucks. One of the greatest frontmen in rock history. Master of the psycho-billy genre. On the short list of the coolest fuckers ever.
The Cramps mix of old 50's rock, rockabilly, country and r n b with their general insanity was one of the most unique sounds ever created. And one of the most fun.
If you never saw The Cramps live, man, that's your loss. You had Lux, stripped down to the tightest leather pants in the world; gyrating, genuflecting and flailing about on stage. Poison Ivy on one guitar, the epitome of unflappability, all fishnets, curls and leather. Nick Knox on the skins, hitting that simple beat and whomever the other guitarist du jour was (there were so many over the years), completing the quartet.
We had the privelidge of seeing the Cramps several times over the years and being among the lucky ones at the legendary Peppermint Lounge show which became the Smell Of Female record. Memories of hallucinogenic intake as well as my buddy getting kicked in the head by Lux's boot still resonate.
Man, all the great punk rock front men are doing the dirt nap: Joey Ramone, Stiv Bators, Joe Strummer, Lux, Johnny Thunders.
this from my peep - Dave... a fellow traveller in all things Cramped:
Nazz...just ran across this contemporaneous review of some 19th C opus... i think this crit tracks just as well if you swap out the last word "wagner" with "lux interior" -
In the final accounting of the recent travails of the Nomad clan:
Kitty Nomad is still hanging on for dear feline life. The tumor on his side has blown wide open, and while it is coverered with a shirt, we know the meds we feed him will soon lose their effectiveness. The vet says that it makes no sense to cut away his flank and sew it up, as the trauma would kill kim. For now, he is still friendly, social, and most importantly, hungry... so we pray that perhaps the 2 inch gaping hole in his side will somehow seal and he can make it through the end of year.
Princess Nomad is firmly entrenched with the Twilight series of books. Between that and this, she is as happy as can be hoped for while awaiting the endgame for her pet.
Nazz Junior is destroying all comers in Halo and Left For Dead on the XBOX 360. He has also developed an enthusiasm for Johnny Cash music, thanks in part to this movie. Nazz Junior is specifically enamored of The Man In Black's tales of murder, revenge and prison. Like father, like son!
The Missus is trying to keep it all together in the face of feline doom. Thankfully, the shock is past, for now the grim waiting game continues.
Yours truly is laid up with a bad back. Possibly this has been caused in part by the stress of work and finances. Luckily, a regiment of this andthis have enabled him to combat the pain somewhat. Unfortunately, this has caused him to recently engage again in wasted posting. Oops!
On the plus side of the ledger... THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS have got the number one seed in the NFL Play-offs.
So, along with the total consciousness the Dali Lama promised me on my deathbed, I've got it all under control. Which is nice.
Talk about bad timing... I am in the market to buy a car. I have a leased auto that expires in January and my choices are to:
a) - buy the car outright (but it will cost me almost as much to buy it used as a new car would) b) - buy another car (yecch... major $$$$) c) - lease another car (cheapest option, but then I will be doing this again in 3 years)
In this economy, the last thing I want to do is spend money, as who the hell knows if this will turn into a full blown depression. Better to be the ant these days, than the grasshopper. I was hoping that the local crooks (ie car dealers) would have better deals since no one is stupid enough to buy a car these days. But it's the same old song and dance. Bait and switch, high pressure, absurd offers. I have been doing this as much as possible via e-mail, but unfortunately, facetime is required.
I know this isn't life or death, but it is a pain in the arse!
Speaking of life or death... here's the only known footage from our performance at the A7 reunion at Knitting Factory this past weekend. DV rocked the vox and geetar, J-Lo was the beastmaster, and your humble narrator tried to remain standing and not drop the 4 string.
Warning- video was shot on a cell phone, so the sound is pretty poor. Plus, it's our ballad!
The place was packed, and I spoke to peeps who had come in from as far as California for the show. By midnite, the street was littered with drunken Punks trying their best not to puke on themselves.
Yeparoo... if yer in the NYC environs... COME ON OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE ...
CATERWAUL OF SOUND!
We are playing at a really nice place in Brooklyn on 70 North 6th street (right next to the music hall of williamsburgh) called Public Assembly(it used to be Galapagos). Frankly, it's a little TOO nice!
But we're treating it like an Obama victory party. And if the unthinkable happens and Geriatric John and Caribou Barbie are elected, well then, it'll be ground zero for the oncoming revolution! Dope, guns and fucking in the streets (or something)!
We're gonna be playing in the best traditional of yer fave garage bands... heavy on the three chords (you all love the "A" chord, right?) and lots of noise. Combine Johnny Thunders with Syd Barrett with Angus Young and yer gettin' close!
It's gonna be alot of fun, there are 5 or 6 other bands playing too... ranging from goth to cookie monster metal to rollins like fury. And it's only $5 (cheap!). There's gonna be raffles for craptastic treats too!
So, come see yer Uncle Nazz do things to a bass gee-tar that are illegal south of the Mason Dixon line!
We're trying to make it a special nite and hope you will share it with us!
In counterbalance to my last post; today I sat on a panel of industry leaders (I was the joker in the deck) at a conference and spoke of my business.
Here's some advice: It's probably not a good idea to use the term "corporate overlord" when speaking to a group of, well, corporate overlords.
All of my observations last week about being Mr. Executive Douchebag were blown out today I was exposed as a little twerp. I am pretty sure that the guy sitting next to me was wearing a suit that cost more than my car did. These guys were movers and shakers, and I was pretty much shaking the whole time.
It was an extremely long 90 minutes; and I noticed in the Q & A that no one was askin' me anything! Or coming up to me afterward. The moderater thanked me and told me I did a fine job. Yeah. Sure. At least I was more comfortable than this guy. Or this guy for that matter.
Musical offerings today are the last five songs that were on my MP3 player as I journeyed to the forum. My saving grace is that I am very confident that none of these songs are owned by my fellow panelists and I doubt they've ever even heard of the bands.
I happily attended the Giants / Bucs play-off game Sunday and enjoyed the thrashing that Big Blue gave to the locals. Aside from the pain of a 6 am Sunday morning flight outta NYC, a good time was had. There were probably about 10% of the crowd rooting for the Giants (and dressed in Giants gear). We took some good natured ribbing before the game as we traipsed through the parking lots. Predictably, after the game, the abuse got alot nastier. But that's OK, we kicked ass. With the weather in the high 70's, it seemed somewhat incongruous to be at a football playoff game. The temp shoulda been below freezing, but there's something to be said for scantily clad cheerleaders gyrating 20 rows in front of ya! I'll give the Bucs props for kick ass tunes also. Plenty of AC/DC and Led Zep during those endless TV time-outs. And seeing those cheerleaders dancin' to The Ocean is a good thing. Had a fun tailgate before the game sponsored by a local sports bar. I was introduced to the dubious benefits of "The IcePick". A lethal concoction of Vodka, Ice Tea, Lemonade and Tonic. However, the last three ingredients were entirely optional, so these 20 ounce monsters were pretty much straight vodka plus ice. In honor of the Giants' victory, here's some apropos musical offerings:
In the arts of life man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery all the slaughter of plague, pestilence, and famine” ...George Bernard Shaw
Living in the burbs means that every now and then I gotta deal with pests. And I am not referring to the local republikkkan arseholes who are always looking to sign me up to their ranks.
Whether it’s ants in the spring or spiders in the fall, my area is a pestal wonderland. And than there’s these primordial monsters that showed up en masse and freaked us all out.
With the autumn comes the migration of field mice towards in-door sanctuary. A couple of years back, we had a rude introduction to this phenomenon and it took about a month to rid ourselves of em.
Last year, we only had a few, but apparently our cat must have dined on one and ended up with Toxoplasmosis, which has permanently farked up his nervous system and cost us some big time medical bills.
So, last week, when I spied a mouse scampering in the basement, I went to war. I spread glue traps all over the area and lo and behold, the little bastard was caught within a couple of days.
Of course, the disposal question than arises.
Well, Mickey was still alive (the glue board traps em, but doesn’t kill em). A small shoebox over the trap and a firmly placed boot took care of any potential slow death issues.
It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A widespread investigation of funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead have been returning to life and seeking human victims. It's hard for us here to be reporting this to you, but it does seem to be a fact.
I'm psyched that Romero is coming out with the 5th of his "Dead" films "Diary Of The Dead". And the "I Am Legend" big budget movie with Will Smith looks cool too (OK- they're not officially Zombies, but it's close enough for rock n roll)!
If you haven't seen all of the following, get yer bad selves to your local vid shop immediately!
Sunday is Father's Day. If you're lucky enough to still have your dad in your life, enjoy your time together. I'll be in hangin' in my backyard with the kids drinking beer (well, I'll be drinking beer, not them!) and catchin' rays.
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