kicksville 66

Cramps Pt 1 (1976) My Dark Ages

2010-05-16T00:15:00.019-04:00

April 2010 Update: The first chapter of kicksville 66 has been published in Loops Journal, a UK music magazine.I've reaaranged this blog to run consecutively, give or take. You're on page one. To read more, please click on subsequent chapters in the sidebar. Erick Purkhiser, better known as Cramps leader Lux Interior, died on February 4. Long ago, and for one year, he was my

Cramps Pt 2 (1977)

2010-04-14T17:57:00.013-04:00

As last night's debut entry crashed into the blogosphere establishment with minimal trauma, we feel heartened to barge further along before the night moods set in, into the year of Our Lord, 1977, appropriately known to our Far Eastern friends as the Year of the Snake. Last go round, there was mention of the first Cramps show, when the band was billed below the Dead Boys as "Special Showcase".

Cramps Pt 3

2010-04-13T20:46:00.009-04:00

One parting shot (above) from the spots and stripes brigade, and a small stash of erratic ephemera circa the year that time forgot, 1976. More as it flits to the light. In response to inquiries about the 1977 sessions at Bell Sound, there seems to be a Spanish LP around called The Cramps 1976 Demo Sessions that includes all of the songs cut by Richard Robinson-- Don't Eat Stuff Off The Sidewalk,

Ohio 1975: Rocket From Boredom

2010-04-12T22:53:00.005-04:00

I dwelled in the Land Of Nod for nine of the longest years of my life, ages eleven through twenty, the defiant years when corpuscles go berserk. My personal Biblical banishment was to the top right corner of Ohio, whose entire northern border skirts the mysterious Lake Erie, shallowest and stormiest of the Great Lakes. In my day, it was also the most polluted of the fab five, and I loved it

Ohio: Land of Nod (1975)

2010-04-11T22:26:00.004-04:00

Attention, Earth People, we hit our limit, three days into deep space. Sixty six followers jumped on board, becoming-- like the Unholy Three, the Jalopy Five, and the Chicago 7-- thee Kicksville 66. You second stringers can tag along, but you may have to ride on the boosters. And the ride is bumpy tonite-- Ganymede occults Europa today and I know somebody has baked a big black cake to

Ohio/NY 1970's snips

2010-04-10T14:11:00.006-04:00

Cleveland, in my teeny tiny 1975 mind, had the most tapped-in bands and most cooly dooly teen age scene on the planet. When Peter Laughner from RFTT put together this show of shows in the pantie-burning environs of the Piccadilly Inn, it felt like we really were the New Liverpool, or whatever genius tag Rock Scene had slapped on Cleveland's previously satin-pants covered ass. Turns out this

Devo from Ohio: their first 45

2010-04-09T00:02:00.004-04:00

Well, then. Now you've heard everything, right? Well, Mary was a girl in one of my English classes, as I recall. I didn't hang around with her, else she'd have known that me and Becky and a ragtag band of no counts did indeed check Devo out when they played at the Midnight Movies on campus. I think they played after the movies, which really assured a captive audience. They were certainly

First Pere Ubu 45

2010-04-08T00:18:00.004-04:00

One snowy, blowy night after Turkey Day 1975, Crocus delivered a big box of 45 jacket flats to Helen's pad in Cleveland, for us gals to put together. If you own one of these singles, please know that the Linna sisters folded and glued each and every one of them just for you. We sent promos to places like Who Put The Bomp, Creem, Rock Scene, and stuff, and got lots of orders from people who would

Cramps line up #2 (1977-1980)

2010-04-07T22:18:00.003-04:00

This old print ad of the second line-up just floated up from the sump. Holy cow! The Cramps changed their image with the lineup and the rest is history, their own, very colorful history. Nick Knox (Stephanoff) arrived in NYC in late July of 1977, with his shiny, cool, new drum kit, not that Nick brought any weird ass stage wear with him. He was always the velvet jacket/black slacks Kink type

Flamin Groovies Pt. 1 + asst. flotsam!

2010-04-05T18:01:00.002-04:00

Forgive the dead air. We've been away and have just now returned from another junket to the Holy Land (Pittsburgh, USA), laden with tales as yet to be revealed... in forthcoming volumes of Mad Mike Monsters, that is. Learn to wait. As promised, today's entry provides the pivot post for all fannish things herein, namely The Flamin' Groovies, who were, and continue to be, the common ground for

Ramones 1st single

2010-04-05T17:25:00.002-04:00

Here's some quick bits of random fandom at yas while we're on the first 45's tangent-- Blitzkrieg Bop. What an insane and great two sider. And hey, ho, remember a crazy candy called Pop Rocks? It was kind of the mid-seventies chunky version of Lik-M-Ade or Pixie Stix? Came in a Kool-Aid size packet, dry sour granules that exploded in your mouth? I got my first pack from none other than the great

I saw the Stooges covered with bruises

2010-04-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

A couple years ago... who am I kiddin'... a couple decades ago, some time in the last century... my old rock n' roll cohort pal Heidi T. (yes, the same gal who would be sobbing at the sight of a hideously bloated Marc Bolan at the Agora several months later) sent over a yellowed newspaper clipping that she'd found in the attic, an ancient space ad for the one Cleveland rock n' roll show that

WHERE IS THE ENTRANCEWAY TO PLAY?

2010-04-03T23:45:00.001-04:00

Sky Saxon Has Left The BuildingI yapped with Sky Saxon by telephone in June of 1977. A pal visiting from LA had conjured Sky up via pay phone to quell my doubts that any mere mortal could possibly be on a phone call basis with such a formidable figure. I must’ve gotten gushy from the git-go, as Sky immediately invited me out for a visit. “Ha-ha,” said I, if memory serves, “I can’t do that!” To

Lester Bangs was a friend of mine (regardless)

2010-04-01T22:02:00.001-04:00

Blindfolded, I stuck my paw deep into That Seventies Box and withdrew my address book, circa '74. Names had been scribbled in and out, and a few were circled. Lester's was framed in. I'd started writing letters to CREEM magazine back in Ashtabula, as a daydreaming teener, and became penpals with Lester Bangs, who I considered that most visceral of all music scribes. It didn't matter who or

RIP Alex Chilton

2010-04-01T12:34:00.000-04:00

Alex in Cleveland. Never to be forgotten.Courtesy John Phillips

GROOVIES & FANS NYC 1978

2010-03-30T21:56:00.001-04:00

Moving along, people, with a bit of hopscotch around 1977-78, thanks to photos floating up from the sump. The above shot was snapped by Billy in 1978, outside the Sire offices in NYC-- Cyril and George and the over excitable Fan Club prexie. Here's a couple more shots from the same roll of film, found in the gosh darn seventies box. Cyril and George were in town on a press junket, riding high on

Nervus Rex 1977

2010-02-11T23:18:00.004-05:00

I'd seen Trixie A. Balm's tag on CREEM mag articles before I ever landed in these parts. I assumed she was a sagely older hepster a la Lillian Roxon or Gloria Stavers, so it was a bit of a shocker when a sweet young girl turned up at CBGB's to interview the Cramps back in the day. Trixie was, of course, the nom de plume of Lauren Agnelli. She was a tiny, enthusiastic gal who dined on sole slaw

Dick Jaskela, in Memoriam

2010-02-08T23:48:00.002-05:00

Richard Niles Jaskela, I have learned, has concluded his earthbound stay, and for that reason, among others, I mourn. I started at KSU in '71, as a half baked fifteen-year old. It was my good fortune to fall into the orbit of this decent and astonishing individual. Dick Jaskela was assigned to be my advisor, a professor of English lit who also served as a glorified guidance counselor, mostly to