Ice Pick is (was...just closed recently even though have had a few benefit shows to try to keep it open) one of the oldest punk venues in the country.  This side of the state is always an after thought.....most bands play Detroit or the college towns of Lansing, Ann Arbor or K-Zoo and maybe.....will make it this far west if they had time or needed some extra cash on their way to South Bend or Chicago. Probably some of the well knows who actually made it through were MDC, DOA, and Black Flag.  Lot of local stuff.....Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid Kids.  It was fun for us small town kids to go there.  Most people from my little town that went there regularly ended up moving to NY or Chicago after High School...so it had an impact.

Even though it is an old post, we can still keep the discussion going. 

I have been playing shows in Michigan for years, and I remember the Reptile House. I never played there because I was on the other side of the state and I just couldn't get a show lined up there before they closed. But I heard good things about that place, which, for a small punk club three hours away, is pretty impressive that the good news was traveling across the state like that.

I've never heard of the Ice Pick, but like I said, I wasn't anywhere near that side of the state (I was always around the Detroit area).

The Best Shows I saw were Mudhoney and Skin Yard.  Both at OK Hotel.  Also really dug Love Battery.  Saw Nirvana's infamous April 1991 show at the OK also....I am on the YouTube video briefly....but it was too crazy.....too many cameras and people going nuts because they got signed by Geffen and getting ready to blow up.  I left Washington 3 days later....and have never been back. 

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM , BUT , THERE IS MONEY IN PLAYING THE BIG FESTIVALS IN PLACES LIKE AUSTRALIA , BUT , I DON'T FANCY THE SONICS WILL EVER PLAY LOLLAPALOOZA OR PITCHFORK FESTIVAL .
 
melissa scott said:

Geez, the Sonics managed to play bloody Adelaide last year. What's their excuse for skippin' Chicago. :(

Geez, the Sonics managed to play bloody Adelaide last year. What's their excuse for skippin' Chicago. :(

I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that I'll never see The Sonics. I mean , it's not like I live in a big city with lots of music venues , just Chicago.   Of course , they could fill one of our larger clubs , no problem , and while I don't know what their price , plus expenses , is , I don't think anybody wants to make it . I hope to Hell I'm wrong.

Thanks, Alison.

Check out my "Best of 2011" video here:  http://youtu.be/TuSJRTKkv5o

Alison said:

Great list and fun to watch!

AFS73 said:

Lots of great records released in 2012, check it out my video of the best LP's of 2012:  http://www.metacafe.com/watch/9600625/

Great list and fun to watch!

AFS73 said:

Lots of great records released in 2012, check it out my video of the best LP's of 2012:  http://www.metacafe.com/watch/9600625/

I can't stand old bands getting back together. A few exceptions (urinals, sonics, monks), but generally it's just a sad attempt to make a few bucks in the autumn years. S'ry.

Yes , my son. How long has it been since you've been to confession?   Take this chocolate chip cookie , for it is my body....Take this vitamin D milk , for it is my blood . You are to send me at least 5 rare Garage 45s as your absolution , or , just make peace with the idea that , hey , we don't have to agree on everything. Maybe we all have "Guilty " dislikes as well as likes.  Though I love it , I could readily imagine not all fans of this stuff liking Randy Alvey and The Green Fuz' signature tune. I mean , come on  . It sounds like it was recorded in a mineshaft , on tape that intentionally had small chunks of coal imbedded in it. UNO MAS , I love The song, I love The Cramps' version , I even find The Seclusions' Disco - delic version amusing. But , I did see The Green Fuz AT THE PONDEROSA STOMP , AND THEY WERE TERRIBLE. Wanted to love it.......

Yeah -- that was A) really f'in' stupid (misses a great band and what? They paid for it, right?) and B) it was an awesome performance by the one and only Daddy-O Grande.

Hanging is too good for those people. *huff*

John Battles said:

NOPE , THO' A NOTICEABLE PORTION OF THE AUDIENCE LEFT DADDY - O GRANDE'S COMBACK SHOW AT FITZGERALD'S IN BERWYN , ILL. , AFTER BIG SANDY PLAYED. FOR THAT , THEY SHOULD HANG.
 
Andrew Malcolm said:

Los Straightjackets - No one can deny the guitar prowess of Eddie Angel or Danny Amis. You, also, cannot fault them from becoming true "rock stars" either.

Hmmmm....Al Casey , Astronauts , Lively Ones , Surfaris (Both of 'em , but , not so much the "Wipeout" LP) , TRASHMEN , Bel Airs/Eddie and The Showmen, Jim Messina and The Jesters , Fireballs (* Tho I don't neccessarily call 'em "Surf") , The Ventures (*SAME.) , Pyramids , Chantays ,  Fender IV , Nu - Beats.....

Newer - Greaseballs , Volcanos , Los Straitjackets ( * as above.)

NOPE , THO' A NOTICEABLE PORTION OF THE AUDIENCE LEFT DADDY - O GRANDE'S COMBACK SHOW AT FITZGERALD'S IN BERWYN , ILL. , AFTER BIG SANDY PLAYED. FOR THAT , THEY SHOULD HANG.
 
Andrew Malcolm said:

Los Straightjackets - No one can deny the guitar prowess of Eddie Angel or Danny Amis. You, also, cannot fault them from becoming true "rock stars" either.

Any fans here of the nomadic duo, Jucifer, and their awesome wall of amps live show?

When i was stationed in New London at Submarine School the college station used to play that song and I loved it! I think the station was WCNI at Connecticut College in New London. If you could upload it would be greatly appreciated.

Sillies, this is definitely an April Fool's Day joke.  Also, The Oh Sees are totally unique and mega awesome, especially live.  They don't need a doofus like Kanye.

I've seen that, it's a bloody good film. Dave, of Chas and Dave fame, worked with Joe Meek.

John Battles said:

Yeah , The Outlaws were Richie Blackmore's early band. They cut some raving vocal rockers and cool instrumentals , but , I guess you know that already , and they backed Gene Vincent...I think some of the other members , besides Blackmore , were in Screaming Lord Sutch and The SAVAGES  TOO. They're in the movie "Live it Up" with Vincent , Heinz , and even Steve Marriott (AS A DRUMMER!!!!)  . They're dealt with , in passing in "Telstar" , the Meek biopic.
 
jason cook said:

Anyone familiar with the Outlaws? Not the country rock band but the Joe Meek produced lot? I own a few singles and also have the excellent cd:Back to the West.

I recently bought a Joe Meek double cd comp called the early years. Don't bother unless you like a lot of jazz. There are a few early rockers and some good skiffle on it but its mostly jazz.

Yeah , The Outlaws were Richie Blackmore's early band. They cut some raving vocal rockers and cool instrumentals , but , I guess you know that already , and they backed Gene Vincent...I think some of the other members , besides Blackmore , were in Screaming Lord Sutch and The SAVAGES  TOO. They're in the movie "Live it Up" with Vincent , Heinz , and even Steve Marriott (AS A DRUMMER!!!!)  . They're dealt with , in passing in "Telstar" , the Meek biopic.
 
jason cook said:

Anyone familiar with the Outlaws? Not the country rock band but the Joe Meek produced lot? I own a few singles and also have the excellent cd:Back to the West.

I REMEMBER "nIGHT OF tHE wEREWOLF" , was'nt that a meek track , too?

i'LL GO FOR THE OBVIOUS , AND SAY "JUNGLE FEVER" BY tHE TORNADOS.

I love that book. You just made me take it off my shelf and look at it again for the first time in a couple of years.

I love seeing how old songs like this mutate and evolve. Another one like that is "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"/"In the Pines"/"Black Girl"/"The Longest Train I ever Saw." There was a good article about this in the NY Times about 20 years ago (after Nirvana recorded the definitive version).http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/13/arts/pop-music-a-simple-song-that-lives-beyond-time.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

I've got a version (on CD, not the original 78) of "The Longest Train" by the Tanneva Ramblers recorded in Bristol, Tenn. in 1927. It's very similar in melody to "In the Pines." But

I've also got a song called "The Longest Train I Ever Saw" recorded in a Georgia prison camp in the '30s by an a Capella quartet. The melody is radically different but lots of the lyrical elements are there, including the part about finding the decapitated head in the driving wheel.

Thanx yet for your comments...I really wish to reach the guy who was running this website...find out those written lyrics...maybe restart this pool of songs...If anyone knows about it...would be cool..!

Yeah , The Defoliants were from Chicago. Their Guitar player owns a bar , now , Club Foot.

I never considered 'em Surf - oriented , myself , but , i never heard their studio stuff. Whenever I saw them live,they seemed kinda New Wavish , influenced by Devo and the like. Once , I saw them do "Pipeline" and "Penetration" , but , otherwise , it was all vocal and little Surf influence to be detected , though I know they were huge fans of it.
 
William said:

There's a cool band called the Defoliants I recently came across. I guess I'd give 'em the surf-punk tag. check out the 'hang ten' e.p. , if you can find it;) I guess it's a hard genre (if it really is one) to determine. I suppose it would differ on people's idea of "surf" and "punk" music...

The Volcanos , from Detroit (A 3D Invisibles offshoot band.) are definitely the best modern Surf band  I've seen in the past 20 years , but , I'm not sure if they're still playing , these days.

The Greaseballs , originally from Chicago , were one of THEE best Surf and Instro (Heavy on the Link Action.) bands I've ever seen . I'd put 'em up there with Los Straitjackets , The Volcanos and scant few others. But , they started out around 1986 , when you could'nt GIVE this stuff away , and stopped playing out by 1990 , a good five years before this music started getting called "PULP FICTION !" by bandwagon - hopping squares. They kept recording and writing , but , logistics made a return to regular gigging impossible. They've done at least three reunion gigs. They have 3 CDs , LOOK 'EM UP. THEIR LEAD GUITARIST WAS/IS Bill Bulinski , from The Electras (Bill is playing Surf music in the Twin Cities area, now.), a post-hit CROW , AND FOR TWO NIGHTS , Bill Haley and The Comets.

DID'NT HEAR ABOUT IT....RHINO'S HAD A FLAIR FOR THE OBVIOUS , REGARDING SURF (THOUGH THE LEGENDS OF SURF GUITAR: SURF ALBUM IS A SURE - FIRED KEEPER.) . I haven't listened to my Strummin' Mental , Surf Creature , etc. LPs in eons , so , I could probably be fooled into thinking there's a lot of stuff I don't have. On the other hand , with Rhino , at least you'll know you're getting the best possible sound , even if it's something you already have.