I don't know if anyone else has checked out this baby but I just picked it up & am over the moon with it. First off, it has looks to die for. Even the power light is surf green to match the case. The sound, WOW! The big deal is that it has a Celestion Greenback speaker instead of the regular Jensen which gives it a warmer middle & more 'retro' sound to my ear. More Blonde than Blackface.

Anyway I would highly recommend it for surf & garage clean & crunch sounds though you would need to mic it with a loud drummer or venue bigger than a pub.

Now I need some serious fashion tips for a new wardrobe to match & honour the amp. Anyone?

....While I agree , especially with the last line you wrote , D.A. , not everybody who's smug makes it , or gets branded a sell out. No one would call Albini a sellout , but , he's as smug as they come. I've seen him in action. I'm sure he has a "Cool" side and all that , and , yes , Big Black were contemporaries to Sonic Youth , so he witnessed firsthand whatever changes they made to become moderately famous , so his comments are not unfounded. But , their popularity seems like a fluke , in hindsight. I liked Sonic Youth to a point , but , not enough to buy their records. However , I saw 'em twice in '87 and once in 2003. They sounded exactly the same in '03 as they did when I first saw them , playing to about 40 people . I found Big Black , Rapeman , and Shellac uncommercial as Hell , but , that did'nt mean I liked them. Whatshisname , Big Black's ex - Bassist , he's got my respect , because he's the only person of any note from the Chicago music scene that I used to see riding on the el train with his axe.    You WILL be branded a sellout if money is your only motivation. The Pulsebeats' comment about working with The Dirtbombs , earlier , a grand for a band as popular as they are is'nt that much at all (Though it was'nt clear - to me  - as to whether he was talking Dollars or Pounds , or whether that was a large amount to pay , compared to other bands.).  Those guys draw several hundred people a night , maybe more in Europe.

On the same token , The Gories could have reformed just about any time after about 1995 and been the huge draw they are , now , or close to it. They were virtually unknown outside of Detroit in their day , and only got bigger by splitting up , a strange but effective career move. But , I know Mick and Danny well enough to know their motivations for breaking up the band , and , finally , reforming , were not shallow. If they did tour their asses off , now , yes , the money would be very good , but , they still just do what they feel like doing. They deserve whatever the Hell they do get paid. I was third on the bill to them , two years ago , and even I was surprised with what the club paid me. I'm very , very used to working not for profit , or for next to nothing, so it made up for a few gigs I had to do for free , and I got to work with some people I really like. I think we share the philosophy that , yes , you should work your touchas off , be you big or small. People came out to see you , you should work HARD , BUT , some things are better left to chance . Maybe that was'nt Sonic Youth's attitude about it , but , by the time they'd infiltrated the mainstream , I was, like , "Who cares?".

Okay, yeah. I don't think you read the quote -- or maybe you don't understand what he's saying. So I'll explain it:

There is in place a vast underground community of musicians who operate either non-profit or for profit bands without the blessing or consent of the mainstream music industry. The hardcore American punk movement of the 80's pioneered and established this community with blood, sweat, tears, and lots and lots of hard work and dedication to the idea that inherent to operating within the established system of corporate music is the willingness to compromise your art. To maximize sales you must maximize appeal. If you need a lesson on how to maximize the appeal of a band just go ahead and turn on your FM radio. It all sounds kinda sorta the same, right? It's almost unambiguous in it's homogeneity and that's by design.

It should be said that working outside the corporate music structure is not easy. It's more work for less pay, but the work you do has meaning and the roads you travel on were paved a long time ago by girls and guys with bands and zines they never thought would get anywhere.

To put it another way, being an independent musician is not idealistic -- it's realistic. All that underground music you worship wouldn't exist if every band was as smug and entitled as The Black fucking Keys. Fuck em'.

That's the best way of putting it, as you need your band to be financially viable. If you change your sound, it's considered suspect by some. The Anarcho-punk band But Alive split up and their vocalist, along with a few other members, teamed up with a ska-punk band and went to a direction influenced by Coldplay and Snow Patrol.  They said that it was so they can write more personal material, but wouldn't some people see this as selling out, even if they run their own record label (as they do)?   

Let's say you were in a hardcore band in the early 80's, for the sake of argument. Your band comes to a point where you can't carry on the way you are, but you don't want to end up playing heavy metal either. Where would you go?

I'd go to a direction like the Brian Jonestown Massacre or indie pop, but who would see it as selling out?

I notice that when people talk about selling out, they sometimes overlook artistic progression, aging out or even disillusionment.  Even Kurt Cobain confided the latter in his diaries, apparently. I wonder whether selling out is just, at times, something to limit development by keeping themselves adolescent.

The Pulsebeats said:

It's not that black and white though. For me, the idea of selling out comes down to one of two things.

1. Endorsing something you oppose for cash. Now that can be anything from GM Motors to Disney to Chump Change Mini-mart.

2. Changing your sound because you specifically want to make more cash.

John Lydon has stated that the butter ads he did paid for the making of the latest PiL record. Does that make him a sell out?

When Radiohead toured Kid A around its release, they did it in a tent in parks so that they didn't have to play corporate arenas. The only beer on sale inside the grounds was Budweiser. Sell outs? Or taking some corporate cash in order to help them achieve their own artistic goal. They've also since gone back to playing said corporate arenas. Sell outs?

Did the Clash sell out when they made Combat Rock, or did they just happen to write a bunch of more commercially sounding songs as they aged? Strange that they were accused of selling out when earlier clash songs rallied against other punk bands for the same crime. That said, they were signed to CBS. Not exactly underground.

Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers, again responding to claims in their early days that they'd sold out, said that they did so the moment they signed a recording contract as from that precise moment it was no longer simply about the music.

Kings Of Leon stated from the outset that their goal was to become one of the biggest bands on the planet. Not to write a classic album or influence people and help them expand their miands. Nope, to simply become one of the biggest bands on the planet. By that measure, can anything they ever do be construed as selling out?

What was Sonic Youths heinous crime?

As fans, I think we project our ideals onto our idols. We regard them as untouchable and unsulliable. But we do not know them. In the vast majority of cases, we do not know what they aspire to and what they believe in and support down to the minute details, so who are we to say when someone sells out, because really it's an accusation that is leveled at almost every punk/garage band who break out of the underground. Put yourself in their position a while. Imagine being offered the exact same job that you have now, except with quadruple wages and better conditions. You gonna turn it down?

Going back to Schmo's initial post, my initial thoughts of bands that have kept it successfully underground are Fugazi and The Dirtbombs. Don't know if they've been offered anything that they declined so as not to sell out. I know The Dirbombs survive because they tour like motherfuckers and charge about a grand a night to play (at least that's what they charged when I booked them for their last Manchester show anyway). I once read that Mick Collins still lives with his dad because having his own place makes absolutely no financial sense. 

I think with art, and more so with music, we equate independence with credibility. If that's the case, my mate Gaz is a more credible film-maker than say Christopher Nolan, who like totally sold out when he made a Batman franchise. What a doosh!

We want artists to struggle and fight to be heard. But if the only people who hear them are their neighbours, what's the point in the struggle?

To clear it all up, just check the Moby Equation.

D. A. Anguiano said:

Well I think we've officially heard from the "Take the money and run" camp. I was planning on typing out a few sentences on why I think its a dogshit idea for independent musicians to schill for a particular movie/corporation/tv show/book, but I'm tired. So this Steve Albini quote about Sonic Youth being idiots will have to do:

“[A] lot of the things they were involved with as part of the mainstream were distasteful to me. And a lot of the things that happened as a direct result of their association with the mainstream music industry gave credibility to some of the nonsense notions that hover around the star-making machinery. A lot of that stuff was offensive to me and I saw it as a sellout and a corruption of a perfectly valid, well-oiled music scene. Sonic Youth chose to abandon it in order to become a modestly successful mainstream band — as opposed to being a quite successful independent band that could have used their resources and influence to extend that end of the culture. They chose to join the mainstream culture and become a foot soldier for that culture’s encroachment into my neck of the woods by acting as scouts. I thought it was crass and I thought it reflected poorly on them. I still consider them friends and their music has its own integrity, but that kind of behavior — I can’t say that I think it’s not embarrassing for them. I think they should be embarrassed about it.”

Weezer's reponse when their label told them to bin half an album and write some hits.

...they still went back and did it though.

Oh, and making it. That's easier. Simply being able to live and support my family through playing live and selling records. Not easy nowadays when people are more inclined to spend 5 quid on an over-priced coffee than they are 1 to download a song.

It's not that black and white though. For me, the idea of selling out comes down to one of two things.

1. Endorsing something you oppose for cash. Now that can be anything from GM Motors to Disney to Chump Change Mini-mart.

2. Changing your sound because you specifically want to make more cash.

John Lydon has stated that the butter ads he did paid for the making of the latest PiL record. Does that make him a sell out?

When Radiohead toured Kid A around its release, they did it in a tent in parks so that they didn't have to play corporate arenas. The only beer on sale inside the grounds was Budweiser. Sell outs? Or taking some corporate cash in order to help them achieve their own artistic goal. They've also since gone back to playing said corporate arenas. Sell outs?

Did the Clash sell out when they made Combat Rock, or did they just happen to write a bunch of more commercially sounding songs as they aged? Strange that they were accused of selling out when earlier clash songs rallied against other punk bands for the same crime. That said, they were signed to CBS. Not exactly underground.

Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers, again responding to claims in their early days that they'd sold out, said that they did so the moment they signed a recording contract as from that precise moment it was no longer simply about the music.

Kings Of Leon stated from the outset that their goal was to become one of the biggest bands on the planet. Not to write a classic album or influence people and help them expand their miands. Nope, to simply become one of the biggest bands on the planet. By that measure, can anything they ever do be construed as selling out?

What was Sonic Youths heinous crime?

As fans, I think we project our ideals onto our idols. We regard them as untouchable and unsulliable. But we do not know them. In the vast majority of cases, we do not know what they aspire to and what they believe in and support down to the minute details, so who are we to say when someone sells out, because really it's an accusation that is leveled at almost every punk/garage band who break out of the underground. Put yourself in their position a while. Imagine being offered the exact same job that you have now, except with quadruple wages and better conditions. You gonna turn it down?

Going back to Schmo's initial post, my initial thoughts of bands that have kept it successfully underground are Fugazi and The Dirtbombs. Don't know if they've been offered anything that they declined so as not to sell out. I know The Dirbombs survive because they tour like motherfuckers and charge about a grand a night to play (at least that's what they charged when I booked them for their last Manchester show anyway). I once read that Mick Collins still lives with his dad because having his own place makes absolutely no financial sense. 

I think with art, and more so with music, we equate independence with credibility. If that's the case, my mate Gaz is a more credible film-maker than say Christopher Nolan, who like totally sold out when he made a Batman franchise. What a doosh!

We want artists to struggle and fight to be heard. But if the only people who hear them are their neighbours, what's the point in the struggle?

To clear it all up, just check the Moby Equation.

D. A. Anguiano said:

Well I think we've officially heard from the "Take the money and run" camp. I was planning on typing out a few sentences on why I think its a dogshit idea for independent musicians to schill for a particular movie/corporation/tv show/book, but I'm tired. So this Steve Albini quote about Sonic Youth being idiots will have to do:

“[A] lot of the things they were involved with as part of the mainstream were distasteful to me. And a lot of the things that happened as a direct result of their association with the mainstream music industry gave credibility to some of the nonsense notions that hover around the star-making machinery. A lot of that stuff was offensive to me and I saw it as a sellout and a corruption of a perfectly valid, well-oiled music scene. Sonic Youth chose to abandon it in order to become a modestly successful mainstream band — as opposed to being a quite successful independent band that could have used their resources and influence to extend that end of the culture. They chose to join the mainstream culture and become a foot soldier for that culture’s encroachment into my neck of the woods by acting as scouts. I thought it was crass and I thought it reflected poorly on them. I still consider them friends and their music has its own integrity, but that kind of behavior — I can’t say that I think it’s not embarrassing for them. I think they should be embarrassed about it.”

That's pretty funny , about "Vegetable Man". My take on it , and what I've read , was that Syd Barrett wrote about people who live , and die , for fashion.

"Hey , man. Socks are'nt vegetables. They should All Be wiped out !"

Neil , "The Young Ones".
 
Chris Henniker said:

I love The Saints, especially Know Your Product and I'm Stranded. I love JAMC's version of Vegetable Man, which makes me think of either a flasher or a superhero (could he be both?).

Dead Boy said:

Do you mean you haven't heard their early singles?  I don't have the CD's + DVD box set, but if memory is right, I think they didn't have any great tunes on B-sides except both cover versions of Syd Barrett's "Vegetable man" and the Subway Sect's "Ambition".

And I think early JAMC weren't a great live band.  Actually I have a bootleg of their ealy live, I have played it few times, haha.  But you may found some good tunes, so I donno.

BTW, have you heard the Saints?  I can recommend their CD box set "All Times Through Paradise"!

Jim Reid is a big fan of the Saints!

Also, early Subway Sect's tunes are great, too!  If you didn't know.

If anyone cares , a reformed JAMC just played in Chicago , and they actually sounded pretty good. Walls of Orange amps , saturated in fuzz. Virtually none of the painful feedback sound of yore , if that put any of you off , and no echo on Reid's mike (Which he desperately needed.) , and NUTHIN' from their pre - second LP repertoirre , unless they did maybe one track from "Psychocandy" that I've long since forgotten. I traded that album in a long time ago , but , I'd buy it cheap , now. I did find the "Never Understand" b/w "Suck" and "Ambition" 12" affordably , recently.
 
John Battles said:

That's the problem , The JAMC's early , pre - LP single sides , particularly "Vegetable Man" and "Ambition" , are really hard to find. I lost interest after their first LP , so I would'nt buy a box set for 8 songs , personally. They earned a terrible reputation after a short tour of the states in about 1986....I saw them in '87 , and they SOUNDED LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE , EXCEPT THEY DID'NT EVEN HAVE A DRUMMER ! GIMME A BREAK.  Jim Reid was collapsing to the floor , then recomposing himself at least every 30 seconds. You could have set your watch by it ! I heard , later , that the band demanded a case of Russian Vodka that's so rare , you probably could'nt find it in Russia , except on The Black Market. Someone found it, tho' , and the pre -show getting pissed commenced. I STILL ENJOYED THE SHOW , DESPITE THE ANNOYING DRUM MACHINE . i'VE GOT A TAPE WITH A FEW SONGS FROM AN EARLY UK TOUR , THEY DO SOUND PRETTY FUCKED UP , MAYBE NOT IF YOU DID'NT HOLD IT UP AGAINST THEIR RECORDS , THOUGH.    I did'nt think they'd get anywhere , here , and that's a compliment. Something that abrasive should'nt have gotten over in the states , not with The Cure and The Smiths to save us.

The mono vs. stereo argument is something that I guess a lot of DJs mull over , when , in fact , a lot of 60's singles were mixed real hot , whether they were one or the other , tho' a lot of early , panned stereo sounds terrible. It really just depends , and most club's sound systems are incapable of keeping everything on an even keel , anyway , whether it's LPs , 45s , or CDs.

I've found that most records dating up to the mid 60's (The majors gave up on mono in '67 , if I'm not mistaken.) sound better in mono , but , maybe only because they sound different to the versions I knew better....Fuller if not necessarily louder. DJ singles  WERE PRESSED WITH MONO AND STEREO VERSIONS of the  same song well into the 70's , but , sometimes , one version did'nt sound that much different than the other. I think a lot of people are too hardcore about mono .  As you said , it often depends onthe track. The bottom line is , do YOU enjoy a particular record in mono or in stereo , and would you want other people to hear it ?

  If it says "Starday" on the label , buy it.

Radio What Wave Playlist....Nov 1 /2012

First off, big thanx to everyone that came to the Graphic Underground: London 1977-1990 art opening on friday eve....we had over 300 people through on a cold and rainy eve.

And huge thanx to everyone that came out to the party the following night at Call The Office!!! When the venue runs out of almost every kind of beer, you know a good time has been had!! All 4 bands rocked and sounded better than back in the day!!! You'll be hearing  audio from this show on next week's Radio WW.

1. The Ugly Ducklings...Nothin'...from the Somewhere Inside CD. A live recording from CHUM AM from the mid 60's.

2. T.H.E.....Grilled Cheese...locals who supplied us a cool demo and they play out fairly frequently here in London.

3. Dead Rabbits....I Don't Care...recorded live at The Cedar Lounge 10/9/81.

4. Amboy Dukes...Journey To The Center of The Mind...from the Loaded For Bear CD and a request from Port Stanley on beautiful Lake Erie.

5. The Misfits...Halloween II...flip side of the Halloween 7" from 1981 and the start of our day late Halloween set.

6. The Cramps...Teenage Werewolf...from the How To Make A Monster CD and recorded in Oct 1976,  probably on Halloween.

7. Shouting Thomas and the Torments...Dead Man Slide...from the latest GaragePunk Hideout CD, Garage Monsters.

8. Thee Outlets...Vampire Of Mine...from a 7", German all female combo.

9. The Hypnotics...Here She Comes Now...from their LP, Static Fuzz Radio. The Hypnotics are in town tonite at Brennan's here in London.

10. The Hypnotics...Soul At 7...from the CD of the same name.

11. The Hypnotics...Radio City...from their Static Fuzz Radio LP.

12. The Hypnotics...Run Johnny Run...from the Soul At 7 CD.

13. Weirdonia...Green Tables...from their Freaks CD.

14. Weirdonia...1960's Antique Clock...from a demo. Weirdonia are playing with The Hypnotics tonite at Brennan's.

15. Apecassette...The Way...promo CD from this 2 piece from Windsor Ontario.

16. The Spys...Underground...my fave Windsor 7", from the early 80's. The Spys evolved into The Nelsons.

17. The Biters....Oh Yea....recorded live at Call The Office 10/21/12. Great powerpop/70's glam combo from Atlanta.

18. Dynamite Pussy Club...Under The Groove....This is a Radio WW session recorded by this 3 piece combo from Bath, UK. This session was recorded exclusively for Radio WW by our good pals in Dynamite Pussy Club!!!

19. Dynamite Pussy Club...Boogie Shoes.

20. Dynamite Pussy Club... Deep Fried.

21. Dynamite Pussy Club...Griddle. Thanx for all the  calls about Dynamite Pussy Club and this session!! Dynamite Pussy Club Rock!!!!

22. A Passing Fancy...I'm Losing Tonight...7" re-ish on Ugly Pop Records.

23. Flying Squad....Godzilla...from Slippery's Club Hits, the cassette that came with the latest ish of What Wave zine, now on sale at cool record stores here in London.

24. The Hippies...Can Teens...from Slippery's Club Hits, the cassette that came with the latest ish of What Wave zine.

25. The Stoves...Can't Slow Down...as above.

26. The Terminals...D Generation...as above.

27. In-Sect...I Can See My Love....another Ugly Pop 7" re-ish....all these Ugly Pop releases are nicely packaged, some come with inserts and the sound quality is excellent!!

Thanx for all the phone-ins (there were a lot on this show), emails and facebook messages. Back again next week with some audio from Graphics Underground: London party at Call The Office next week.

http://chrwradio.com/podcasts/..94-9CHRWThu1800.mp3

http://chrwradio.com/podcasts/..94-9CHRWThu1830.mp3

http://chrwradio.com/podcasts/..94-9CHRWThu1900.mp3

I will be on the air and the web on Saturday Nov. 3^rd from 1:00-3:00PM EST playing the usual punk, garage, psychedelic and even a little new wave.  You can listen at 89.7 WITR-FM in Rochester, NY or streaming live at http://witr.rit.edu

Yep, I got the email from the Norton mailing list as well.  It's very encouraging to hear that so many people have volunteered their time to help out.  They can still use help, so I'll highlight this bit from their most recent email for anyone in the NYC area:

Norton asked for help through the weekend but we actually will continue to need any help that we can get throughout the upcoming week. We are working from 11AM until 11PM every day. Anything that you can do to pitch in would be most appreciated. The folks who have helped so far have been simply incredible. Friends, neighbors, Norton artists and complete strangers – we thank you all for the work, the food and snacks you brought and the much needed support you’ve all shown through this ordeal.

WE WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU IF YOU DON'T GIVE UP ON NORTON. THAT'S A PROMISE.

We have gotten messages from people who live too far to get here. Thank you. If you are in our hurricane area, please direct your efforts to helping those who you can reach. Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Staten Island, the entire East Coast needs a neighborhood effort.

And the Norton contact info:

email nortonrec@aol.com
Billy's cell 917 671 7185
Miriam’s cell 917 671 7884
Norton landline 718 789 4438

They made another statement , it looks REAL bad , but , they've got a lot of friends helping them , tho' they urged people to work within their own communities if they don't live nearby , but were affected by the hurricane.  Benefit shows , I think , are in order , as they were after the Estrus warehouse fire....But , this is a natural disaster , and when the forces of man meet the forces of nature , man will get his ass kicked. Does'nt mean he won't dust himself off and get back in the fight.
 
John Battles said:

I third it. But , I think they're probably OK in that dept. It's the assessing that's going to be grueling. I tried to call Miriam a couple of days ago , but , just got her voice mail.

Thanks for the info. It's not good news , but it's better news than it could have been.

As long as they're safe . None of us want to think about losing our STUFF , tho' , in this case , that's their livelihood , but , when you think about it , STUFF is'nt as important as you , your friends and your family.    John.
 
Wipeout! said:

Damn this is bad news, though glad that the Norton family is safe...I was just about to place an order next week, too...& I second Kopper's hope...

The earliest use of "The" spelled as "Thee" for a band name still seems to be Thee Midniters from East L.A. , who formed in the early 60's , and are still kicking ass and taking names, today. Thee Midniters ruled the roost in Chicano Rock 'n' Soul in Los Angeles , later influencing early Latino Punk practicioners , people like Alice Bag , Robert Lopez ( El Vez ) , Kid Congo Powers (Who later recorded their warped Punk classic "I Found a Peanut".) , and others.

Where "Thee" comes from , I could'nt tell you. Lux Interior once said bands used names like that to secure gang patronage. But , he admitted , he was'nt really sure.

Maybe it's a common thing that I missed somewhere along the way...

Does anybody know why so many garage bands have named themselves with "Thee" instead of "The"? You know: Thee Milkshakes, Thee Headcoats, Thee Headcoatees, Thee Hypnotics, Thee Gravemen, Thee Oh Sees, Thee Shams, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant,..... the list goes on. And it seems to be just garage & lo-fi bands, as I can't recall ever seeing it used in pop, indie, punk, emo or other genres.

I used to think it was just Billy Childish having fun with words, since he used it in just about every side project, but it obviously goes beyond him (although, he seems to be the first to popularize the use of thee word). I also used to think it was something about the 90s, but it continues to this day.

Anyone know the history here? It's music geek stuff, I know, but there's bound to be an interesting story there.

Show #395: "Stormy Songs"

Every 3 weeks I leave an open slot to do random themes and whatnot. This week I'm doing all storm and hurricane related songs. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, our area of Portsmouth, NH made it out with little damage, but other east coast regions weren't as lucky. I hope my listeners from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and other affected areas, are OK and safe... my thoughts are with you. The storm also affected my plans for the TeenBeat Mayhem Top 100 US Garage Single-Sides Of All Time, which will be postponed until December. So, I felt it was fitting to do a theme on storms and hurricanes this week instead. So tune in tonight to hear songs dealing with storms and hurricanes by bands and artists like: Man, Fraction, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Them, Jimi Hendrix, Fat Mattress, Downliners Sect, SRC, The Red Crayola, Henry Cow, Phantom, Classics IV, The Fortunes, Neil Young, Earth And Fire, The Left Banke, The Way We Live, The Standells, Rainbow, Twentieth Century Zoo, The White Noise, and many others!!

***To stream The Metaphysical Circus live via the web click this link: http://portsmouthcommunityradio.org/listen ... to listen to past shows, view playlists and more, fan the show on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Metap ... 50?sk=wall … or check out my website (to be updated someday): http://eggmanrulez.com/
Live every Friday night at 10pm to 1am EST on WSCA-LP 106.1 FM, Portsmouth Community Radio!

Watch my playlist unravel before your eyes LIVE here: http://wscafm.radioactivity.fm/

Egg

THE BANGLES (THE GURLS for us die-hard fans :):))

Not "garage" per se, but they are very talented and she's my niece!!!

New single from Toronto's lofi garage punk masters JANITORS

http://soundcloud.com/janitorscloset/yardsale-janitors

http://store03.prostores.com/servlet/uglythings/the-188/MASTERS-APPRENTICES--dsh--Undecided/Detail

Glad to do it , Dave. I read , later , that Roky made up funny song titles of his own to put off interviewerswho wanted to know if he'd been writing...."WEEEEELL , I've got a new one called "President Ford is a Square Queer" , mm- hmmm.". Some of those titles were rumored to be real songs Roky had written , but never recorded.

 That whole interview is on the "Live at TheRItz '87" CD , and probably on You Tube. It's as funny as "The Troggs Tapes". " I think The Sex Pistols are pretty groovy , mm- hmm. They remind me a lot of Fiorello La Guardia , sure.".
whatwave dave said:

John Battles said:

I missed The Sex Pistols in Dallas in 1978 , because my parents had heard all the negative hype about them , and said , HELL , NO ! I was only 13 , tho' , and only wanted to go out of curiosity. It's not like their record was being played anywhere at the time , unless you owned it.   But , I regret , far more , missing The Ramones on the "Rocket To Russia " tour in Ft. Worth in '77 , with The Runaways (Minus Cherie Curie.) as support. My Brother went , out of curiosity , and did'nt tell me about it for years..... I did see The Pistols in '96 and '03 , though. Both were good Rock'n'Roll shows , all I could ask for , even if they did'nt do "Silver Machine " , "Through My Eyes" , "Don't Gimme No Lip , Child' or Roky's favorite , "Hot Cars".

Hot Cars.....that made me laugh out loud!!!!!!! I still remember hearing Roky say that on the Epitpaph For A Legend double LP years ago and actually trying to figure out what song Roky was talking about!! Thanx for making me laugh John!!!

Mmm, that's all very interesting, John.  And I like those examples of Elvis and Led Zeppelin tickets being worth something years later.

Actually, I really don't see Michael all that often.  He's on the road a lot, and nowadays he's something of a recluse when he's home.  I used to hang out with him more often years ago, but even that was kind of sporadic.

John Battles said:

MikeL  . It's not name - droppin'. If he's your friend , he's your friend. YOU KNOW , I HAVE STRONG SUSPICIONS THAT THOSE GIGS THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED (THEY TELL US.) AFTER THE PISTOLS' JAN. '78 SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO WERE EVER REALLY BOOKED AND CONFIRMED.  The band was originally denied entrance into the US , THEN , WHEN THAT GOT ALL SORTED OUT , THEY WERE PROBABLY ONLY GRANTED THE STANDARD TWO WEEK TOUR VISA THAT MOST UK BANDS WHO DON'T SUCK GET FROM THE CONSULATE.  IT TOOK , OF COURSE , JUST UNDER TWO WEEKS FOR THE BAND TO BREAK UP.   Tickets were also sold for a Chicago gig at The Ivanhoe Theatre , but , were refunded , like the Pittsburgh gig , but , I have the feeling McLaren told the promoters they could have The Pistols on those other dates , even when , he , himself could'nt have been certain they'd be intact  , or , in Sid's case , alive , to fulfill them.  He told Saturday Night Live they could have The Pistols , that was as high profile as it got in 1978. But , then , when the band did get here ,well , we all know where they played and what happened.....His method was to do provocative , but comparatively low profile , gigs, instead of New York , Chicago , LA .......  markets where they already had more than a couple of hundred fans.

Maybe those bookings were on the level , but , even so , tickets were a modest $3.50 AT MOST OF THE GIGS THAT DID AND DID'NT HAPPEN , and all , or most , excepting The Wintergarden , were at venues that probably held 500 people , tops. The TICKET AGENCIES DID'NT EXACTLY RAPE HOWARD HUGHES' VAULTS TO REIMBURSE THE FEW PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT ADVANCE TICKETS....Which , you're right , and , I 've told friends who would have gone to The Ivanhoe show  , those tix would be worth something , today......This was alsostill backin the time when concert tickets (Not all of 'em ) were often one or two colored, had shiny black perforated letters , and sometimes even glitter and artwork on 'em , too.

But , who could have known there'd be a collector's market for tickets to shows that did'nt happen , like the remaining dates on Elvis or Led Zeppelin's last tours ?
 
MikeL said:

John, I have a couple of local friends who were going to see the Sex Pistols here in Pittsburgh during their first American tour.  Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh gig was scheduled after the San Francisco gig, and everyone here knows what happened that night.  They got refunds for their tickets, but now I realize that those tickets would probably be worth something on ebay.

Now that I mentioned this...I should have made a trip to see the Sex Pistols during their 2003 reunion tour.  Oh well, at least I got to see Iggy and the Stooges and the New York Dolls, two bands that inspired the Sex Pistols.

John Battles said:

I missed The Sex Pistols in Dallas in 1978 , because my parents had heard all the negative hype about them , and said , HELL , NO ! I was only 13 , tho' , and only wanted to go out of curiosity. It's not like their record was being played anywhere at the time , unless you owned it.   But , I regret , far more , missing The Ramones on the "Rocket To Russia " tour in Ft. Worth in '77 , with The Runaways (Minus Cherie Curie.) as support. My Brother went , out of curiosity , and did'nt tell me about it for years..... I did see The Pistols in '96 and '03 , though. Both were good Rock'n'Roll shows , all I could ask for , even if they did'nt do "Silver Machine " , "Through My Eyes" , "Don't Gimme No Lip , Child' or Roky's favorite , "Hot Cars".
 Max Reverb said:

I missed seeing the Sex Pistols reunion in like 97 because my ride (show was several states away) had a dumb kid that day!