Don't You Wish That We Were Dead?

The Damned New Rose post, on the Sideburn blog, prompted a belated response from regular magazine contributor, Dave Bevan (who has been writing about cult motorcycle films for the magazine in recent issues). He pointed me to the trailer for documentary above, that had passed me by.

Even the trailer puts the hairs up on the back of my neck like no blockbuster can. Look out for Captain Sensible, who for a man of my age (mid-40s) first appeared on my radar in 1982 as a human pop sock puppet singing an unlistenable version of Happy Talking from the msucial South Pacific. This killed him in my young and dumb view as worthy of any punk cred, but really proved he didn't give a shit. Criminally, it did stop me from going back and investigating The Damned for decades. Damn you, Raymond (Capt. S's real name).

Anyway, watch this clip. I'm going to hunt down the full length doc to rent or buy as soon as I get the next couple of weeks out of the way.

Thanks to Dave B for the link. He has another feature coming up in Sideburn 26, this time about the film, Werewolves on Wheels. Dave wrote about Psychomania in SB25 and Stone in SB24 and you should check them out. He does the illustrations too. G

UPDATE: Find out more about Don't You Wish You Were Dead? at damneddoc.com

The Damned - New Rose

Just been listening to a BBC Radio 6 documentary on the significance of The Damned's New Rose, credited as the first 'punk' single.

I don't think punk started in 1976, but let's not get into that here, if others want to believe that, then fine. Anyway, this documentary interviewed the four members, describing the music scene, the recording of the single, the influences, the way the drummer, Rat Scabies spurred on the brilliant guitarist, Brian James, to play even harder, even faster. It interviewed fans including Gaye Black of The Adverts, who explained The Damned looked like they were from four different bands, while other bands, like The Clash, looked like they had a meeting before going on stage, to decide the night's outfit.

I had downloaded the podcast, and now I think it's unavailable, but you sleuths might be able to track it down. If not, listen to this perfect 2.5 mins of pop music, devised by Brian James, who was working as a cleaner at the time he wrote it. It's 40 years old and takes some beating. Just like Rat's drums. G

Kick Out The Jams Motherfunsters!

Holy mother of God, if this footage of MC5 playing a university campus (in daylight, always a tough gig, I reckon) doesn't fire you up for a tough Wednesday then I truly don't know what will. It was filmed in a field in their home town of Detroit on 19 July, 1970

See Brother Wayne Kramer wring the neck of his guitar and sing Ramblin Rose is a strangulated soprano, shimmying like James Brown sneaking up on a golden egg-laying goose, then shaking his arse at the crowd, before rocking, in time with Fred 'Sonic' Smith like oil-pumps in the Texas fields.

That's all before lead singer Rob Tyner explodes, looking like a 50-year-old Noddy Holder with an afro, and slays the audience with the legendary Kick Out The Jams. The crowd are stunned by the visual and aural onslaught. And it stays just the right side of heavy rock for my tastes.

And look at the crowd! Wild freaks, White Panthers, Black Panthers, someone who looks like Rick Moranis air guitaring next to the Marshal stack, before eating an apple and drinking a jug of milk. It makes my hair stand on end, but not as much as Tyner's (who died at the age of 46 in 1991).

I'm going out on a limb now, but this could be the greatest recording of a live rock performance I've ever seen (though Iggy Pop at the 1970 Cincinnatti Pop Festival - MidWest, same year, a coincidence? - is totally wild too). Sit down with something strong, and if you don't love this, I'll give you your money back. G

40

40 years since The Ramones released their first LP. BBC 6 Music just had an hour-long appreciation and played this.

This is from the long-gone BBC TV champion of non-mainstream pop, The Old Grey Whistle Test. I never knew what that name referred to until just now. It's... 'a 'tin pan alley' phrase from years ago. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys [doormen in grey suits]. The ones they could remember and could whistle having heard it just once or twice had passed the old grey whistle test.'

Not sure if this Ramones song could pass the test, but I still love it. It's from the 1984 LP Too Tough To Die. I can't believe I didn't list the Ramones in my top ten favourite live bands a week or so ago. G

The Sid Presley Experience

More garage punk/power R&B, this time from London (I think, but that might be a bit general). I saw these at the Birmingham Powerhouse in 1984, the year this track came out as a B-side to Hup Two Three Four, and it's still one of the best gigs I've been to. The band broke up the following year and vocalist Peter Coyne and bassist brother Chris went on to form The Godfathers, who could also bang out a good tune or two. MP

Jezebel

I was finishing a story late the other night for the next Sideburn (it's never-ending...) and the name Jezebel came up. Great song, I thought, and immediately stopped working and went onto YouTube (I now have the concentration of a butterfly).

The superb rendition above came up, the original of this much covered tune. During the 1950s performance Frankie Laine really emotes and the dancers have curves for days.

I first heard this song played by The Mummies, one of my all-time favourite bands. I've travelled 1000s of miles to see them, in the UK and Europe, and even interviewed them for the long-gone Bizarre magazine. I know people will watch ten seconds of this video and decide they wouldn't walk to the bottom of their garden to watch The Mummies, but musical taste is funny like that.

They were the most memorable live band I've ever seen (If you were wondering, off the top of my head: 1. The Mummies 2. King Khan and The Shrines 3. Rocket From the Crypt 4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 5. Man or Astroman? 6. The Headcoats  7. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 8. Pussy Galore 9. NOFX 10. The Pogues).

Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy one or both these clips, or maybe neither. Either way, another post will be along soon and is likely to be about motorcycles or the people who ride them. G

.

The Monks

In a way, I can't believe I haven't seen this before, but then, I'm a busy man, and there are over one billion videos on YouTube, with over 300 hours of video uploaded every minute, so it's hardly surprising.

I've picked this less than three-a-half minute clip to share because it is so heavy in significance that it blows my tiny mindholes. When filmed it was just over 21 years since Hitler shot himself in a Berlin bunker. American GIs and British Forces are stationed in Germany. Five of those US soldiers form a band called The Monks and make it big enough to appear on German TV, but don't make much of a blip elsewhere at the time. This clip is so clear and good quality that it looks like a modern recording trying to pass itself off as old, but it's totally legit. The host is like something out of a Coen Brothers film.

Look at the bright young things in the audience, late-teens most of them, born into a wrecked country, but not born into the hateful totalitarianism of the Third Reich. Would a band like The Monks have made it onto TV in mainland Europe if the Germans had won? Would they hell. Because it was filmed in Germany, watching this reminds me we only just got away with it.

The Monks, still serving soldiers at the time, made this avant-garde punk slop with strained vocals and strange time signatures leaving few clues where their influences came from. And they shaved the centre of their heads to look like, yes, monks. They'd go on to become cult heroes. The best description I've ever heard of them was by Denver Dan, one of the founders of Sideburn supporters, The Speed Merchant. He called them The Anti-Beatles.

I love The Monks. If you think you do too, buy the LP Black Monk Time. G

The Vicious Cycles and One-Off Wednesday

The Vicious Cycles have a new video out. These guys knocked our socks off at the first Dirt Quake USA. Billy is riding Motorcycho Norm's Honda CB550 that he's had since brand new. Both Ben and Norm raced it at DQ USA II in 2015.

We've sold a few of the Vicious Cycles vinyl LPS and we have ONE left on the shelf. It comes with a free digital download code.
This song is on the record.
Grab it fast at the Sideburn webstore.

Extra-terrestrial Surf Punk Party

The Blind Shake, from Minneapolis, in London tonight, Leeds tomorrow, Nottingham UK this Friday, the Glasgow and Newcastle.
The only band where all three members look like Sideburn's deputy editor, Mick Phillips.
Thanks to Dave B for the tip-off. G

The Saints

Australia's finest export alongside you know, er... that and... that other thing and hang on... Oh, yeah, thought of some: Blundstone boots, Mad Max and Kylie.

Such a great pre-punk punk moment. This song is 40 years old this year. Crikey. G

Merry F****** Christmas to You All

Punk Snot Dead

From the current issue of Sideburn, as seen in the Ian 'Tiddler' Turner photo album, who knows what the rest of this famous '70s forecourt sticker says? (clue: 15 letters). BP

UPDATE.... Well done 70s kids Fingersinpies, Hot Shoe and The Mouldie.

The Hell of a Coincidence involving Gas Huffer, Hairy Mary's, FTWCo and Sideburn 19

The other day I pulled some records off the shelf and played them for the first time in about 18 years. One was by Gas Huffer. I bought it from Bad Records in Leeds on 24 September 1994, 20 years ago. I know that because I always used to save the receipts and slip them into the plastic, protective sleeve I'd always buy at the same time I bought a new LP. Yes, quite the nerd.
Anyway, this Gas Huffer LP, One Inch Masters, on Epitaph, came with a free comic. In the comic the band go to Des Moines and play a gig at a club called Hairy Mary's. Back then, 1994, I didn't know how to pronounce Des Moines (it's Duh Moyne, by the way), but might've known it was in Iowa. I sure as shit didn't know Hairy Mary's was a real place.
Jump forward 20 years and the manager of Hairy Mary's (at the time Gas Huffer played there, and featured it in their comic), was Jeff Wright. Jeff Wright, the man behind Church of Choppers and co-founder of FTWCo. Jeff Wright who is interviewed by Ryan Quickfall for the current issue, Sideburn 19.
I keep having very weird coincidences. Am I a witch? G

Bugs vs Ann-Margret

There's an uploader to YouTube, fardonbeat66,  who puts up a steady flow of garage and beat stuff always accompanied by edited clips of films from the era. Some work, some don't, but this is worth a look. The tune is the brilliantly messy 1966 B-side, Slide, by short-lived Massachusetts band The Bugs. The clips are from the 1964
shock-flick Kitten With a A Whip starring the impossibly desirable
Ann-Margret, as it happens the subject of a heartbreaking feature in Sideburn #17. Great (though brief) hand-held camera work in the manic fight scene. MP

Warwick Johnson Cadwell

We have commissioned renowned cartoon artist Warwick Johnson Cadwell to produce an illustration for the next Sideburn.
Above is his (unrelated) drawing of Joan Jett as Boba Fett.

WJC worked with Tank Girl's writer, Alan Martin, replacing original artist Jamie Hewlett (a tough gig), to produce new a new Tank Girl book (Solid State Tank Girl) and, most recently, Young Tank Girl.

The Joan Jett reference gives us a chance to post some footage of The Runaways. Anyone complaining?

Oh, and Sideburn 18 will be out in mid-September. We're just putting some finishing touches to it. G

Rocket From The Crypt

Probably the best live band I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot). They were even brilliant on their recent comeback tour (and I normally avoid comebacks, like Gary Barlow avoids tax).
No other reason to post there other than they put a smile on my face. I hope RTFC keep touring. G

Vicious Cycles West Coast Tour

If you caught The Vicious Cycles wild show at Dirt Quake USA, then I know you'll want to go catch them again. If you didn't, you need to find out what you were missing.
Great band, memorable show, good guys and a flaming theremin.

June 21 - Seattle (Cretin Clubhouse)
June 22 - Portland
June 23 - Eugene
June 24 - San Fran?
June 25 - Oakland (East Bay Rats clubhouse)
June 26 - LA (Born Free pre-party)
June 27 - Tijuana
June 28 - LA (Cretin Clubhouse)

We still have a few copies of the might latest LP on vinyl. Get it at the Sideburn shop. G

The Vicious Cycles to Play Dirt Quake USA

After months of protracted negotiations, we have secured the services of The Vicious Cycles to appear at Dirt Quake USA on the Saturday night.

To find out more about Dirt Quake USA - that is happening 31 May - 1 June, Castle Rock, WA - click Dirt Quake USA.

We also have a handful on their new 13-track LP on vinyl (with free download code enclosed). £13 plus post BUT these are for UK order only. We are not sending outside the UK.
Go to the Sideburn webshop to secure yours.

Everything else we are happy to send all over the world.
Other countries should order directly from The Vicious Cycles bandcamp.

The Vicious Cycles also supplied the music for the DQ USA promo. G

Free Vicious Cycles MC song!

This fresh in from Norm, the creator of Motorcycho magazine and the theremin-wrangling Bez of The Vicious Cycles MC.

Check out the brand new video for 'I Roll The Dice' and download the song for FREE via www.theviciouscycles.bandcamp.com From the new album 'Bad News Travels Fast' coming out April 1 on Teenage Rampage. Tour dates for Canada and the West Coast USA coming real soon...get stoked!

Search And Destroy

Two of my favourite things - St Mert of Lawwill and The Stooges. This video is not for the faint-hearted, or possibly anyone planning to race flat track this weekend. There are some brutal crashes in it.
Thanks to Norm at Motorcycho for bringing this to our attention.

If you like Mert, read our interview with him in Sideburn 13. If you don't like Mert, get out of here, you rat! G