OFF! raids Neumo's and proudly raises a black flag ...

I just want some OFF! Keith Morris barks it out at Neumo's (Andy photos)

By Andy

Don't mention Black Flag and the Circle Jerks in the same breath.

That was the message swirling around the scene when attending my first punk-rock gig at the Starwood (Los Angeles) in April of 1981. It was the Circle Jerks appearing with TSOL, I was 14 years old and I was intimidated by the crowd -- some of whom at that time were seemingly split between the Black Flag and Circle Jerks camps, since Jerks singer Keith Morris formerly sang for Flag. I couldn't figure out why people thought that way, because both bands were great and that's that.

Dimitri Coats hammers away on guitar.

Coats and Morris make beautiful music together.

While waiting in line for the gig, I spotted a girl who had the Black Flag bars shaved into her cropped hairdo. I pointed at the logo, my brother said not to: after all it was a Flag association at a Jerks gig. Once again, I thought, so what?

Morris screamed his guts out that night and even sang "I Don't Care," a tune he barked for Flag and brought with him to the Jerks.

The wisecracking vocalist's Black Flag affiliation is stronger than ever today, and his latest outfit, OFF!, borrows heavily from the bombastic, groundbreaking Flag "Nervous Breakdown" era that he was involved in all those years ago. OFF! stormed Seattle's Neumo's on Sunday night and Morris and his bandmates -- Steven McDonald (bass), Dimitri Coats (guitar) and Mario Rubalcaba (drums)  --- were in top form. It was cool watching Coats rattle his six-string after watching him play the spooky vampire "Queeny" in the comic, rock-and-roll horror flick "Suck" just days earlier. McDonald formerly rocked with Redd Kross and Rubalcaba (aka Ruby Mars) skated on the pro circuit and drummed for Rocket From the Crypt and Hot Snakes among others.

McDonald bangs his head, just like in his Redd Kross days.

"Ruby Mars" lays down the backbeat.

It's clear that Morris gladly embraces his past. During the gig, he mentioned Flag, The Church in Hermosa Beach, Calif., where the band played many raucous parties ... and at the end of OFF!s set -- when the crowd wanted more -- he sarcastically noted that they were going to play their "Black Flag medley," which consisted of repeating several OFF! tunes.

While they get OFF! on playing sweaty clubs, Morris joked that they'd perform at the Super Bowl halftime show if called upon. For their "hit" song "Fuck People," he said they'd lengthen the short tune to 30 minutes, add an orchestra and children's choir to make it happen.

Some people say OFF! is more Circle Jerks-sounding than Black Flag, but what counts is that Morris is doing his thing. Thirty years down the road, and we still dig 'em both, so let's just say that it's a double-barreled shotgun blast of both bands, OK?

P.S. Once in the '90s, while record shopping at Go Boy in Redondo Beach, Calif., Morris was working the register and seemed baffled that I didn't want my receipt after making a purchase. "Hey, man, why not?" he asked, ... I shrugged my shoulders and walked out of the store. It was good to see him again with OFF!, this time, working the stage with microphone in hand and singing about life and not worried about record-store receipts.

**For an OFF! slideshow, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61152589@N08/sets/72157626574701530/

The Muffs revisited: Crass, Shattuck and company pull no punches

Criss Crass rocks the Shanty Tavern (Andy photo)

Criss Crass never stops playing punk rock. And judging from the energy the former Muffs and Vains drummer expels, he might not get much sleep, either. The Seattle native gave his guitar and vocal chords a workout on Friday as leader of the Criss Crass Band during his 50th-birthday soiree at the Shanty Tavern on Lake City Way.

In the Los Angeles area, Muffs singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck was featured in a nice glossy Billy Caldwell photo in Sparkplug magazine (www.sparkplugmagazine.com). Also in the cool department, the band will be playing at Alex's Bar in Long Beach (Calif.) May 14.

Kim Shattuck in action (Billy Caldwell photo)

So, what about the Muffs? A solid power-pop band, for sure, that we witnessed live several times back in the '90s. Bassist Ronnie Barnett even played for Seattle's Visqueen for a spell about six years ago. Roy McDonald rounds out the lineup on drums.

Here's two reviews Andy wrote for Rock Love magazine back in 1997:

* The Muffs -- "Happy Birthday to Me"
Singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck once socked a guy who got in her face during a fiery set at San Jose's Red Light District, and her group's third full-length release hammers along with similar ferocity.
Shattuck's blazing, Ramones-like guitar runs and don't-mess-with-me vocals emblazon fist prints all over this record.

After the punch was served: snagged setlist on a plate.

The Muffs' matching '60s-ish melodies (check out "All Blue Baby" and "Keep Holding Me") pack a wallop like no other group around. And in these days of slick recordings, the Muffs' songs are truly a treat because they hold onto the raw, garage edge that is often left in the past. The hardest-hitting tunes are the riff-happy "That Awful Man" and "I'm a Dick." When asked (on the song), "Is it All Okay?" the obvious answer is: damn straight.

* At the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle on Aug. 12, 1997 ... The Muffs rocked through some seven years' worth of spastic yet melodic anthems. From the old ("I Need You") to the new ("I'm a Dick"), singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck and her pals didn't miss a beat and kept the crowd jumping and singing. In fact, it was from within the sweating pit that the band found an old friend -- ex-drummer Criss Crass -- who chimed in with Shattuck on the classic, "Big Mouth."

Speaking of "Crass," we'll be checking out Steve Ignorant's display of anarchistic songs this Tuesday at Neumo's in Seattle and file an entry. Also, we'll report  on Keith Morris and his OFF! crew's double-barreled shotgun blast of Black Flag- and Circle Jerks-inspired tuneage at Neumo's tonight.

Crass and his brother, Mark, shake the Shanty (Andy photo)

Step right up to the Rock and Roll Circus

Thee Sgt. Major III's Kurt Bloch and Leslie Beattie. (Andy and Cat Rose photos)

By Cat and Andy

The thrash-metal world has its Big 4 -- Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth -- but, on this night, Seattle Rock City showcased its Big 3 -- Thee Sgt. Major III, Tom Price Desert Classic and Stag.

Tom Price belts it out.

               

I've fallen and I can't get up: Don Blackstone rocks the floor.

      
Another Rock and Roll Circus came to town at Darrell's Tavern in Shoreline, and gracing the stage were longtime local musicians from bands such as The Fastbacks, The Cheaters, Alcohol Funnycar, Gas Huffer, Monkeywrench and the U-Men, to name a few.

Ben London takes a seat.

Lincoln Barr riffs for Stag.

The various bands featured Kurt Bloch, Ben London, Tom Price and Don Blackstone on guitar/vocals, Jim Sangster on bass and Martin Bland and Mike Musburger on drums. And let's not forget singer Steve Mack from That Petrol Emotion. The lineup also featured Red Jacket Mine and acoustic guitarist/singer Shelby Earl.

Balloons (and shots of tequila) for London's birthday, plus the usual dosage of beer, cocktails and merriment made for one hell of a night.

Stripes, boots ... and red pants!

Honor Role: Gut-wrenching, eye-opening tuneage

Judgement Day: Bob Schick and Honor Role live. (Joey Odette photos)

By Andy 

At first listen to Honor Role's album, "The Pretty Song," in Corrosion of Conformity's van with drummer Reed Mullin at the wheel, I wondered what this music was all about.

It was heavy, melodic, quirky, jagged, stunning, unique and something you couldn't turn away from. Listen after listen — and Mullin played it repeatedly — brought about new parts that skipped by you the first time because you were focusing on the vocals and not the guitar, or the drums and not the bass, etc. Each part not only contributes to the whole, but tells its own story, so to speak ... and you want to give equal attention to everything. When you grasp your ears around the whole deal, you find that it's groundbreaking stuff — and still not many people know about it today.

Seeing them live at the Fallout Shelter in Raleigh, NC, in the summer of 1986 gave me hope that honest, gut-wrenching rock was alive and well. It was mesmerizing to witness Bob Schick unleash his passionate, mind-bending vocals and grip the microphone stand tightly while gouging it into the stage.

Lyrically, "Observation" is one of Honor Role's many insightful, brutal journeys into the human condition:

At first glance, man seems a curious breed; Full of will and strength, a noble breed
But under closer scrutiny, threads are observable
These threads and hopes, they do define the thicknesses and weaknesses that form the personality
And as the stress, the stress increases, the threads separate and begin to fray


Then I look inside you, and I know you feel it 
When I pull at your threads, I can see how you react
Though you think I don't notice it, nothing escapes my view
Don't think it's obvious, to see what it takes to manipulate you


When I'm finished, yeah finished for the day, I'll leave you in the corner and go out to play
Leave you in the corner, so you can pull yourself together, pull yourself apart
In time, yeah time, you know, time heals all the wounds of love
Someday we will hold each other close, and probe the lines that are your scars.

Here's a story I wrote about the Richmond, Va., band for my El Camino Community College paper (Gardena, Calif.) in '86:

With the uprising of so many similar-sounding bands these days, it's refreshing to see and hear Honor Role doing something different to break away from the pack.

Six-string intensity: Rollings

After making a lengthy trek across the United States from its hometown of Richmond, Va., the band recently stormed Hollywood with a show at Raji's.

While the band paced the stage waiting to begin, there were feelings of anxiety and curiosity among the small crowd. Reasons for this can be explained by the variety of material Honor Role has released over the past few years, which has ranged from hardcore to a unique rock style.

When the green light finally flashed, Honor Role was off, as the foursome stitched both the past and present into a solid musical experience.
Opening with the pounding, and somewhat mind-boggling, "Anonymous Cave," the band would make the grade both musically and physically throughout the entire show.

Guitarist Pen Rollings is easily the band's focal point, as his talent and bizarre, fidgety stage presence had onlookers shaking their heads in amazement.

Of the songs glided through, chief writer Rollings seems to structure them in a way the listener can't predict what will happen and must always stay alert.

Next up, add lyricist and vocalist Bob Schick to the menu, as he grips the microphone stand tightly while gouging it into the stage.

The rhythm section of bassist Chip Jones and Schick's younger brother and drummer Steve made the sound and performance complete. Schick and Jones especially jelled on "Purgatory," which thumped along at a steady, perfect pace.

 Live Honor Role video action circa 1987 at CBGB's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKgUa490b74

John Waite goes 'Head First' into Babys tunes, other hits in Edmonds, WA

John Waite rocks the acoustic. (Andy photo)

By Cat and Andy

We took a break from our usual dingy-rock-club jaunts last night and ventured to the uppity Edmonds Center for the Arts (WA) to check out former Babys singer John Waite in action.

Here's a rundown:

* Four Babys tunes, including opener "Change" straight into "Back on My Feet Again," and later "Isn't it Time" and closer "Head First." Rockin', even though they were played with just acoustic guitars and bass.

* Bad English hit "When I See You Smile" ... after which Waite playfully ragged on that band's guitarist Neal Schon, which drew laughter from the crowd.

* And, of course, "Missing You" was the showstopper.

From left to right, Hogan, Waite and Hague. (Cat Rose photo)

* Speaking of showstoppers, during the intermission (yes, there was an intermission, apparently for some of the oldies in the crowd to stretch their rickety legs after sitting for the first 45 minutes), the "security guard" -- aka Grandma -- informed us that taking photos was prohibited, but we managed to get off these before Granny's hammer came down.

She mentioned that some people in the crowd complained about the flashes ... not wanting to set off any epileptic seizures, we promptly put the camera away. (Waite and crew didn't seem to mind.)  

* Waite's solid backup band included guitarist Shaun Hague (aka Dane Cook, as Carrie deemed him) and bassist Tim Hogan (aka Joey Ramone -- Carrie again), who also rocked with the Brit on some numbers from his latest successful album "Rough & Tumble."

Later, Carrie jumped the line of people waiting for autographs and photos (including a chick who pulled her pants down and had Waite sign her bum), and said, "Hey, Joey Ramone and Dane Cook, get John and I want a photo of you guys." Unfortunately Joey (Tim) got cut out of the pic, but here it is anyway. Shaun smirked, "Dane Cook?" but agreed nonetheless.

So long, Edmonds, we'll be heading to our typical haunts from here on out, including Darrell's Tavern in Shoreline for Stag's Rock and Roll Circus next Saturday.

Waite and Hague, after show. (Cat Rose photo)

Scream: The Darkness and the Evil Flyers

By Cat Rose

By Mad Marc Rude, first of four shown

This one started out with searching online to find flyers for Scream (The Scream mid- to late-'80s "goth" club in LA, CA).  The term goth is in quotes, as it was really an all-types-of-cool-music club. It was where punk, rock/metal, alternative and goth types asked themselves the question, "what do you want to do?" and answered "I just want to dance" (gotta throw a "Dazed and Confused" line in there)... "but I want to do it in the dark as I don't really want anyone to see me."

I only found a few flyers online, so I decided to go to the archives---(our garage) and found many specimens, several attached.   

I started going to Scream with my best friend Bridget in the later days, from about '88-'89, so I missed Jane's Addiction, who was apparently the house band for Scream in the beginning. Scream was indeed an oasis in Hollywood/LA at the time from the lame Sunset Strip big-hair bands that were taking up entirely too much space...    

Park Plaza Hotel (Courtesy Photo)

My Scream days always come back to me whenever I see that Park Plaza Hotel and the staircase in
movies-- it's a classic location and I always wished we could go through the whole hotel as it was massive and had so many different secret rooms. The bands played in a different area than the dancing. When we first started going there, I was not 21 yet, so we would prefunk in the car before we went in.

Some of the bands I believe we saw at Scream were:  Faith No More, The Sea Hags, The Nymphs, Divine Weeks, Caterwaul and Living Colour among others. One of my favorite bands to listen (yes, dance) to was Sisters of Mercy (and yes, my punk friends make fun at will)..





        
According to the book "Whores:  An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction" (By Brendan Mullen), Scream lasted from '85-'89 at various locations.  Mike Stewart came up with the name based on the famous Munch painting and his best friend Steve Elkins created the logo. He is quoted in the book:

"Suddenly in the late '80s, everyone liked everything.  It was bizarre how everything opened up all of a sudden.  There were all these small factions: punk rockers, mods, rockabillys, the goths, all the different factions, but the timing of Scream was just right: We were able to draw a little bit of everybody.  They all liked looking at each other and hanging out together again and it all came together at one time."

I am not sure if I fully agree with the looking-at-each-other part.  Bridget and I frequented the historic Park Plaza Hotel location the most (although we also went to the Highland location).  We would check people out in the lobby and on the awesome staircase, but when inside the darkness, when you were in the large room from which the music pumped (at the Park Plaza location), where the people would either be dancing in the middle or in the blackened corners,  you could not see much except for the huge screen which ran various videos.  The music would range from The Cure to the Sex Pistols... but they would always end the night with Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz," then we knew it was time to go home...

***Most of these flyers were drawn by Mad Marc Rude (RIP), legendary punk artist who drew classic album covers for Battalion of Saints ("Fighting Boys"), Misfits ("Earth A.D.") and more.
 

Punk-rock musical chairs: From CIA to 76% Uncertain and back again

CIA, back in the early '80s, Bones, center, Mark, guitar, and Elaine. (Courtesy photo)

By Andy 

Some people just don't get it.

When I was working at a movie theater in the early 1980s, I sported my CIA T-shirt one day before changing into my awful white-shirt, black-slacks and bow-tie ensemble. A local cop, who often walked the theater manager to the bank to make nightly deposits, asked me, with a smirk: "What's that all about?" while pointing at my shirt. I told him it was a punk band from Connecticut, and he shook his head in apparent disgust. Whatever.

CIA: Kenny, left, and E.J. (Courtesy photo)

Fronted by gravel-throated, yet melodic vocalist Mike "Bones" Hammond, the Bridgeport group first came to my attention when Jack Rabid raved about them in his New York City-based Big Takeover fanzine. I soon became pen pals with Rabid, who sent me a copy of the killer CIA demo, which featured raging songs like "No Thrills," "Violence," "Gangland Wars" and a great cover of the Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By."

After procuring a copy of CIA's stellar "God, Guts, Guns" 7-inch EP, I wrote Bones and we traded letters and phone calls for a few years. He visited my home in Redondo Beach, Calif., once with his girlfriend (and now wife), Elaine, and best buddy, Jeff Roberts, and we had a great time just hanging out and watching movies.

In an interesting twist, members of CIA and fellow Bridgeport unit Reflex from Pain left their bands and formed the outstanding 76% Uncertain. (My 76 T-shirt would get many a comment, as well, whenever I donned it.) Once again fronted by Bones, 76 went on to release three albums — laced with anger, melody and humor, and a tad of heavy metal — before calling it a day in the late '80s. (76's three-guitar attack on its last record, "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Log," was and still is a rarity ... they were kind of a like a hardcore version of guitar army Molly Hatchet!)

76 reformed for a series of benefits after Roberts was killed in a car accident on Sept. 12, 1997. He left behind a wife and three children.

Nowadays, both 76 and CIA play occasional gigs in the Connecticut area, and Bones' 20-year-old son -- Mike Jr., or Bones Jr. or Boner to friends -- even plays some bass for CIA.

Here's some excerpts from an old CIA interview from my aborted fanzine back in the day (comments from Kenny, guitar) in 1983:

Plugging in ...
We started out as an early punk-cover band (Pistols, Generation X, Clash, Dead Boys, etc.). We played a couple shows, mostly to friends and drunks, but said, 'Fuck this!!!' Nobody really appreciated it! We started listening to hardcore and decided to get into it. It was great, people actually came to hear the music, not to just pick up chicks or get totally unconscious (we're not straight edge, though).

Who we dig ...
Well, me, Bones and E.J. (bass) have always been into music, so I guess you could say everything from early heavy metal to late '70s punk to present hardcore bands.

Getting lyrical ...
We have about 18 songs, but we'll have more soon, throwing out what we don't like, adding others. Some of the subjects are being drunk AND obnoxious ('Dr. Jeckyll, Mr. Drunk'), the sad state of commercial radio ('I Hate the Radio'), dog shit ('Sidewalk Bombs'), looting ('Blackout'), a long-life nobody ('Waste Product'), insane asylum ('Sector 12'), etc. (Note: 'Sector 12' was one of many unreleased tracks that finally saw the light of day on the re-release of 'Gods, Guts, Guns and more,' which is available on 12-inch vinyl at: http://morethanawitnessarchive.blogspot.com/2010/05/cia-god-guns-guts-and-more-lp-is-now.html.)

Payment, what's that? ...
We really don't make much money playing out (in Pittsburgh, we made six D batteries, a lock we had to give back and a ripped pillow!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trySjYZ9sxw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWIzboySg2g

Andy, Bones and Jeff: pizza and beer in Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Courtesy photo)