Punk Turns 30

Here's a quick shot and a hint of what's to come.... I'll be posting my favorite records of 2006.... the hint? Well, this is a photo of the King Khan & BBQ Show -- one of a few reliable bands that always release one great record after another, year after year.... stay tuned!

Here they are circa 1980... Toronto's B-Girls, backstage at the Whisky a Go Go after their Los Angeles debut.... in the audience... Debbie Harry and Nigel Harrison of Blondie, Rodney Bingenheimer, and a not-yet-in-a-band Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Of course, Stiv was there. B-Girl Cynthia Ross visited Los Angeles with Stiv a few months prior to the band's tour, and started the B-Girl buzz going. After the Whisky dates, the B-Girls found themselves adding backing vocals on the Blondie track, "The Tide is High," which became a hit single. Tomorrow, Saturday, November 25, they will be playing at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, as will The Mods. If I were in Toronto, this would be on my calendar....

Sad news from San Francisco.. From Ginger Coyote's Punk Globe Magazine, from Target Video's blog , from Michael Goldberg's blog, and also from the Dead Kennedys website and finanlly, from the newspaper, SFGate, Dirk's official obit. The original article can be found on SFGate.com: here --------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, November 22, 2006 (SF Chronicle) Dirk Dirksen -- 'pope of punk' amused, insulted S.F. crowds Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic Dirk Dirksen, the godfather of San Francisco punk rock and the often abrasive ringmaster of the North Beach punk emporium Mabuhay Gardens, died unexpectedly in his sleep Monday night. He was 69. Mr. Dirksen presented acts such as the Dead Kennedys, Devo, the Ramones, Flipper, the Mutants, the Nuns, Black Flag, the Go-Go's and literally thousands more in the 10 years he operated the Broadway nightclub, fondly known as the Fab Mab. Mr. Dirksen, wh...

The Mods, you knew them, you loved them...now they're back.... for one night only in their original incarnation! They'll be playing (and so will The B-Girls ) at Toronto's Horshoe Tavern on Saturday, November 25. So.... what inspires this reunion? Back in 1978, The Horseshoe Tavern held its final punk rock show and a movie was made commemorating it: The Last Pogo. The Mods were one of the bands that appeared... and filmmaker Colin Brunton is revisiting this event in a cinematic (think: Michael Apted/7-Up) way. You can follow the project's progress on their website. The Mods, and their drummer, David Quinton, made such an impression on that expert pioneering punk rocker Stiv Bators, that before you knew it, the young Quinton (yes, he was just 18!) was on the road with the Dead Boys filling in for the departed-by-attrition Johnny Blitz, who coincidentally lives near Toronto these days.... Then and now pix of Mods drummer David above (in striped t-shirt with pro...

Miriam Linna Bruce Bennett & Billy Miller Here are three members of the A Bones, a long-lived Brooklyn-based rock n roll band spearheaded by Billy Miller and Miriam Linna, who also head up the venerable Norton Records. Norton is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and recently had an audio party on the last of the real free-form radio stations, WFMU. Norton has been putting out quality records ever since I relocated to NYC from my LA-London rotation. I think of the label as the soundtrack to my adult life. One of the cool series they've released is 7" split singles of current bands covering classic Rolling Stones songs. One of the bands contributing to this is Memphis's Knaughty Knights, featuring one Jack Yarber/Oblivian pictured below with Billy at this year's Ponderosa Stomp, which took place in Memphis. Over the summer, I got to spend some quality time with the Norton crew in the recording studio while Billy together with Greg Cartwright ( The ...

Stiv & me, circa 1980.... photo by Chris Marlowe.... contrary to popular belief, neither Chris nor I were romantically involved with Stiv. We were his Mom's... I was his brunette mom and Chris was his blonde mom. Anyway... I'm thoroughly swamped and overwhelmed with editing a wacky experimental movie... my shortest work day was 10 hours.... no time for blogging... however...someone special in Europe wanted to see this. Here ya go, babe...

Halloween is my favorite of all holidays. Depending on where you are and the traditions you grew up with, it could be All Hallows Eve.... the party before the Day of the Dead.... And I am taking this opportunity to pay tribute to our punk friends who have passed away. This past couple weeks has been a sad one for punk rockers.... Sandy West of the Runaways and my dear friend, Randy Kaye of Slash Records and a founder of Lobotomy both passed away in their mid-40's. Too young, too soon...... too sad. Joey Ramone, above Stiv Bators, Greg Shaw pictured here with Frank Secich, who is very much alive. Lance Loud, in a photo taken on Halloween 1977 Dee Dee Ramone Johnny Ramone Darby Crash Jeffrey Lee Pierce Johnny Thunders There are so many more.... Rest In Peace