Punk Turns 30

The Dils, a Target Video perennial fave... The Target Video show on April 30 at Los Angeles' Silent Movie Theater (part of the on-going Don't Knock the Rock-curated shows at that venue) will be quite a departure from past shows. Unlike other Target shows, this one basically presents footage direct from the vaults. Uncut. Unmixed. Raw and original. The Cramps and Target Video = a can't miss combination! The folks at Target have begun calling the show "Raw Power" for its sheer voyeuristic quality. The pieces document explosive musical events from the late 70's and early 80's. The soundtracks are all original: from a simple camera microphone recording to studio mixes. Presented more music tv style than movie. The Germs, another band captured first and best by Target Video Target Video presents an authentic thrill ride through the West Coast's punk past. It's not pretty. It's raw and the way it was. Be there! Get your tickets here!!

On this date in 1978, Blondie began a 2-night, sold-out stand at the erstwhile Starwood club in West Hollywood. Blondie was up and coming and constantly on the road. That spring time 1978 tour had a slogan: Blondie is a Group! and in six months' time, the band would have a breakthrough smash hit with their own "disco song," a chestnut from their own archives, Heart of Glass. The album Parallel Lines which included "Heart of Glass" and other hits such as "Hanging on the Telephone," and "One Way or Another" would support that "Blondie is a Group" slogan by showcasing the song writing talents of band members other than the Debbie Harry/Chris Stein combination, as well as showing off the group's continuing penchant for picking the perfect pop cover. That Starwood show was a hot sweaty spring time night of excitement, and the backstage well-wishers included Rodney Bingenheimer and Nick Gilder. Debbie Harry backstage at th...

Click on the title of this post to read a brief bio of punk rock's most famous girlfriend.. These three photos were taken on the same night in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go... Everyone went to see the B Girls... Sable was Stiv's date that night and here she is flanked by her friends Debbie Harry, Rodney Bingenheimer and the B Girls. Sable's passing last weekend (she lost her battle with cancer) comes a few days before the anniversary of her most famous paramour's death -- Johnny Thunders.

Today is RECORD STORE DAY!!! Its a fantastic new tradition to celebrate one of my most cherished venues of all -- the independent record store. I have a lot of favorite ones... you've seen pictures of them here... This year, I am celebrating Record Store Day with an installation of a dozen and a half rock n roll photos at my local record shop - The Groove in East Nashville's 5 Points neighborhood. Yeah - my tour, Unguarded Moments: Backstage and Beyond has concluded, but I can't resist the lure of trotting out the images. Since Nashville is Music City, I am trotting out more than the punk rock for my fellow Nashvillians this year... Dee Dee Ramone and Stiv Bators No Theresa K. photo exhibit is complete without my two favorite dead boys - a Dead Boy and Ramone. I miss these two mischief makers terribly, but I feel their guidance every day. Warren Pash This man, Warren Pash is not just my neighbor... not just any singer/songwriter.... he wrote "Private Eyes" -...

In my personal history - and I hope in everyone's - the Birthday Celebration has always been a favorite "holiday" - its your own personal day... Over the years, I've regaled you with tales of the The Jam, Dickies and Eyes gig at the Starwood on my birthdate in 1978 - here and here and all these entries here .... its a birthday story worth repeating... In the 70s, I've spent my birthdate with concerts by Iggy Pop - and the oft-referenced car breakdown on California's Highway 5 to San Francisco... that same year, the birthday week shows included Iggy AGAIN in Santa Monica with Blondie opening and a Blondie/ Runaways gig a few days later. Somewhere in there, there was the Los Angeles debut of Television. In 1980, my birthday concert was the Pretenders. This year, I celebrate my birthday with a show by The Shazam, who in fact have in their vast repertoire a song called "Hooray for Me," which hopefully ties all this up so that I can call it a ni...

As the garage/trash rock part of punk rock began to gain a foothold among mainstream music fans, hardcore started poking its head out and beyond its subcult audience... in Los Angeles, the South Bay was nurturing this movement, as was Orange County, with LA's own Germs laying the foundation for that movement at the dawn of the LA punk era... Over in the UK, the Oi and Skinhead subcults presented lads with much more dystopia to protest, resulting in a vibrant genre of music. Thirty years ago this week, 999 brought the Oi to Los Angeles, playing the Whisky and Orange County's Cuckoo's Nest. Ironically, my favorite image of them is this one, above, arriving at their Tower Records in-store in a town car. That's punk.

Oh - but if it were true! Seriously folks.... if the Stooges are ignored... it'll be a long time before those geezers at the Rock Hall recognize those who were merely influenced by Iggy. Have fun with the practical jokering today.... but watch out for that worm. Maybe don't do any online credit card transactions today... just to be safe.