Punk Turns 30

On September 23, 1977 at the Hollywood Palladium, there was a "Punk Rock Fashion Show" that featured musical performances by Blondie and The Avengers. Strangely, The Avengers played after Blondie, in the so-called headliner spot. Avengers drummer, Danny Furious gave the low-down on that in an interview he gave in 2004, which you can read HERE at this link. Danny Furious being interviewed at KROQ in 1978 Back in 1977, mainstream promoters were trying their best (and most of them failed) to bring punk rock into their offerings. A lot of them didn't get it, or they didn't get how to do it the right way... that punk rock fashion show was pretty stupid as I recall. Local girls wore their own clothes and an announcer described what their fashion statement was supposed to mean. Belinda Carlisle and friends... punk rock "it girls" and their fashion statements hanging backstage I think the promoters just didn't realize that the crowd was supporting their ...

Although Blondie is associated with New York City and the CBGB and Max's scenes, the two most photogenic members... Debbie Harry and Clem Burke grew up in New Jersey... Since I have been staying in Jersey City since the beginning of the year, as I have driven back and forth between Newark Airport and Jersey City, I've passed Bayonne more than a few times and always think of Clem. I think of Clem as one of the most valuable players, not just of punk rock, but of the last 30 years of pop music. This image of Clem during a 1978 sound check at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA is a favorite on my Unguarded Moments: Backstage and Beyond Tour. If you're in NY, you can see the print in person - the exhibit at Magnetic Field is hanging throughout January! All of these photos were taken in April, 1978 when Blondie were touring the USA relentlessly in support of their second album, Plastic Letters , which had been released six months earlier, in 1977. The album was a smash ...

While Blondie were paying their dues in small clubs almost every day of the year, and while Pleasant, Randy and I were making Lobotomy in her bedroom and in my apartment...somewhere back in 1978, we spent a lot of time together. The Lobotomy crew made road trips to see Blondie all over California from San Francisco to San Diego, mostly in my little Honda hatchback. In 1978, just a few months before they hit the pop charts with "Heart of Glass," a surprise to everyone, we spent just about the whole month of April seeing Blondie play all over California. Above is a series of shots from an April show in Berkeley, CA, and below are some shots from the trip and hanging out. This crazy action hair shot was on one of the covers of Lobotomy. Clem Burke during soundcheck. Clem and Chris Stein during soundcheck, in a room so dark and with such particular light that only Clem is in focus - the depth of field was that narrow in the darkness that I couldn't get both men standing ...