TEEN SCENE #59 (July Ô99) ==================== ÒSo,Ó they wonder, ÒWhere the hellÕs the intro?Ó Sorry, gang. I donÕt have room for my usual long-winded rant. But a couple quick notes... First, an apology for the long wait. Second, due to some changes in my life, the next ish should be out only a few months after this one. (Yeah, right.) And itÕs gonna be great. ==================== DEEP INSIDE An Interview With The Green Hornets - by Steve Coleman Chatting With The Chesterfield Kings - by Blair Buscareno Fuzzfest Ô98 - by Blair Buscareno Cave Stomp Ô98 - by Blair Buscareno WailinÕ With The Woggles - by Steve Coleman Whatever Happened To The Nuthins & The Tight Trouser Scene? - by Steve Coleman Back Again With Teenage Shutdown - by Blair Buscareno Introducing The Improbables - by Blair Buscareno The Bobby Fuller Four (a couple of disc reviews) - by Blair Buscareno The Smugglers 10th Anniversary Extravaganza - Frank Leone & Heather Peavey Leone tell the tale Ritchie Valens (a box set) - by Blair Buscareno Classic ÔZine Spotlight (RockinÕ Ron RimsiteÕs 99th Floor was always a must) - by Blair Buscareno The Secret Service (in Power And Volume) - by Blair Buscareno The Satelliters (two for ya) - by, uh, Blair Buscareno The Avengers - yeah, again by Blair Buscareno The Mid-Õ60s Garage Band Explosion in Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Other Southwestern Cities by Dick Stewart - A Review From Mike SinÕs Mynde ÔZine OÕ The Ish, The Thing - by Blair Buscareno The ÔZine Scene - by Blair Buscareno Mad Libs - wild laughs from your childhood brought into the age of VH1 by Bill Holmes and Josh Lewis The Dictators (CD reissues of Bloodbrothers and Live: New York, New York) - by Karen Winter Pervirella, the Soundtrack - by Jane Fondle Buck, the debut CD - by Roberta Schiffer Letter From Home To Home - Laurent Bigot checks in from Paris Worcester, MA Scene Report - by Jay Holdash The Angry Bowler - by Michael Bonomo Live and Outtasite - by Blair Buscareno Welcome to the Center of the RockÕnÕRoll Universe - Eric Fuzzco sees The Fleshtones... a LOT! Monstre A Go-Go - a rockinÕ HalloweÕen by Erin Truscott Revenge of the New England Teen Scene (The Remains + The Lost + The Rising Storm) - by Blair Buscareno SwinginÕ Singles - by Blair Buscareno Fortune & Maltese (2 more 7Ó wonders) - by Blair Buscareno Step On My Big 10Ó... Record (a few of Ôem) - by Blair Buscareno Full Length Fun - by Blair Buscareno The Jewws (Heartbreaker 10Ó) - by Blair Buscareno Comped On Disc (now, then, and before) - by Blair Buscareno In The Past (cool anthologies) - by Blair Buscareno Just Yesterday (CD repackagings of more recent rockÕnÕroll revelations) - by Blair Buscareno Baby LetÕs Twist (twist the house down!) - by Blair Buscareno More Music (as if you hadnÕt had enough) - by Blair Buscareno The Saturn V featuring Orbit (two more 45s) - by Blair Buscareno ==================== WHOÕS TO BLAME Blair Buscareno - everything without somebody elseÕs name. Nothing anyone else wrote, however, has been changed, barring grammar and spell-checking (what little was done!) Steve Coleman - interviews with The Woggles, Green Hornets, & Mojo Mills. Frank Leone & Heather Peavey Leone - Smugglers 10th B-day Bash Karen Winter - Dictators reviews Jane Fondle - tells us about Pervirella. Roberta Schiffer - Buck review Mike Sin - book review Laurent Bigot - Parisian scene report Jay Holdash - Wormtown scene report Bill Holmes & Josh Lewis - Mad Libs Eric Fuzzco - SuperRock Saturday Nights Erin Truscott - at Monstre A-Go-Go Mike Bonomo - is The Angry Bowler Sir Richard Wentworth - cover art All articles and photographs are the property of the authors/photographers. ==================== CONTRIBUTORSÕ WEB-SITES Steve Coleman - Prepares You To Enter The Garage at http://www.pro-net.co.uk/scaf/garage.html Karen Winter - runs an unofficial DictatorsÕ site at http://members.aol.com/dffd123/ Eric Fuzzco - in the InterZone at http://www.geocities.com/ Area51/Portal/5685/index.html SEND GIFTS TO: The Teen Scene 34 Highland Cross #2 Rutherford, NJ 07070 teenscene@thinkapple.com ==================== ÒItÕs no good having a nice AC30 and Chelsea boots and coming out with a load of old cobblers!Ó An Interview With The Green Hornets by Steve Coleman ÒThe Green Hornets are currently one of the hottest 60Õs Garage Punk bands in the world today! They blend elements of the Animals, Stones, Pretty Things, Sonics, US Garage, Beat and even a little Surf Instro, with a strong Medway (Milkshakes, Prisoners etc.) vibe to it all. There first EP was produced by Bruce Brand of Milkshakes/Headcoats fame. However, while they have strong influences, their music shows a unique style and approach. No mere pastiche or weak imitating for these kids. Following in the wake of their highly successful StinginÕ Sounds of The Green Hornets EP, Alopecia Records released their debut album, Get The Buzz, on both CD and vinyl. The Hornets second LP/CD Faster Than The Buggzapper was released in the UK in June 1997. As with each of their previous releases, this 14-track feast of stylish, fun-packed trash was recorded at the legendary Toe Rag Studios - and as with each of the previous releases it has sold-out and been repressed. The Hornets have an increasing number of live commitments to fulfil. In the Spring of Ô98 they visited France, Belgium, Holland and Germany promoting their 7Ó single Crazy 60Õs Kids EP. In the summer they released a 45 Dig The Fuzz b/w Brand New Cadillac on the UK label... Dig The Fuzz. Further recordings were made in July to complete the five bonus tracks on the Sounds From The Dansette CD which came out in October. There now famous sold-out ÔFive Bands For A FiverÕ shows at The Wedgewood Rooms (the SouthÕs premier venue) feature go-go dancers, film shows and guests from around the UK. Favoring highly treasured vintage equipment and sporting a slick, retro on stage image, as they deliver the full on 60Õs sound, The Hornets prove once again that in 1999 The Beat goes on...Ó ...Or so says the HornetsÕ Press Release that arrived in the post the other day and which outlines their story so concisely. Besides, IÕve got a stack of things to sort out for Teen Scene this time round and youÕve gotta let me off this once for being such a lazy so-and-so. To make up for the slacker behavior here are the replies to a few questions I posed to keyboard whizz Mr. Morris via The Royal Mail. Teen Scene: Some of you in the band have been musically active since the 80Õs. HowÕs the garage scene changed? Mr. Morris: ...ItÕs different now - it used to be a load of psychobilly types who came across garage because bands like the Stingrays and Purple Things did obscure covers and played on the same bill as The Prisoners and The Milkshakes. The Psychos, myself included, have long since cut their quiffs off but it seems a lot of these people are, albeit thinner on top, still going out and watching the new breed of bands - and some of the old ones - Headcoats etc. Will we still be going to Prisoners re-union gigs in another ten years time? TS: What qualities should the perfect garage band have? Mr. Morris: They should all look 60Õs cool, have spent far too much time listening to ÔBack From The GraveÕ LPÕs, spent far too much money on a crappy Vox or Farfisa organ that used to be owned by a church or something and should have a token fat person in the band. Mmm... sounds a bit like The Green Hornets - spooky! TS: The Hornets donÕt appear too PC about influences - How do you feel about bands obsessed with period detail? Mr. Morris: WeÕve played on the same bill and seen a lot of these ÒAnorakÓ bands and half the time they look good and sound crap! I respect Thee Headcoats/Wildebeests etc... for their quaint little vocal P.A.Õs and tatty amps Ôcos they produce a raw racket thatÕs reinforced by excellent songs. ItÕ no good having a nice AC30 and Chelsea boots and coming out with a load of old cobblers! I met a mod once who had bought a 60Õs built house and was collecting memorabilia to fill it with. He measured the distance between buttons to confirm the exact year of a shirts manufacture, but was inconsolable about the fact that he was born in January 1970 a week the wrong side of the 60Õs! TS: The Green Hornets move any audience, (kids, grannies, student etc.) and not just the obsessed garage rock fan. Why has garage remained so obscure? Mr. Morris: I donÕt really know! I think itÕs great - say for example when the Stranglers recorded Ô96 TearsÕ and people say - what a great tune - but really everybody in our Òlittle world-wide gangÓ knows itÕs by Question Mark & The Mysterians. Some of our friends recently saw the film ÔLock Stock & Two Smoking BarrelsÕ and not knowing much about 60Õs stuff they said about a song in the soundtrack which in their words sounded Òjust like The Green HornetsÓ. I saw the film last week and realized they had heard ÔLiar LiarÕ by The Castaways. Well thatÕs O.K. by me! This music may be obscure but itÕs fuckinÕ good and people notice that! TS: WhatÕs it like working with Baldy? Mr. Morris: BaldyÕs O.K. - We met at a London All-Dayer about four years ago and The Hornets ripped the piss out of him in the audience and he replied with ÒDo you want to do some stuff with Alopecia?Ó. Yeah... we thought it was odd too!! Ask Baldy what itÕs like working with The Green Hornets! I think he likes us Ôcos we shift a lot of records, we still owe him some cash!, and enable him to live in the plush style and comfort that he maintains at the grand epicenter of the record industry at 62 Backlands Rd. in the village of Benson! TS: Tell me about the new album. Are there any surprises? Mr. Morris: The new C.D. ÔSounds from the DansetteÕ is out now on Flycatcher Records. The only surprise really was that it was ready on time, something that rarely happens on this level as the money is usually scarce. The C.D. contains all our vinyl L.P.Õs from Ô93 to Ô98 plus five newly recorded tracks. It gives those sinners who donÕt have a record players a chance to complete their HornetsÕ collection and gives us a chance to use up a lot of stupid snapshots in the inlay booklet! Some people took the piss and suggested it was our ÔGreatest HitsÕ but we never really had any, so itÕs more like our ÔGreatest Near MissesÕ and as we say in the sleeve notes... Ònot an Anthology - more like an apology to you, the condescending Hi-Fi buff!Ó. TS: Do you have plans to record ÔThe Green Hornets ThemeÕ? Mr. Morris: No - Sorry! TS: You made two lightning visits to Belgium, Holland and Germany in 1998, donÕt you feel like spending more time on the continent? Mr. Morris: When you met us in May we had actually just completed our 8th gig in ten days so thatÕs not really a lightning visit but to answer the question.... Because the tours are low budget you normally end up sleeping on floors and spending a lot of the time sitting on your amp in the back of the van. Ten days of this can be a bit wearing - especially when every venue you arrive at wants to show the band a good time and get them completely bolloxed Ôtill five in the morning! ItÕs a hard life! TS: Do you have a fave Euro destination, perhaps one where the audiences are really appreciative? Mr. Morris: Although weÕve had typical 60Õs garage audiences in the bigger towns, for instance Paris, Hamburg, Amsterdam etc., and sold lots of records at these gigs - the smaller more obscure places tend to really get into it... itÕs like Ôere... ÒWe donÕt have music like that round these parts!Ó. You meet loads of complete weirdos which makes it funny and even if they donÕt speak English we can normally find a way of getting them to buy us a beer. BelgiumÕs great - in particular ÔOlenÕ and ÔThe PitsÕ at Kortrijk. TS: Is it true you only cross the English Channel for the food? Mr. Morris: Yeah! On the way home! After a long weekend eating mayonnaise on every bloody thing you could kill for a Gristers pasty! TS: What makes a memorable Hornet show? Mr. Morris: Well a lot of the ones I donÕt remember are because we got pissed at the gig so I guess when itÕs my turn to drive the van there thatÕs a memorable show. We tend to judge gigs by the food and beer situation. I remember we had a lovely fish pasta in Ghent and superb Surnamese food at The Vera Club in Holland. CafŽ Crossroads in Olen, Belgium always ply us with beer until we canÕt see! At home in the U.K. weÕve had some great shows at The Wedgewood Rooms so I guess my fave would have to be some of the near legendary stage invasions at ÔFive Bands For A FiverÕ. TS: Where did the dancing contest come from? Mr. Morris: Well... around the same time the stage invasions began we did a 40th Birthday gig for one of the security staff at The Wedgewood Rooms. HeÕs quite shy and didnÕt want any fuss so we decided to buy him a £1 toy guitar from CUTPRICE as a birthday present. We then persuaded him to come up on stage and mime with us for one song. He obliged so the next week we went back to CUTPRICE and bought the whole lot for future prizes - the rest is history. TS: Five bands for a fiver? Mr. Morris: Well we used to play in this little pub in Pompey (The nickame for Portsmouth, The HornetsÕ home town - ed.) and do it as a garage night called ÔThe Padded WombÕ. We had some great nights including Man or Astroman, The Mystreated/Stewed, The Perverts from Holland etc. Capacity was only one hundred and it got too busy so we took a risk and hired the four hundred capacity Wedgewood Rooms. We put the price up to £5 but justified it by having more bands. ItÕs a move in the right direction as it gives touring bands a chance to play on a Saturday night in front of hundreds of people with an excellent P.A. and lights. The atmosphere is good and people get to see bands that wouldnÕt otherwise get a chance to play Portsmouth. WeÕve had the likes of Bangtwister, The Unchayned, the Nuthins, Baldy, The Arousers, The Hoodwinks, Charles Napiers etc. and more recently the Sods from Germany. TS: Finally, can you explain the nicknames which always appear on your records? Mr. Morris - Organ - ItÕs actually my real name - rolls off the tongue well! Being addressed as Mr. makes us feel like weÕre in a ÔCarry OnÕ movie. Mr. Boyd - Guitar - also his real name. The Queen Hornet - Vocals - for every four Green Hornets there has to be one female Hornet - The Queen. We are her subjects and unfortunately all The Princes turned into frogs! Nish - Bass - Andrew CorNISH, thatÕs it! Loddo Starr - Drums - RingoÕs long lost relative. The Green Hornets would like to inform you that since New YearÕs Eve theyÕve been without a drummer as Loddo Starr has taken lucrative employment in L.A. (ThatÕs Little Ôampton in Sussex to you - ed.). Interested skin bashers wishing to face The Queen HornetÕs stringent test of suitability are invited to submit a C.V. to the address at the bottom of the page. Thank you. ==================== Sounds From The Dansette 6 EPÕs Plus Five Bonus Tracks On One CD A mighty collection of 45Õs and EP tracks which make an excellent introduction for anyone new to the world of the Green Hornets. The tracks span the bandÕs recording history and run from their snot nosed early days to their attitude-with-a- heart recent material. Song writing honors are split and indicate that this mob have plenty of talent and an ear for a good tune. Included is their Summer Ô98 45 - ÔDig The FuzzÕ - which borrows the ÔLeavinÕ HereÕ riff to great effect and is a neat stomper to get you whirling around the living room, via the bathroom and the kitchen. Quit simply their strongest release to date. Mind you those Hornets are not afraid to tackle ole chestnuts like ÔHave Love Will TravelÕ and ÔBrand New CadillacÕ but spare you any embarrassment and offer them up as if being played for the very first time. Mind you, youÕll also discover the odd surprise including a fine interpretation of ÔElevator OperatorÕ written by Gene Clark back Ô67. Jangletastic! Rounding off ÔSounds From The DansetteÕ are five all-new recordings and there isnÕt a clunker among them. Tough choice, but my fave has got to be ÔTurn My BackÕ with its swirling organ fills, Byrdsian guitar break and a catchy as hell chorus. Timeless pop. For sure the CD starts with the less then original sound of a stylus hitting a worn out disc (Remember those SatanÕs Pilgrims and The Mummies discs on Estrus?) but makes up for it with some hilarious snoring tacked to the end and emanating from a zonked-out Nish. Finally, the packaging is lively and features an array of pictures, biographical notes and a humorous introduction from Mr. Morris. If you dig sixties influenced pop with catchy tunes, lots of organ, guitars that buzz, drums that rattle and placed alongside the odd light hearted moment then dig this fuzz The CD can be ordered from 'The Hornets Nest', 102 Chichester Road, Portsmouth, PO2 0AH, UK and will cost you a mere £10 inc' P&P. Cheques or IMO's payable to K. Morris. ==================== Talking With Andy Babiuk of The Chesterfield Kings The Chesterfield Kings were one of the top-drawing bands of the early-mid 80s garage scene. TheyÕd begun in the late 70s, before almost any other groups (with one or two exceptions) had even thought of playing this kind of sound. They quickly became known as one of the best there was. Based in Rochester, NY, the band built a worldwide following, despite the fact that they didnÕt release an original composition for the first five years of their existence. If their recordings were good, their live shows were phenomenal. When The Chesterfield Kings came to town, there was no question about whether you were going. Their original lineup lasted into 1986 (longer, by the way, than the entire career of some bands), when Ori Guran (organ/guitar) departed. About 15 months later, lead guitarist Rick Cona had also left the fold. The band started going through a number of lineup changes, eventually also losing drummer Doug Meech. During these years, the band experimented with some new directions, not all of which endeared them to their once-rabid audience. In 1997, the group released SurfinÕ Rampage, a 32-song collection of mainly surf vocal material. People went nuts. They also released a six-song mini-LP of some of their favorite covers. Meanwhile, their live show started featuring some of the old songs. Rather than concentrating on The Chesterfield Kings history (20 years worth), I contacted Andy and asked if heÕd be willing to answer some questions that have more to do with the present, although I did have a few questions about the past, as well as the bandÕs future. Here Ôtis. TS: The past couple years have seen The Chesterfield Kings moving back towards the sound the band had through the mid-80s. What prompted this? Andy: A couple of years back we were preparing for a tour of Europe and started to go back and play some of the songs off our old records. At the time we were far enough away from our older stuff that it seemed fresh and fun to play again. TS: There was a time when you guys would play down in the NYC area a few times a year. Then it seemed like youÕd only show up once every three years. It seems that now youÕre playing - at least down here - a little bit more often. Is there any chance youÕll start playing more live shows? Andy: If the clubs start being cool about having us I guess we would. For a long time they were real tight ass. TS: Back around 1986 or so, you and I were hanging out at a club in Rochester called Mirage. That night you told me that you guys wanted to do a surf record, as well as a folk rock record. As with many other people, I was thrilled to hear SurfinÕ Rampage. What prompted you to finally do it? Andy: Being in the same band for so many years we have always looked at different projects that we would like to do. The surf thing is something that Greg and I wanted to do for a long time. We just never had the right line up talented enough to pull it off. An instrumental thing would have been easy to do, but a vocal LP of surf stuff was a real challenge. With the current line up we felt confident that we could pull it off, so we did. TS: At least a couple of Kings discs have included some cool folk-rock tracks. Is there a chance youÕll ever follow through and do a complete album this way? Andy: Yes, you can count on it. In fact now that we have our own studio that we built, you will finally see a bunch of records that we have always wanted to do. Another project on the back burner is an LP of all Kinks covers. We will call ourselves the ÒChesterfield KinksÓ and call the LP ÒKingtroversyÓ or something like that. It will be a tribute to our friend Ray who we believe is the best songwriter ever!! TS: Are there any unreleased KingsÕ nuggets from the first lineup of the band? If so, is there any chance this stuff might come out in some form? Andy: Yes, we have tons of that kind of stuff. Most of it is crap with real inept playing. I guess it is what they call Lo-Fi these days. Perhaps someday, when we run out of ideas, we may put some of it out. TS: The term Ògarage-rockÓ seems to cover a far wider range now than it did when you guys first started out. What are some of the positives and negatives that you see in todayÕs scene? Andy: We donÕt really follow any scenes. But I do think a lot of crappy records are called ÒGarageÓ for a lack of better description. TS: How have the audiences have changed since the early-mid 80s? Andy: I think itÕs a shame that people still follow the leader when being told what is cool. Whether itÕs Top 40 or the Òhip sceneÓ, people are told what to like and they believe it to be true. I find that in Europe people are more open to listening to music for what it is rather than being told what is cool. In the early 80Õs I think people listened to music more. TS: How does the songwriting process work in The Chesterfield Kings? How has that changed over the years? Andy: Well it hasnÕt really changed much. ItÕs still the same. Greg and I have always written the songs. ItÕs just in the old days we use to credit everybody in the band for songwriting. Greg and I thought that it would help keep unity in the band and keep fighting out, about things like Òwell this is my song and thatÕs your songÓ kind of a thing. So everyone used to get credit. The bad thing was that Greg and I, like chumps, got stuck with all the work of writing all the songs. We got sick of people thinking Ori, Doug or Rick were these great writers. It was hard enough to get those guys to learn covers much less write anything. So we started to credit the songs for who really wrote them. As for the way songs are written, Greg or I may come up with an idea and we work on them together as a band. If one of the other guys in the band can make the song better we work on it. ThatÕs how our new single ÒWrong From RightÓ was done. TS: How about the recording process? Andy: Well, as I mentioned, we recently built a 1500 sq. foot, 24 track recording studio. ItÕs something we always wanted to have so that we could have full control of our recordings. Greg and I now engineer and produce all of our records. The first LP that we had total control of was the Surf LP. All of our records from here on will be done the same way. Full control of engineering and production. TS: IÕve heard some people say, ÒThe Kings are BACK!Ó What might you say to that? Does it make sense to you? Andy: We never went away! We never broke up. I think some of it has to do with the fact that we did that shitty ÒBerlin WallÓ record that everyone hated including me! That LP was not meant to sound like that. It was just that Greg and I were not in control at that time. We had these manager know-it-allÕs that we were tied to and a lot of legal crap to deal with. When we finally got control of what was happening, it took us awhile to repair the damages. But I must say that a band must evolve. You would have to be in a band to understand this. If we stayed the same we would have been like the Ramones with 23 LPÕs that sound like the first. Nobody cares. So maybe we came full circle to what we know and like the best and it feels like new. I think our fans can see this in our latest releases. I also think a lot of Òthe Kings are backÓ thing has to do with our new Living Eye label and working with Sundazed. Our last LPs on Mirror got very little exposure, you couldnÕt find them anywhere. Maybe thatÕs why people thought we broke up. ThatÕs why it was time to move on to a new label... TS: Your next LP has collaborations with many original 60s artists. How did those go? What was it like? Andy: It was great fun. We are not done with that one yet (ÒThe Mind Bending Sounds Of...Ó). Our latest LP ÒWhere The Action Is!!!Ó is due out this fall. It will have a song that we wrote with Mark Lindsay called ÒWhere Do We Go From HereÓ. MarkÕs one of the coolest guys you could meet. It is a pleasure to work with him. TS: I remember hearing Greg do a radio show on WITR around Ô86 or so where he played lots of obscure punk stuff he had in his collection. I remember people being pretty stunned to hear that he had records from after 1966, given that the early Kings press kit said that you guys practically lived in that year. In fact, I got the impression from the show Greg did that day that heÕd been into that stuff right from when it was going on. What bands were you guys listening to then? If Greg *was* listening to lots of punk rock in 1977-78, then what caused him to want to do what you guys did with the Kings? How about you? Andy: Well, Greg was the record buyer at the House Of Guitars in the 70Õs. When the whole Punk thing was happening Greg ordered the 45Õs that were coming out. ThatÕs why you could find original copies of the Sex Pistols 45Õs and stuff like that still hiding out at the House of Guitars back room. The appeal of the Punk thing was that the bands drew from the influences of the bands that they grew up with in the 60Õs. Stiv Bators was a good friend of mine. We wrote a bunch of songs together. He would always tell me about his favorite bands and they were all from the 60Õs. We would hear the same thing from other guys we worked with like Johnny Thunders or Dee Dee Ramone. They would all say the same thing. In GregÕs case, he did the same kind of thing. When the Punk thing hit, Greg had a band called Distorted Levels. Greg grew up collecting records in the 60Õs when he was a kid. In the mid 70Õs when he was doing Distorted Levels it was just a rock and roll band but louder. You can hear it on his first 45 ÒHey MisterÓ. As for myself, I have two older sisters that were really into the Beatles and the Stones. But what got me real into wanting to play guitar was the first time I saw the movie HELP!. That movie bent me permanently. I met Greg when I was in high school in the late 70Õs. I was trying to start a band doing Beatles, Stones kind of stuff. Greg had just finished with his various bands, so we got together and goofed around with a drummer and made a bunch of crappy tapes. That band was The Mean Red Spiders. It was also going to be called the Tar Babies. Nothing happened with that band, it didnÕt last more than a month, we just have the tapes. Some of those tapes came out a bunch of years ago. One of the songs was ÒI Was Rejected At The High School DanceÓ. Soon after Greg and I decided that the best thing to do was not just borrow ideas from the 60Õs, but really do songs exactly like it would have been done back then. We thought the more extreme we were the better it would be. And I guess it worked. I was just a kid, I never thought I would be doing it this long. TS: You mentioned that youÕd written songs with Stiv Bators. Did you or he or any combination of the above ever record any of this (or any other collaborations)? Andy: The songs I wrote with Stiv were written in 1987 while we were on tour in Europe. We had 4 days off in Paris and I stayed with Stiv and Caroline rather than with the band (Greg and I hated the other guys at this point, real geeks!). I had known Stiv for awhile and we had talked about writing songs. So when I was over we never slept. It was kind of wild. We wrote about 4 songs. I have a tape of us doing it with just a guitar. Mono Man showed up on the fourth day and it really got out of control. That night we played in Paris with the Lyres and Mono Man was really out of it! Well, while I was with Stiv, he made me a tape of some unreleased Dead Boys stuff off the third LP. When we got back I would send tapes back and forth with Stiv. Greg and I worked out the songs. We cut one of them for the LetÕs Go Get Stoned LP but we decided it didnÕt fit the LP. It sounded too much like ÒSonic ReducerÓ. So it has never come out. Then Stiv died and we didnÕt think it would be too cool. It would look like we were cashing in. I donÕt think it will ever come out. IÕve listened to it lately and donÕt like the way it sounds. Maybe someday. TS: People have been asking about the mini-LP of covers, asking why the Chesterfield Kings chose to record so many Òwell-knownÓ garage records instead of the more obscure stuff. Andy: Well, we just recorded songs that we liked, songs that we said we would like to record some day. We built our own 24 track studio and now we can record anything weÕd like. So there you have it. Very simple really. There just songs that we have always loved to listen to and even play. WeÕve been doing this for some 20 years now (Greg and I never broke up the group and reformed and all that stuff, we always kept the band together). At this point in time I donÕt think we need to prove anything to any one. We just do stuff we like, to please ourselves first and hopefully our fans will like it as well. ThatÕs why we did the Surf LP. It was something we always wanted to do. The new LP on Living Eye / Sundazed ÒWhere The Action Is !!Ó will have some common covers on it like the Hollies ÒLook Through Any WindowÓ, but the reason we did that is because we love the Hollies. One day we were hanging out with Graham Nash. He was a blast. The day after we were in the studio and our guitar player Ted (heÕs really into 12 string Rickenbackers) said ÒWe should do a Hollies song...Ó so we did. Simple as that. ItÕs partly just for fun. I donÕt know if people realize it but we are real music fans and thatÕs what keeps us together, the music. If we were in the band to Òtry and make it Big!Ó we would have broke up years ago just like all the rest. TS: WhatÕs in the pipeline? Andy: Well, the LP. Mark Lindsay sings a duet with Greg on a song that Greg and I wrote with Mark called ÒWhere do We Go From HereÓ. Very Byrds meets Love meets the Beatles with Mark Lindsay / Greg doing the Everly Brothers. Figure that out! We had fun doing the LP. We will be going to Italy , Spain and England in May. Greg and I will produce a new Moviees 4 song EP next week for release on Living Eye. Greg is working on another issue of his magazine. I just secured a publishing deal for my book. And we are currently working on our comedy movie, ÒWhere Is The Chesterfield King?Ó. We started it about 3 years ago and have had a lot of setbacks. But we have now hooked up with a crazy filmmaker that is as crazy as us, so we are having fun filming that. I thought LPÕs took a lot of work; films are impossible. We will also work on producing other bands for our label. TS: YouÕre doing a book... Andy: ItÕs a research piece called ÒBeatle Guitars & Other Fab GearÓ. There is more info about it on our web site. I have received a letter of intent from Billboard Books as my publisher. My agents are currently hammering out the financial side of the deal. I must hand in the final manuscript in the fall and the publication date will be the fall of 2000. TS: Musically speaking, whatÕs exciting you these days? Andy: Not much. There are not very many new bands I like. I did find it exciting to listen to 8 CDÕs full of outtakes from the StonesÕ ÒSatanic MajestiesÓ. I liked hearing the evolution of the songs. TS: Any final words? Andy: Yeah, we are looking for cool bands to put on our label. Write to The Chesterfield Kings at: The Chesterfield Kings c/o Living Eye Productions Ltd. P. O. Box 12956 Rochester, New York 14612 email; c.kings@worldnet.att.net web site: http://home.att.net/~c.kings/ ==================== FUZZFEST Ô98 I hate the end of summer. True, recent years have meant IÕm not at the beach as much as I was in my childhood, but since IÕve been a teacher, my summer vacations have certainly meant the world to me. Those vacations come to an end with the onset of Fall. The district I teach in starts its school year at the same time as did the one I grew up in - with the kids coming back the Wednesday after Labor Day and the teachers going back a day earlier. This year, Labor Day - the first Monday in September for non-US residents - fell on September 7th, the latest it can get. And my summer had started as early as I think it really can, around June 20th. IÕd been off for eleven entire weeks by the time Bluesman and I got to Newark Airport on September 4th. True, my summer was rushing to an end, but I was going to send it off with a wild celebration, filled with great friends and wild rockÕnÕroll. The carefree days of summer were just about gone, but this would be the crowning event of it all. In the interest of keeping this (somewhat) brief, IÕll spare you the details of our journey down to Atlanta. Suffice to say that any trip that includes the one and only Mike Sansone is likely to be entertaining. This year we stayed at a different hotel. Why? It had a pool. In Atlanta, thatÕs important. Better yet, a good percentage of the out-of-town Fuzzfesters were there, as well. Within minutes of arriving, we probably ran into ten people we knew from various locales. Once weÕd gotten settled, it was off to The Star Bar. What amazed me was that I actually remembered the route. Once there, we immediately saw lots of friends, collected our Fuzz-Paks, and... Well, the pre-party was starting to swing. Friday Night This year, we got a special guest MC, one Flypped Out from Montreal. Now, this is a guy who knows how to do an intro. I kinda wish I had all his bits written for you, but... I canÕt write that fast. (Note to Self: Next time, ask F.O. to give you his notes.) Simply put, this was a special treat. By design, repeat performers from the Ô97 extravaganza were kept to a minimum. Of course, some of those folks actually came down on their own this year (while some of last yearÕs attendees were performing this time around.) The KingÕs English were both new and old, as they included members of Thee Flypped Whigs, whoÕd gotten things rolling last year. This bunch pulled out a ton of cool chestnuts, mainly of the Dutch Beat variety, definitely a cool way to get the party started. Just from watching The Mt. McKinleys set up, the crowd knew it was in for something special. I mean, how often do we see a flippinÕ theremin? As it turns out, these guys know how to utilize it to maximum effect, with the theremin player providing some way out sounds in all the right places, raising things up a couple notches every time. Best of all was the way he looked when doing so, making these wild gestures around it. YEOW! But theremin cool was only one touchstone, Ôcuz these guys are one helluva band with a strong grip on both garage and psych of the highest order. This was the first IÕd seen of them and I wanted more. Like now! I have nothing against The Brood as people. IÕve just never been especially enamored of their sound. While theyÕve got a couple songs I enjoy, I figured this was my chance to get downstairs and hang out with a few friends. I was back up in plenty of time for NYC scenesters Johnny Chan & the New Dynasty 6. These guys had been wowing the crowds up around the Rotten Apple throughout the summer and I was pretty interested to see how theyÕd go over. Well, actually, I had a damn good idea people might just go hog wild. And they did. In fact, I was also rather unsurprised to see which song was the biggest hit. Without doubt, it was ÒItÕs All About... Me.Ó With Johnny declaring ÒItÕs not about you girl, itÕs about ME!Ó he put a big smile on everyoneÕs faces. And the over-the-top out-in-the-crowd, down-on-the-knees bit somehow works every time. Night the First ended with hometown heroes, The Woggles, swinging from the rafters (well, OK, there are no rafters, but thatÕs unimportant.) The memoryÕs a bit foggy, but I believe there were various guests, including Jay Thomas of the Royal Pendletons on organ, plus, I believe, Jeff Walls on guitar. The fact that the group included a couple guys who arenÕt usually in the band didnÕt matter one whit. The band rocked like mad, the crowd danced, sweated, and smiled. You know... Like at any WogglesÕ show. Saturday Afternoon I woke up late. No surprise, considering that we got munchies after the show on Friday and ended up pigging out back at the hotel. How to spend Saturday afternoon... Well, it was obvious weÕd head over to the bar later on, but to start off, the pool looked inviting. This was the beginning of my sunburn. And IÕve gotta admit, even after it got worse, I still hung out by the pool Ôcuz I was having such a good time. By mid-afternoon, just about every Fuzzfester staying at the place was in the pool or around it. The music was rockinÕ, the alcohol was flowing freely, and people were on top of the world. This was living. I mean, youÕre hanging out with garage-rockinÕ fiends from all over, the weatherÕs gorgeous, and the party is swinginÕ. What more could you want? (Well, uh... OK, but go back to your room already.) Of course, the Captain Cook & the Nootka Sound guys had to show us all up with their damn He-Man bodies, but weÕll forgive Ôem since they showed up in full regalia to take group shots poolside. Saturday Night I donÕt show up late for fests. (Well, not since I missed most of the first band on Night #1 of GarageShock Ô95 due to extreme overtiredness.) We were there in plenty of time for Washington, DCÕs rough-and-tough Misery Makers. These guys started things off nicely, getting us oiled up for another night of wild rockÕnÕroll, acquitting themselves pretty well (thoÕ I did feel their lead singer looked a bit herky-jerky up there.) Michael Daboll of The Element 79 appeared onstage next, joined by his new bandmates in an outfit called The Down ÔN Outs. YouÕve read about these guys, IÕm sure. Well, stop reading and get out to one of their gigs. They effinÕ ROCK! (And roll!) Their drummer was a wild man and they kept up beautifully. This was down (and out) garage rockinÕ, dirty and beautiful. Next it was time for the Northeast to strike a blow, courtesy of The Omega Men. These gals and guy came on and played most of the hits off their debut disc, along with a couple other fine tracks. Susan Mackey always sounds damn good on that Hammond and the instros were having the intended effect. Of course, theyÕve also got some vocal ravers and those certainly kicked the crowdÕs collective carcass, as well. In case you couldnÕt figure it out, The New Conolly 6 involve Jeff Conolly of The Lyres. But who were the backup band? Well, my friends, that would be none other than one of the finest bands on todayÕs scene, The Hatebombs. The set began with only the ÔBombs doing a number of frenzied faves. IÕve gotta admit, they had me to the point where I didnÕt much care if they did a whole set on their own. These guys are mind-blowing. However, Jeff Conolly was waiting in the wings and would not be denied. He wanted ON! And soon he was. Was I disappointed? Well, at first I was bummed that the Hatebombs were done. But then they ripped into hit after LyresÕ hit and I was flying all over again. ThereÕs only one band that probably couldÕve handled the final slot of the evening. Luckily, they were on hand. For the third time in only a few weeks, I was seeing The Bomboras. Was I bored with them? Hell, NO! Sorry, these guys are one of the best there is. The Northeast tour theyÕd only recently completed had included Ms. Erin T. of the Girl Bombs as a second Go-Go Gal. Well, since she was on hand for the Fuzztivities, she joined them once again. The guys had everything perfect for this one, props and all. (The fact that they could get up in a bare room with their underwear on and still send a crowd on the wildest of thrill rides makes it all the wilder.) I found myself dancing with one of the prettiest girls in the room (too bad she was moving to SF with her boyfriend not long thereafter). She was a ton of fun and very into the band. When the guys asked the crowd to come up, she grabbed me up there with her and we gladly danced it down up there along with everyone else. I kept thinking, ÒIf only every night could be a BomborasÕ show.Ó) Sunday Afternoon I woke up late again. (Like you were expecting something else?) What was different between today and yesterday? Probably the fact that I was having such a good time hanging out around the pool that I never bothered to head down to the bar till it was time for the music to begin. Much as I enjoyed that time, this pool stuff with the whole gang was too much fun to miss. I mustÕve spent around seven hours hanging out with various people poolside. Best of all, Mike Sin had some InsomniacsÕ frisbees for us to fling around. Now ThatÕs Entertainment. Sunday Night My summer was terrifyingly close to ending. But even if I couldÕve stopped time before tonight and been off forever, I wouldnÕtÕve done it. Nope, the lineup was too good. To start, we had the only non-local band to be repeating two years in a row, Les Incapables. Originally, NYCÕs Defilers were supposed to be playing the gig, but... well, they broke up a few weeks earlier. Luckily, most of MontrealÕs French-language rockÕnÕroll ravers were heading down anyway, so they jumped at the chance to get on the bill. Their lead-off slot on Sunday topped even their previous yearÕs performance, getting everyone swinging right from the get-go. Next up were Captain Cook & the Nootka Sound, from Victoria, BC. I knew this bunch via the demo tape their organmeister, the Amazing Larry, had given me at Fuzzfest Ô97. They came on looking a bit like Paul Revere & the Raiders and proceeded to play some fun covers (including bubblegum classic ÒChewy ChewyÓ), plus some dynamite originals. They were fun, with a big wide grin and a happy, danceable sound. Next up was a band of Minneapolis guys IÕd been desperately looking forward to for quite some time (thanks to recordings sent my way by their bassist, Keith Patterson). Yup, IÕm talking about The Conquerors. They got the Beat burning, the Rhythm rocking, and everybody out on the floor. Talk about tight! Amazing songs, incredible playing, fantastic showmanship... And a fight! Yeah, thatÕs right. No way to gloss over that one. At some point, the guitarist got super-pissed at the organ player and flew across the stage in a blind fury, ready to throttle him. Now thatÕs the kind of rockÕnÕroll you donÕt get to see too often. Once separated, the band got back to the business at hand, which was that mindboggling rockÕnÕroll stuff, from pretty pop to frenzied beat to cold ballads. No matter what direction they took, they had it. Yup, theyÕre just one of those exceptional bands that deserves a seat at any Round Table of RockÕnÕRoll. Next up were HollandÕs The 1-2-5. Some people seemed to really like them. Me? Well, they werenÕt bad, but it seemed like almost every song was a fairly well-known garage cover. ThereÕs nothing really wrong with that, but I didnÕt find them exciting. To wind up Fuzzfest Ô98, Glynis and Richard had convinced NYC faves The A-Bones to have another go at it. (IÕm sure this played no small part in them doing those other couple shows in the NYC area in August and September.) ItÕs a well-known fact that the ÔBones can keep a party going and going and going. And they did. Best of all, everyone was perfectly willing to let them. We danced. We sweated (profusely). We were happy. It was all A-BonesÕ hits, all the time. All too soon, it was time to skedaddle. As per usual, I was hanging outside the bar till almost everyone was gone, saying my goodbyes. We went back to the hotel and I decided my night was not going to end. Munchies in hand, I hung out talking with various other ÔFesters. (Hee, hee, I said, Òfesters.Ó) I even ended up poolside again, talking with Les Incapables and various others. Once everyone finally went back inside, I got my stuff together, showered, and got ready to go. Sadly, there will be no Fuzzfest Ô99. LetÕs face it, these things are a painus-in-the-anus to put together. IÕm just thankful that Glynis and Richard (and their various helpers) did so. ==================== Cave Stomp Ô98 For years, the phrase ÒCave StompÓ was a lingering memory of The Vipers holding court at The Dive on West 29th Street back around 1984Õs Summer of Fuzz. Then in 1997, VipersÕ vocalist Jon Weiss decided to put together a two-night garage festacular. Of all the bands that played, only three were present-day working bands. Most of the rest were reunions by bands from the scene The Vipers had been a part of - the wild 80s garage scene that I, personally, came of age in. So, yeah, I was happy. Of course, Cave Stomp Ô97 is best remembered for the final band of the weekend - ? & the Mysterians, whose spectacular performance endeared them to everyone in attendance. As the entire event was recorded, the MysteriansÕ set was turned into a live disc and soon the band was playing all over the place. Summer, Ô98 rolled around and I hadnÕt heard much about whether Jon Weiss was planning a repeat. Eventually, we ran into each other and it became clear he wanted to do another one. By early September, Jon had an outline of who might appear. He was still planning a Friday-Saturday event, with six bands a night. However, he still had gaps. I suggested The Conquerors, out of Minneapolis, one of my favorite new bands both due to their then-upcoming 10Ó that bassist Keith Patterson had sent me on CD-R and Ôcuz of the incredible show theyÕd done at Fuzzfest about a week before Jon and I talked. Jon asked me what I knew about The Mt. McKinleys, another of my favorite newer bands. (I gave him the obvious thumbs-up.) There were two other bands I wanted to see, both of whom would require reunions. The first was The Raunch Hands. I knew only that guitarist Mike Mariconda and vocalist Michael Chandler were in Austin, Texas. I told Jon I could probably get MaricondaÕs phone number, but heÕd have to do the legwork. Well, Mr. Weiss consented. And so it was done. The other band I wanted to see was The Cynics. ThereÕs a band that was top tier during a time when garage fandom had waned, but could still not only bring in the crowds somehow, but drive them wild every time. Even at the end of their time together, when I didnÕt think anyone cared any longer, they jam-packed a club in New York with fans ready, willing, and able to rock and roll all night long. Jon made the calls. Slowly, it came together. In fact, it was all set right up until maybe three weeks before the event... and then - somehow - it fell apart. Was I disappointed? As Stone Cold Steve Austin would say (and Manitoba would be glad to echo), ÒHELL YEAH!Ó Did it put a damper on my anticipatory delight in the events soon to unfold? Well, no. The lineup, by then, was looking too damn good. See, even if you took out a ton of the acts that were set to appear, Jon had succeeded in booking Barry & the Remains. That alone was enough for me. Besides, if The Cynics werenÕt playing Cave Stomp, Ô98, the fact that theyÕd come so close meant that maybe - just maybe - there was a chance theyÕd get back together and do a show somewhere. No more than three weeks before Night #1 of Cave Stomp Ô98, Jon Weiss called with some news. ÒIÕm adding Sunday night.Ó ÒUh... OK,Ó I replied, kinda confused by the timing of this announcement. ÒWhy?Ó ÒI got The Pretty Things.Ó ÒWOW!Ó Then I came back down to Earth. ÒUh... who else is gonna play that night?Ó If Jon hadnÕt just told me The Pretty Things were playing, his answer mightÕve been the best part of the call. ÒI donÕt know. IÕve got The Pretty Things.Ó Funny thing is, he had a point. He had The Pretty Things. Who the hell cared who else was on the bill? There are people out there who say all these fests are ridiculous - we should just go to shows as they come up and be happy with that. Well, I am happy doing just that. However, a fest is something to focus on; itÕs a special event that brings together not only some great bands, but fans from all over who want to be there for the excitement. So, not only do you get lots of amazing music, but you also get a chance to hang out with friends from all over the place (as well as make some new ones.) ÔNuff said. Friday Night: I was there early. There was no way in hell I was gonna miss one minute of this. I was hanginÕ out upstairs early, saying hi to friends and generally yapping up a storm, taking in the atmosphere of a great weekend ready to unfold. Eventually, the doors to downstairs were opened. It was still a bit of time before things started (gotta let at least a bit of a crowd build up), but soon The Mt. McKinleys were on the stage. Had they not been on such a star-studded bill, these guys certainly wouldÕve deserved to be in something better than the lead-off spot. But this was a night filled with bands that had been around for far longer. They were the new kids. Well, they did a fantastic set, of course, garnering a number of new fans with their psych-garage sounds, theremin and all. Next up was a band that never really meant much to me back in their day, Plasticland. They were known for a trippy flower-pop psych sound that had a number of fans at the time. I just wasnÕt one of them. Still, I figured I ought to at least give Ôem another listen, seeing as they were reuniting for this event. As it turned out, one of the core members was missing. And, quite honestly, they didnÕt do much for me. I moved to the back after awhile. I came back up for a bit when they were doing the one song IÕd always liked of theirÕs (ÒSipping The BitternessÓ from Battle of the Garages Vol. II), but it didnÕt sound as good in this setting as on the record, so I went to the back again. One thing I can say, though, is that a number of people seemed to really be enjoying them. IÕm not sure that wouldÕve happened at any other fests. Perhaps Cave Stomp, being strongly rooted in the 80s scene, brings out enough of the old fans that a band like this can get a favorable response. Third on the dance card were one of NYCÕs best bands of the late 80s, The Headless Horsemen. Action-packed and still tighter than your favorite cheerleaderÕs sweater, these guys wowed the crowd with a set that included their always-stellar version of ÒJumpinÕ In The NightÓ and their own ÒCanÕt Help But ShakeÓ (still high on my hit list.) This yearÕs crowd was far more diverse than the one from a year earlier. People had come from all over for the event and, as a result, a relatively small percentage had any clue who The Headless Horsemen actually were. Well, by the end of their set, their only regret was that the band wasnÕt still a working unit. Horsemen guitarist Elan Portnoy wasnÕt done for the evening. See, he was doing double-duty this evening. Before Elan helped form The Headless Horsemen, heÕd been a member of The Fuzztones. And tonight, the NYC chapter of the group was coming together once again. Well, not completely. Rudi Protrudi, of course, was on hand to handle vox and guitar; the Vox vixen, Deb OÕNair was there to play organ; and, of course there was Elan. But drummer Ira Elliott was in Europe with his current band, Nada Surf. To fill that slot in, Rudi brought a friend in from LA. But where was bassist Michael Jay? Well, theyÕd looked. Unfortunately, theyÕd been unsuccessful. Well, history was on the bandÕs side. See, Michael Jay was not the original FuzztonesÕ bassist. So, the Fuzztones had the bottom covered. Personally, I loved seeing the LA line-up play Cave Stomp Ô97. But this NYC version meant more. And, considering this was New York, I think the crowd appreciated it more, too. I mean, itÕd been about 12 or 13 years since Rudi, Deb, and Elan played together. (And even longer than that since the bassist had been with them.) But it came together beautifully, in that fuzz-laden psycho-punk way this band always had. Say what you like about The FuzztonesÕ later incarnations, the NYC group were special. They looked like a band; they acted like a band; they belonged together. And they did some great records, too, including one of the best 45s of that decade, ÒBad News Travels Fast.Ó Coney Island High was jammed by the time The Fuzztones took the stage. I was right up front, near Fuzbrains Ôzine editrix Deb Beaudry. The Fuzztones started in and everything was right with the world. Obviously, Rudi still holds certain charms for the ladies. At one point, he asked for something to drink; a gal up front yelled out, ÒYou can drink my saliva!Ó Eventually, it was time to finish up. For that, Rudi launched into a spiel to describe the guy who was gonna come up and play with them, describing them as the heaviest thing heÕd seen as a kid. Turns out they were bringing up the guitarist from the Vanilla Fudge. Now, this isnÕt quite what many garage fans mightÕve wanted to see; I mean, I was never much of a Vanilla Fudge fan and I certainly didnÕt want to hear any of their stuff. Then he and Elan launched into ÒPsychotic ReactionÓ and I knew it was gonna be alright. Rudi wanted his Vox but there was some kinda hold-up, so he went ahead and started singing. Soon, thoÕ, his Vox appeared. Rudi plugged in... and proceeded to drown out both Elan and Mr. Fudge. (Now that was funny! Bring up one of your heros and make it so people canÕt hear him.) But it was fun. Especially when Rudi got to, uh... Well, umm, he and the guitar seemed to have a special relationship. I asked Elan later that night about how it had been playing two sets in a row. Not a problem, really. What had tired him was the fact that The Fuzztones had evidently practiced eight hours a day for three days straight to get ready for this. ÒIt was like being in a cult!Ó Yup, the Cult of Fuzz. The Chesterfield Kings were back again this year. They blasted in sounding great... Until it became clear that GregÕs mic wasnÕt working. That took a couple songs to fix. Too bad, really, Ôcuz they were sounding damn good. That sort of stole some of their momentum. About six or seven songs in, The C. Kings were joined by Mark Lindsay, formerly of Paul Revere & The Raiders. Simply put, this was a killer combo. The Kings were the perfect band to back him and they proved it. This was like listening to The Raiders with tons of snarl and punch. Yeah, we got six or seven RaidersÕ faves, including ÒSteppinÕ Stone,Ó ÒJust Like Me,Ó ÒKicks,Ó and ÒSteppinÕ Out.Ó This band was O-N, ON! Finishing up the evening was SeedsÕ singer Sky Saxon backed by the Mysterians. I tried (hard) to watch this. The Mysterians were solid as a rock, but Sky was crumbling all over the place. Talk about a casualty. The guy has no voice left, looks like absolute hell, and doesnÕt even have much of a stage persona to carry him through. Yeah, I love my SeedsÕ records, but this may have been as bad as The Shadows of KnightÕs performance last year! Mark Lindsay came on to join Sky later on and all I could think of was The Raiders advice, ÒKicks ainÕt bringing you peace of mind.Ó At 4 AM, I decided IÕd rather catch the 4:30 bus home than listen to more of this crud (and have to wait till 6 to head home), so I took off. Saturday Afternoon: I didnÕt exactly get up at the crack of dawn. Heck, thatÕs about when I walked in the door. I made it back into town sometime around 4, catching a subway down to the WFMU Record Fair, where, of course, I ran into most of the Cave Stompers in from out of town (not to mention most of the regulars from the NYC metro area). I felt kinda bad for some of the record dealers, who obviously had to be up way too early in the morning after a pretty late night. (And a few of them would be doing it again that night.) IÕd completely forgotten that The Pretty Things were doing a live on-the-air thing for ÔFMU that afternoon in a back room at the record fair, so I just happened to luck into a crowd looking in on them near the beginning of their (unplugged) mini-set. It was a damn good performance that whet my appetite for the show theyÕd be doing a day later. Saturday Night: IÕd heard one or two songs by the Mad 3 and not been overly impressed. Basically, they came off like another Guitar Wolf-type band. And, while I enjoy watching those guys, that feeling usually last for about three songs. Personal preference; donÕt shoot me. I watched the Mad 3 from a distance back. They were OK, but they left me with the same feeling IÕd started with. The Conquerors were up next. I was up front right away. They had some sound problems, but they played a fine set. These guys had a number of fans in attendance from various out-of-town locales. The only people in NYC who knew them were those of us whoÕd seen them at Fuzzfest, but we were hardly their only fans. And they got a good number of people pretty revved. (Read a review of their 10Óer in that section of this mag. - ed.) Finally, it was time for The Raunch Hands. Old fans materialized out of the woodwork. Even over five years after theyÕd broken up (and almost fifteen since they formed), this band is still talked about by fans. Their sound was never really in line with that of any particular scene, although they were favorites of the garage scene for years. And they still appeal to current garage fans, too. This was one of the early 90s lineups of the band and they were really up for the show, tearing through their material like theyÕd never been gone. It was pure joy seeing them again. [I talked to George just before this issue was laid out and he told me theyÕd all really enjoyed playing together and would consider doing it again. I also asked if theyÕd ever think about doing another record and he said anything was possible. So, all you record labels, please try and convince them.] ÒSTOMPERS!Ó Yep, thatÕs right, Peter Zaremba was the MC once again this year. But this time out, The Fleshtones were on the bill, as well. Now that certainly made for an interesting turn of events. ItÕs been most gratifying these past few years to see garage fans take The Fleshtones into their hearts. As well they should! These guys have been cranking out good time rockÕnÕroll music for over twenty years. For some reason, though, for years it seemed they werenÕt considered part of the garage scene. However, in recent years theyÕve played Treblefest, Fuzz Fest, Sleaze Fest, and (now) Cave Stomp. In addition, theyÕve toured and played with a number of more traditional garage scene bands. The place was pretty packed when it came time for SuperRockTM. And the boys in the band were ready for action. They delivered full force in 3 Dimensional Sound. On stage, in the audience, all around... They showed the crowd just what it means to be a part of The Fleshtones experience. The crowd responded in kind, dancing up a storm, with sweaty smiles abounding. Yea, and it was good. MC Zaremba took the mic... ÒThe Bosstown Sounds... IÕve been informed, for the first time in the USA in 22 years. Say YEAH for Barry & The Remains.Ó ÒLadies and Gentlemen... We are The Remains,Ó said Barry Tashian, his vocal inflections nearly identical to the ones on the recordings a large percentage of the audience probably had committed to memory. And then came that classic version of ÒHang On Sloopy,Ó sounding at least as good as it sounded on the record. For my money, The Remains version is the version. ThereÕs more heart than in any other version, but it doesnÕt stop there. Right here in the first song of the set, it was obvious why we all care so much about a band that was only together for a couple years (right around the year I was born.) These guys can PLAY! Yeah, theyÕve got tremendous talent. Plus they know how to arrange a song. They rave this thing up like nobody else ever did. The call-answer Yeah-YEAH,Yeah-YEAH still knocks me over beyond anything imaginable. The crowd went absolutely nuts, far louder than anything else the entire weekend. And this was just the first song. Next up was ÒMy Babe,Ó with the harmonica crying along. Then, ÒHereÕs a little tune I wrote. It came out in March of 1965... ItÕs called ÔWhy Do I Cry.ÕÓ (Audience screams!) If anyone ever doubted The Remains were one of the greatest bands of the 1960s, this was proof positive. Next up was ÒSay YouÕre Sorry.Ó This is when I began to realize that everyone around me was as enraptured as I was. People had a look on their faces that IÕm not sure IÕve seen before. They were seeing and hearing something theyÕd never expected to experience and they appreciated it beyond words. But it went further than that, Ôcuz beyond thinking of this as some sort of historical artifact come to life, it was pure rockÕnÕroll and mindblowing in that context alone. No doubt about it, thereÕs a reason The Remains legend has grown over the years. They hit a mini-set of covers next. First was Òa little something we picked up in England, itÕs called ÒAll Day And All of the Night.Ó Here, the bandÕs arrangements and playing come to the fore. Yeah, we all love The KinksÕ original. Luckily, Barry & the Remains were talented enough to come up with an arrangement that works without being a complete copy. This was wild, everything you could hope for. They followed it with ÒLike A Rolling Stone.Ó IÕll admit IÕm not a Dylan fan. By that, however, I mean I donÕt much like listening to Dylan. The first time I heard The Byrds, I knew that Dylan could write some great songs; it was just his voice that irritated me. The Remains offer yet more proof, making this one sound great. Next came ÒTalkinÕ ÔBout You,Ó as they were in pure rockÕnÕroll heaven. BarryÕs solo was good-time rockÕnÕroll fun, Bill Briggs played a keyboard solo that reminded me how important that sound could be to rockÕnÕroll, and Vern MillerÕs bass was fluid and tasteful. And, yeah, APPLAUSE! ÒNot bad, but we had a lot of fun in 1965. HavinÕ fun tonight, too. HereÕs one that was on our first - our only - Epic album. It was written by our rhythm section, our drummer and our bass player. And weÕd like to do it for you.Ó Yeah, it was time for ÒOnce Before.Ó IÕve always loved the way the keys and guitar meld together on this one. And the rhythm is damn cool, too, the sort of start-stop sound that hesitates only for the briefest time. And Chip DamianiÕs drumming was fantastic. The crowd was screaming out requests. ÒYou know, we didnÕt use to play these songs, a lot of them. WeÕre playing songs off our album that we never did live. And weÕre really enjoying it, Ôcuz itÕs something new for us, too.Ó And they went into ÒAinÕt That Her.Ó The vocals were sounding great. This oneÕs hardly a raver, but it got the crowd going nevertheless. Good songwriting can do that. Bom-Bom Baa-AAA. Bom-Bom Baa-AAA. Yeah, ÒALL GOOD THINGS.Ó HereÕs one thatÕs upbeat and fun. My favorite part, thoÕ, has always been when they take it down... Then charge back in at what you think is full force, until only seconds later when they break out completely. Following that was ÒMe Right Now,Ó yet another great Remains track. Perhaps these guys didnÕt do many of these back in the mid-60s, but they certainly sounded great doing them in 1998. Time to intro the band, then. These intros got a ton of applause and then it was time for them to start ÒWalkinÕ The Dog.Ó The groupÕs R&B side came to the fore as Barry led in with a nice guitar intro. And then to one of the prettiest songs in The RemainsÕ repertoire, ÒThank You.Ó Soft and gentle, melodic in all ways possible. When Barry sang, ÒI want to thank you for givinÕ every kind of lovinÕ that IÕve known,Ó the emotion sounded so genuine it was breathtaking. ÒWe are the evening children singing a midnight song,Ó said Barry. And soon... ÒDiddy Wah Diddy.Ó Rough and ready rockÕnÕroll, constant pressure the whole way. ÒThis songÕs about something none of us are having.Ó With that, it was kinda obvious what had to be next. Then Barry welcomed ChipÕs son Chris who came up to play tambourine for ÒLonely Weekend.Ó IÕve always loved the way this one comes on so sweet and soft, then slowly builds up the power, emphasizing the longing as the intensity rises. Back down and soon a soulful guitar solo. ÒWeÕve got one more for you.Ó What else could it be? ThatÕs right, ÒDonÕt Look Back.Ó Would they do what so many older bands do at reunions and try and rework one of their classic recordings into something new? NOPE! The Remains played it exactly the way we all wanted to hear it, just like they did the rest of the set. The highlight of the song? ThatÕs easy - listening to ChipÕs wild drumming at the end. Excellent. The applause was absolutely THUNDERING! Zaremba came on to do his thing, telling us The Litter would be up soon, but the applause was deafening. I looked at a couple people next to me and started chanting, ÒWe Want The Remains! We Want The Remains!Ó Soon the whole place was shouting both that and ÒWe Want More!Ó They obliged. ÒWe only know one more so weÕre gonna give it to you right here.Ó Then an obvious wink, ÒItÕs a real slow one.Ó Time for ÒIÕm A Man.Ó YEOW! When these guys hit the break, they went absolutely NUTS. And then cranking it up a notch past escape velocity and into orbit, taking the whole crowd with them. They gave it absolutely everything they had (and more!) creating a sonic sound beyond anything I couldÕve imagined. The Remains were glad to be playing together again. They were happy and so were we. I was in a daze. I kept thinking, ÒIÕve just seen The Remains.Ó The first time I remember hearing a RemainsÕ record was at The Dive when I was 18. Who knew that almost fifteen years later IÕd actually get to see them? So, yeah, I was walking around on Cloud 9, all the more so because theyÕd blown me away. Yup, I was happy. The Remains hadnÕt wanted to go on too late in the evening, so the final slot was filled by 60s legends The Litter. They began by saying, ÒYou just heard the East Coast version of ÒIÕm A Man,Ó now weÕre gonna show you the Midwest version.Ó And so they did. It was damn good, too. In fact, the first couple songs were powerful rockÕnÕroll. Unfortunately for The LItter, IÕd just seen The Remains, and there was absolutely NOTHING that was going to compare to that. Still, for those first couple songs, I was still pretty revved. However, it was obvious that the crowd knew that the eveningÕs climax had come and gone, Ôcuz a portion of the audience had done so as well. And soon The Litter began slipping into more of a bar band blues type thing... Decent for what it was, but not enough to keep my juices flowing to the point where I wanted to be up front. I took a breather and moved back a ways, content to hang out with friends and listen from a distance. I moved up went they got to ÒAction Woman,Ó but that was about it. Yeah, they were good... But they werenÕt The Remains. (Side note: I heard someone praising The Litter for still having the old Farfisa. Thing is, IÕm 99.44% sure that - and some other equipment they used - belonged to their fellow Minneapolitans, The Conquerors.) Sunday Night: This was it. After a wild weekend of hanging out with friends from all over - including a sizeable delegation from Michigan, the Florida contingent, friends from Toronto and Montreal,a bunch of the gang from LondonÕs Dirty Water Club, and a number of other places - it was all about to finish up. But we had this one last night to go wild. Being that it was Sunday night and many of us had to work the next morning, tonightÕs show was set to begin at 8, for real. (Sort of.) What was different this evening is that a large portion of the crowd was actually on time. Unlike previous fests in NYC, this crowd was actually coming together; maybe not in the same way as at a Fuzzfest, GarageShock, etc., but definitely together. Jon Weiss had been raving to me about this band heÕd brought over from Spain for the event, a bunch of young kids called The Nuggets. IÕd seen them hanging out over the weekend, pretty psyched about the event, kinda clustered together Ôcuz they probably didnÕt know anyone in the whole place. I was up front, waiting to see what they could do. Well, what they did was play a complete set of garage covers, mostly of the more well-known material. In fact, the only real deviation from the Òpure 60s garageÓ agenda was when they hit ÒI Wanna Be Your Dog.Ó They were decent at what they were doing, but it didnÕt exactly overwhelm me. I just didnÕt see the point of coming over from Spain to open up a show doing this kind of thing. Maybe in time theyÕll move on and do more originals, but this just didnÕt thrill me. Yeah, I enjoyed it to a point, but I was hardly blown away. Back in the mid-late 80s, The Optic Nerve were pretty popular around NYC. They existed at a time when putting out only a couple singles in some five years of existence was nothing unusual. Of course, five or six years after they broke up, two discs worth of recordings came out (one which included the singles, another that didnÕt.) Here we were, nearly ten years after they broke up, and they were back. TheyÕd done a reunion for Garage Rage back in late Ô95, featuring the original lineup - the core of the band, Bobby Belfiore and Tony Matura both on guitar and vocals, Frank Manlin on drums, and Orin Portnoy on bass. Well, at this point, it looks like The Optic Nerve arenÕt just doing a one-off reunion. Rather, theyÕre trying to do the band as a regular thing again. OrinÕs no longer taking part, but heÕs been replaced by Georgie Seville (ex-Chewy, and an original member of D-Generation). The surprise of The Optic Nerve at Cave Stomp came in that theyÕre doing very little of the old material. They opened with ÒAinÕt That A ManÓ and did one more of the old ones right after it before breaking into their new songs. In fact, much of the new material is pretty good. Still, I was bummed out that the old stuff seemed like it had been almost completely discarded. (Worse yet, the sound mix wasnÕt right until after those songs were done, so people didnÕt get to hear how damn good they were.) Back in their day, The Optic Nerve were doing a jangly folk-rock thing that almost nobody else was into at the time. There are still elements of that sound, but the new material actually updates it to sound fresh. It was kinda cool to me to see guys sounding more relevant to today now that theyÕre in their mid-late 30s than they did when they were in their early 20s. IÕm hoping they get it together and can record some of the new material. The other band Jon had picked to fill out the bill for the final night was The 5,6,7,8s, who heÕd been impressed by while in London a month earlier. These gals have played NYC a number of times over the past 5 years, but itÕs always a treat to see them. Unfortunately, IÕm writing this nearly six months after the event (so IÕm a procrastinator!), so I donÕt remember too much of their set. I do remember them doing a Pretty Things cover, thoÕ! This was a good set, but hardly the best IÕve ever seen them. On the other hand, it may have been me, chomping at the bit Ôcuz The Pretty Things were about to come on. And come on they did, dressed like the guys from Reservoir Dogs. They looked dangerous. Never mind the fact that Dick Taylor is no spring chicken. They looked like they meant business. And was soon apparent that they certainly did. The place was jam-packed, despite the fact that it was late on a Sunday night. It seemed nobody gave a ratÕs ass how they felt the next morning. (Come to think of it, many people probably played it smart and called in sick.) I know I felt like absolute crap at work the next day. I was right up in front of the stage, ready to go nuts. They began with a bunch of their mid-60s hits, Maximum R&B action just the way everyone dreams itÕs supposed to be. Age played absolutely no part. The bandÕs manager was kind of funny. He was dressed in some sort of black spandex pants, with a shirt that kind of hung off his rather ample stomach. He wanted so badly to be a Pretty Thing, too. He seemed to have an odd role, going from introducing the band to playing some percussion and singing occasional backing vocals right down to coming into the audience to grab someoneÕs video camera. From what I hear, though, heÕs done the band a world of good from a managerial standpoint. The group also hit a number of songs from SF Sorrow. While this period will never appeal to me the way their earlier, more primal material does, they sounded excellent on them. It was only when they hit some tracks from their progressive period that I lost focus. This is not to say it was bad. Rather, that stuffÕs just not my cup oÕ cola. There was one later track, however, that completely did it for me - ÒHavana Bound.Ó True, itÕs not their powerful R&B sound, but itÕs still good-time rockÕnÕroll fun. And it had me singing along. They finished up by hitting more of the early material. By the end of the night everyone was obviously happy. It had been a great set. The Pretty Things were still a force to be reckoned with. HereÕs hoping they come back soon. Cave Stomp Ô98 was a distinct improvement over the previous year. Overall, there was a better lineup; the crowd was both more diverse and more a part of one another; and the performances were - on the whole - on a higher level. I had tons of goodbyes to say and, despite the late hour, I made sure I got to everyone I wouldnÕt be seeing for some time to come. Another great weekend was over, but IÕd seen bands that I never thought IÕd see in my life, as well as a couple of old favorites that I didnÕt think IÕd see again. HereÕs to next year... ==================== ÒCome on folks, fill up the dance floor, itÕs shag time!Ó An Interview with the Woggles In London Text and photos by Steve Coleman On October 4th Ô98 the Woggles finished their first Euro blast with frenetic set at the Dirty Water Club in London. A modest crowd made it to Tufnell Park, most of the garage rock punters were probably still recovering from the Wild Weekend a few days before, but those there caught one of the worldÕs most ÒshakinÕ and vibratinÕÓ combos. Earlier in the day the boys played a ten minute spot on BBC Greater London Radio which not only left the presenter speechless, in part due to Professor JonesÕ tongue twisting superlatives between each number, but also prepared those of us lucky enough to have an ear to the dial for that eveningÕs show. Most of Teen SceneÕs US readers will have seen the Woggles a whole heap of times. But for their fans in Europe this was a whole new experience. Sure weÕve got the records but how many times have you been let down once a band materializes in 3D before your eyes? Luckily this was not to be the case. As I said the numbers were meagre but even so the Woggles played out of their skins and spent most of their set dashing back and forth between stage and dance floor while whipping the crowd along . Put simply, absolutely no one in the audience remained still by the third song! Where the hell does their manic rockinÕ depravity come from? Do these guys have infinite reserves of energy? Is there a secret ingredient in that sweet tea theyÕre so fond of? Even the memory of the Montague, and heÕs not a small chap, jumping off the five foot high stage mid-song left this punter pretty much impressed. The least I could do after such a lunatic lunge was to set his microphone straight! Yep, those Woggles certainly know how to boogaloo whether it be in Atlanta, Tokyo or London. No question about it. Winding the clock back to that night in November, say till around thirty minutes before the guys had changed into their blue frilly shirts and lit the musical litmus at The Dirty Water Club, I sat down with Dan Electro, Montague the Human Metronome, Buzz Hagstrom and Professor Jones for a chat about the Euro tour and the mini album. Teen Scene: The line-up for WailinÕ With The Woggles is completely different to Teen Dance Party. Why is the line-up so fluid? The Professor: MontagueÕs been in the band six years, BuzzÕs been in the band six years and DanÕs been in three years so in a way itÕs misleading and I hear this all the time. The band has been in existence for eleven years so for 50% of the time these guys have all been involved in the band. Initially the band started when the members were going to school in Georgia and most of us worked at the student radio station. We played once every couple of months for parties mainly, then started playing clubs and recording some things. TS: So how did an Englishman arrive in the band? Buzz: I would go and see the Woggles from time to time when they would play Atlanta... Prof: From time to time but never a regular! Buzz: ...I was a regular! I was one of three people that was there at the shows. The window of opportunity was open and I was accepted. TS: ArenÕt you originally from Folkestone in Kent? Do you remember the Beatpack from Rye who were very active in the mid-eighties? Buzz: Yeah! I know the Beatpack and the Mystreated. I played in a few local bands but they were all crap. YouÕll have to find who when you interview the Mystreated. TS: YouÕve just been on a twenty-three date tour of Europe. How did it go? Prof: Well you know it was the best of times... Montague: ...It was the worst of times. Prof: ...Almost all the shows have been really, really fun to play. TS: Have people been familiar with the material? Prof: Well in the weirdest of places we were sometimes known. We played a mining town in the middle of Spain and they knew all words to the songs which was bizarre. Then we played to a larger audience in the Netherlands and there was only one or two people who were familiar with us at all and it was a huge crowd too. So it varies and you never know. TS: So which European country would you pick for the best garage rock crowd? Prof: I would think the people in Spain are the most instantly exuberant crowd. The moment the music starts people are dancing to the band. Buzz: Spain is definitely the place. Dan: The people in Spain are much more knowledgeable about the kind of music that weÕre into and what weÕre doing so that if we pull out another cover they all know the words to it. Buzz: All the bars you go into afterwards theyÕre playing amazing music, garage, RÕnÕB, beat etc. TS: Bands like the Young Fresh Fellows, the Lyres and the Fleshtones do very well in Spain but hardly ever touch England due to limited interest here. You guys had a feather in your cap this morning doing a ÔliveÕ radio session on BBC GLR? That was quite a coup. Prof: Yeah! ThatÕs all JohnÕs doing from One Louder Records. HeÕs been working very, very hard on the record. TS: DidnÕt he also set up a TV recording session in Scotland for the new BBC digital TV channel at the beginning of the tour? Montague: For BBC Choice... TS: Has it been broadcast yet? Prof: What they told us was that it would be on in two weeks time. But thatÕs on the new digital channel and we were also told that there are maybe only two subscribers! Actually somebody who was working there said ÒOh yes, a friend of mine has oneÓ. Dan: IÕve also heard that the show, which is called The Beat Room, is gonna be reformatted and syndicated so you might actually see it on the normal BBC network. We recorded six songs with the idea that four will be aired during the program and that two will be kept for a compilation broadcast. TS: Scotland is a pretty good place for garage bands. ThereÕs the Thanes and the Kaisers and of course the Fleshtones original fan club was based there. ThereÕs always been a healthier interest in garage rock in comparison to England. Buzz: TheyÕre certainly very friendly up there! Prof: The crowd that showed up at the studio was just there to come in and didnÕt particularly know who we were but they were shakinÕ and vibratinÕ. TS: Talking of shakinÕ and vibratinÕ you guys have a big reputation for putting on a wild show? Prof: Well you know actually MontagueÕs head explodes at every show! TS: Manfred, what was all this I heard about you being out of action Ôcause you dived for a curtain on the stage, missed it, and hurt your back pretty badly? Prof: That was in February Ô97. To the right of the stage there was a curtain dividing the backstage area from the audience. The band were playing an instrumental and earlier I had climbed up on this thing and tested it with my weight to make sure it would support me. Anyway the band started playing the instrumental so I ran around, off stage, and jumped up on an amp and took the curtain, whooped it to the right and could hear the hooks go Òch, ch, ch, ch, ch, ch.... ,Ó then leaped up, grabbed it... Buzz: And collapsed like a sack of potatoes! Prof: ...and after I committed myself to the swing I came up right up to the point where I was unable to get my legs back underneath and everything came out of the ceiling. TS: Did you finish the show that night? Montague: Of course! Buzz: He crawled back up and there was blood. Montague: We played another instrumental for a few minutes. Prof: I hit the ground and I was worried that maybe IÕd hit my head but the song was so short, only like a minute and a half, and they were still playing so I figured that I hadnÕt lost any time. They didnÕt know what had happened to me. Buzz: I saw blood coming from him. Montague: I saw a blur falling from the ceiling out of the corner of my eye. Prof: So I got up and I was getting back up on stage and I was thinking, I really must clean myself up, lifted myself back on stage and these guys said ÒHey, shake it off, shake it off, keep going!Ó. Then I looked into MontagueÕs eyeÕs and he said, ÒYou donÕt have to be Jukebox hero man, lay downÓ. It was like the fourth song of the set so we managed to finish the set and by then my back started tightening up. Florida is a place where a lot of body mutilation goes on! TS: Is this something The Hatebombs are involved in? Buzz: TheyÕre definitely a part of that! Prof: So anyway we stopped and then the crowd wanted an encore so we played ÔJezebelÕ and I realized as I got out in the audience that there was blood all over me. I thought people are freaks, there were mirrors on the wall and I looked at myself and whoa... I looked horrible. I couldnÕt believe it and after the show I went to the emergency room. TS: Were you out of action for some time? Prof: Well we actually had to cancel the next nightÕs show and the following weekend. IÕm an inch short now to tell you the truth! TS: Changing the subject, the Woggles, like the Swinging Neckbreakers, have strong garage rock influences, but youÕre not averse to playing RÕnÕB pounders like ÔMy Baby Likes To BoogalooÕ right next to ÔAbbaÕ by the Paragons. Do you receive negative feedback from garage purists who only expect ÔBack From The GraveÕ influenced material? Prof: To anyone who is a garage purist they would be a complete moron not to recognize the evolution of rockÕnÕroll and all the elements which make up rockÕnÕroll whether itÕs an RÕnÕB thing, or an rockabilly thing or a jump blues thing and adapt it to a rockÕnÕroll format. Dan Electro: The Woggles are proto-garage! Buzz: HeÕs right, you play to these people and they think that the Woggles are this sixties mod thing, theyÕre all have their mod gear on, they stand there and itÕs not what they thought it would be but theyÕre still there, then maybe about halfway through the set theyÕll warm up to it. ItÕs not something that they thought it was gonna be, but itÕs still something they enjoy. TS: Sounds like the ÔReady, Steady, Go!Ó clip of Jerry Lee Lewis going nuts while surrounded by a crowd of kids in mohair suits. Dan Electro: YouÕre talking about whatÕs on the surface, be it paisley or pointed boots, versus whatÕs in the soul. TS: Some of my favorite songs by you guys are from The Zontar Sessions. ÔCarnivoreÕ sounds like it was recorded with a cheap microphone and reminds of a typical recording by thee Headcoats. Prof: Yeah, ItÕs kinda like the same vocal approach, ditto for ÔIÕve Got Your NumberÕ and some other things. TS: I find Teen Dance Party tame in comparison to The Zontar Sessions and the One Louder mini-album. Prof: Well you know the difference there is... Montague: Six years! Prof: Well not even that Ôcause some of The Zontar Sessions was recorded before that record. But the difference is the Woggles going into the studio and doing what the Woggles do as opposed to the Woggles going into a studio and doing what someone else thinks should be done. It was recorded the way someone thought the record should be made and ignoring what the band wanted to do! TS: Is this why you moved from Estrus to Telstar? Prof: ItÕs more like an example of knowing what our strengths and weaknesses our and he didnÕt pay attention to that, he wanted to do it his way and I respected him a lot for his business and for what he does and thatÕs all well and good. So we tried it his way and it was pretty obvious that itÕs not the way we were. TS: A cultural question now. HowÕs that sweet tea in Europe? Prof: You know there hasnÕt been any sweet tea in Europe. Have you noticed that? Dan: ThereÕs LiptonÕs tea! Prof: The New World can still teach the Old World one or two things. Dan Electro: Another thing we can teach you is convenience stores twenty four hours a day. TS: But we have plenty of 7-11Õs. Dan Electro: But not as widespread as in America and Japan. Mind you England is better than the rest of Europe. TS: Talking of England, I can hear a bit of British slang creeping into the Woggles vocabulary. For instance the word ÒshagÓ in ÔDo Me WrongÕ. Do your compatriots know what youÕre talking about? Prof: The Woggles do! TS: A ÒshagÓ is not strictly an invitation to dance in the UK? Prof: WeÕll have to get everybody at it, ÒCome on folks, fill up the dance floor, itÕs shag time!Ó TS: WhoÕs the mysterious Flesh Hammer on the mini-album? Prof: There was a band in Athens called Hillbilly Frankenstein and the bass player with them is the Flesh Hammer. His human name, when heÕs not in a super hero form, is Jeff Walls and he also produced the Get Tough album on Telstar. TS: ThereÕs a few songs on WailinÕ With The Woggles which give the girls a hard time? For instance ÔI DonÕt Need Your LoveÕ, ÔDo Me WrongÕ and ÔPlay PrettyÕ. These are nasty little numbers. Dan Electro: ÔDo Me WrongÕ isnÕt necessarily a bad thing about girls itÕs merely a commentary on what bad girls do to me. TS: Last question. You mentioned Joe Meek on the radio this afternoon. So does the fact that tonightÕs show is so close to his old studio have a special significance? Buzz: Well, weÕll expect some vibrations from his old valve studio coming through our amps. Prof: Yeah, while stomping hard on the boards and visualizing the look on his landladyÕs face before he fired the shotgun! RECOMMENDED LISTENING The Woggles - WailinÕ With The Woggles! (One Louder LOUDEST 29) For further information visit the WogglesÕ web site at : http://www.hostess.com/Woggles ==================== Whatever Happened To The Nuthins & The Tight Trouser Scene? An Interview With ÔMojoÕ Mills by Steve Coleman Last summer the Nuthins finally called it quits after nine years of making some mighty fine garage rock sounds here in the UK. Formed in Wiltshire at the tail end of the eighties by five spotty teens intent on avoiding the heavy metal music favored by other local bands, they succeeded in not only shaking down a bit of local action but also gaining a positive reaction on their trips up to the Big Smoke. I must have seen the Nuthins through most of the line-up changes at the St JohnÕs Tavern in Archway and later down at The Dirty Water Club in Tufnell Park. Always paying special attention to detail, not only in the choice of covers but also in terms of appearance, each show was characterized by an honest what-the-hell attitude. While members came and went the core remained Richie on drums, Bob on keyboards and Mojo on guitar and, increasingly towards the end, lead vocals. Despite leaving home, going to college and doing all those things that post-teens do, the Nuthins somehow managed to keep it together for nine years and on an ÒonÓ night they were damn good value for the £3.50 entrance charge. Once news of their demise went ÒofficialÓ I tracked down Mojo to his pad on Turnpike Lane in North London and demanded the full scoop. Teen Scene: So tell me about the Nuthins. What were the highs and lows? Mojo: The early days were the biggest highs when the band had just formed. This was around 1989- 90 and I suppose the first gig was a big high Ôcause you get up on the stage and you have the opportunity to say ÒIÕve done it!Ó. That was at a Youth Centre in Oxford with heavy metal and punk bands and we were doing covers like ÔNight of the SadistÕ, ÔGloriaÕ and ÔI Can Only Give You EverythingÕ. TS: How did the punters react? Mojo: They thought it was great. I think we could hardly play. Bob on keyboards had only just been playing a couple of months and we were as wooden as hell but we had tight black jeans on, pointed boots, long bowl cuts, sunglasses and I think thatÕs what won it over for the audience. TS: So what did they think to ÔNight of the SadistÕ? Mojo: I think they thought it was really good. Seeing that we were quite raw they didnÕt really separate us that much from the punk band. You got things like the Beatles and the Ramones shouted and I think thatÕs what the initial impression was. TS: Did they believe you were writing all your own material? Mojo: Yeah! At the early gigs I donÕt think anybody that even knew about garage could work out what the covers were Ôcause they were so appalling, but those gigs were really fun Ôcause I was only nineteen then and Richie, the drummer, was fifteen so it was real teen garage punk. TS: Was Andy (bass) in the band then? Mojo: No, the band at that time was me, Lee, who now plays for the Hoodwinks and whoÕve a record coming out on Flycatcher records, he sung and played rhythm guitar, I played lead guitar, Carol, who is BobÕs girlfriend, played bass, Bob played organ and Richie played drums. So we were a five piece back then and that lasted for two years. The early gigs were a lot of fun. Halfway through the first year Lee, who was originally from Oxford, got us to play at the Oxford Polytechnic ÔBattle of The BandsÕ. There was some really tight units there but we got through to the finals, we didnÕt win, I think we came fourth out for forty bands, and we got really good reviews in the local newspaper by a Polytechnic student who knew all about the stuff. So you got the ÔRiot On Sunset StripÕ, Teddy & the Pandas comparisons... ÒThese guys frug like thereÕs no Stone RosesÓ... Ôcause that was the year of the Manchester baggy thing and he said ÒThereÕs nothing baggy about these guys, look at their trousersÓ. So yes, they were really fun times Ôcause it was a big thing to do then as we were young and excited. We did play garage music but we hoped that we might become rock stars and we always had that little inkling in the back of our mind that we might get rid of the baggy scene and have the tight trousers scene instead. TS: You mentioned that BobÕs girlfriend, Carol, originally played the bass. Why did she leave the band Ôcause sheÕs still going out with him isnÕt she? Mojo: Bob and CarolÕs relationship is not my thing to talk about but they have one of these argumentative relationships where they tear one anotherÕs throats out and they enjoy doing it. Throughout the Nuthins Carol was a good player but she wasnÕt heart and