Punk Rock Nostalgia & Some Possible News…

Been out of it for a few days really clogged-up my email accounts, and I’m not talking about junk mails. Here are a few items of interest which I would like to share with you people; some may appear as useless spams to those uninitiated with the yesteryears of punk rock and its related organisms but I’m sure some of you would have use for it.

Thugs Jumped John Stabb

“Government Issue” will probably trigger very few reflexes nowadays, but if you’re into the early 80s DC scene, the name John Stabb (AKA John Schroeder) will immediately comes to mind, and also the fact that the great Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, now in Bad Religion) used to run his frets for the band, the same with JawBox/Burning Airlines’ Jay Robbins and Rites of Spring’s Mike Fellows.

Those figures aside, GI itself was an excellent band, a favourite of mine for a long time even tho’ they didn’t jump on the Revolution Summer (“let’s go post-punk-and-piss-the-boneheads”) bandwagon that transformed the DC hardcore scene into a more progressive and adventurous force.

Anyway, Al (of the excellent Sonic Overload radioshow) wrote that GI’s singer John Stabb was severely beaten up by five guys, a block from his home in Maryland on July 17th, last week. Apparently he’s in need of surgery and that a few benefit gigs are being lined-up to help his family out with the medical bills.

Read Stabb’s account of the attack: here

Update Р7/25/07 РJohn has made it home and is recuperating under the tender loving care of his wife, Mika. The surgery was successful. John is now the proud owner of 5 or 6 titanium metal plates shoring up his “zygomatic tripod” bones (around the eye orbit) and his upper jaw. A screw under his right eye. A leather splint over his nose. And temporary braces readjusting his teeth. John was fortunate to not have his jaw wired shut, however, this will be reevaluated within the next week, and he will be on a liquid diet for several weeks to come.

That is taken from a new page detailing benefit gigs and activities to help Stabb and family. You can also donate via PayPal there.

Go here: aol.com/johnstabbbenefit

Here’s Sheer Terror from GI’s first 7″ Legless Bull which was released on Dischord back in 1981:

[audio:https://vintage.ricecooker.site/mp3_wp_rc/gi.mp3]

================

TVOR Zine Compiled!

Back in the early 80s me and my friends were in touch with some Italian punks. At that time Italian bands such as Peggio Punx, Raw Power, Indigesti, Kina, Upset Noise and more were rocking up our world via the great BCT Tapes, so we had to get in touch.

Those kind punks would sent us tapes and zines and among them there were unforgettable ones such as Linea Diritta and of course the great TVOR (Teste Vuote Ossa Rotte) and it’s radioshow tapes (done in one of the editors kitchen!).

A few days ago news came to me that all of the TVOR zine issues have been collected and reprinted as a 304 pages book! This is amazing and I can’t wait to get a copy, and I recommend you guys to investigate pronto as the early 80s Italian punk bands were some of the most awesome groups ever.

Just like the Finnish or the Swedish bands in that era, the Italians had their own take on hardcore punk rock. They had their own unmistakably sound and style, and most of them sang in Italian (apart from Raw Power, who would mix them up). Personally, outside of the usual American and UK standards, the Italian early-80s stuff really beat the crap out of other scenes, and TVOR zine was the one who documented it all!

go here for more info; including sample pages, prices and contact address.

BTW; you gotta listen to this, me and Fendi Dung’s most favourite Peggio Punx tunage ever. Jazzy Punk Rock with great drumming and popping basslines. This is the title track from Peggio Punx’s ultra-classic 1985’s 12″ Ci Stanno Uccidendo Al Suono Della Nostra Musica.

[audio:https://vintage.ricecooker.site/mp3_wp_rc/cistanno.mp3]

Singalong now!

Non vi capita mai
salire in alto nel cielo dei ricordi
la gente accanto a voi vi denuda con lo sguardo
volete urlare,
scatenare il vostro corpo
non vi capita mai?
Non c’?® una spiegazione
urlare contro qualcosa,
urlare contro il potere
urlare contro il potere

Ci stanno uccidendo
al suono della nostra musica

=====================

Never Mind The Bollocks 30th Anniversary!

Pi mai, pi mai and now it’s nearly 30 years since Never Mind The Bollocks was released. It was put out in England to much governmental uproar and general public’s mindfuck back on October 28th 1977, and man, like it or not, this album changed the whole face of popular culture (and the world) as we know it. I don’t know about you but this event changed my life (for the better) forever!

“And since there are millions of people like Joe Kidd, who are touched by the band and the album and of course whole subculture around it, why not make it a big deal and make some money! Why the bloody hell not!,” – heard at the recent mega-corporate record company meeting.

And so Virgin Records are putting out special rereleases on VINYL! Complete with exact replication of the artwork, sleeves etc. etc., and all the four 7″s too!

Tempting. I mean, instead of going on ebay sniffing out mint bargains (good luck!), why not get a brand new one? Yes, we all have the songs lah but hey, this is un-crackly vinyl boss!

Anyway, here’s the rundown (taken from the excellent johnlydon.com):

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ Virgin Records are releasing a series of stunning limited edition vinyl reissue replicas.

The Sex Pistols first four classic 7″ singles ‚Äì the only singles that really matter ‚Äì will be released one a week throughout October; followed by the legendary ‚ÄòNever Mind The Bollocks… Here’s The Sex Pistols‚Äô LP.

‘Anarchy in the UK’, ‘God Save The Queen’, ‘Pretty Vacant’ & ‘Holidays In The Sun’ will be issued in heavy-weight paper sleeves featuring all the original iconic artwork.

‚ÄòNever Mind The Bollocks’ will complete the series; issued ‚Äì just as it was originally released on October 28th 1977 ‚Äì with the one-sided ‘Submission’ 7″ single and ‘NMTB’ poster.

It’s the proper bollocks!

Release Dates:
7″ – Anarchy in the UK / I Wanna Be Me – October 1st
7″ – God Save The Queen / Did You No Wrong – October 8th
7″ – Pretty Vacant – October 15th
7″ – Holidays In The Sun / No Fun – October 22nd
LP – Never Mind The Bollocks – October 29th
(with Submission 7″ & poster)

Seriously, I don’t mind getting them all. My Never Mind The Bollocks LP is now only a sleeve, with the actual vinyl gone, eaten by the turntable.

================

The Man Who Made Handlebar Moustaches Hip in the Nasty World of Punk Rock is Back!

I don’t know if anyone of you lot has a smidgen of respect for Husker Du. Me, I worship them to this very day. Yeah, they ended on a major label at the later stages of their highly-influential career, I know. But hell, the trio rocks my boat everytime i put them on, right from the ultra-fast, thrashing emotional wreck of Land Speed Record (1981) to the mellow Warehouse: Songs and Stories (1987)!

About a decade ago, I had the time of my life talking to Husker’s guitarist/vocalist and a personal hero of mine, Bob Mould. It was on the phone. He was somewhere in Texas and I was in my little room in Brickfields. It was an interview for the release of his then new band Sugar, but I was asking questions on Husker Du and whatever happened to such an amazing band.

I knew what happened to drummer/vocalist and co-writer Grant Hart (then playing with Nova Mob) and so I enquired on the fate of bassist Greg Norton after the dissolution.

Mr. Mould told me that he heard that Greg had gone off the musical landscape and became a chef! And that he was running two restaurants in Minneapolis. I was giggling away on that part.

Now, 10 years from that conversation, I heard Mr. Norton is now back playing music, yes, still on bass, and yes, still running a restaurant! Furthermore, he has a MySpace page! And yes, his restaurant too has its own MySpace page!

The band he’s in is called as Gang Font featutring The interloper.

After fifteen years out of the music scene working as a restaurant chef, Greg Norton is in a new band with a jazz-punk edge, called The Gang Font Featuring Interloper. The Gang Font features Dave King from The Bad Plus on drums, the ubiquitous Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes and keyboards, and Erik Fratzke on guitar. In this interview Greg talks about what he’s been doing since H?ºsker D?º broke up, what’s up with this new band The Gang Font Feat. Interloper, his restaurant, ‚ÄúThe Nortons,‚Äù in Red Wing, Minnesota and, of course, his famous mustache. – from allaboutjazz.com

Here’s an interview with Mr. Norton done by allaboutjazz.com:

[audio:http://www.chriscomerradio.com/greg_norton/greg_norton3-6-07.mp3]

myspace.com/gregnorton | myspace.com/thegangfontfeatinterloper | Nortons Restaurant!