Week of Living Danzig-sly - Tuesday

Danzig has always been a bit of a polarizing figure. The problem with self-assuredness can be that you walk into the realm of parody.

So I decided to return to this series because I am actually a huge fan but also because there's a lot of comedy here. I didn't realize that as I did it, Danzig was back in the news.

It's been awhile since non-fans have paid attention to Glen. His last studio albums were released in 2004 and 2010, but he's toured fairly extensively, and performed with Doyle of the Misfits, revisiting Samhain material; and releasing a bunch of unreleased Danzig and Samhain material. No, non-fans likely don't think much about Danzig unless he shows up on Fox news or his picture of wearing a Danzig shirt carrying cat litter to his car went viral.

But, here it is again.

Danzig tells audience to punch camera-phone wielding audience goer

90,000 people (and counting) have viewed said footage, which has nsfw language

"" (Watch on YouTube)

Things didn't go as Danzig expected.

While everyone hates those guys and ye olde battle over artists' rights, it's become de rigueuer that you can grab a minute of footage to share with friends. 

Certainly, if you are going to fight that battle, you either need to be by-the-book (work with the security guards, ask politely) or at least go full Axl.  Danzig looks like a chump asking others to fight for him.  Some on twitter said Danzig acted like the guy was going to sell the footage for hundreds of dollars- a legitimate concern in the old bootleg days but outdated now.

In any case, whether you agree with Glen (or not)  and I tend to feel for him, it has been turned around on him to reinforce his image as an a--hole, and it's destined to go right there with the video of Danzig being punched out as part of his legacy.

The culprit even baited Danzig some more.

“I didn’t see those signs. There was no mention on the Groupon ticket about such a policy. Thank God I didn’t pay full price and even got a free drink out of it. I’m not sending another dime this asshole’s way. For the record, I didn’t miss the show. I got back in.”

Which of course adds the humor that there was a Danzig groupon as well.

On the Shelf 103: Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine

Jello is a punk legend and many of us spent the 90s waiting for every time he popped up.

It was pretty sporadic as the PMRC had effectively killed his music career, but Biafra would show up in Lard, collaborations with the Melvins, DOA, and Mojo Nixon, and various one-off appearances here and there. Of course, there were the spoken word records, too, which are excellent and are worth re-visiting again and again.

Jello is back with his new band and they have just released their third album of material. Wikipedia says Jello was inspired by Iggy's 60th Birthday Party and the occasion of his 50th, though certainly a reformed touring Jello-less Dead Kennedys was surely a shot in the arm too.

The GSoM is a real band featuring Andrew Weiss (Ween, Rollins band) and members of Victims Family, Sharkbait, and Freak Accident.

Each release has been better than the last, and on the new White People and the Damage Done (get it?)- the band has the ferocity of the Dead Kennedys. Probably closer to Bedtime for Democracy than the band's earlier material, but at least it's something resembling the DKs in their less-clever louder-faster incarnation.

Which of course though I hate to say it (as surely there are new bands making equally great noise) it means the only other band who appears to be making this kind of music at this level of quality oddly is OFF! (Keith Morris's new band).

If you are a Jello fan, check it out.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

"" (Watch on YouTube)

Raised on Radio #33- Real Life

One of my favorite songs growing up was Real Life's "Send me an Angel". It went to #29 in 1983.

The song is a perfect 1980s hit- new wave but with enough guitar that it went down well with rock ears. The song is just poppy enough and goth-y enough, that it is a real wonder nobody ever made a contemporary cover hit out of it.

The band did re-release it in 1989 and it went to #26 then. Nostalgia for that early 80s music was already kicking in, and so it was little surprise to see Modern English re-record "I Melt With you" (having slightly better success with it in 1990) and New Order re-releasing "Blue Monday" (finally breaking into the Top 100 on the second go-round in 1988).

I bought the 45 in 1989. In those years, one of my favorite things was running to the local music instrument store which sold 45s for a dollar apiece. Yes, records were on the way out, but that didn't stop my enjoyment whatsoever. I still vividly remember buying some great songs (Cult's "Fire Woman", the Cure's "Fascination Street", Edie Brickell's "What I am", and Was(Not Was)'s "Spy in the House of Love" to name a few faves).

Anyway, I never really heard anyone talk about Real Life outside of the single. Reading on the internet, the corresponding album Heartland is supposed to be very good. Still, I don't know anyone who had the album and don't really remember talking about the band (and to put it in context, someone always had the album, no matter how one hit wonders anyone was - Falco, Peter Schilling,Frankie Goes to Hollywood-someone owned it, or it at least was prominently displayed on the shlf -like Murray head's Chess soundtrack),

Still, if you're going to have one hit, it is hard to top this.

"" (Watch on YouTube)