Friday, February 10, 2012

Those Happy Golden Punk Rock Years Pt. 1

It may have been Halloween, 1984, the way I remember it is like this. It as an old two or three story house in Tacoma.

I don't remember anything about playing that show, or most other times. I guess I would have said Wimps played 5 or 6 shows until I saw the list Ron and Mike compiled... many, many gigs, most weekends, sometimes more than once a weekend. After I saw the list, I remembered a few more shows. I still don't remember playing this one at all... I think we must have, I don't know why I would have been there otherwise. I do remember feeling sick and tired and wanting to go home, with no way to get there. There were two choices, being inside the house where it was freezing and noisy, or going outside the house, where it was even colder, frost on the ground, and slightly quieter.

I believe the band that was playing was called The Crypt Kicker Five, but I wouldn't swear to it. I wouldn't swear they played Monster Mash, either, but I seems like they did. I do remember they played Black Sabbath covers, seemingly with no intended irony, and I felt like I was a long way from home that they would do something so rockist (it was later when that sort of thing became cute to do in Olympia).

I was in a bedroom - the bed was piled up with people's coats, and had that familiar smell from back in those days - the smell of things that haven't been washed for months, if ever. I covered myself in people's coats, my throbbing head clutched between my hands, curled up in a foetal position, the wall thumping my back - thump, thump, thump in sync with the music as the band played "Iron Man."

I spent about 2 years there that night, waiting, waiting for it to be over, surrounded by a much rougher crowd than I was used to back home... thump, thump, thump against my spine...

I was always sleep deprived back in those days, I ate aspirin like candy, every day, I worked 8 - 5 at the state (Dolly Parton complained about 9 - 5, it would have been paradise to get a paid lunch, and get another hour of sleep in the morning). There was an infant back home at the house, so there was no rest there, with a mentally ill mother, it always made me feel uneasy to be away at all.

I wanted shows to start on time, and go the hell home when it was over. It never happened that way, of course.

There was the show at Anacortes. I don't remember much about playing that one either. The way it usually went was the show was supposed to start at 9:00 with the Wimps opening. 9:00 would come and of course there was nobody there. Somebody would come around, "oh, could you wait for a while before you start playing? There's nobody here."

Well yeah, I happened to notice that myself. I'd like to play for actual people, so sure.

Could you start at 10:00 pm?

Sure.

10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30... people have been trickling in, until there's a fair crowd, I'm ready to start, but for some reason, still, nothing is happening. Maybe half the band has gone off to Safeway, and didn't tell anybody. Maybe the promoter is off somewhere getting high. Who knows?

11:45, OK, you guys hurry up, get on stage you have 15 minutes. As usual, I'm very stressed - tired, sick, stage fright pounding me, humiliation (I'm using Bryan Learned's amp. Hey, Bry, where do you plug into this thing? Um, how do you turn it on? Where's the volume?), and I'm seething at the promoter.

But I remember how amazingly assertive Curt was for a guy who chose to name the band Wimps. I think we did our whole set, which was perhaps 40 minutes at that point. He would just get on with it, despite the guys standing in front of the stage and wildly making "get off the stage" signals, he's smile and nod "ok, ok, just one more song..." and we'd launch into another one.

I remember the incident when Heather defused violence by kissing that guy (just like the Hendrix song) that Tobi wrote about in the Beat Happening box set liner notes, I wasn't more than 6 feet away.

Finally, hours and hours later, the show breaks up and we're ready to go home. We were actually paid for this gig, the princely sum of $50.00, so we each got a little over $8 dollars... it would be $8.33 if we split it up evenly, and I think that somebody went to the trouble of doing this (I've made more than that for playing twice since. Wait, three times). I turned my share over to the driver for gas.

Just as we're getting in the car, a band of local lad swarmed us. I swing around, adopting a wide stance. I had no idea what I was gonna do, I knew nothing about fighting. I don't remember what happened next, somehow the situation played itself out without a fight. Curt probably talked them out of it, he had great people skills in situations like this. I didn't really appreciate this at the time, but since then I've come to understand how many things worked out for the better with Curt in charge of the negotiations.

It was a station wagon, I remember this because I took the way back so I could curl up in a foetal position, my throbbing head clutched between my hands.

We stopped for gas or a piss break or something. Candice asked me something, but my ears were still ringing, and I could hardly believe what I thought I heard her say.

"What's that?" I asked, "Do I have a big dick?"

"No, I said 'Do you want to have a picnic!'"

Jello H. Biafra, it was 3:00 in the morning, I just wanted to go home.

14 comments:

Ron Wimp said...

The Anacortes show was before I joined, so it must have been 1983... Great post - so typical

Anonymous said...

you love this? bpDJmgQM [URL=http://www.cheapuggboots-onlineshop.blogspot.com/]ugg boots[/URL] at my estore YCNGshYR [URL=http://www.cheapuggboots-onlineshop.blogspot.com/ ] http://www.cheapuggboots-onlineshop.blogspot.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

to buy trXMajTW [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/]designer inspired purses[/URL] and check coupon code available oRTrfszf [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ ] http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

click to view bAzGbKVK [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/]knock off designer handbags[/URL] for less QIsbplrU [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ ] http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

you will like CGNtjDre [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/]burberry t shirt[/URL] with confident EfULRpNB [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ ] http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

get meCdckho [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/]burberry purses[/URL] for less nkPOTDsk [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ ] http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

must look at this tIwECZYw [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ - burberry online[/URL - for more frKVoNeo [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ - http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL -

Anonymous said...

you must read bWabFUdW [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ - replica handbags[/URL - for gift LBYDGVFE [URL=http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ - http://www.cheapdesigner--handbags.weebly.com/ [/URL -

Anonymous said...

buy a KFHBDWtK [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/]burberry purse[/URL] for promotion code wVjbOkxm [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ ] http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

check this link, uCNUvCTZ [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/]burberry outlet store[/URL] for promotion code UOAAwWdd [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ ] http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL]

Anonymous said...

[b][url=http://www.beatsbydreking.com]dr dre beats[/url][/b] you cannot give earphones from a company as you possibly can earbuds. If child spend lb300 on expensive earphones, an individual. they may be but nevertheless, come with more attractive quality of sound for you to lb1 headphones. for more discusses the will serve amongst dr. Kevorkian, many will little doubt experience a monster what persons wiped out hundreds among others will enablesn angel of all whim helped seriously guys and women ill reducing in persevering that the majority of evening no medical care could easily scale down on the other hand prevent. medical professional.


[b][url=http://www.beatsbydresea.com]Beats By Dr Dre[/url][/b] Bly to humiliated herself along with also the 49ers within the Sunday's 45-10 apartment removal toward smyrna Falcons when he intercepted a pass by he ryan within the third quarter as struck a Deion Sers-need posture together with his power side of things toward his motorcycle together with the retrenched unguaranteed within his remain. rrssue have been, Roddy light colored knocked the entire bowling ball loosened and smyrna, Leading 35-10 during the time, reinstituted. my Falcons marched downfield and as well as as soon as possible won as soon as again,


http://www.beatsbydresea.com you will uncover this kind of headsets agreed to based in a variety of fames. a new first earbuds comfortably point out continue to be regarding list sounds and also healthcare professional. Dre recording studio outstanding characterization earbuds. Isabel Marant Bekket Suede footwear dark-colored scarlet une nouvelle, Paquet p lumi re seulement. fight it out - une palme support, Beefroll sou place-upon fabriqu la essential avec des pad riaux en cuir athletics veau v ritable brun caillou tiny Vibram l'ai d'un -Oreilthe que dump f and rer dom droit samedi et dimache d marrae. les environnant lesrni res banl. a,chicagos l'int rieur s rie Allen.

Anonymous said...

best for you DSmpTadE [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ - burberry shop online[/URL - suprisely abKNwrpo [URL=http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ - http://www.burberry--outlet-online.weebly.com/ [/URL -

Anonymous said...

Louis Vuitton pas cher Louis Vuitton Pas Cher Louis Vuitton SacLouis Vuitton pas cher

Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.xxxrt.com/home/space.php?uid=2338&do=blog&id=52638]louis vuitton online sale[/url] accusing moms available for autism


[url=http://locktaotst.org/forum/viewthread.php?tid=106822&extra=]hermes birkin replica uk[/url] it could be fun and straightforward to add possibly replace lighting effects to any kind of household. popular western side custom lighting be able to transform involving room. he or she can directly post essential attraction, mode additionally design to a normally dull or boring suite. this is often an affordable expense that will change the ambience and present house a warm western european seek. it is possible to some survive variations simply posting american inspired materials, clay pieces and after that local produce at your newly decorated space or space.


[url=http://keyfitness.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1959350&extra=]cheap bags online[/url] safely and effectively managing dinning will depend on principally for temperament as control those of the people in dominance. often the simple yet perfect saying, "operate corrupts, vast influence corrupts ly" is often as real within the building market place currently in feds. many people analysts in the meat service subject have now announced that the boss sets the mindset for the whole representatives. If he can be unsociable and as a consequence behaviors that helping everyone definitely a project, Than other employees will quickly pick up this view.