Vanity Plate Volume 2

All other writers retain their own copyright.
Links to articles follow each piece

Here are some recent sightings of your FFanzeen publisher on the Web (marked in bold in the piece). Note that I have not edited the text of the pieces, so all materials are as they were in the originals.

First up is a blog by Walter Ocner, who has been a good friend for decades. A record collector for years, he only just started blogging recently. Hopefully, he’ll continue with some longer (i.e., more than a couple of paragraphs) pieces like this one. Hi, Sandra!

1. Why I Love Records Stores – Rockit Scientist and Rebel Rebel in NYC, by Walter Ocner
I always loved collecting. When I was a kid I really got into coins and used to read magazines about them and tried hard to collect V nickels and Morgan silver dollars. There was a precious metals store a few blocks away I used to go to after school and pick up indian head pennies and whatever else I could afford. I would buy magazines like Coins and Coin Collecting and salivate at the thought of one day owning a $20 gold piece. Unfortunately my meager savings couldn’t keep me in the hobby I was so passionate about and eventually I began to lose interest. You just can’t sustain a hobby on wishing alone.

As i got older, music became my passion. I guess you could say everything else fell by the wayside, like school. This was during the days of vinyl when You could go into any music store and flip through the bins of new and import LP’s. I used to go to a few neighborhood stores in Queens such as Numbers Records or The Record Room. I would pick up singles for 99 cents by The Beatles, Icicle Works, Rod Stewart or The Smiths. They usually came with cool picture sleeves which made you want to take a chance on hearing the music inside.

Manhattan was a goldmine for new and used records. For me, it wasn’t just about enjoying the music but the treasure hunt aspect of collecting. I used to dream of finding rare British pressings of Beatle albums or bootlegs with unreleased material. My collection grew, much to the ire of my parents who proclaimed it a waste of money. Every cent I had went to records. I can’t blame them for being so angry, they were struggling to support a family and here I was, blowing all my cash on vinyl.

I have a huge record collection now. My friend Robert Francos (Editor of FFanzeen) once told me when we were in his room, which looked like a record store, that one day I would have a collection like his. I thought he was nuts and now, I probably have more than he does. I still love the hunt, the search for the elusive gem. Two of my favorite places to shop are in Manhattan, Rockit Scientist Records at 33 St. Marks Place and Rebel Rebel on 319 Bleecker Street. Both John and Dave run amazing shops that are brimming with reasonably priced goodies.

The thing I love about going there is what I don’t get from buying online from Amazon or whatever. That is the personal touch and the sense of discovery. You walk in and something will catch your eye or ear. John at Rockit Scientist and Dave at Rebel will play you things based on your musical taste. They will engage you in discussion and help you discover groups and albums you never would have found on your own. I might find music cheaper online, but I would rather pay a bit more and keep the independent record store alive and give me a place to discover and learn about music. These are the best stores around and cannot be replaced by an impersonal online retailer. You will find things here you will never find at a WalMart, so in essence, you are also keeping independent labels and bands alive and thriving as well.

I urge all of you to visit these guys and the “mom and pop” stores in your neighborhoods. You will make new friends and discover a world of exciting culture that will enrich your life!
http://walterocner.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/why-i-love-records-stores-rockit-scientist-and-rebel-rebel-in-nyc/


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Next is AC/DC Machine, a Swedish metal webzine. The interview was run by Niclas Müller. Here he Q&A’s the publisher of a new book about the band which contains photos I took of AC/DC at CBGBs in 1977.

2. Intervju med Dennis Pernu
Detta är en komplettering till intervjun som Niclas Müller Hansen gjorde med Phil Sutcliffe. Här pratar de om arbetet bakom AC/DC boken, High Voltage Rock'n'Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History.

Where did you get the idea for this kind of AC/DC book?
We had published Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin (2008) and Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History (2009), both of which were well-received. Ever since, we’ve been constantly casting about for other bands and artists with long, engaging histories and rabid worldwide followings. AC/DC seemed to fit the bill, and so far that hunch has proven correct.

How long did it take to put together?
Just about a year, from the time I asked Phil if he was interested in writing the main narrative to the day we had finished books sitting in our warehouse! Ideally we’d have more time to put books like this together, but because our music publishing program was still relatively young at the time, we were still getting up to speed on getting books into the marketplace.

Did you know of Bill Voccia before this project or any of the other ones involved in the book?
I did not know Bill before beginning this project but was fortunate to find him and have him agree to get involved. You’ll notice a lot of the more interesting items depicted in the book come from his vast collection. A few of the other writers and photographers featured in the book had contributed to previous projects, notably Detroit-based photographer Rob Alford, Garth Cartwright (who penned the piece exploring AC/DC’s brief dalliance with the world of punk rock), Dave Hunter (who wrote the sidebar on Malcolm and Angus’s gear and who also wrote a stellar book for us last year called Star Guitars), Andrew Earles (who contributed to the Zep and Queen books but also wrote a full-length narrative history about Hüsker Dü, which we also published last year). Let’s see . . . Gary Graff has also written pieces for us in the past (he gathered all those great musician quotes on the endpapers), as has Sylvie Simmons. Other than that, I tried to target writers who I felt were considered some of the world’s top scribes in the realms of hard rock, heavy metal, and AC/DC—guys like Ian Christe, Daniel Bukszpan, Martin Popoff, Joe Bonomo, Anthony Bozza—and photographers like Robert Ellis, Philip Morris, and Bob King who had iconic images of the band. Happily, I was able to agree to terms with all of them.

How did you go about picking out the items featured in the book?
Believe it or not, aside from Voccia’s items, the bulk of the memorabilia was the result of 4 or 5 months of scouring eBay on a daily basis.
Tell us about the "spinning Angus cover"!
Whenever we decide to publish a book we have a preliminary meeting to discuss possible cover concepts. I had already seen Rob Alford’s photo of Angus spinning on the stage at the 1979 World Series of Rock and half-jokingly suggested we incorporate an actual spinner to assimilate Angus’s famous stage antics. At the time I got the impression that most of the room thought I was nuts. But the person who managed the book’s design process and the person who arranges for the manufacturing of our books took up the idea and ran with it. When everyone else saw that they were pursuing it and that it was actually possible, it just took on a life of its own. I think it really captures the manic energy of the music in a way a static photo can’t. The spinner is also a bit goofy, just like Angus’s stage performances. “Goofy” in a good way, of course. It’s interesting, my 6-year-old son and I just saw School of Rock and Jack Black’s character shows his students footage of Angus spinning on stage. My son thought it was hilarious. It really speaks to the band that they can appeal to rock fans from ages 6 to 60.

Was there a lot of cool stuff that didn’t end up in the book?
Arnaud Durieux has a mind-bending gigography that I wanted to license for the book, but he respectfully declined, citing his own future book project. Other than that, one of the main problems with assembling these books is that usually a day or two after it goes to press you stumble upon a killer piece of memorabilia or photo that you missed or that wasn’t available when you were gathering materials.

How did you get Phil Sutcliffe involved?
Phil penned the main narrative of our aforementioned Queen book. He was such a pro’s pro on that project, and I was aware of his old Sounds review of a 1976 AC/DC show at the Marquee in London, so I asked him if he wanted to write this one. I think the fact that all these people whom I badly wanted to be involved with the book agreed to it speaks to how much people really love this band.

Tell us about your first AC/DC show? How many times have you seen them live?
Unfortunately, I’ve never seen the band live! The thing I realized about AC/DC while putting this book together is that they were always pigeonholed in the States as a metal band, which of course they’re not . . . they’re just a loud, fast rock ’n’ roll band. But that categorization turned me off when I was younger, even though I’d heard a lot of their stuff. So as someone who came of age listening to bands like the Replacements in the ’80s and then going to tons of club shows in the ’90s (Soul Asylum, Mudhoney, Rev. Horton Heat, Run Westy Run, the Cows, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, the Jayhawks, Wilco, etc.), I was too doctrinaire to go back and explore AC/DC, because, well, the ’80s and even the early ’90s weren’t altogether kind to them and they were considered dinosaurs. I regret not getting to know them earlier. Despite the “indie rock” ethos that I bought into, AC/DC were clearly a band that paid their dues and that even influenced, to varying degrees, the bands I was listening to.

Favorite AC/DC item in the book and why?
That’s a tough one. The spread of silkscreened Black Ice tour posters is cool, but I would have to say that a handful of photos are my favorites, particularly Robert Francos's CBGB photos and Jenny Lens’s Whisky A Go Go shots (check out Jenny’s image showing Angus’s sweat-drenched SG). I mean, who doesn’t wish they saw AC/DC in a small rock club? Also, there are a couple of two-page spreads showing crowds at the Apollo Theater in Glasgow and at Monsters of Rock, which I love. And, the Rob Alford shot on page 88. You always read about the prodigious amounts of snot that would fly from Angus’s nose at shows. Here, you can actually see the boogers in his nose!

Favorite AC/DC record and why?
Ooh, another difficult one! I’d have to say the High Voltage (the Atlantic debut)—the LP that introduced the band to the rest of the world. It’s just tight, blues-based rock full of Bon’s trademark wit. Plus Rolling Stone called it an “all-time low” for hard rock, so the boys had to be doing something right. I wish they’d included their version of “Baby, Please Don’t Go.” Seems just about everyone’s covered the song, but I don’t think anyone’s surpassed AC/DC’s take. Budgie and Lightning Hopkins came close. . .

Any other projects going on?
Speaking of “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” we have a similar treatment of Aerosmith due in September (written by Guitar World executive editor Rich Bienstock), and Iron Maiden coming next spring (by UK-based metal journo Neil Daniels).
www.acdcmachine.com/files/interview_dennispernu.php


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Wow, this was on the Huffington Report Blog page. It also appeared in a number of other sites, a couple of which I’ve listed at the bottom of the article. It, again, pertains to Phil Sutcliffe’s “High Voltage Rock'n'roll”

3. Mike Ragogna HuffPost Reviews ACDC

Email
Written by bestsellerelectronic on Dec-19-10 9:00pm
From: bestsellerelectronic.com
So, you consider you know all things AC/DC? Really. Well, take a hit of the essays, chronological photos, memorabilia, and ubiquitous profusion contained in in between the over 225 pages of High Voltage Stone 'N' Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History and you'll be intimidated indeed. Stone edition residence Phil Sutcliffe (with a small assistance in sidebar form from folks similar to Robert Ellis, Joe Bonomo, Philip Morris, and a expel of 17 others) reserve the biographical and chronological grit which takes us from Angus & Malcom Young's prophesy by the Brian Johnson and Chris Slade register adjustments and, of course, way beyond. Commentaries and reflections by Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons, Joe Perry, Steve Vai, Ace Frehley, Meat Loaf, Jack Johnson (yes, Jack Johnson), and Joe Elliott spin out the over-the-top jubilee which is Illustrated History. A small of the early shots of the rope by Philip Morris and Bob King are value the cost of the book alone. But add bar cinema by Jenny Lens and Robert Francos and the behind-the-scenes images contributed by Robert Ellis and Robert Alford, and you have a visible story which is as current as any of the authors' contributions or researchers' timelines and discography. Who knew there was so many to know about this steel antecedent from Australia, one which many dont consider about contributed to the tough stone theatre in the U.S. some-more than many American bands did. Now you know, and the rest, as they say, is Illustrated History.
http://www.zimbio.com/Chip+Taylor/articles/38VMKfSRbA4/Mike+Ragogna+HuffPost+Reviews+ACDC+Jane+Roman
Also appeared on:
legal-sleaze.com
allword-news.co.uk/tag/pete-finney
thoughtandword.com/rss/author/Mike


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Thus Spoke the Spectacle is a multi-media performance focused on the
way mass media is used against it’s audiences, or at the very least, for their own purposes. Much of it is focused on the material of Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman and Jacques Ellul. I had the pleasure to see it a few times, and took photos that they used on their Website.

4. Thanks to the MEA organizers who invited us to perform, including Sara van den Berg, Paul Soukup, Janet Sternberg, and Lance Strate. Special thanks to Abigail Lambke and Dan Frierdich for securing a great performance space and managing all the tech issues; Robert Francos for his many excellent photographs; and all of our MEA friends and supporters for making this performance of Thus Spoke The Spectacle truly one to remember.
http://www.thespectacle.net/blog/2009/06/

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The Echoes are a fun band whose CDs I had the pleasure to review for my Jersey Beat column, “The Quiet Corner.” The Echoes’ response was nice to read.

5. The Echoes Official Website

The 2007 Release Of "NOW HEAR THIS" Having Stimulated A New Interest In 2005's "LISTEN UP... IT'S THE ECHOES," Famed Music Critic ROBERT BARRY FRANCOS Wrote The Following REVIEW For The Spring 2008 Edition Of JERSEY BEAT:

"Kentucky-bred and New York based, THE ECHOES are a twosome who have released "LISTEN UP... IT'S THE ECHOES," which is available at theechoesofficalwebsite.com. They sing in a folk style reminiscent of Ian & Sylvia, and give us all original tunes written by Mark Alexander, though most of the lead singing is (wisely) handled by Teresa Starr. The songs are full of love and tenderness, with Starr's high voice and Alexander's supporting guitar and voice (he does sing a lead here and there). This is definitely an easy listen on many levels, including a joyful melody line and a to-the-point lyrics structure ("I met you just the other day/You made it in my dreams that night" are the CD's opening lines, from "IF I DO"). This is the folk equivalent of lite jazz, and I don't mean that as an insult; it's a style that is very listener friendly. Like cocoa and a blanket on a chilly evening." -- Robert Barry Francos, JERSEY BEAT, Quiet Corner

THE ECHOES Would Like To Thank ROBERT BARRY FRANCOS & JERSEY BEAT For Their Support !!!
http://theechoesofficialwebsite.com/echonews.html

DVD Review: Ana Popović Band: An Evening at Trasimeno Lake

Text © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen, 2010
Images from the Internet

Ana Popović Band: An Evening at Trasimeno Lake
Directed by Dimone Pucci
MVD Visual / ArtisteXclusive, 2010
124 minutes, USD $19.95
Artistexclusive.com.
Anapopovic.com
MVDvisual.com

Born in Yugoslavia 34 years ago, Ana Popović has become a worldwide sensation. Having garnered many international awards, her brand of guitar-focused blues rock sets the stage afire.

Promoting her latest album, Blind For Love, Ana takes the stage with her main band, which consists of Andrew “Blaze” Thomas (the only US member) on drums, Michele Papadia on keyboards, and Ronald Jonker on a very rockin’ bass. Along with this core group, there are four other members that float in and out, including percussion, brass, and a back-up vocalist.

Utilizing six cameras and an amazing setting of a medieval castle in Italy, Ana and crew perform before a very enthusiastic crowd. Starting strong right off the bat, she opens with “Wrong Woman” (as in “you’re messing with”), a solid ‘70s rocker, especially on the choruses. Amazing, the huge amount of flying bugs, which are very visible to the camera thanks to the stage lighting (very well done, with an emphasis on the reds) does not seem to phase her performance or the other band members (though Michele definitely winches against them landing on his face, considering he’s the most stationary).

Ana knows how to strut with the best of them, moving around the stage with her electric Strat guitar, flailing at the neck and body to make a full-bodied sound, helped with the fill by the rhythm section behind her.

“How’d You Learn to Shake It Like That” is solid I-IV-V blues, right out of the Bonnie Raitt style-book, though it is unfair to compare the two actually, since Raitt leans more towards the classic blues end, and Ana the classic rock. And yet, on numbers like Keyshia Cole’s (one of the few covers) “U Complete Me,” Ana and band do a hard blues ballad burner, showcasing Ana’s guitar wizardry.

In another change of pace, “Lives That Don’t Exist” shows that Ana is handily familiar with da funk. The whole band knows how to get down with the wah-wah, with the bass blazing. And while Ana’s guitar is the definite forefront, she lets the rest of the band get their say, such as Michele’s electric keyboard turn on “Let Me Love You Babe.”

There are a couple of breaks between songs for brief interview segments, which I found kind of distracting, one of the few editing flaws of the DVD. Personally, I would have preferred just straight concert all the way through. Then suddenly at one point, without explanation, Ana’s in a different outfit, sitting on a chair, and with an acoustic rather than electric. I found this disconcerting… was it the second set? The encore?

Even without the wail of an electric, Ana proves her chops right out with “Doubt Everyone But Me,” a Latin-influenced number that features solos by some of the other musicians. This is followed up by the title track from her new release, Blind for Love, a slow love song that is quite lovely.

“Get Back Home to You,” the next cut, is right back to classic rock for which she whips up even on an acoustic. She finishes up the set with an R&B-laced “Love Fever” and another funker, “Hold On.”

Recorded in HD, the sound is crisp as one might expect, and the balance is pretty even, with Ana and her guitar up front, as should it be; but no one gets lost in the mix. Ana’s voice, which has a steely quality, is also clear, thankfully.).

For the extras, there are two songs by Ana alone on acoustic, recorded in the afternoon before the show: “Blind for Love” and “Steal Me Away.” Oddly, each song was recorded live in about four different places, and is spliced together, so there is a disconcerting jump in background sounds and in Ana’s vocals; in other words, each place as their own sound environment, which affects the voice, guitar and background “noise.” I’d rather have the whole song be consistent, but maybe that’s me. The other add-on is a 7-minute interview with Ana in different parts of the castle, as she talks about her life.

I’ve never heard Ana before, though I’ve heard of her, so it was nice to put a sound to the name. She proves that it is worth the wait.

Songlist
Wrong Woman (Blind for Love LP)
Is This Everything There Is
How’d You Learn to Shake It Like That
U Complete Me (Keyshia Cole)
Nothing Personal
Shadow After Dark
Lives That Don’t Exist
Let Me Love You Babe
Doubt Everyone But Me
Blind For Love
Get Back Home to You
Recall the Days
Love Fever
Hold On

Bonus Video (while this song starts off the live DVD, this is the studio version, which is not included):

DVD Review: The Michael Schenker Group: The 30th Anniversary Concert, Live in Tokyo

Text © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen, 2010
Images from the Internet

The Michael Schenker Group: The 30th Anniversary Concert, Live in Tokyo
Directed by Shin Yamamoto and/or Kiyoshi Iwasawas
In-akustik GmbH & Co. KG, 2010
135 minutes, USD $19.95
In-akustik.com
Michaelschenkerhimself.com
MVDvisual.com

When ubber German metal flash guitarist Michael Schenker was in his earlier bands Scorpion and UFO during the mid- to late-1970s, well, I was listening to the polar opposite of the Ramones. His music never once came into my radar, though I was aware of the names. Those ensembles were lumped in my mind with every other metal and hair metal band, which sounded like one screechy noise to me. I was on the lo-fi with sloppy guitar groups like the Heartbreakers and much of the rest of the New York Scene. Mind you, there were some amazing guitarists back then, such as Tom Verlaine, Ross the Boss, and the underrated Howard Bowler, but it was a totally different genre (with the Dictators being the closest).

Well, it’s now 30 years after Schenker formed his Michael Schenker Group (MSG) in 1980, and this DVD is a reunion of most of his original orchestra on January 13th, 2010, held at Nakano Sun Plaza in Japan, one leg of the 5-concert series, and this is the first time I’m experiencing them.

There is no doubt about it in my mind, Schenker is a helluva guitarist, whizzing up and down the fretboard of his custom flying V guitar; as noted in the liner notes, he plays only on Dean Guitars (since 2004, he reveals in a bonus short). Though there is the occasional solo by other musicians, such as excellent bassist Neil Murray (from Whitesnake), drummer Simon Phillips (whose huge kit include a double bass and single snare) and rhythm guitarist / keyboardist Wayne Findlay (who gets short attention here), this is Schenker’s show, and the musicianship shows. There may have been dark periods of Schenker’s 55-year life (substance abuse, martial problems, poverty, etc.), but he is in fine form here, and certainly seems to be having a lot of fun, often cradling the V on his crotch as he fingers away.

The direction of the complete show, taped in HD, is strong, though the cutting at every 5 beats on average is a bit strenuous for the viewer (this one, anyway), and I found it a bit difficult to focus as much as I wanted on the musical acumen of each participant as the camera kept bouncing from one player to the next. During a solo, I like to see the work, but maybe that’s just me.

My biggest problem with the band, though, is lead vocalist Gary Barden, who has bounced in and out of the band over the years, but has been the main focus of vox in recordings. Yeah, he’s definitely a decent singer, hitting the notes and all, but his style is formulaic for the genre, and his vocals are, well, certainly not idiosyncratic. What I’m trying to say is that he doesn’t sound individualistic. When Joey Ramone sings, you know it’s him. Same with Handsome Dick Manitoba, Bon Scott, Lemmy, or Donna “She Wolf” Nasr, if one wants to be closer to the MSG genre. I will give him some nods that he certainly seems to be having a lot of fun, and that is transferred to the Japanese crowd, who often sing along en masse, and thereby to the DVD viewer. However, I should also note that the first number that really got my attention was the 10th one in, “Into the Arena,” which I realized most of the way through was an instrumental (sans Barden). Again, I am not saying Barden is a bad singer, not at all; he just doesn’t really stand out for me. But he certainly is comfortable in the role, which is reassuring on some level.

But it is important to remember that the hey-day of MSG is in the ‘80s, and some of what is now formulaic was started by them, such as taking the metal sound and adding some progressive elements to it. As part of the full concert retrospective series that the German label Inakustik has been releasing (this is the second I’ve seen), they are doing admirable work focusing on guitar-oriented music of various genres. In a similar vein, this is a showcase overview for the lengthy MSG history.

From the short (“Welcome Howl” comes in under 2 minutes) to the lengthy (“Rock Bottom” is nearly 13 minutes), there is a fine range of styles and feel, speed and tempo, covered within the framework of this 1 hour and 45 minute concert. Actually “Rock Bottom,” is one of two songs I really liked that showed up in the encores, the other being the finale “Doctor, Doctor.” “Rock” has a very long solo that varies in many ways, and “Doctor” has a good riff to it.

The audience through the whole show is very appreciative, and often sings along; Barden is happy and enjoying that he can hold out the mic and have a couple of thousand people sing the chorus, as he does often on “Doctor.”

I’m never going to be a metal head, but I can appreciate what the band is doing, and they manage it with surgical precision.

There are two extras on the DVD. The first is “The L.A. Rehearsal.” Between short bursts of them playing inside a tight-fitting studio are some band interviews which is what makes this 21 minutes-long videolog the most interesting. Schenker discusses his early years going from band to band and back for reunions, and then the varied history of MSG. Each member of this line-up gets to talk a bit, such as drummer Simon discussing how he was on only the first MSG album because he was still in the Jeff Beck Group at the time, and how bassist Neil came to play on this tour after having Whitesnake play a few times with Schenker’s bands back in the ‘70s. Even their roadie / occasional percussionist, Roberto Carrero, gets to talk about some equipment issues he’s had to solve on the road.

In the 8 minute second bonus, “Backstage Impressions,” basically a camera follows Schenker around from his arrival at the Sun Plaza, backstage, during the soundcheck, as they take their bows, his leaving the venue, and then stopping to shake hands and sign autographs for the fans waiting outside. While minor in content, it was very enjoyable to watch some snapshots of what it was like for the band.

Songlist
Welcome Howl
Feels Like a Good Thing
Cry For the Nations
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Armed and Ready
Victim of Illusion
Are You Ready to Rock
I Want You
A Night to Remember
Into the Arena
Lost Horizons
Rock My Nights Away
On and On
Attack of the Mad Axeman
Encore
Ride On My Way
Rock Bottom
Second encore
Dance Lady Gipsy
Doctor, Doctor

THE UNDEAD: Just a Modern Folk Band!

Text by Julia Masi, intro by Robert Barry Francos
Article & interview © 1982; RBF intro © 2010 by FFanzeen
Images from the Internet

The following article about New York-based hardcore metal band The Undead, led by ex-Misfits Bobby Steele, was originally published in FFanzeen magazine, issue #9, in 1982. It was written by Julia Masi.

While I never saw the Undead play (nor the Misfits, for that matter), I did get to hang out with Lori Wedding (of the band Suburban Berlin, who was Bobby Steele’s girlfriend at the time) and Julia, while Julia photographed her for the front cover of the issue. The one thing I remember her saying was that she was not attracted to handsome men (and so I hoped she did not find me winsome).

Bobby Steele is often on social networks, going off on right wing rants against us liberals (though I wonder if he would consider himself more libertarian, but I’m not sure), and for that I respect him (and not). There are actually many right winger punkers (like Johnny Ramone, for example). Whatever his political affliation, Bobby made some fine pulse-pounding music, and still does to this day. – RBF, 2010

The Undead are an uncanny mixture of politics, personality, and high-volume, high-intensity rock’n’roll. Bobby Steele, vocals and guitar, Natz, bass, and Patrick Blank, drums, who have just released their first EP on Stiff Records, Nine Toes Later, are often inaccurately pigeon-holed into the hardcore category. But they prefer to describe their music, which often incorporates a twist of rockabilly or a flair for the satirical, as modern folk.

“We’re a modern folk band,” says Natz, who tries to convince interviewers that he’s Che Guevara: “We’re, like, puttin’ the word across music.”

“Folk music used to be acoustic because the world was a lot quieter,” Bobby adds. “Now you’re competing with a lot of things in the background. You’ve got trucks and heavy traffic. You’ve got jack hammering. You’ve got atomic bombs blowing up and everything. So, you’ve gotta sing your folk songs a little louder. You’ve gotta amplify them.

“Our music is our own kind of music. We can do a soul rock song, or we can do a rockabilly song if we want. We’re not locked into a certain category. A lot of bands make the mistake of categorizing themselves, then they’re locked into that category. Then they’re stuck in that category and it’s what the people expect, like George Reeves is Superman.”

Patrick, whose lanky body and horn-rimmed glasses recall the stereotype of the Science Club president, feels that the Undead “try to avoid the trends, because trends are just that – trends.

“We’re a rock’n’roll band with something to offer. There is politics and you have to talk politics; the point is you can’t get too serious.” He sees the band’s politics as a form of anarchy. “Not like writing an ‘A’ in the circle on the corners. Only in the ideas of no rules. That’s the problem. There are too many rules.” He further explains, “We can’t get put in any groups, because once you do that you become a trend. And if you become a trend, then once you get accepted, you’ll change. And if rules weren’t observed, if rules weren’t thought about, then nothing would ever get done. The rule there is a universal rule, to reach people through quality. Quality means giving your all – 150% towards quality.”

Their ability to abandon the rules is evident in the unorthodox way that the Undead presented themselves to Stiff Records. The band had been hanging out in a bar one night last March when they heard about a private party at Stiff. Immediately, Bobby started to cook up a scheme to con his way into their consciousness.

“We grabbed this wino off the street,” Bobby remembers, “and said, ‘You’re our manager tonight.’ And we just walked up to the door at the place and told them, ‘We’re the Undead and this is our manager.’ We just went in there and we graffitied and spray painted the whole place. And then a few days later we went down there and coated the whole building with posters, and made sure we never showed our faces again.”

For months the band teased the record company by sending flyers and press releases to their office, always careful to make sure that they arrived the day after an important gig. Stiff got so frustrated by this mysterious band that they sent an all-points bulletin into the streets to find them. But Bobby’s phone number is classified information and his friends wouldn’t tell Stiff where to find him. Finally, DJ Tim Sommers brought the Undead and Stiff together, and the band was signed.

Shortly afterward, they went into the studio to record their EP, which includes their own “1984” and “I Want You Dead.” But just as the recording sessions got underway, they had to be interrupted so that Bobby could have his toe amputated. “It was rotting away and stinking up everything,” he explains. Hence the title of the EP, Nine Toes Later.

Recently, the Undead completed a brief tour of the Midwest: Dayton, Detroit and Indianapolis. The audience reception was warmer than they expected and the band is anxious to get back on the road again. Patrick is hoping that he’ll eventually play Ireland, “Because the scene is so sporadic that the kids are starved for music over there.” Bobby’s goal is a little more patriotic: he’d like to play “El Salvador. It would be fun. Join the USA,” he grins.