From: Bomp-Digest-Sender To: bomp-digest@bolis.com Subject: Bomp V96 #82 Reply-To: Bomp@bolis.com Precedence: bulk Bomp Friday, 6 September 1996 Volume 96 : Number 082 In this issue: Treblefest Article Re: Treblefest Article dexter again Re: Treblefest b.s. Re: Treblefest b.s. Re: Treblefest b.s. James Taylor Quartet Re: Treblefest b.s. Cool Web site... Re: Treblefest Article ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: PETEP@aol.com Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 07:34:22 -0400 Subject: Treblefest Article In a message dated 96-09-05 01:19:38 EDT, you write: >Thanks for the Treblefest report the other day. As it turns out, the >daily paper here (Tucson, AZ) just ran a big article on the event, >written by Tim Gassen of The Marshmallow Overcoat. He spends a lot of >time complaining about certain groups being stand-offish and having >attitude problems (always one of his big themes) but it still sounds like >I should have made more of an effort to be there. Tim has also been heard >to say that his band blew everyone else off the stage. I'm dubious. > Apparently Tim is putting on a similar concert here called Trips '96. >These things sure are proliferating! When People magazine covers one of >them, we'll know it's gotten out of hand. The Marshmallow Overcoat were not one of the best bands at Treblefest-this is not even an issue. The Swingin' Neckbreakers, who followed them, were at least 10 times better...and The Hate Bombs that night were 8 times better.(I also found all the bands to be very friendly) I would love to read the article that Tim wrote. Is it too long to reprint here in the Bomp list? Please print it! I was in The Marshmallow Overcoat hotel room(after the show), playing my garage/rock n roll tapes for the 80 people in the hotel room when the security threatened to throw them out if the noise didn't stop. My only complaint with treblefest was that certain bands did not get a good PA sound(some sounded fine)-next year a superior system should correct that(for instance, Fortune & Maltese played a great set, yet their sound was not great due to the PA).....why is the PA system the first thing promoters skimp on?(At least there was air conditioning and good ventilation-I was recently at Coney Island High in NYC, where it often reaches over 120 degrees, everyone smokes, and ventilation is non-existant.) Please print the treblefest article!) Pete ------------------------------ From: Andrea Lauritzen Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 10:46:32 -0400 Subject: Re: Treblefest Article At 07:44 AM 9/5/96, you wrote: >In a message dated 96-09-05 01:19:38 EDT, you write: Pete, >I was in The Marshmallow Overcoat hotel room(after the show), >playing my garage/rock n roll tapes for the 80 people in the hotel room when >the security threatened to throw them out if the noise didn't stop. I was at the hotel room party too (with the Hate Bombs), but I think Mick and I left before we all got thrown out. I think we left as soon as the music started, because security had already been there at least once. >(for instance, Fortune & Maltese played a great set, yet their sound was >not great due to the PA) I must agree with you, Pete, but when the guitar got turned up too loud did you see the look on Mike Maltese's face???? I was in front of him and couldn't help but laugh! That boy has the best facial expressions! .....why is the PA system the first thing promoters >skimp on?(At least there was air conditioning and good ventilation-I was >recently at Coney Island High in NYC, where it often reaches over 120 >degrees, everyone smokes, and ventilation is non-existant.) Oy, I want to go there tonight for the big Lookout! showcase, but I'd probably pass out! (plus the GETTING to NYC is a problem in itself) - -Andrea ------------------------------ From: "Laura Taylor" Date: 5 Sep 1996 11:13:09 -0400 Subject: dexter again Ok, Ok...I was wrong on the name, knew it! It's not "Dan" Dexter about whom I was inquiring...it was DAVE DEXTER...Now, for you exotica-types, he did some stuff with Les Baxter...and to you Bomp!-types, he was also involved with American-releases of early Beatles stuff...So, the lists oddly converge(as oft they do!) A Beatles-Baxter connection, via Dexter! BUT THAT'S ALL I KNOW! And I need you philes to help me piece the rest of this together... HELP@! Lounge Laura "It's just my nature to do weird stuff..." laura@wusf.usf.edu ------------------------------ From: Tawsurf@aol.com Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 11:20:51 -0400 Subject: Re: Treblefest b.s. andrea-when my combo, thee phantom 5ive was lookin to book shows in beantown we ran into the fucked situation in which all the clubs had ridiculous "production fees". middle east, mamma kin, rat....the exceptions were the midway lounge, in j.p. and the lynwood grill. due to the sox' game we opted for the midway. check em out...toddd ------------------------------ From: Andrea Lauritzen Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 13:56:26 -0400 Subject: Re: Treblefest b.s. At 01:40 PM 9/5/96, you wrote: > >andrea-when my combo, thee phantom 5ive was lookin to book shows in beantown >we ran into the fucked situation in which all the clubs had ridiculous >"production fees". middle east, mamma kin, rat....the exceptions were the >midway lounge, in j.p. and the lynwood grill. due to the sox' game we opted >for the midway. check em out...toddd > Thanks. I know a guy named Dana who books mostly rockabilly shows at the linwood. And, yeah, all the clubs take a percentage off the door. Is that what you meant by "production fees"? Apparently, they don't do that in other cities. When did Thee Phantom 5ive play Boston??? I tried to book Fortune & Maltese here in June, and was gonna do the linwood, but there was a Red Sox game that night and it's dangerously close to Fenway Park. Forget about Mama Kin...Ask Man or Astroman about THAT place!!!!! There's a couple of people here who expressed an interest in doing something and will probably be pretty supportive of my efforts. For now, I'll just concentrate on my 'zine. Andrea ------------------------------ From: ddalcin@digital.net (Dennis Dalcin) Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 15:18:09 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Treblefest b.s. And, yeah, all the clubs take a percentage off the door. Is that >what you meant by "production fees"? Apparently, they don't do that in >other cities. Absolutely NOT!! That's ridiculous to have to pay to play!! Independent label bands don't make much (if any) money as it is, so screw those idiots who want to charge bands a "production fee" to play at their club!! For now, I'll just >concentrate on my 'zine. What's the name of your 'zine? How many issues have you put out? Got any back issue available? If so, how much? BTW I used to put out a garage/psych/folk & pop fanzine called "Kaleidoscope" between 1986 - 1990. Still have all 4 issues available...like to trade? Let me know and I'll e-mail you a description of what's in each isssue. A few friends of mine live in the Boston area and have played in various bands. I hear it's a great rock 'n' roll city. Dennis ------------------------------ From: "Donald G. Smith" Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 15:40:17 -0400 Subject: James Taylor Quartet curious- the James Taylor Quartet (feat. Jamie Taylor, ex-Prisoners) is playing in DC tomorrow for $10... the local paper gave them a relatively great review and said there stuff leaned toward loungy acid-jazz versions of 60s cool jazz/ soundtrack type material... anyone seen them live and can comment, 'cuz I'm not shelling out $20 for just anything... Don ------------------------------ From: Menachem Turchick Date: Thu, 5 Sep 96 15:54:43 -0700 Subject: Re: Treblefest b.s. > I used to put out a garage/psych/folk & pop fanzine called "Kaleidoscope" between 1986 - >1990. Dennis, How much should I send for copies, and where do I send it to? Also, what other bands are on the "Young Savage Florida" comp besides The Hate Bombs and Lears? I plan to order one of those at the same time. Finally, what Lears singles are available? Please email me at mturchic@igate.iscg.pima.gov. Thanks! Menachem ------------------------------ From: Phil Lerman Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 18:57:35 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Cool Web site... There's an awesome Stooges site up at Virgin Records (actually it's Iggy overall, but you can skip around, of course. Killa' Iguanas pic as well) ____________________ | phil@picante.com | http://www.picante.com/~phil Hey, a top 5 (in no order): Beck - Odelay, Queers - Don't Back Down, Smugglers - Live in Montreal, Angry Samoans - Unboxed Set, Various - Back from the Grave Volume Eight ------------------------------ From: Menachem Turchick Date: Thu, 5 Sep 96 19:59:53 -0700 Subject: Re: Treblefest Article OK, due to overwhelming demand (hey, two requests for the same thing around here is a mandate!) here's Tim Gassen's article on Treblefest, originally published in the Arizona Daily Star, August 30th, 1996 (a very slow news day). You'll note that, in print, Tim is refreshingly modest regarding his own band's performance, though the figure of "40 garage/psych records released" must count every various artists cassette collection ever put out by What Wave magazine, among others. Tim also promoted the second edition of his book on modern garage bands, "The Knights Of Fuzz." Has anyone seen this yet? Any comments would be appreciated. The article: PRIMORDIAL ROCK Streams of beer gushed off the vocalist's head, mixing with sweat, stinging his eyes. The empty beer pitcher whipped past him, over the other band members, crashing against the rear wall. The final buzz from the amp faded, the final leap from the stage landed. The Treblefest '96 music festival was in full swing. Hordes of underground enthusiasts gathered earlier this month in Denver for the three-day blast of garage-rock sacrament, acting as human proof that this crude music is approaching its most popular point in its 3--plus-year history. The congregation in Denver, like those in decades past, assembled to share the primordial emotions sparked by two- and three-chord musical rants. The unspoken chant for the weekend: "Caveman good! Caveman good!" The Treblefest '96 cavern was The Raven Lounge, a cheesy downtown club that usually caters to men who dress like women. For this weekend, it catered to garage heads dressed like thrift-store looters. Fifteen bands from around the world took turns shaking the stage with a combination of innocence, arrogance and downright nastiness - sometimes all at once. Some of the bands copped attitudes football fields larger than their abilities, while others simply offered their music with humble appreciation. Some of the audience came to revel in the joy of gathering. Some came to pout and pose. So the trappings of the garage sub-genre aren't that different from its distant cousin, Top 40. Guys chased girls (and visa versa), bands wasted time nudging for an abstract pecking order, some people were simply jerks - - while all consumed as much beer as could be provided. At the eye of the fury was 360 Twist! Records, the Denver-based label launching its first set of long-players along with the festival it was hosting. Headed by the reserved Michael Gilligan, the enthusiastic Michael Daboll and the very tall Jeff Learman, the 360 Twist! staff also doubles as one of the world's best garage bands, The Element 79. Though Thee Headcoats, an act from England, was listed as the festival's closing headliner, The Element 79 trio's selfless dedication to the music was the real star of Treblefest. "To be honest, we booked the bands for this festival that we personally wanted to see," says Daboll. "It might sound selfish, but we thought that other people would want to see and hear them, too." That kind of musical passion was the positive core behind Treblefest, but not all participants were buying into the "sense of community." The Makers, from Washington state, stood alone and unsmiling near the back of The Raven, their sunglasses in place, their arms folded in practiced boredom. New Jersey's Swingin' Neckbreakers walked through the festival with their noses literally turned upward, while their record-company manager made sure to snap at anyone brave enough to approach. Their sneering query to a fellow band about borrowing some equipment: "So can I use this, or what?" Albuquerque's The Drags were no better. They frowned, shrugged and walked away from fans hoping to share a few kind words after thier show. (It should be noted, ironically, that the on-stage performances for each of these bands were quite enjoyable.) But also present were some of those treasured true believers, the type of fans who have kept the underground garage sound alive for more that three decades. Sam Steinig, singer and keyboardist for Philadelphia's Mondo Topless, gushed, "I'm just thrilled to be here with all these great bands. Jeff Conolly (of the legendary band The Lyres) asked if he could use my keyboard, and that's like a fantasy for me." The "respectful pilgrim" was just one of the rock cliches abundant at Treblefest, but most of the others weren't as pleasant. Many of the bands complained about when they were to perform, some were demanding to the point of absurdity, and the crowd was at times moronic - a multitude of middle fingers seemed to both greet and jeer the bands. Some acts came to Treblefest fresh-faced and unsure of their abilities. The Hate Bombs, from Orlando, Fla., were friendly and open until after their performance, when the back-slapping and hand-grabbing began. By the following day they were cool and aloof - perhaps succumbing to the ego of pop music that perpetually attempts to destroy the simple appeal of garage music. The local Denver bands stepped in to save the day, chucking their egos to start each night's barrage. The Hectics were punk rock at its purest and simplest, stocked with fun people who could laugh at themselves (and others) when needed. That sense of humor was a constant with the best bands at the festival, as witnessed by Dancin' Boy, a friendly fellow who go-goed hypnotically in a kilt alongside the host band, The Element 79. Distorted punkers Boss 302 also represented Denver well - on stage and off - as genuine, talented folks. This writer's own combo, The Marshmallow Overcoat, also performed a ragged set at Treblefest '96, celebrating the release of the band's 11th album. We've been around for so long that the record label is promoting this LP to a completely new audience as our debut long-player, but in Tucson a few folks might know the quiet truth - The Marshmallow Overcoat has released more than 40 garage/psych records, toured the globe repeatedly and been on MTV. We'll also perform locally for the first time in two years at this fall's Trips '96 garage festival. All of that makes us approximately the 187th best garage band in the world - up at least two spots since last year! Garage rock at its best is about breaking expectations and barriers, not simply regurgitating a style and attitude that's been approved by the generations. It's been said that "change is truth and truth is change" - and Treblefest '96 displayed, for better and worse, that the perpetual garage scene remains changing yet unchanged. Caveman good! Caveman good! _______________________________________ ps Andrea, your email is working fine. The problem was at my end. As it turns out, I'm a moron. Menachem mturchic@igate.iscg.pima.gov ------------------------------ End of Bomp V96 #82 ******************* You have been reading Bomp-digest. For subscription requests, send a message to majordomo@bolis.com containing "subscribe Bomp-digest" or "unsubscribe Bomp-digest"