The name implies rebellion, Blackboard Jungle schooled L.A. with their in-your-face raw power. After the demise of Filthy Rittz at the tail end of the 80’s, head songwriter/bassist Britt Panella claimed his place on the Sunset Strip when manager meastro Kim Fowley took him and the band under his wing simply because he reminded the living giant of Jonathan from Electric Angels. A lesson in rock ‘n roll would bestow the new band, a Rolling Stone article would spotlight them, but what happened along the way? Enter 2015 and Britt and his gang is ready to celebrate their annual Blackboard Jungle reunion with another “one night only” show in Hollywood. Its fanfare draws people from all over the world to reminisce and relive again. In this interview, Britt tells us why he thinks the yearly reunion show has caught on so well. He also makes no bones about his influence of Motley Crue. In fact, my favorite photo of the band depicts the foursome standing in front of their apartment buliding, back against a landscape of trees & plants, much like the early ’81 Motley photo shoot Too Fast For Love era. Coincidence or not? Download and listen to the podcast here.
