Marky Ramone "Punk Rock Blitzkrieg"

Punk Rock Blitzkrieg by Marky Ramone tells the story of his journey from the burgeoning NY scene of the 70’s on through to the present.  From his early music beginnings of being signed to Neil Bogart’s first label, to Wayne County, the man who took gender bending to a whole other place.  Under the management of MainMan, Bowie’s people at the time, interesting anecdotes of how rumors went around that MainMan only kept Wayne on their roster so Bowie could knick ideas from Wayne.  When that band didn’t pan out, Marky went on to join Richard Hell & The Voidoids, who in many ways would inspire the UK punks when their Sire Records debut was released.
Once he hooked up with The Ramones, let the games begin.  Talk about a disfunctional bunch of bandmates, whether it be pulling knives on each other, stealing girlfriends, or Joey’s OCD condition, Marky tells it in a way with a ray of humour. 
His own battles with alcoholism, led to a wake up call when he was told he could no longer be in the band.  The final straw, finding himself in a furniture store, and it wasn’t to buy a new sofa.  His father’s stern words left an impact, and it was time for AA. 
His second chance at a healthy life would eventually coincide with a second chance in The Ramones. 
It’s a captivating book from a stand up guy who’s been through the high’s and low’s and has found a comfortable place on the other end of it all.  How many artists can say they recorded with Phil Spector?  How many can create a movement?  This one has lasted, influenced countless others, a musical legacy that continues to be as strong as ever.  This book is a must read for any self proclaimed music aficionado, or those wanting a history trip through the roots of punk/rock and New York City.

Xmas edition/Eric Stacy interview Dec 2015

They were the band Elektra didn’t expect to do well.  A #1 video on MTV (back when it meant something still), Top 40 single, countless tours with the big boys, Faster Pussycat left their mark.  But as colorful a ride as it was, Eric Stacy tells us in this interview tales of some rough patches, including how some band members had to take odd jobs after Whipped wasn’t able to supersede it’s previous release.  More importantly though, this was a band that came up during the last great days of the Sunset Strip.  Their singer opened up a night club, and the Cathouse would become as infamous as the band itself.  If you ever wondered what a night out with Taime and Co. was like at their hotspot, listen on and find out.  We also come closer to solving the ever present golden question... Taime as a blond vs. black.  Eric shares his thoughts on this and more.  Get it here

GLAMBONE!

Podcast episode/Free episode

Biters, Nashville show 11/21/15 Scott Weiland tour

We're living in a time where people attending a show are either embarrassed or scared to show emotion.  Oh is it ok to clap?  I better look over my shoulder and see if anyone's looking at me.
Dude, you're at a rock show. 
The setting at City Winery is like dinner theater.  As the Biters played, opening the show on their current trek with Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts, this is what the band faced on their Saturday night show in Nashville.  Table seatings, eat your steak or scallops while trying to watch the band.

That didn't stop the Biters from ripping through their set and serving up their rock n' roll exactly how you'd expect.  Tuk, owning the frontman role, he doesn't back down from talking to the crowd, razzing them to get a reaction, it's not calculated, it's straight from the lip and in the moment.  Maybe the majority of dudes there were in their seats just to hear some STP, so be it, but what I noticed after Biters set were people hitting their merch table, and then presenting vinyl LP's at the band to grace with their autographs.   That right there is called converting.  Otherwise known as kicking ass and taking names.  As David Bowie would sing "all you've got to do is Win."

Alice Cooper/Dennis Dunaway - Snakes Guillotines Electric Chairs!

Seems like I read these autobios one after the other these days.  Some blur together, some end up being quite forgettable.  My expectation of Snakes Guillotines Electric Chairs! the book from Alice Cooper original bass player Dennis Dunaway was “here’s a guy who probably has some great stories to tell.”  Maybe because his time away from the group allowed for a more genuine reflection.  The book certainly delivers. 
He paints tales of high school in the early 60’s, and how Vince Furnier’s ability to adlib a story and garner attention was set in motion right from the start.  Asking fellow student Glen Buxton to play guitar in the school talent show, thus becoming the Earwigs.
What’s most compelling is their time spent in L.A., those early years of rubbing shoulders with everyone from The Doors to Pink Floyd to Led Zeppelin to Hendrix.  Can you imagine?  One gets the sense of being there in the moment of when new music and bands were coming up, and the excitement of the pursuit of it all.
Dennis tells vivid memories of this.   My favorite is when they befriended the GTO’s, which he refers to as “this group of rock n roll wenches,” one of whom was Miss Pamela, later to become Des Barres.  The GTO’s lived in the basement of Frank Zappa’s home...in which Alice plainly asks one of them if she can get Frank to give them a record deal.  And how the whole band shows up at his house one morning, storms in, sets up gear right in front of his bedroom door and begins their onslaught.  To which Zappa somewhat amused asks to get his coffee first.
The making of all the classic records and how the songs came to be is relived in fine detail here, as is the tours and how they would become one of the biggest bands in the world.  And then how it would all unravel, with the name Alice Cooper solely being identified as one man instead of one group, making it easier to push the guys out of their own band.  These stories and more keep the reader’s interest high.  It’s an entertaining read from start to finish.  A book about love and loss, triumph, and ultimately friendships that never die.

GB-FALL/interview with Billy Rowe

It was Guns ‘N Roses, Poison, and Jetboy.  The Big 3.  They were leading the new wave of glam influenced rock after the previous “Big 3” Crue, Quiet Riot, Ratt opened the doors to the kingdom of hair & warpaint.  All these dudes hung out together, played shows together, competed amongst each other.  Why did one not climb as high as the other?  Billy Rowe has his thoughts about this.   As he tells us here, “fast forward 30 years later and the band is known for that mohawk.”  Was it detrimental to the band being accepted into the mainstream?  Billy sheds light on how the same people that wanted Jetboy for those reasons of being different also tried to change them.   Who could forget the image of Billy slingin’ his White Falcon over his shoulder either?  For those unaware, Mr. Rowe is the founder of his own boutique guitar company called Rock  N Roll Relics.  Prided in building and capturing the worn-in look and sound of vintage 6-strings, there’s Tele’s, Strats, and coolest of all - the Johnny Thunders TV model.  We learn more about his growing business, plans for production, as well as past and present happenings of Jetboy, right here in this podcast episode.




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Glambone says... MAKE SUM NOISE!

GB-STEVIE2015

Stevie Rachelle got his share of flak back in the day, “oh he’s just a Bret-wannabe” they would say, or that Tuff were a bunch of Poison clones.  But he always put his fist first, and never gave up.  His story is about finding a way to make what you do work.  When his style of rock wasn’t in vogue and magazines didn’t want to give him press anymore, what did he do...he thought of a way to generate his own public soundboard, and invented Metal Sludge, a website that became a community long before social media became the norm.  We discuss that and more in this interview.  When I think back, the band was always savvy in presenting themselves, whether it be hiring the best photographers of the time, or being entertaining with their telephone hotline messages, Tuff stood out among the rest.  They were dedicated.  Stevie tells us about the days of flyering the streets of L.A. from 3am til the sun came up.  The infamous Tuff Muff Mansion.  Organizing their own tours, all before the label deal came along.  He also voices out on his contemporaries or competition from the Sunset Strip era.  It’s all here in this podcast episode.


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Rock me till I burn...TO THE BONE!

GB - Tuk of July (Biters interview)

BITERS are leaving their mark everywhere.  They’ve been on a steady trajectory upward and this month sees the official label release of  “Electric Blood” on Earache
Records.  In this podcast episode, Tuk tells us about his hopes and dreams and also
the realities of what comes with the territory for a band like theirs.  From the beginning, The Biters had in place what most bands simply don’t...brotherhood.  A clear unity amongst each member that is more like a gang than anything else.  Tuk expresses his
gratitude for the many that wear the band’s logo on the back of their jackets, or that’ve tatted up their skin with an emblem of the band.  These are members of an Army.  People love this band.  If you don’t already, listen here to find out why you might too.
Most of all, what comes across vividly is that Tuk himself is a huge fan of music, and not afraid to let you know just what he digs, or cockblockin’ those influences to shine through in his own songs. This band certainly has a heart fulla rock ‘n roll.  One look at their new video for "Restless Hearts" says it all, it's like watching Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused jam packed into a 3 minute 32 second song and dance.  This is the feeling I remember having when I was a kid, seeing a band that just embodies the epitome of cool.  They've captured that spirit.  Where's the fun in rock 'n roll?  I'll tell you where, it's where The Biters are. 







BITERS interview







Git'cha bone on!