The Deluxe on Haight St was a happening hurricane of activity on a January 2002 evening when our camera was there to catch the encore of seasoned San Francisco rock n roll soldier Bone Cootes and his bad azz bar room blasting band.
He starts off in this gritty unedited live clip with “Little Bird” , a tavern tested tune that would later appear on his Bone Cootes “Blow Out The Curses” CD and finishes here with a ribald ripper by the late great Andre Williams, “Bacon Fat”.
Bones band the Living Wrecks, featuring debonair dudes like Austin DeLone on the keys, six string pluckin’ birthday boy Kevin Ink in another corner and Joe Kyle Jr on the standup bass were all easily tossin’ out grooves and licks to spare. On fire with their unique amalgam of country fried blues, swanky angular urbane jazz attack and ol’ fashioned pub rock, they were inciting hip grinding drunken dancefloor mayhem. Through the magic of time travelin’ digital video…it’s like now you are there too!
Amazingly, decades after the murder of a grocery store owner was the talk of a small Texas town, his 84 yr old widow has been arrested, and much of the momentum on the cold case seems to have been due to a True Crime reality show that now airs on Oprah’s network and is produced by Dick Wold of Law & Order fame.
Apparently, the host of the program Cold Justice’s Kelly Siegler, is an experienced former Harris County Texas prosecutor and had more team members available than the resource strapped actual local prosecutors so her team took off running. According to Siegler, the Leon County TX sheriff in 1984 botched the investigation by not consistently writing down notes so his research and leads died with him. The TV show producers credit younger better trained law enforcement officials now in Leon County TX with resurrecting the investigation, and bringing in the TV crew.
Oddly enough, the home where the death occurred seems to be a hot spot of shotgun “accidents” that those 1980’s Texas cops could not grasp were possibly more than accidents. Prior to Johnnie Albritton’s death by multiple gunshots to the back in 1984, apparently their 13 year old daughter also died in an unexplained shotgun accident in 1981. After Johnnie’s death, when TX cops sought to interview his widow for a polygraph, she too suffered a shotgun “accident”, and thus somehow avoided any future polygraph examination?
More on this crazy story via these links to the local regional Texas Eagle newspaper:
Flipper’s 40th anniversary is this year and they are playing later this week in their hometown of San Francisco at Great American Music Hall. I guess I gotta shell out the big bucks if I wanna see ’em again. Should I do it? It will be sorta like a family reunion, in that not everyone will be there, and those that are, might not even be recognizable the way you remembered them, or even the members you’d want to see the most.
Here’s live video clips I made featuring songs made infamous during Flipper’s early years…
One further down below is newer from the 21st century, featuring current vocalist David Yow doing Love Canal and Ha Ha Ha which were on an early single. The other just below is about 20 years older, you hear part of their final Subterranean single “Someday” and the closing song “Way Of The World” from a daytime outdoor show in the early 90’s when the reconstituted band soldiered on after the death of original member Will Shatter. At the time a guy named John Dougherty was brought in on bass, and just like Will, Dougherty too would also die of a heroin overdose shortly after this 8mm footage was shot.
Here’s a more recent live lineup performing past glories from the band’s break-thru single originally released on Subterranean Records in 1981
Both songs are masterfully jaded methed up narcoleptic noise rock takes on the American Dream gone awry, setting the tone for the emerging ennui amidst a painful wasteland of suburban consumer conformity and corporate malfeasance that would be known as the 1980’s.
For a year or two in the late eighties, I used to answer Flipper’s fan mail, not for the money, uh, just for the glory I think… besides they were too lazy. Their singer Will Shatter would show up and sit beside me at the Subterranean record label store front on Valencia St circa 10 am with a Bartles & Jaymes wine cooler in hand. He was really just hoping to cash spare royalty checks before the rest of his bandmates, and seemed disinterested in the fan mail I showed him from geeky kids in far off Poland and Kentucky. The label guy would maybe throw him a few bucks to get rid of him lurking around the storefront, and Will might even pilfer a couple 7″s on his way out to sell somewhere else. But Will was a beatnik poet, and really just a guy from Gilroy, and he died soon after of an OD…
me on day will shatter’s death hit the news
The Flippant Men Who Make The, Uh, I Guess You’d Call It “Music”
Steve DePace is the entrepreneurial mercenary and life force trying to preserve the band’s legacy, Ted is more chill, a laconic Vietnam Vet, frazzled and still the easiest to be around to this day. I think Will was the sweetest of the bunch, while Bruce, now put out to pasture, was obviously the most mischievous, which is kinda cute when you’re young, less so as you creep into middle age.
When Flipper Kinda Lost Its Way In The World …
By the early 90’s Bruce’s drug taking manifested itself beyond pranks into petty feuds and worse, he became such a jerk, that after Will died, he was actually caught climbing through the ceiling vents of his own indie label warehouse to steal his own master tapes. It was all part of a coked up cash-in ploy and they sold the reels to Rick Rubin and Henry Rollins for chump change.
Bruce “Loose” Calderwood on stage 1994
Selling the tapes got a cash infusion, but sorta proved to be a stupid move, as not only did they burn the true foundational business bridge to their past glories, as soon they took the new money from Rubin, (an amount that barely woulda bought a decent new van), all the early Flipper tapes & LPs were soon out of print. Most of their legacy material was basically lost to the netherworlds of corporate negligence… They put out one new record on a major label in 1993 that stiffed, and I think Steve DePace had to sue to buy back their own music from Sony or whomever ended up owned and kept it dormant for well over a decade into the 21st century long after iTunes and eMusic downloads were already in decline.
Flipper mighta been a buncha drug ravaged idiots, but they were also brutally inspired artists without fear who made a definite caustic sonic mark on the rock music world. Really a band with no apologies, and a legacy of noise that still always makes me smile despite actually knowing the muther fuckers. Original singer Bruce “loose” Calderwood is a more than half crazy old mountain man misanthrope, constantly complaining online about his back, lashing out in recriminating rants while David Yow of Jesus Lizard cavorts the globe singing the songs Bruce made famous, much to Bruce’s chagrin and anger.
They were one of the great band’s of the early 80’s post-punk scene, and the only thing that held them back was everything. especially their own dysfunctionality. I consider them America’s nasty little answer to the pomp & circumspect Public Image Limited., but with much more sincerity, true grit and heart. They made dark deep wounding records that still stand the test of time, and their songs churn away in the background like psychic sewer dweller anthems. As Krist Novoselic of Nirvana has said of the band he briefly joined “Their music drew me into a universe where bleak was beautiful. I realized the work was as heavy and transcendent as anything in the rock echelon. Mainstream convention was shattered. Flipper were too weird and dangerous for the world. And if the world didn’t get it, that was just another loss for humanity. “
Apparently the world as another chance to catch on. Steve DePace mentioned to me in April when I inquired about the band’s 40th anniversary tour, and working on a documentary of their career “The time is right! I am going to get it all done over the next year or two! We will be rebuilding and relaunching the brand and the band in a big way. Lots of shows and many other things…”
On a Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2015 the Public Flipper Limited corporation reconvened their bored members and brought the beast out for a walk. David Yow (best known as frontman of Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid) took the lead vocal mic for a brief tour that saw the band play San Francisco, Southern California, Brooklyn, Philly and I believe some tempting gigs in Italy that were the real date bait.
Here’s some footage from the show I was able to capture, it was pretty dark but the sound was good and gives ya an idea of how it went.
The lineup also consisted of Bruno DeSmartAss (also of Flipper pals band The Sluglords) on bass, original skinsman Steve DePace , and veteran guitarrorist Ted Falconi plucking the six strings…
“Ever” is a dark Will Shatter era classic from their 1981 “Generic Flipper’ LP, seen here performed at The Bottom Of The Hill in SF 10/10/2015.
Ever live a life that’s real
Full of zest, but no appeal
Ever want to cry so much
You want to die
Ever feel that you’ve been had
Had so much that you turn mad
Ever been depressed that (to) those you turn to, you bring distress
Ever sit in tormenting silence
That turns so loud, you start to scream
Ever take control of a dream
And play all the parts and set all the scenes
Ever do nothing and gain nothing from it
Ever feel stupid and then know that you really are
Ever think you’re smart and then find out you aren’t
Ever play the fool and then find out that you’re worse
Ever look at a flower and hate it
Ever see a couple kissing and get sickened by it
Ever wish the human race didn’t exist
And then realize you’re one too Well, have you … ever .. I have
So what
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Apache the band specializes in lousy good ol’ fashioned not too serious, raunchy robust beer drinkin’ goofball fun… and this song is the epitome of their misfit casual cool attitude
This was a great show at the old Elbo Room in San Francisco that I happened to be at in January 2017. Here’s Apache doing “Boyz’ Life” at the Elbo Room in San Francisco, CA, January 27, 2017.
Apache released their first album “Boomtown Gems” in 2008. Touring the world ensued and their sophomore album “Radical Sabbatical” was released in 2010.
Joining the 2019 Burger Boogaloo onstage revue was Derv Gordon, the Septuagenarian original singer of London based swinging sixties two tone rockers The Equals. He is amused that an obscure novelty single he had long disregarded called “Michael and The Slipper Tree” still gets requests.
Here is Derv performing The Equals biggest hit, one that was atop the music pop charts in several countries in 1968. It was number 1 in the UK, Belgium and South Africa, and top ten across the rest of Europe and Canada, and hit the top 40 in the US.
Like fellow UK rockers of the same era, the Small Faces, the Equals also never toured the USA in their prime and many fans were excited to hear of a chance to catch some of the seminal sixties band’s under appreciated psychedelic pop rock live on stage.
With the original lineup spread asunder and after decades of bitter business dealings etc, they were not on “the best of terms”, so the Equals original vocalist has found musicians from the East Bay based band So What to back him up and they do a damned good job. Guitarist Jason Duncan is such an Equals aficionado that in the course of collecting their records, and then working on a book about the ground breaking band, he became part of the story after awhile. He began a correspondence as a fan with singer Derv Gordon that eventually evolved into a full fledged and interestingly fruitful musical partnership.
The first Derv Gordon / So What show was his US debut back in January 2017, and then 68 years old, Derv fought off a bad flu, and delivered a steamy set of sixties faves to a sold out crowd in San Francisco at the old Elbo Room. Since then they’ve developed a unique punchy foot stompin’ sound that harkens back to the Equals but with a truly hard glam & punk flavored edge. The group have now done shows on the East Coast and in Europe since then, and tightened their set up a lot too.
It is truly great to be able to see an original member of one of the most amazing, yet under rated groups of their time play songs that have laid dormant in the dustbins for decades. The Equals were one of the few multi-racial rock bands anywhere, much less in London, and were putting out records in 1965 on the President label. Derv was the lead-vocalist and his twin brother Lincoln played the bass, while Eddy Grant was the guitarist and main songwriter. If you’ve never heard of them, you owe it to yourself to check out their back catalog from the 60’s that was ahead of its time, as it combines psychedelic soul, with an early glam rock edge and of course a Caribbean rhythmic influence too.
A Tribute to Elvis Costello featuring loud mouth blabbering Blag Dahlia, HeWhoCannotBeNamed playing with his organ & Salt Peter putting the bass in yo face just like he always did in that classic Dwarves line-up are seen here tackling Elvis Costello’s Mystery Dance, joined by fk’d up friends Eric Moffat on guitar & Dave Leonard on drums.
Multi-Cam Clip shot live at the Make-Out Room in 2016 by @LilMikeSF
It was lil’ bit smutty, a lil’ bit rock ‘n roll as the old school Dwarves lineup of Blag Dahlia, HeWhoCannotbeNamed and bassist Salt Peter Strauss were onstage along with Rex Everything and spry lad Hunter Down on the drum kit. As host John Waters says of the Burger Boogaloo , “Burger Boogaloo is the perfect cult gathering of young and old music rebels who hate everybody in the world except each other.” Or as Blag himself put it “the place to be” in vogue Oakland with the “greatest rock band in the world”, apparently his own.
Here’s a 360° video perspective the Dwarves closing down their set with “Unrepentant”, the lead off track from their 1997 album “Dwarves are Young & Good Looking” which was their first release after getting booted by Sub Pop for pranking the death of one of their own band members in a PR seeking stunt meant to ride the 90’s post Kurt Cobain suicide sympathy wave. The song is all chunky riffs and bluesy wails, dark humor augmented by some anti-crowd control antics as they end their ribald appearance at Burger Boogaloo July 6th in Oakland’s Mosswood Park. They are joined by some feral female friends like Burlesque Boogaloo beauties Ms Edie Eve, Szandora LaVey and voluptuous Bo Vixxen.
“Live action show In stereo On TV, radio Smokin’ dust Like there’s just no tomorrow But they don’t know Said they don’t know Yeah, they don’t know! Aww, they don’t know!!
Yeah, I’m unrepentant And I don’t regret it There isn’t any other way Yeah, I’m unrepentant “
– Blag Dahlia ( aka Paul Cafaro )
I brought a new 360° camera to capture some of the action stage side at Day 1 of the Burger Boogaloo but as soon as I took it out, the frantic pit action and stage diving of big boy Blag Dahlia soon knocked the lil dual lensed guy off its gimbel mount and into the mud, so I apologize for the smeared lens on some of this footage. Thankfully my co-camera operator Eric Moffat noticed it flying and snagged it from the mud, I later saved his camera as it was knocked around onto the ground minutes later during the stage diving and crowd surfing caught at the end of this number.
In #SanFrancisco, Where Homeless Tent Cities & Needle Strewn Sidewalks Overflow With Human Fecal Matter, The Transit Agencies Of The Local Mono Party Political Cabal Casually Squandered Two Billion Tax Dollar$ On A Fancy Bus Shelter That Is A Total Bust !
Due To Safety Concerns About Shoddy Construction, It Was Blocked Off From Public Access A Year Ago, Only Days After Opening, And Its Closure Escalated The Already Miserable Gridlock Downtown.
The Site, Which Even Empty Still Costs Taxpayers $2.5 Million A Month To Maintain, May Host Actual #TransitPassengers In Late July 2019, But As Designed, Will Still Have No Direct Connections To Existing Subways or Rail Lines.
Here’s A Few Seconds Of Footage I Got Of The Impractical Massive Monstrosity That Looks Like It Was Dreamed Up In As A Dubai Discotheque Landing Pad During The Brief Period It Was Open Last Year
The Empty Basement “Might” Someday Have A Rail Stop In The Very Far Off Nebulous Future, But Only If A Batsh/t Bait & Switch #BulletTrain Scheme Is Ever Fully Funded.
Remember Kids! This Is The Kind Of Magic #TheDemocrats Can Accomplish If Given A Super Majority And A Checkbook With Unfettered Reins Of Power! Good Job Gang! You’ve Made Us Proud In #TheCityThatKnowsHow !
Next Time You Are Standing In A Packed Bart Train At Rush Hour Wondering Why The System Sucks, Remember The Transit Masterminds Spent 2 Billion Tax Dollars On A Bus Barn To Nowhere Only A Few Blocks Away.
Here are two songs featured on the original Osgood Slaughter cassette demo that was recorded with Jonathan Burnside at Razor’s Edge on Divisidero St in 1987, but recreated live in 2017 on stage some 30 years later.
One deals with parenting the late great Bruno Bersani way… Our hero recounts how he left the whiskey soaked bar crawls of SF’s side streets to raise a child, and how that demon had to be tamed. The second is about the “Weirdo On The Block” another concern of the young Bruno Bersani, and of which he undoubtedly feared he’d become…
These songs were recorded live at The Bottom Of The Hill October 14th 2017 at the band’s last known performance of tunes that originally surfaced on the 1987 Osgood Slaughter demo. The original studio versions are available at Bandcamp and one is embedded below for your streaming or downloading pleasure, as archived via the “ChewyMarzolo1” Bandcamp page, a treasure trove of indie music you likely ain’t heard.
Oh are you still here? … well then you get the ULTIMATE REWARD! This is a rarely seen clip of Bruno Bersani’s 1984 oddball electro pop group’s only video that aired on an Oregon cable access show… here’s a story about Bruno’s Moose Lodge cribbed from the panicon13th blog where I found it
The song comes from “a demo of amazing synth punk. Hilarious lyrics and a band that can really play. Years after this came out, John O’Neil told me he’d hung out with lead singer Bruno while he smashed copies of the tape in his garage with a hammer. Too bad, because there weren’t many to go around, my copy was #86 of 100. I only got to see them play once, it was at a high school dance where they had the plug pulled on them after 10 minutes. “It appears that we’re done for the evening…” Bruno said, barely started on his two liter bottle of wine cooler sitting prominently on his synth before a room of teenagers. “
