No one ever rocked the leather m/c like the Ramones.Thanks to this post at Strange Reaction, I got to thinkin' of my original m/c Black Leather Jacket. It was 'round 1983 or so and, being the broke suburban kid I was; I didn't have the cash to buy one. It always amazed me that the so-called gutter punks all had em... probably mommy and daddy bought em for em when they went back to their Connecticut homes.
But I digress. I started going out with this girl who's parents definitely had serious bucks (her dad was a dentist in some Long Island high falutin' town). She was a couple of years younger than me and probably figured it was cool to be dating Mr. College Asshole Nihilistic Punk Rocker. Aside from her proclivity towards supplying me with drugs and payin' my way into stuff, she was pretty cool in other ways. Once time she made me this really cool Suicidal Tendencies shirt (like the one's that were pictured on the original album cover). I actually still have the back of that shirt.
Anyway, we were all also into the Grateful Dead and one day she presents me with this beautiful heavy duty (not some asian knock-off) Schott MC jacket. Only one problem, she had painted this absolutely kick ass Steal Your Face graphic on the entire back of the jacket.
Well, no way was I going to wear THAT to punk shows. It was bad enough I had long hair. I didn't want to spend ALL my time fighting.
Sooo... Mr. Asshole spray-paints the entire back of the jacket back to black and than throws the usual punk stickers de rigeur on the back as well. My girlfriend was crushed. But I was such an inconsiderate douchebag to her in other ways, I guess she chalked it up to my sparkling personality.
This jacket served me well for many years. It also got totally beat to shit, but survived (it was really well made). Than I left it at a friend of mine and he somehow lost it. Thanks for that, D.
In retrospect, I was a complete dickhead for destroying the jacket. And I hope my ex girlfriend found someone to treat her a fuckload better than I ever did. At least HER pain is over. She didn't marry me!
Here's some Kraut. I had a Kraut sticker on the back of my jacket. Were we ever that young????
Bookage:
The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting: An Oral History - Jim Walsh
Toonage:
Rolling Stones - Leather Jacket
Screeching Weasel - Leather Jacket
Guitar Wolf - Motor Cycle Leather Boy
NOFX - 13 Stitches
X - Poor Girl
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5 comments:
Man, you woulda earned all my respect in one go had you worn that original, undefiled Steal Your Face jacket to a KRAUT show.
I was a gutter punk (well, to be honest, I still am) but my parents had long before disowned me & all my girlfriends were needier than me, so although I'm not really proud to admit it, I did the only thing a real gutter punk could do, I stole my leathers from a store at the mall. I just got over near the front door & then ran like hell & never looked back. Although it's been repaired (sewed, stapled, & wired) I still have it. I waited a long time before I painted the back of mine (not wanting to be a sheep - Exploited, Discharge, Misfits, whatever) & finally settled on Born Against. I never ran into anyone with one, I got kool rad props, & the street preachin' Xtians that hung out by the punk venues trying to save our souls really hated it, so I got over the guilt of my ill-gotten gain.
NØ
The first leather jacket I bought was so cheap the threads were loose when I bought it new. I didn't buy it until I actually owned a motorcycle because otherwise I would have felt like a Japanese Elvis impersonator saying "Rank you rerry much".
I'll never forget going into the Diesel store in Georgetown and trying on a $500 leather jacket (this must have been 1993) that was so thick and heavy I felt I was putting on chainmail. I vowed that if I ever won the lottery I'd buy that dumb, stupid jacket!!
I stopped riding last summer so when I wear my leather jacket now I feel like a poser, no matter how big a Ramones fan I am. To quote Guitar Wolf, "Lock n Loll!"
Emerson
oldpunks.com
Nice post. Mine has long since ceased to fit, and I donated it some years back to my son's mother who uses it to paint in or strip furniture, or whatever. Hopefully when my son is older he will reclaim it.
It was cheap, cheap, cheap when I originally bought it; in one of these stores hidden up a back alley stinking of piss. EVERY 1 MUST GO!!! But it was heavy hide, and red lined, and lasted an eternity.
You never forget your first motorcycle jacket.
Well.. you must MUST take a certain amount of pride for it. Even if you don't think you've earned it, you have... for better or worse.
So, let me be your speach writer:
Get up on the dias, look the crowd over with an arched eye-brow, and then look at whatever it is you are presented with (piece of paper, little trophy, whatever). Then look at the assembled crowd and say, "You're all soft." Let your award drop from your hand and make your exit.
Erm... in case that "speech" didn't translate too well, I was just playing devil's advocate...
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