Nobody But Me!

Damn straight muthafucka's!

A blast from the past

Isley Brothers

The UnCalled Four

Nobody but me - The Human Beinz  

Nazz Nomad & The Nightmares- Nobody But Me

The Dickies

"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth"

So said Iron Mike Tyson.

Words to live by.

How are YOU taking the hits?

With your hands on head or on the trigger of a gun?

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

I've had a couple of business setbacks today- suck city. Is it because it's Friday The 13th? And, since the world is supposed to end this year- wouldn't it make sense that it would end on a Friday The 13th?

Yeah- sure...

It's the 21st freakin' century and we're still afraid of this nonsense...

From Medical News Today:

The Friggatriskaidekaphobia phenomenon is a phobia for Friday 13th, a superstition that has existed for hundreds of years in virtually every corner of the world. In India's movie industry, they try to avoid releasing new films on Friday 13th because of a fear it will do badly. Even stock markets around the world tend to see less activity on this date. Typically, airlines also report a drop in passengers.

Between 17 and 21 million Americans have a phobia of Friday 13th, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina.

According to the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics, fewer accidents and fires occur on Friday 13th, probably because people are more careful or just stay at home.

Songs About Syd

The madcap laughed. But when did the laughter find no escape? The old parable about burning out before fading away found Syd Barrett with a foot in both camps. The legend lived on, ever brighter; but the man himself diminished. What could have been going through his mind? Bitterness at being pushed out of one of the biggest bands in the world? Or relief at becoming only a footnote?

We're all on thin ice, indeed.

Nobody knows where you are,
How near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph,
And sail on the steel breeze.
Come on you boy child,
You winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

The Damned Are Coming

Well, at least the 2 main guys. Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian (along with some more than capable aiders and abetters) will be tourin' and playing DAMNED DAMNED DAMNED and THE BLACK ALBUM this fall. That's an interesting juxtaposition. Primal Punk and perhaps the first punk foray into Goth/Psychedelica in tandem.

Bitchin'.




The Damned 35th Anniversary Tour

Oct

20th - US - Cambridge, MA, Middle East
22nd - US - New York,NY, Irving Plaza
23rd - US - Washington DC, Black Cat
25th - US - Chicago,IL, Metro/Smart Bar
27th - US - Seattle, WA, Showbox at The Market
29th - US - San Francisco, CA, Slim's
30th - US - Los Angeles, CA, House Of Blues
31st - US - Anaheim, CA, House Of Blues

Nov

1st - US - San Diego, CA, House Of Blues
4/5/6 - Fun Fun Fun Fest, Austin, Texas - exact date and time TBA Sep 1st

Nov

9th - Bristol, O2 Academy
10th - Birmingham,O2 Academy
11th - Cambridge, Corn Exchange
12th - London, Roundhouse
13th - Brighton, East Wing
14th - Norwich, UEA
15th - Nottingham, Rock City
17th - Newcastle, O2 Academy
18th - Leeds, O2 Academy
19th - Manchester, Academy
20th - Edinburgh, Picture House

No Future

 

Every one of us geeks has got plenty of cover songs of our favorite bands. Out here on the internetweblands, are plenty of sites that actually feature nothing but covers. 

In fact many of us have played in bands that paid homage to these bands. Of the 18 songs on here, I personally have been in bands over the years that have performed 7 of em. 

A guy I see in the mirror every morning is playing bass on this one!

NO FUTURE (Released Emotions U.K.)
takes the approach of a “tribute” to the Big 3 of UK old school punk: The Clash, The Damned & Sex Pistols. On one hand you have the slavishly devotional, such as Sex Pistols Experience, with their riff cloning  ersions of “Pretty Vacant” and “Anarchy In The UK”.  The Pistols have turned into self parody, so why bother as a tribute to the originals?

Ladies and germs, the originals, 20 years past the point

The conflict to me is: Punk is spozed to be doing yer own thang, so I am far more impressed by the adventurous rather than the dogmatic. The techno-rappy “Submission” by The Blaggers ITA or the metallic “Silly Thing” with it’s AC/DC tease by Identity are the lure. Sometimes it backfires, ala The Bolsheviks rap of “Holidays In The Sun”, but respect for the attempt. I’d rather hear a car crash than a clone.

The concept works best on The Clash covers. Perhaps because the original band was so diverse and insistent in terms of wearing their influences’ on their sleeves.  The versions of “Capital Radio” (Steve Drewett) and Attila The Stockbroker’s “Washington Bullets” take excursions into world beat- certainly something that mssrs’ Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Headon were no strangers to. These songs totally work- with logical and relevant reworkings. Again, on the covers of “English Civil War (my favorite cover on the album) and “Guns Of Brixton” the songs are re-imagined. “English Civil War” actually sounds like it should pre-date the Clash’s version, taking the song back to it’s 19^th century roots.

The only tunes that fall flat are another clone- “Bankrobber”  Anhern & One Steady MDV add nothing (except a Paul Simonon aping of the vox maybe). Bleach sounds remote on “Complete Control” (pun intended), a miscalculation, as the original is as pissed off a song as there ever was.

There are already couple of really good Damned tribute comps out there, and as the least familiar of the three classic bands,  I was a little nervous that the Damned selections here would not be thought as  out as well as the band deserved. Leatherface’s version  starts off baroque of “Melody Lee” before going full force with Frankie Stubbs'  whisper/gurgle vox.

I was blown away by the Malcom Owen lament “The Limit Club”… very compelling and different- totally no frills, compared to the lush original. Still, very moving. “Plan Nine Channel 7” is one of those “holy songs" to me. My only hope was that Exit Condition didn’t fuck it up. They don’t, but there’s nothing particularly adventurous here either. On the other hand, “New Rose” is done as a piece for strings by The Urchin String Quartet. Cool.  “Love Song”… well, Adrenalin AOD did the definitive cover version about 30 or so years ago. So, I wouldn’t have even bothered if I was Red Letter Day.

“Thanks For The Night”, by Robb Johnson totally acoustic, serves as the coda to the album, a complete 180 from Captain Sensible's’ original.

All in all… more hits than misses on some of the greatest songs ever. Worth checking out.

Toonage:

Leatherface - Melody Lee (Damned Cover)

Fade To

Black

Part Of The Problem

Hey! We're recording our album. Actually, do you even call 'em albums anymore? We're doing it on the budget plan of course. Our tech savvy lead gee-tar-ist has set up his basement as a recording studio. Guitars and drums are down and it's about time for l'il ole me to "contribute" my bass lines.

It seems all of our toonage is family oriented. That is, if you're in the Manson Family!We've got songs about mass murderers, fecal matter raining from the skies, systemic overthrow, and of course dope, guns and fucking in the streets.

We're all pretty psyched for this. We recorded one tune last fall (The Love Theme To Kids Go To The Woods, Kids Get Dead); and that was a blast- but we did it in a real recording studio and while it came out great, we were aware that it was co$ting us $$$ (not that we minded that much, since the best Punk Rock engineer/studio did it!)

And... this time, I'll be sober! Because time is money. Even when it's not costing money! Or something.

It's been old Brit music day today at the Spahn Ranch- Have at 'em!

Toonage:

The Stranglers - No More Heroes
Wire - I Am The Fly
The Saints - This Perfect Day
The Damned - There Ain't So Sanity Clause
Gang Of Four - Armalite Rifle

Life Is..

... Very Short And There's No Tiiiiiiiiimmmmmmme, For Fussing And Fighting My Friends.

I dunno, some old band sang that a while back. Hey now, thanks for all of the advice on how to deal with Mr. Asshole former boss. And the answer was... D- I ignored the lunch request and responded to his query about football (the 'merican version). I am sure he figured the implied message.

I could not have sat across from him without strangling him, so what would be the point in that? The highest road would have been to lunch and smile, but I am not that evolved I guess. So, discretion being the better part of valour, much smarter to just let it fly by and move on.

Hey, I haven't posted any music to download lately, so here's some... komplete with komments (try to figure out that reference!)

The Jam - Dead End Street (Kinks kover) - Paul Weller & company being the ultimate mod-ficianado's and covering multiple Beatles/Who toonage, here's a nice 'un.

The Damned - Plan 9, Channel 7 - From the Radio One sessions - That's not Unlce John, right? I get all that Brit radio shaowage mixed up. Hey - Pirate Radio wasn't a bad movie at all incidentally!

Debbie Harry & Chris Stein - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Ramones cover) - A sweet acoustic version recorded at the last show ever at CBGB's. I miss Joey. Alot.

The Dictators - I Just Wanna Have Something To Do (Ramones cover) - The Bronx boys do the Queens boys. And when in NYC, you MUST go to Manitoba's!

Some guys from Liverpool -We Can Work It Out (from Ultra Rare trax) - J,P, G & R on an alternate version.

Acoustic Muthafuckas

Here are some neat-o acoustic versions of some classic punk tunes.

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost

Toonage:
Dinosaur Jr - Borstal Breakout (Sham 69)
Frank Turner - Pay To Cum (Bad Brains)
Bill Janovitz - Straight To Hell (The Clash)
Lisa Loeb - Video Nasty (The Damned)

Humbug

And good tidings for all. My holiday wish is for us all to have a fuckload better year in 2010 !!!!!!

Joey Ramone's Last show



Toonage
The Damned - There Ain't No Sanity Claus
Crucial Youth - Christmas Time For The Skins
Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)
Ramones - I Believe In Miracles

Abbey Roadkill

I don't believe in Beatles
- John Lennon

Oooooohhhhhh it's Beatles day! Big Fucking Deal. Let's all suck at the teat of The Lord God Of Merchandising and queue up for remastered (for the hundredth time) Beatles albums (and then downsample em to 128 and play on our Ipods) and our Beatles video game.
Hey junior, buy yerself a real guitar instead of following some virtual relics on a blinking light plastic piece of crap.

And that commercial making the rounds for the game with the images of the deceased (but still raking in money for the estates) John and George make me want to puke.





Toonage:

John L - God (unreleased demo)
George H - Art Of Dying (unreleased demo)
Detention - Dead Rock N Rollers
The Damned - Help (original single)

More Damned

Well, The Damned show last week was amazing. Almost like The Punk Floyd, with all the jamming and groovy lights. Here's a treat, over the weekend The Damned performed live on WFMU radio and through the efforts of some good folks at the Official Damned site, here's the show in all it's glory.

Toonage:

The Damned Live May 16, 2009 WFMU Radio

Damned Damned Damned

My bro Vin and The Good Captain - NYC February 1998

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HOW DO...

HEY BABE, WHAT'S HAPPENING!

cue bass intro!

Nazz Nomad with the Good Captain

Yippie kye yay mofo's, THE DAMNED are tonite.

How pumped am I? How about up to 11!

The Damned May 9, 2009 - Poughkeepsie

Old Drac and the Good Captain, along with the other Damned du Jour, playing in NYC! Wooooooooo hooooooooooooooooo!

The two survivors, yours truly and DMV, along for the ride. Toasting our fallen comrades, Kim and Vin. How many shows over the years? Gone but never forgotten.

We will do our best to carry on.

In darkness there is no sin

Light only brings the fear

Nothing to corrupt the eyes

There is no vision here

At first you may find it strange

But do not go away

The darkness holds the power

That you wont find in the day

Toonage:

The Damned- Love Song (demo)

The Damned - It's A Real Time Thing (very rare)

The Damned - Wait For The Blackout - (Live 2001 House Of Blues)

The Damned - So Messed Up- (John Peel sessions)

No Trouble In The Heartland

Feeling good lately. Feelin' 7-up.

Made an executive decision a couple of weeks back to go on a major bender. If this guy can do a never ending tour, than I can turn Pro and just stay wasted for as long as I can. Day 13 of my Charles Bukowski streak. I've gotten past the roadblock of the morning hangover as well... channeling the fogginess into a placid plateau and the interior hummmmmmming sound that encompasses me like a velvet blanket (or something). Work has settled into something akin to Buenos Aires after the Bugs blew it to bits with that giant Asteroid.

Feelin' great in fact. Saw this guy last nite. Yeah, it's all hokey show-biz shtick but the mofo does fucking rock it hard. What is he, 70 years old and he still brings it every freaking nite. Of course, at this point the Jersey girls have morphed into Jersey Grannies; passing Jersey soccer moms about 10 years ago on the road past MILF and possibly now at the GRILF stage.

But, it's all about the rawk... and sposedly, I've got a couple of shows coming up with various pursuits and it looks like we are heading into the studio to record a song for a horror movie.
That would be sweet. Sweeter than the show we are sposed to play at some Lawn Guyland college cover band bar... wait'll they get a load of us!

Plus, shows from dese guys, and dese guys (and gal) on the horizon... I loves me some punk rock.



Toonage:
The Damned - Blitzkrieg Bop (w/ Joey Ramone!) - Live 1988
Turbonegro - Hobbit Motherfuckers
Nashville Pussy - I'm The Man
Slayer - Richard Hung Himself

----------------
Now playing: Jerry Lee Lewis - What's Made Milwakee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)
via FoxyTunes

Sick Of Being Sick

My hopes of escape were dashed by logistical problems. How to displace the Nomad clan, sell the present oasis & find another one (hundreds of miles to the snowy north); swapping suburban for quasi-rural; uprooting the Princess and Jr (teen and tween respectively) and throwing them into a maelstrom of newkiditis. Plus the uncertainty that any new venture presents...though weighed against current reality, not quite the leap of faith it once was.

But things work out for a reason, as we console ourselves with that rubbish.

And I seem to be bearing the death of the dream better than the Mrs...whom I might add, was rabidly against said expansion until the bubble burst.

Nonetheless, it is with renewed vitality that I attack my current reality. Don't you know? A cornered animal is the most dangerous.

Feeling less dangerous due to a nasty virus that has kicked my ass since (not so) Good Friday. On a bitches brew of anti-biotics, pain-killers, inhalers and over the counter potions; which, when added to my usual melting pot of "steady-as-she-goes-sirs", has rendered my bloodstream as if I was the corporate asshole version of Keef Richards, though my voice has been reduced to a dull croak, most reminiscent of Bob Dylan singing through a colostomy bag.

With the escape hatch sealed, and the water rising, what can a poor boy do?

Count our farking blessings and quit the bitching, for starters!

Toonage:

The Damned - Sick Of Being Sick

Two Cow Garage - Brass Ring

Husker Du - Plans I Make (unreleased version)

The Jones - Pill Box

Damn Damn Damned

The Damned Live at Coney Island High around 1999

I just got kicked in the balls so hard at work that it's only my happy pills keeping me from opening up a vein and, well, Bleedin' Out. At least I still have a job.

What's the old line about cleaning up elephant shit at the circus? Well, at least it's show-biz!

The Damned are coming to our fair town on New Years Eve .... which sucks, since I can't see em that nite. They're also playing to the north and south of N.Y.C.... hope to catch one of those!

Anyway, here are some candid pix of Mr. Vanian and the good Captain from a few years ago backstage at Coney Island High. We had a great time stealing their Jack Daniels and discussing vegeterianism with Captain Sensible.

And here's Nazz with the Cap!

The good Captain, with his pre-show beer. He had a bottle of Jack. That is, before we took it!

The Captain in his full glory. Later of course, he was bare assed naked.

Dave Vanian putting the final touches on his well coiffed personage.

That's my pal Vinnie with the Captain.

Toonage:
The Damned Live At The House Of Blues 2001 (the whole show!)


----------------
Now playing: Damned - So Messed Up
via FoxyTunes

shitFACEdBOOK

As Princess Nomad has been urgently requesting to be able to sign up for Facebook, we have belatedly acquiesced to her pleas. Negotiations revolved around us having her password, as well as yours truly joining, the better to keep tabs.

Apparently, we were the last two people in the Western world to become members, as everyone and their Uncle Bob is on as well.

After a couple of weeks of tinkering, I have already become somewhat bored of yet another timesuck. However, the lure of pissing away hours on the site and looking up people I haven't seen in years has proved alluring. On the other hand, as I do not use my real name, no one can find me, unless they know my "nom de cyber". Which works fine.

I have investigated old acquaintances from High School and College, and I am amazed at how old THEY have all gotten (as they post their pix). Often, they post em of the wives and kiddies too. I have no urge to contact any of em, as I figger I would have made the effort years ago if I had any interest in re-connecting. In fact, whenever I get Alumni pleas for $$$ or reunion info, I always mark the envelopes "Return to Sender- deceased".

Anyway, one thing that has happened a couple of times to me is the phenom of "wasted posting", in which I have commented on friends "walls" on Facebook whilst hammered.

This apparently happened last nite, while under the influence of a heavy duty sleeping aid. I had no recollection of it, until I got an email today from JW expressing outrage over what I posted. And I had no idea what it was, until I was informed of the moronic utterings I had deemed fit to cyber-post. I also posted some bizarre shit integrating a hallucination involving a classic rock legend with an 80's alt-rock icon.

So, the lesson to be learned is, put the keyboard away when your "under the influence". Because the Internet is forever. or something.


Toonage:
The Damned - Silly Kids Games
Iggy Pop - I'm Bored
Black Flag - Wasted
Ciccone Youth - Into The Groovey
The Cynics - Waste Of Time

Caterwaulin' Towards Gory Glory

Hey cave katz and kittenz. We have a gig!!!!

Wednesday, November 5 @ 9 pm !

Yeparoo... if yer in the NYC environs... COME ON OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE ...

CATERWAUL OF SOUND!

We are playing at a really nice place in Brooklyn on 70 North 6th street (right next to the music hall of williamsburgh) called Public Assembly (it used to be Galapagos). Frankly, it's a little TOO nice!

But we're treating it like an Obama victory party. And if the unthinkable happens and Geriatric John and Caribou Barbie are elected, well then, it'll be ground zero for the oncoming revolution! Dope, guns and fucking in the streets (or something)!

We're gonna be playing in the best traditional of yer fave garage bands... heavy on the three chords (you all love the "A" chord, right?) and lots of noise. Combine Johnny Thunders with Syd Barrett with Angus Young and yer gettin' close!

It's gonna be alot of fun, there are 5 or 6 other bands playing too... ranging from goth to cookie monster metal to rollins like fury.
And it's only $5 (cheap!). There's gonna be raffles for craptastic treats too!

So, come see yer Uncle Nazz do things to a bass gee-tar that are illegal south of the Mason Dixon line!

We're trying to make it a special nite and hope you will share it with us!

Hey, it's Halloween!

Here are some trick or treatin toons!

Toonage:
The Damned - Dead Beat Dance
Big JohnBates - Goo Goo Muck
The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Wearwolf (live CBGB's 1-13-78)
Misfits - Halloween
Dead Kennedys - Halloween
Elroy Dietzel - Rockin Bones



----------------
Now playing: Ramones - The KKK Took My Baby Away
via FoxyTunes

Plenty Of Nothing

In the throes of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Dow jumped up over 900 points today. What's it all mean? I have no idea. I don't even look at my 401K since I can't touch it anyway until I'm too old to get any enjoyment out of it!
I am no economics expert, but here in NYC, the restaurants are emptier than Sarah Palin's soul and there seem to be less turista's too. A friend of mine in the service industry says that her bar was pretty barren this weekend.

There are definite signs of massive corporate lay-offs in the next few weeks (just in time for the holidays, Ebenezer).

I guess it was a really good time for me to stop drinking! Those $6 pints sure add up.

We're not recovering from this anytime soon, fellow travelers.



Toonage:
The Kinks - Get Back In Line
The Damned - Lovely Money
Led Zeppelin - Money (live 1980)
Grateful Dead - Money Money (studio outtake)
Nirvana - The Money Will Roll Right In




----------------
Now playing: AC/DC - Money Talks
via FoxyTunes