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i would like to make a comment. roll down the window and scream
oh worshippers of the mighty all. i had some mail. the bassmaster wrote to me. we had a little interview in a club lobby. he said take to this letter, it is your shirt. record these answers, it is your content.
[circa 1986] i was fifteen when i started doing zine stuff, and had no idea the impact it would have on my life. when i started doing as is i had no idea what i was doing. i was just doing it. i had not seen a whole lot of zines but i knew right away that i could pull it off. the first issue sucked ass but it was better than nothing. it had so little original content that i am dreadfully embarrassed by it. it was just sloppy paste up. with tape. i only ran off five or ten copies. those went off to other zines and to a few labels. i sent them off with letters saying that i was new to this whole thing and asking if any of their bands could be contacted for interview. great idea. too bad i never even thought about what would happen if i got any kind of positive response. i was doing what ever i had picked up from the zines i had read and whatever came to mind. to my surprise i did get responses. i got a so-so review in MRR. and i got packages from New Alliance Records and Alternative Tentacles.
the letter in both of them basically said the same thing. they could not help me with the interviews, but provided me with an ad and music to review. this was very exciting since the idea of free music had never even crossed my mind. this definitely got my attention. the fact that these two labels were the first to respond was just amazing. Alternative Tentacles was run by Jello Biafra, then of the Dead Kennedys. New Alliance was run by (if i am not mistaken. but really...) Mike Watt of the Minutemen. unfortunately the rights to the New Alliance catalog have been transferred either back to the band or to SST. i was so excited to receive these packages that i went through the catalogs word by word. fed on the words in the letters that came with them. they made such a difference to me that if you go through enough of my stuff you will find those letters i should probably frame them. they had given me the gift of music and i was hooked.
the package from New Alliance was the first to arrive. when i checked the mail on my way in the door, i was stunned to see a package addressed topeter ombard me. even from the very start, i didn't use my real name. so i yank the package out of the box and sprint for my room. once i got there i just stared at it for a few minutes in pure awe. i opened it up and went through my routine for new music. i peeled the plastic off, sniffed it and started to read. there wasn't much to read but there was something interesting about it. the tape had labels on it even though it had something printed on it. eventually my curiosity got the best of my and i peeled them off with a surgeons skill to see that there was a printing error with the track listings. those labels are still stuck to the inside of the j-card. so i plop down next to the stereo, throw the tape in, and start searching the catalog for any information i could find about this band. that was my first time ever listening to the album Two Things At Once by the Descendents. but nowhere near my last.
i quickly got on there mailing list so that i could find out all i could. i bought all the albums. i missed the show. because of the way the mail ended up being handled, i found out too late that they were going to be playing in the Oklahoma City area. i believe i missed it by two days. i ended up getting a set list for the show from the zinester girl that stole my virginity.* i still wanted an interview but had figured my chance had passed. so i went for the routine i had mastered. i drew up a list of questions and sent them and a blank tape off to the known address for the band. i never got a response but i figured out why. the package i had sent them was horrid. the questions were hand written and the tape was one of the type that are sold at dollar stores. the next try was going to be typed questions and a high quality tape. i was in the process of putting together a new list of questions when i found out i would have a second chance of sorts.
in my zine time i pulled off some tricks that amazed me but i also learned from each mistake. AEPB eventually came along to help out and help take credit. after each issue was done i would sit there and look for all of the problems with it. i didn't even know this was normal for publications. fix that, don't ever do that again, etc. i couldn't talk to people right in front of me but i could pull all kinds of stuff through the mail with people from all over the country. all over the world. i exchanged letters with some guy from Poland before the wall came down, and to me that was something.** the fact that most zine died, and still do, after a maximum of five issues and we managed to crank out 25 of them of a course or four years. those were high numbers against such bad odds and a very bad start. there was also the fact after doing the fifth issue and telling my dad about it, i was told to stop doing it immediately. and i did. as far as he knew. i also managed to pull off friendships with two young girls who have since turned out to be very lovely mothers, good friends, and just generally great.***
probably around the spring of 1989, word started going around that that All was going to be playing at the club Manson was managing at the time. All is the Descendents when someone other than Milo is doing the vocals. So AEPB and i start prepping questions but they were my band so it was mostly my questions. And i started pulling strings. contacting whoever i might need to let know that i was going to try to get an interview. on the day of the show i called Manson to get his permission to show up early to give it a try. i was raised on club shows since i was 14 or 15 and a good portion of them were ones he set up. it was on a school night so i had to beg my dad to let me stay out until 11. i knew there was no way in hell i would be home by then but i was not going to miss this. since i did not have my licensee at the time i had to ask one of the girls. around six or seven Kelly comes to pick me up. she dropped me off but didn't know if she was going to the show. at that point i didn't care if i had to walk home. i was there and i was in.
i was told at the door that they were not letting people in until nine or ten, so i had to explain that i had already talked to Manson about this. so i wait as he goes to get him. when he sees me he turns right back around saying he will go see if any of the band members wanted to do this thing. after a few minutes Scott and Karl come into the very tiny lobby and we go through introductions. because i don't deal well with people and more because i was in the presence of gods, i could barely hold anything because i was shaking so bad. i wasn't dealing very well but we still went ahead. while we were doing this amazing interview, the opening band Scream were doing their sound check. i still hate the fact that i didn't think to hit them up for an interview as well. at one point in the interview, one of them asks to see the list of questions because i am being that nosey. they were hand written but they were for my use this time. as they are scanning over the list they are going off about how i pretty much have everything covered. i can question anybody into the ground but this was something special. this was one of the few bands that would get hit full force.****
as we are finishing up i tell i have a couple of minor questions. the first one is autographs. i pull out a flyer for the show after they say it would be no problem. them i ask them if it is too late to redeem a letter. in the mailing that basically told me i had missed the other show there was a letter that in short said that the bassmaster general had chosen me to spread the word of all and i would get a free shirt if i presented it to there road manager. it was hand written so i thought it might be worth a short but it had been a couple of years so i did not get my hopes up too high. Karl scanned over and then went off trying to explain it between laughter and holy shits. it was a one of a kind letter that had been randomly inserted into one envelope of that entire mailing. Scott had never seen it because it was done before he came along but apparently had heard about it during a recent conversation the band had wondering the whereabouts of it. i get dragged over to the merch table and Karl tells me to pick out a shirt. before i can even decide he reaches into a box and hands me one. i don't bother arguing because i can't. then he makes the girl running the table (Celina? - this will be checked once everything is back in order) sign my flyer. Stephen was the next one we ran into. it was a quiet "cool!" about the letter and then he signed flyer.
as i am getting dragged around, Karl tells Manson that i am on the list for the night. i wouldn't have had a problem paying, but i sure as hell wasn't going to complain. Manson didn't like the fact but he couldn't say anything about it. once that is taken care of i am taken out the back of the club. Bill seems to be just waking up but he is still interested in the reappearance of this letter. while we are talking i am glaring at the van. to anyone else it just a van. to a true fan it is so much more. Karl wanders off as Bill and i continue to talk. i am worse now that i am honored with his company. this is the man that wrote so many of the song that got to another day. i am not putting down the writing of the others but he wrote the ones i sang along to loudest. and still do. i am have to try to talk but i don't know where to begin. how do you begin with someone you have never met that is responsible for saving your life so many hundreds of times. eventually the topic of the first interview attempt comes up. i am stunned when he actually remembers it. at this point i am so embarrassed. i explain that i was in the process of trying harder when i found out they would be playing here. i am so embarrassed i can't even look at him as i am saying this. we talk a little more and then he goes to get a run in before the show starts.
now to wrap up a few points. it was a great fucking show. i ended up getting a ride home from the other Kelly. i never wore t-shirts to school. always plaid button ups but the next day i wore the shirt i was given and have very rarely worn anything other than t-shirts since. the record that was in that first package from Alternative Tentacles was Rollin Through The Night by Evan Johns And The H-bombs. because of the long term dealings with Alternative Tentacles, when we announced that we would be offing i received a test pressing of the Terminal City Ricochet soundtrack. yeah, the soundtrack without a movie. and in case i did not make the point clear enough...THE DESCENDENTS FUCKING ROCK!!!
*i say she stole it because she sure as hell didn't earn it. but her sister is another story for another day.
** if you ever hear or see me make reference to being 'archival and worldwide', this is where the worldwide part originates from. it has been increased by the website.
***this would be referring to Jennifer and Lainie, but they too have had many public name changes.
****the others were the Fixtures and Stikky...but AEPB did most of the Stikky one.
[circa 1986] i was fifteen when i started doing zine stuff, and had no idea the impact it would have on my life. when i started doing as is i had no idea what i was doing. i was just doing it. i had not seen a whole lot of zines but i knew right away that i could pull it off. the first issue sucked ass but it was better than nothing. it had so little original content that i am dreadfully embarrassed by it. it was just sloppy paste up. with tape. i only ran off five or ten copies. those went off to other zines and to a few labels. i sent them off with letters saying that i was new to this whole thing and asking if any of their bands could be contacted for interview. great idea. too bad i never even thought about what would happen if i got any kind of positive response. i was doing what ever i had picked up from the zines i had read and whatever came to mind. to my surprise i did get responses. i got a so-so review in MRR. and i got packages from New Alliance Records and Alternative Tentacles.
the letter in both of them basically said the same thing. they could not help me with the interviews, but provided me with an ad and music to review. this was very exciting since the idea of free music had never even crossed my mind. this definitely got my attention. the fact that these two labels were the first to respond was just amazing. Alternative Tentacles was run by Jello Biafra, then of the Dead Kennedys. New Alliance was run by (if i am not mistaken. but really...) Mike Watt of the Minutemen. unfortunately the rights to the New Alliance catalog have been transferred either back to the band or to SST. i was so excited to receive these packages that i went through the catalogs word by word. fed on the words in the letters that came with them. they made such a difference to me that if you go through enough of my stuff you will find those letters i should probably frame them. they had given me the gift of music and i was hooked.
the package from New Alliance was the first to arrive. when i checked the mail on my way in the door, i was stunned to see a package addressed to
i quickly got on there mailing list so that i could find out all i could. i bought all the albums. i missed the show. because of the way the mail ended up being handled, i found out too late that they were going to be playing in the Oklahoma City area. i believe i missed it by two days. i ended up getting a set list for the show from the zinester girl that stole my virginity.* i still wanted an interview but had figured my chance had passed. so i went for the routine i had mastered. i drew up a list of questions and sent them and a blank tape off to the known address for the band. i never got a response but i figured out why. the package i had sent them was horrid. the questions were hand written and the tape was one of the type that are sold at dollar stores. the next try was going to be typed questions and a high quality tape. i was in the process of putting together a new list of questions when i found out i would have a second chance of sorts.
in my zine time i pulled off some tricks that amazed me but i also learned from each mistake. AEPB eventually came along to help out and help take credit. after each issue was done i would sit there and look for all of the problems with it. i didn't even know this was normal for publications. fix that, don't ever do that again, etc. i couldn't talk to people right in front of me but i could pull all kinds of stuff through the mail with people from all over the country. all over the world. i exchanged letters with some guy from Poland before the wall came down, and to me that was something.** the fact that most zine died, and still do, after a maximum of five issues and we managed to crank out 25 of them of a course or four years. those were high numbers against such bad odds and a very bad start. there was also the fact after doing the fifth issue and telling my dad about it, i was told to stop doing it immediately. and i did. as far as he knew. i also managed to pull off friendships with two young girls who have since turned out to be very lovely mothers, good friends, and just generally great.***
probably around the spring of 1989, word started going around that that All was going to be playing at the club Manson was managing at the time. All is the Descendents when someone other than Milo is doing the vocals. So AEPB and i start prepping questions but they were my band so it was mostly my questions. And i started pulling strings. contacting whoever i might need to let know that i was going to try to get an interview. on the day of the show i called Manson to get his permission to show up early to give it a try. i was raised on club shows since i was 14 or 15 and a good portion of them were ones he set up. it was on a school night so i had to beg my dad to let me stay out until 11. i knew there was no way in hell i would be home by then but i was not going to miss this. since i did not have my licensee at the time i had to ask one of the girls. around six or seven Kelly comes to pick me up. she dropped me off but didn't know if she was going to the show. at that point i didn't care if i had to walk home. i was there and i was in.
i was told at the door that they were not letting people in until nine or ten, so i had to explain that i had already talked to Manson about this. so i wait as he goes to get him. when he sees me he turns right back around saying he will go see if any of the band members wanted to do this thing. after a few minutes Scott and Karl come into the very tiny lobby and we go through introductions. because i don't deal well with people and more because i was in the presence of gods, i could barely hold anything because i was shaking so bad. i wasn't dealing very well but we still went ahead. while we were doing this amazing interview, the opening band Scream were doing their sound check. i still hate the fact that i didn't think to hit them up for an interview as well. at one point in the interview, one of them asks to see the list of questions because i am being that nosey. they were hand written but they were for my use this time. as they are scanning over the list they are going off about how i pretty much have everything covered. i can question anybody into the ground but this was something special. this was one of the few bands that would get hit full force.****
as we are finishing up i tell i have a couple of minor questions. the first one is autographs. i pull out a flyer for the show after they say it would be no problem. them i ask them if it is too late to redeem a letter. in the mailing that basically told me i had missed the other show there was a letter that in short said that the bassmaster general had chosen me to spread the word of all and i would get a free shirt if i presented it to there road manager. it was hand written so i thought it might be worth a short but it had been a couple of years so i did not get my hopes up too high. Karl scanned over and then went off trying to explain it between laughter and holy shits. it was a one of a kind letter that had been randomly inserted into one envelope of that entire mailing. Scott had never seen it because it was done before he came along but apparently had heard about it during a recent conversation the band had wondering the whereabouts of it. i get dragged over to the merch table and Karl tells me to pick out a shirt. before i can even decide he reaches into a box and hands me one. i don't bother arguing because i can't. then he makes the girl running the table (Celina? - this will be checked once everything is back in order) sign my flyer. Stephen was the next one we ran into. it was a quiet "cool!" about the letter and then he signed flyer.
as i am getting dragged around, Karl tells Manson that i am on the list for the night. i wouldn't have had a problem paying, but i sure as hell wasn't going to complain. Manson didn't like the fact but he couldn't say anything about it. once that is taken care of i am taken out the back of the club. Bill seems to be just waking up but he is still interested in the reappearance of this letter. while we are talking i am glaring at the van. to anyone else it just a van. to a true fan it is so much more. Karl wanders off as Bill and i continue to talk. i am worse now that i am honored with his company. this is the man that wrote so many of the song that got to another day. i am not putting down the writing of the others but he wrote the ones i sang along to loudest. and still do. i am have to try to talk but i don't know where to begin. how do you begin with someone you have never met that is responsible for saving your life so many hundreds of times. eventually the topic of the first interview attempt comes up. i am stunned when he actually remembers it. at this point i am so embarrassed. i explain that i was in the process of trying harder when i found out they would be playing here. i am so embarrassed i can't even look at him as i am saying this. we talk a little more and then he goes to get a run in before the show starts.
now to wrap up a few points. it was a great fucking show. i ended up getting a ride home from the other Kelly. i never wore t-shirts to school. always plaid button ups but the next day i wore the shirt i was given and have very rarely worn anything other than t-shirts since. the record that was in that first package from Alternative Tentacles was Rollin Through The Night by Evan Johns And The H-bombs. because of the long term dealings with Alternative Tentacles, when we announced that we would be offing i received a test pressing of the Terminal City Ricochet soundtrack. yeah, the soundtrack without a movie. and in case i did not make the point clear enough...THE DESCENDENTS FUCKING ROCK!!!
*i say she stole it because she sure as hell didn't earn it. but her sister is another story for another day.
** if you ever hear or see me make reference to being 'archival and worldwide', this is where the worldwide part originates from. it has been increased by the website.
***this would be referring to Jennifer and Lainie, but they too have had many public name changes.
****the others were the Fixtures and Stikky...but AEPB did most of the Stikky one.