Peter Gunn

BCP Song of the Day: Poison Ivy Rorschach- "Peter Gunn!"

http://drsivana99.tumblr.com/post/1259433100/poison-ivy-the-cramps-peter-gunn

The Cramps at WRECKINGPIT

http://www.wreckingpit.com/psycho/bands/cramps.php3

Although the Cramps always claim in interviews they don't play psychobilly, it would be odd not to mention them on a psychobilly website. The similarities between psychobilly and the Cramps are obvious. Both have their roots in rockabilly and mix it with modern punkrock influences. The difference is probably that psychobilly is a nineties or eighties thing, and the Cramps can be considered more as a retro band...

(For the rest, including some lyrics, links, guitar tabs, etc., go HERE.)

Four Flew Into the Cukoo's Nest

In 1978 The Cramps played a legendary gig at Napa State Mental Institute, California, 25 years later, artists Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard set about remaking the infamous video of that show... This is 'File under Sacred Music'

http://www.fileundersacredmusic.com/about/index.html

Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's new film project File under Sacred Music takes as its starting point an infamous video that documents a live performance by The Cramps for the patients at Napa Mental Institute, California, on 13th June 1978. Captured on blurred and grainy black and white film, this unique social document has been swapping hands at record fairs and via the internet since the early eighties. Forsyth and Pollard began by re-enacting that legendary performance in order to film it and remake the rarely seen video document.

They consulted closely with a number of mental health arts organisations, before inviting members from Core Arts, Sound Minds and Mad Pride to attend the performance and filming, which was staged on a specially constructed set in the Institute of Contemporary Arts Theatre in London on 3rd March 2003. To re-create the on-stage performance by The Cramps, Forsyth and Pollard went to incredible lengths to work with musicians who understood the full context and spirit of the project. Eventually, a band was constructed featuring Alfonso Pinto from London-based punk band The Parkinsons as Cramps' vocalist Lux Interior, Holly Golightly, a legendary solo artist as well as a founder member of Thee Headcoatees, as guitarist Poison Ivy, Bruce Brand, a key figure in the Medway scene, as guitarist Bryan Gregory and John Gibbs from The Wildebeests and Holly's current band as drummer Nick Knox. The resulting footage was edited and degraded to meticulously re-create the content, spirit and damaged aesthetic of the original video tape the artists had purchased on eBay.

At a time when media technology has encroached on the live event to a point where few feel live at all, Forsyth and Pollard's project pushes beyond any simple re-presentation of a significant cultural moment to project an alternate testament of reality that examines 'liveness' beyond the limitations of needing to 'be there'. Their critique is less about then than now, reframing contemporary culture and pulling the their own generation into sharp focus. Forsyth and Pollard have pioneered the current art movement exploring re-enactment as an artistic genre.

Since their first live art project The World Won't Listen in 1996, to their critically acclaimed A Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (their seminal art event re-enacting David Bowie's final performance as Ziggy Stardust) they have had the timing and insight to key into contemporary society's increasing engagement with simulation as a part of cultural expression. File under Sacred Music marks a significant and ground-breaking development in their practice and addresses one of the most important questions facing all kinds of performance today: what is the status of the 'live' and the 'real' in a culture now obsessed with simulation and dominated by mass media and mediation?

Articles about File under Sacred Music have appeared in numberous publications including The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, Art Review, i-D Magazine, Sleazenation and Mojo. The project has been presented at various locations including the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Site Gallery in Sheffield, Schaufenster in Oslo, National Film Theatre in London, Hull Time Based Arts Gage Festival, Royal College of Art in London and Foundation Adriano Olivetti in Rome. For full details of all past, present and future screenings please visit the seeing the film section of the FUSM site, or join the mailing list to be notified of future events by email.

What Might Have Been

The white label pressing of "Songs The Lord taught Us" had "Drug Train" in place of "TV Set" and most of the other tracks were totally different mixes from the actual release. "Drug Train" was left off the album because Alex Chilton thought it didn't fit in. The eventual single mix was different. An intial batch of the U.S. release was shipped in a sleeve with the white label track listing although the actual record inside was the U.K. release. The logo and title on that sleeve was printed in white and the rear of the sleeve had a purple tint as opposed to the pinkish U.K.

Get yours today:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=6ddb7fcaa1e86a9fb64026cfc0611236eddb5e801fa7f53fa4648785df63f216

(With thanks to MAS: http://musicartstyle.blogspot.com/)

Tales From the Criz

Howdy-ho, all you blockheads and chicken rapers out there in cyber-land! It's your homeboy, Crunk-Up Criswell, back again for reasons you'd never understand. Neither do I, for that matter, so it's fortunate I don't give a fuck. I'm here, I'm there-- it's all the same. The REAL question, my darling little bathtub hairs, is why the fuck are YOU wasting your time here? Couldn't find any nude photos of Ed Asner on Google? There's really nothing to be gained from this, but since you're here, I suppose I can serve you this flea-bitten excuse for a sci-fi adventure tale. This frankly flatulent and flaccid fable was written and drawn by people who should have known the fuck better. And it will be read by folks from that same demographic. Even my buddy Ed Wood, a remarkably tolerant man artistically, would steer clear of it. But I predict that you will love this classic melodrama. Of course, if that prediction comes true, it'll be the first one of mine that ever did...

When Good Art Happens to Bad People

Here are some more of the images I have collected over the years. I've included credits and info where possible, but with many of them, I have no clue.

(Above) By kingpopgun

(Above) All three of these are by Jennifer Steffey.
http://www.jennifersteffey.blogspot.com/

(Above) From Emily Hughes:

I was quite moved by the passing of Lux Interior this year, not even 2 miles from my home in Echo Park. You see, he taught me to dance, I was 13 when I first heard The Cramps, combat boots and a mohawk, I just started twisting my hips and all the boys smiled. He made it so easy, to be sleazy.
Anyhow, in my mourning, I came across this photo of Lux, god he was hot, and it eerily reminded me of this oil painting of a dead sailer, titled “peace after the storm”, by Ferdinand Schauss, 1896. I hope Lux found some of that.
Man, I would give my left arm for an oil painting of a writhing Lux Interior asphyxiating on a mic cord on stage in the stink of a 1970’s New York- … Heaven. Then I’d give my right arm to be in Greece with Anna and Bart… armless in Greece.

http://www.annasheffield.com/blog/category/blog/muse-blog/emily-hughes/

I'm not clear on who actually did the above two, but I found them here:
http://brainsteakbikini.blogspot.com/2009/09/things-cramps-taught-us.html


Pretty wiggy! You can see more such at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terriblyodd/

Vox Lux

Lux did voice work on this animated movie. Note the eerie coincidence of the premiere date. More info can be found HERE:

http://loscampeones.net/

-Chuck

Attention Los Angeles - "Los Campeones De La Lucha Libre" at The Egyptian Theater - Feb 5th. 2009

by Juan Guillermo Tornoe
Hispanic Trending

http://juantornoe.blogs.com/hispanictrending/2009/01/attention-los-angeles-los-campeones-de-la-lucha-libre-at-the-egyptian-theater-feb-5th-2009.html

My friend Ruth Livier sent out an inviation a few days ago for the screening of "Los Campeones de la Lucha Libre", animated flick on which she's one of the Five Campeones (the girl that "kicks butt"!):

"LOS CAMPEONES DE LA LUCHA LIBRE (The Champions of Mexican Wrestling) -- BouncyNet / Azteca Cine, 2008

DATE: Feb 5th, 2009
TIME: 7.30pm
WHERE: The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

MAIN CAST (Original English version):
Armando Valdes-Kennedy ………. Dragon Rojo Jr
Richard Green …………………………. Mr Profesional
Candi Milo …………………………….. Tsetse Fly
Ruth Livier …………………………….. Sorpresa
Lux Interior …………………………….. Rayo X

Matt Danner ……………………………. The Stranger
Eduardo Antonio Garcia …………… Dragon Rojo Sr
Eric Bauza ……………………………… Rey Extremo
Mauricio Svanstrom …………………. Dr. Blanco

Feature-length action-comedy from FWAK! Animation, the creators of ¡Mucha Lucha!

Masked mayhem ensues when a team of wrestling heroes is caught in the middle of a struggle between a gang of barbarians right out of Mad Max and a legion of monsters inspired by the golden age of Mexican horror films. A Spanish-language version of this film just ran in theaters throughout Mexico, but we're proud to present the first ever public screening of an English-language print on 35mm.

Creators Eddie Mort, Lili Chin and other guests will present pre-production art, visual reference and never-before-seen rarities, followed by a surprise feature from the vast EL SANTO vaults shown in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the icon's death, a day celebrated in Mexico for the star's impact on popular culture."

LOS CAMPEONES DE LA LUCHA LIBRE is written by Keith J. Rainville (From Parts Unknown Publications), with musical direction and score by Phofo (Superswell), and featuring a main cast of Armando Valdes-Kennedy, Richard Green, Eduardo Antonio Garcia ("No Country For Old Men"), Ruth Livier, Candi Milo ("Mucha Lucha"), Eric Bauza ("Ren and Stimpy"), Matt Danner, and Lux Interior (The Cramps).

Soundtrack includes music by Mariachi Los Toros, Los Straitjackets, Mezklah, Ollin, The Ghastly Ones, Neal Hefti, Chow Nasty, The Vanishing, Las Membranas and Moderatto.

http://www.loscampeones.net
http://www.myspace.com/loscampeones
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37343577269

Posted by Juan Tornoe on January 26, 2009

Poker in the rear...

http://www.crampsliquors.com/index.html

Family owned and operated business. Open 7 days a week.

Can’t find your place of comfort.....Stop at the “HOUSE THAT SERVICE BUILT”. Cramps has a fine variety of American and Worldwide wines to woo your palate. Many displayed in our climate controlled wine room.

Our wide array of Discount Liquors is unmatched in the area. For the discriminating taste, we have over 5000 cases of beer in stock; domestic, imported and micro brews among them.

Numerous keg sizes and types are available for picnics and all grand affairs. CRAMPS LIQUORS

OPEN 7 DAYS

Mon thru Sat .9:00 a.m- 10:00 pm
Sun -------10:00 am --6:00 pm
4267 US RTE 130,
Beverly, NJ 08010
609-877-1323
crampsliquors@aol.com

On Acid

More than once, while slogging around in the pit of music journalism, I have encountered descriptions of Lux Interior that included the phrase "Elvis from hell," and/or "Elvis on acid." I have never been to or from hell, with Elvis or anyone else, so I really can't speak to that. But I have been on acid more times than I care to-- or can-- remember, and I have to take issue with that one. For one thing, it's just pure laziness. How many times can someone go to the cliche well? The Cramps were totally unique, and they deserve to be written about in a totally unique way. (On my more grandiose days, I flatter myself that I'm the guy to do it.)

I haven't done it in a long time, and most likely never will again, because it is more ordeal than enjoyment. It gets into your head and does things there that have never been done before. It is very interesting, which is why I felt compelled, but can be very frightening at times, more because of what it implies than what it actually does.

Be that as it may, the phrase "on acid" is frequently applied when one wants to create an analogy about something that may lie outside the reader/listener's experience. Thus, someone may tell you that a certain performer behaves the way some other, better known performer presumably would if he or she were tripping. It is incredibly overused verbal shorthand for "really, really, really fucking strange." That might apply to Lux, but I believe "on acid" should be retired. Since Lux is known to have taken acid now and again, there were many times when he was like "Lux Interior on acid." Well, not merely like it, he was it. That is something better imagined than witnessed, I should think.

But whence Elvis?

Of course, acid does different things for different people, so my experiences are not universal, but I believe they're pretty typical, based on other people I've observed. Very few of them get up and prance around, screaming like mad apes. I myself would become unnaturally quiet and low-key, remaining in one place for hours on end, thinking thoughts in that language that is only available to you when you're there. The inside of your head is the theater in which the trip plays out, and nothing external matters much. The world is like a painted backdrop in a movie-- not quite real, not quite a dream. Mainly a source of things for you to laugh at uncontrollably, but nothing to worry your pretty little head about. Frenetic physical activity and deliberate exposure of oneself to the scrutiny of others are unattractive prospects. My favorite to-do was staring at the pages of comic books, particularly "The Watchmen," until the panel borders dissolved and I was sitting there in the room with Rorschach. Quite an adventure for me, but not much of a thrill for an audience, had I done it on stage.

Elvis (who in his later years tended to be rather sedentary anyhow) probably would not, were he to have dropped acid, have looked or acted remotely like Lux Interior. I imagine he would have spent a great deal of time in bed or on the toilet, contemplating his navel or anything else that was handy. Indeed, Elvis on acid might not have been appreciably different from Elvis on the usual painkillers and carbs, to the casual observer. I don't know what Lux did when he was tripping, but it's entirely possible that Elvis was like Lux Interior on acid.

Lux might have been something like "Elvis shitfaced drunk and cranked up on black beauties," but that's kinda like the identity of Jack the Ripper or how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop: The world may never know.

Anyhow, Lux Interior was such a unique character, he's pretty much impervious to analogies. The best description of him would, I think, go something like this:

"Lux Interior is like Lux Interior on whatever Lux Interior happens to be on at a given time."

A bit of a tautology, I admit, but can you do any better?

--Chuck


The Cramps' Lux Interior was a twisted E---- from h---

Posted by Owen Adams
Thursday 5 February 2009
guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/feb/05/cramps-lux-interior-dies


It's hard to think of Lux Interior as dead, despite what reports say. Then again, it was always hard to think of him as alive. Some 30 years ago, with the King still warm in his casket, Lux rose like a zombie from the primordial swamp as a twisted, grotesquely libidinous, werewolf E---- from H---, and the mask – if it was a mask – never came off. The Cramps went one step further than punk rock: they didn't merely go back to basics, they stripped rock'n'roll naked and flaunted it in its lethal distilled form: as a relentless sex beast, a psychotic release, a nihilist post-apocalyptic celebration, the ultimate in trash culture.

I was a teenage psychobilly fan with a blue flat-top, armed with Songs the Lord Taught Us, Psychedelic Jungle and Off the Bone, and the green-skinned Lux Interior on my Drug Train poster was like a super anti-hero, a deviant who would happily give a fuck in public (sic). His wife, guitarist Poison Ivy, a bad-girl in full, burlesque glory on the Smell of Female cover, was his perfect lusty counterpart. It was her dominatrix work that funded the Cramps' early releases.

The last Cramps gig review I read described Lux masturbating on stage and climaxing on the mike to Love Me as the set concluded. (Is this true? Because it has the smell of apocrypha about it. As far as I know, the only performer who is documented as having done such a thing onstage is Daryl Dragon, a/k/a "The Captain" of Captain and Tennille, last year in Branson Missouri. Reviews described it as "underwhelming" and "morbid."-- Chuck) A typical show (Boston, 1986) found him clad in leopard-skin briefs drinking wine from an audience member's shoe and French-kissing a random person in the crowd for a full 10 minutes with the microphone in their mouths.

Lux actually wore his interior on the outside, it seemed – any skeletons that might have lurked in his closet were paraded on stage. But the most legendary Cramps performance was captured on a handheld camcorder, their 1978 gig in a California state mental hospital – bringing psychobilly salvation to the beleaguered, and the starting point for Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's recent ICA film, File Under Sacred Music.

No one managed to equal the Cramps stylistically, they were in a different league to the laughably macho Meteors and most of the British psychobilly scene, though Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats and Nick Cave's Birthday Party echoed their gothic-psychedelic edge.
In his sleeve notes to the rarities compilation How to Make a Monster, Lux complained about those who regarded the Cramps a joke. Lux and the Cramps were serious about rockabilly, horror, foot fetishes, sci-fi B-movies and 50s kitsch. They were all about keeping it pure, raw and minimal, but could never be described as revivalists.

They deconstructed rockabilly gems such as Surfin' Bird, Jailhouse Rock, The Way I Walk and Love Me, and made them throb with playful menace. They came from a similar place to the Gun Club, whose declared mission was to "destroy rockabilly", but the Cramps (for whom the Gun Club's For the Love of Ivy was written) didn't crash and burn or go through reinventions. Rather like the Ramones, who came from the same CBGBs scene in New York, Lux Interior and Poison Ivy clung to their buzzsaw sound and never diluted it.

Like the sexploitation, hammer horror and B-movie imagery they maintained to the last, the Cramps' treasure chest is almost bottomless – from Tear It Up to Ugh! A Music War to the ridiculously camp surreality of Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs. So has Lux Interior joined the ranks of the living (or surfin') dead? Next full moon (on Monday), you might just hear him howl.