Know Your Memes

If you haven’t watched I Think You Should Leave you should. I had to rewatch this because hot dog guy is becoming a meme. And that’s what really matters these days.

Peter Grant Doc

An ok documentary about the kind of manager all bands need but few get. Wears thin in places, but few documentaries don’t.

Great Tone

This comes and goes on YouTube. Enjoy it while you can.

Or don’t, what do I care?

Go Ask Alice

A rare peek behind the mask when Alice Cooper was still scaring the adults.

… we have uncovered an interview of Alice Cooper in the midst of the massively successful 1973-1974 Billion Dollar Babies tour. In the video, he is interviewed at the Hotel Hesperia in Helsinki, Finland, discussing his stage persona, rock music, violence, his audiences, and musical influences.

At the time, Alice was in Europe to promote the original band’s upcoming film, “Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper”, which predominately featured live concert footage filmed at the 1973 Sam Houston Coliseum show. Alice then headed to Brazil where the band became the first western band to perform there.

This rare interview filmed by YLE, The Finnish Broadcasting Company for the Finnish TV Show “Iltatähti”, was originally broadcast on April 13, 1974.

Born To Lose

Say what you want about Sid being a shit bassist, he would have made a fucking great front man. Just look at him! And give the RUGGED MAN SONG OF THE WEEK™ a play over there while you’re at it. Horrible live recording, but he had the goods as a rock vocalist.

EDIT: Here it is again, for archiving purposes.

According to ancient punk lore, he actually came very close to fronting a band. Twice. The Damned asked him to audition when they were first getting together. Sneaky Dave Vanian had other plans, and sabotaged the rehearsal so he could try out first. Seems Vanian (or an associate) told Sid the band had canceled at the last minute, while Captain Sensible and the boys just assumed Sid no-showed.

Then one day, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood were discussing who would make a good lead singer for this new band Malcolm was going to manage. Vivienne suggested one of the Johns who hung around the shop all the time, because he had a great look. Malcolm assumed she meant John Lydon; she really meant John Ritchie – AKA John Beverly, AKA Sid Vicious.

Would the Pistols have had the same impact without Lydon’s brilliant, confrontational lyrics? Arguably not. Still …

BONUS: Here’s an interview Judy Vermorel conducted with Sid for her book, Sex Pistols: The Inside Story. Like most 20-year-olds, Mr. Vicious is in turns insightful and moronic.