Helps Both Ways

This weekend is sort of a milestone for me....

My old friends, Redd Kross are playing one of the

most important albums of my youth...... 

30

Years ago, I was a young punk living in Austin, Tx in the summer of 1982. In a record store, a friend recommended I buy this record. It turned out to be one of the best desicions of my life. They have been a source of inspiration for me ever since and have become good friends of mine as well. This is a story surrounding this fabulous record and what has become a life long love affair with this baND.........

BORN

INNOCENT

Upon  taking this record home, I fell in love with it on

the first listen. They defintely had their roots in the N.Y. Dolls, and it was trashy! It was so unlike all the punk rock that was coming out. It was not hardcrore. 1234, 1234, slam and stage dive. I felt like the music must reflect their

surroundings somehow. I decided i was going to try to get them to play

 Dallas. I wrote to the address on the insert that came with the LP.

To my surprise, it was Tracy who replied to me. She actually called me

and explained the Steven was too young to go on tour at the time. 

He was too young. He was only 15. As

the months progressed, Tracy became

a pen pal of sorts. Eventually, she

asked me if I would like to come to

California and hang out with. I think

she could I was not your normal fan.

Eventually, I went to L.A. in December

of 1982. Her dad and her brother picked

me up in Long Beach. I had come to find out that her dad was a producer of soft- core porn at the time. She told me a hilarious story of John Holmes having dinner at their house one time and her brother asking to be excused from the table and went into his bedroom and screamed obsentities at John Holmes from

his bedroom. After telling me this story,

she preceeded to tell me that we were going to a birthday party the following night for a friend of hers. Dinah Cancer

of 45 Grave. It couldn't get better, could it?

It did.

It was vitually a who's who of the L.A. Punk scene. John Doe and Exene were there. Jeffrey lee Pierce of the Gun

Club was there. Pat Smear and Don Bolles of the Germs. Dix Denney of the Weirdos. El Duce of the Mentors. Alice Bag, Phranc, Dennis Duck of the Dream Syndicate. The list went on and on. As

the party went I reconnected with Tracy here and there. At one point she took me aside, all apologetic, and told me that ReD Cross had to go on tour the next day and that I had to go and be their roadie. Needless to say, a dream come true at the time. She then told me that we were going to San Francisco and that they were playing with Black Flag and Flipper ( one of my all time faves! ). We left the party early in order to be up early the next day................................................................ 

The next day, the band came to pick us up. The truck we were

taking belonged to Janet Housden, their drummer. Jeff &

Steve were in the back in the

campershell. It was a small Ford 2 door pickup truck with

a campershell and hauling a

u-haul trailer. When I got in

the bed for the 8 hour ride to

S.F., I made quick friends with

the McDonald brothers. I liked

them immeadiately. Upon further listening to them I realized they were listening to

Ace Frehley's Kiss solo record

on a boombox they had in the back of the truck with us. Now,

that was definitely not Punk Rock and I LOVED IT. I loved their honesty. Jeff said "Kiss is our favorite band! I would come to find it was not their only favorite band.......

These guys changed my perception of Punk Rock forever. Their entusiasism for all things trashy and obscure was contagious...

The shows went fine in S.F. and probably

my favorite part of it was after one the shows, Jeff got on a skateboard in front

of the On Broadway. He couldn't really control the board well, and ended wiping out head on into Henry Rollins standing next to Black Flag's van. I secretly laughed inside because I really didnt like Henry and felt like Henry was out of place in the band. This was by Black Flags most powerful line-up tho, with their old singer Dez Cadena playing back up guitar. Dez eventually joined Red Cross for a while after black flag when Tracy quit about a year after this trip.

Upon returning to L.A., Red Cross were playing alot of shows in the L.A. area.

One of the shows was at S.I.R. studio's on Sunset Blvd. Also on the bill was

T.S.O.L., Social Distortion, and Toxic reasons. This show would later become legend as the L.A. Punk riots. 1/8/83  The police had come in hearing there were too many people inside the place. The police and the punks did not have a good relationship in these days. They came in and tried to stop the show. Jack from T.S.O.L. tried to get the crowd to sit down and end it peacefully. Then the police fired tear gas to the back of the arena. Forcing the punks to exit through the only exit, in the front, where they waited to billy club the coughing kids as they poured out. The punks exploded and ran down Sunset blvd, smashing car windows and trashing businesses. Janet and I went to go get her truck and get the hell outta there. As we were running to ge the truck, a cop grabs her and beans her on the head with a club, then a cop a grabbing me as I try to protect her. I calmly explain what we are doing and they let us go. Janet is now fuming, as was I. We get inside to find Jeff, Steve and Tracey sitting on the floor with wet tshirts over their faces to keep out the tear gas. We enventaully get out of there and decide to go to Denny's of all places. While we are there, Jeff points over to a booth with some glam guys eating...He says that's a band called "Motley Crue". "They suck so bad" Janet still seeing red obviously really hates them and starts making fun of their names right in front of them "Hey Dick Venus, I mean Mick Mars. Hey Vicki Pricks, i mean Nikki Sixx... what gay names...." And so on. They are obviously getting pissed, but do nothing. I still had one more week in L.A. and by now I was staying over at Janet's house. They have a big house with a spare room in Hermosa Beach. Her brother Steve is a total crack up. He is a master of crank calls. Red Cross do one more show before I leave in Hermose beach. This show ends with a riot as well, although not as bad as the sunset strip one.

AS the years went, I watched and waited to for new material. I have always remained in contact with the band and have had the pleasure to be with them while they were filming "Desperate Teenage Lovedolls" and "Spirit of '76". If you are in Chicago this weekend, I highly suggest you go to this show :)))))))

Red Cross (Redd Kross) play this Saturday 5/19 at the Empty Bottle in Chicago