That's my flyer right there under the n's... I made that flyer the day before the show and I rushed it out because I knew this was a big deal gig, but Fletcher was always saying things like, "yeah, I guess if you want to make a flyer you can, but only if you want to..." That's because there is no real money in punk rock or rock and roll, whatever. It's not about getting high or drunk either...although years ago I did, but I had to battle my depression then, and the best thing for it that I ever found was rock and roll. To hear it correctly you surround yourself with some friends and talk about your shitty life (well at the time I felt pretty bad) then when you are done and maybe a tear rolls down your cheek, and instead of your buddy laughing at you, he gives you a hug and turns up the cassette tape in the boom box. We took the bus and rode our skateboards everywhere because any pocket change we had went to things for relief like smokes, booze, drugs and the priority in my case was always...records. I went all over Los Angeles anyway I could to find them. Zed's in long beach was the best but it meant a long day on the bus and skate to get there. Hollywood had Pouser (made famous by Redd Kross tune "standing in front of Pouser" on their first record. They also started at "the church" which was were we hung out in front of some days just to feel the vibe of it. Back to the story... The first local place for me for my record fix was platterpus in Rivera village. I bought the Germs gi, oingo boingo 10 inch ep, more specials and for my moms birthday I bought Dolly Parton's Crackers used with my leftover change. When punk was starting up I remember saying goodbye to loving cheap trick's budokan lp and hello to X's Los Angeles. It was the unheard music. Music by you friend who rode the same bus you did. They playe one or two "good" songs on the radio, and on the weekend you had Rodney on the Roq for homework. Lines like "butcher baby, they're gonna put you away" and "I'm not no animal" "Manimal", "Wild in the streets" filled my head with a healing hand just like Iggy said in the tune "Raw Power". Back then I was a Stooges fan and I often saw Iggy on the beach with pretty girls. real pretty girls. One day I got the courage to talk to him. I walked up and said,"I am a really big fan" he said "who do you think I am?" I said, your Iggy! He said, no I'm Jim. You seem like a good kid go ride your skateboard. Then he turned a rubbed lotion on the French cut bikini ass of the tan girl on the beach. That is rock and roll. In that moment I understood. Over the years I met many rock stars but back to the ones who were yet to be. I fucked up in school at Redondo high and had to make an attempt to finish at summer school at Costa. I rode the scroc bus from Redondo high to Southern California regional occupational center with Johnny Reb who chewed tobacco and shared herb with. When I went to Mira Costa in Hermosa for summer school I met Kenny John's brother and of course we ditched everyday and went to his house. He had a band, he put out records with the money he saved. He had a great record and flyer collection, and that was when I decide to make punk flyers. That was what my Raw Power was. If you went to the gigs these were the prizes. They were the trophies. Ever time I look at them I go right back then, anyway... Hermosa had Either or Bookstore which was very hippy and where I got my copies of Bukowski books and most important... The Rick Griffin art book which I called "rick griffin, I" because I did not understand that his signature looked like a cross, and the top looked like an"I" to me. The other shops were Restyle on pier ave then they moved to Hermosa ave and changed to Restyle Too... Next door was the Cove Theater wher Red Cross played with Twisted Roots and eventually they had a riot and changed the name to the Bijou where they showed art movies. I went on many dates there and got funky in the back. (Mostly animation festivals) a bit later on Theo opened Alternative Groove records on pier avenue. This was the best place ever for records as Theo was one if us. He hung pictures of us on the wall in Polaroids and I was one. I had met Fletch at a party and we bonded because I had hung out with his brother Christian at some Fenders and Olympic auditorium gigs and skated around town with. Well, the record shop is where the stories got told, and you did you homework, which was reading fanzines like tripping corpse by pettibon, Flipside, maximum rock and roll. In those pages told more stories and in the Flipside comic relief issue Shaun Kerry drew a lesson on how to draw skulls and pointed out "you draw them, because I am sick of them..." These kinds of thing get in my fabric.Theo was putting out records and put out early PW stuff. At the time I was hanging out with My friends in Down by Law who were signing with Epitaph. I was hanging out I think with Fletch and Theo at Alt Groove one day and talking about Down by Law and Epithaph and I think that was the start of how they got on there. I think Theo had much to do with it, but that was the launch of how they progressed. we also hung out at GoBoy in Redondo too. Keith Morris worked there and many times Jeffery Lee Pierce visited him while we hung out there and talked about art and groovy bands like Arthur Lees Love and played bubblegum and girl group records. It's hard to tell all of this story as I am still living it. Some days I still feel no one is listening, so now and then I get with my bros and turn that around. The message of the wise was always "you get one life, make it count" and like my pal Mike Watt says after ever gig "START yer own band!" There was a shirt in thrasher that said "be more than a witness" if it's in there, let it out... Until next time, see you all at Oki Dogs....
