Cooking with Satan » Punk

Please Kill Me

simon — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:49:15 +0000

If rock n’ roll could only be represented by two books and not a single more, “Please Kill Me: The Uncensored History Of Punk Rock” would be one of them, the second one being, of course, “The Dirt” by Mötley Crüe. Everyone who said “The Lords Of Chaos” should go back watching Watain videos on Youtube and never come back here again). But right now we’re going to talk about this great anthology of punk music (in the widest sense) by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain who basically put in a chronological order some interviews they did through the years with the most influential actors of the movement: musicians but also managers, artists, writers, club owners… “Oral History”, it says on the cover.
So therefore, and as opposed to most rock books, “Please Kill Me” has been written by the ones who did punk and not by some wanna-be musician journalists who are mainly responsible for the fact that almost everybody on this fucking planet think that punk was born in England in the seventies.
We start from New-York with The Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol, The Factory, Patti Smith, then Detroit with the MC5, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, go back to NYC with The New-York Dolls, (the most handsome) Richard Hell, The Ramones, the opening of CBGB, the first issue of “Punk Magazine”. We bump into David Bowie, Jim Morrisson, Bebe Buell, Malcolm McLaren, Sid Vicious shooting up in the bathroom with Dee Dee, hookers & drag-queens, poets & junkies. We read these street stories of a New-York that seems so long gone now and get this smelly, vivid, insane picture of the city wherein our heroes try to survive along with the rats and cockroaches and, if possible, put out a couple of records. These epic tales, that you could almost read to your people around a campfire, aren’t in any way the deeds of some heroes in shining armors: it’s dirty, mean, politically incorrect, full of drugs, sex and betrayals. It’s wild and nasty.
We laugh with them, cry with them, struggle with them, and close the book with the feeling that we shared with them one of the most amazing story ever told.
“Please Kill Me” is a must-read.

Have a look here.

Buy it wherever you can.

Bite It You Scum!!!

simon — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:13:33 +0000

5 days before his death, GG Allin showed up all high and fucked up on American TV, announcing his reign to come as the new messiah without omitting to add he will rape your children too. His confrontation with the dumb-ass audience and the other guests is absolutely thrilling, GG was a hell of a wounded animal and a great guy. We miss you GG!

Nada 84

simon — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:56:54 +0000

From the grey rainy suburbs of Paris, in the stinky basement of some lousy concrete building, emerged in the early 80’s a batch of broke youngsters who, tired of killing boredom by drinking cheap beer and provoking fist fights, eventually started to make some music. Nothing specifically original so far. Some music played by bored broke youngsters drinking cheap beer and provoking fist fights with a pronounced taste for third world drama, social oppression and nunchakus. But Bérurier Noir was born. And by being born in this very specific part of France at this very specific moment in history, they crystallized the voice of a whole generation of pissed-of kids. Up to the barricades, boys and girls. England got The Clash, France got Bérurier Noir. They’re less good musicians but much dirtier, nastier, crazier and definitely bad-ass.
Here’s for your listening pleasure the first 7″ released by this cult french gang.
Mandatory.

NADA!

It’s “Mush” Time

simon — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:33:31 +0000

One of my favorite punk-rock album ever…
Last summer, I was blasting this stuff in my headphones, walking up the 5th avenue at a very decisive moment of my life. “How Lonely” was the song, stuck on “repeat” and surprisingly related to everything I lived before, that feeling just can’t be wrong.
I uploaded this stuff for my old friend Charlie Savant, my true initiator to the punk realm.
Get yourself a drink and play this shit loud as fuck!

here

Born To Lose

simon — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:40:28 +0000

This week-end I have a special thought for these guys…
You could call that gratitude.
Again, Lech Kowalski is a beast. Seems like this film was never properly released on DVD but some downloads can be found here and there for the smart ones…
Here’s the first episode of a ten parter available on Youtube.
So long Johnny!