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Like in NYC, every new fashion on 5th ave, Broadway shows (and) punk genre' starts in the big cities first. Small towns get on the scene after the vibe starts in bigger places. Tallahassee is an interesting small town full of political hypocrisy & ripe for the revolutionary music punk affords it. Our town was built on the broken hearts of Native Americans who's sacred underground waterfall cavern- as popular as mecca, was decimated with toxic waste only 2 blocks from the state Capitol and pumped full of hazardous waste- too hazardous to walk on until just a few recent years.. We share the broken hearts of the Native peoples who were pushed east, who's drums pounded in protest, then we opened another bigger dump next to a pure water aquifer and pushed them out of existence. A broken heart is in Tallahassee, so close to where Ca Chapel and the art community is. It's as if the spirit of protest and decimation was our inheritance. We protested when Presidents came to town and we protested the Injustice from the hanging chads of Shithead G.W. Bush. We protested with tee pees on the Capitol building- for legalization. We protested (and got rid of) the figure-head of the Tallahassee springtime parade- (the genocidal maniac) Andrew Jackson (who made horse reins out of Indigenous human skin & Adolf Hitler literally studied his genocidal techniques). In the early 80's, The Rock Against Reagan tour came through town and asked Sector 4 to come on tour with them. President Ronald Reagan had a lot to do with punk bands starting/ forming, as that's when the full steam murder machine of the White House gave fuel to punks in every town and village across america.
My longest lasting punk band was Sector 4. Punk drummers were pretty scarce, so I was welcome to crash on band member's couches- long as I kept drumming. At first, Sector 4 carried out (our) earlier childhood dreams- of being Jedi Knights defeating the evil empire while screaming about justice for earth. Many people were band-hopping in '81. Somewhere around that time I met the Sector 4 boys, who were 2 years older than me- and rode it out 'til '85- singing songs first about Jedi punks and finally moving on to Melodic screams to an Anti-Orwellian "1984" Genre'. We were in place just before 1984- riding the wave of anti-Reagan, anti-Orwellian music into '84. we were fully present in that date-stamp with time and reason. We grinded our political/musical axe while stunt crashing bicycles with wild abandon all over town. Riding on our own energy and risk was the life. We worked low pay jobs and often lived in the ghettos- being right at home building a $5 lid of pot in the back of black folks pool hall bars. I was only 15 or so, living half on my own & losing interest quick in high-school and anything that wasn't directed to a meaningful end. All i knew is that the earth had meaning, our music had meaning & that gave purpose. Finding spontaneously awakening, like minded people-we awoke: Radical earth lovers who didn't care for society norms- who saw all of civilization as a blatant lie aimed at destruction of the earth. Those in the scene for the right reason expressed voices as one brother/sisterhood. Venues were often something that formed through friends- and many friendships were formed through those venues- the scene grew this way. Music community as a proxy for hope, creativity, activism and friendship (love). At CA chapel I would always look up at the sign. long before we were there, It used to say "Calvary" chapel, but all letters were gone off except for Ca Chapel. How that happened, maybe George knows? Seriously and often gazing often at the sign, I would sing some Bob Marley song (or the positive like). I had a genuine feeling that the oppressed people of African descent had worshiped there in all seriousness. It wasn't a white man's church, so that's why (I think) it felt great there to us punks. I always looked up to and honored the sign of "Ca" chapel and dwelled on it's meaning. I would think: "Ca", also meant "shit", such as "ca ca"- And we are punks, the "shit" of society- and here we are expressing total original, artistic, musical expression- right from the gut. It very much felt like we were family- even those with forked tongues, of envy, needing healing, and those who we just met at any given show. Ecstatic, lasting friendships were formed overnight under the mosquito thrashed street lights and old cracked sidewalks. and the music was organic, ever-fresh, pounding expression we put our souls into a music that we owned. The outside forces was still "the man". Sons of the south would drive by in a parade of 4x4's, full of pissed off white teen men. We'd look up and both sides would jeer- but mostly our side smiled. I was around the corner coming back from my car when a parade of trucks had just turned on the side street. Dark, it was tense as the sausage fest of rednecks jumped out of their trucks and started coming towards me. In their unchecked stupidity, they surrounded and pushed me to the ground. I stayed half up and down as they kicked and punched- i scrapped back. Somehow there was a little kid at the show- probably 9 years or so. He walked around the corner at that time- and for some reason it scared the daylights out of the dipshit crew and they started to leave me alone and group up. When I saw their cowardice- i ran straight back into the crowd and started wailing on the biggest guy i could find- just to get slightly even.. anyway- they high-tailed it. the end. IMO, Sector 4 had one main purpose- to expose the twisted untruths in the world and awaken the truth in people. We had any songs about the anti-Orwellian state- Our songs included protests on endless war in the middle east, the human toll on war, corruption in the white house and government, songs about the founding fathers, the Indigenous peoples of this land, Anti Reagan, Anti Nuclear war, cosmic order, time, space travel, as well as gentle subjects like no revenge and being as true as a Jedi and wise as Yoda. In the hippy era, there was lots of nonsense songs, same with punk era- but both genres were original, filled with protest and awakening. As the "quickening" in the world became more squelched in, the sound in music's urgency to awaken also vibrated faster. After punk era, it seems the closest thing to music, revolution and awakening is the constant drone of dance beats and electronic music- which was extremely underground and born out within the womb of earliest of punk/new wave scenes. Europe and all western countries are part of this musical revolution- but only a small percentage of this art/acivism music aimed for higher ideals, activism & awakening- while the rest was brought down by the drunk fun going on (as in the music). That "fun" with all types of lyrical themes is our punk family celebration. Here we are- a community with a heart, a family. And each show was a family reunion. For the most part we got along. To know your true allies took communication. Shows and dancing was a blast of nature to explode clear doubts and for me it helped expand my bubble of peace, trust and growing- For those who lived the audaciously cheap life for arts-sake survival- we dove into each others' lives. The bad apples didn't last in the scene, often moving out of town after leaving sociopath waste behind. In the fight against everything from Darth Vaders to Nazi Feministas- to jam as creative activists- positive vibes always win. Punks not only spit, they spit at shit, and spit out the shit we're fed. Feb '85, we were interviewed by our dear friend Linda Hall for a Flambeu article. In that interview I sad: "we are striving for a positive peace nation. People in the US are so far gone, we have to sound negative to point out what's wrong. Society as whole doesn't act on love, they act on money". Sad that it's true today. Sector 4 had split up in summer of '85. '86 came around and for me and the climax of punk was dead- partially stolen by Metal and Pop-ish sellout-ness. Many bands in the Tallahassee punk scene kept authentic, but I didn't feel the revolution as much. The stepping stone spoke was saying time to move higher with the traction gained- and seek into the fog of future for a more sublime voice- closer to the cause and effect i came seeking in this life. Around this time, my g/f of 2 years tried to get back at me for cheating on her by spreading a horrific lie/rumor about me. I've tolerated all these years ignorant skinheads and nazis talking shit and stalking me, so especially when I felt our generation of punk had died- that was the icing on the cake. Once at the end of my time in the punk scene, I held a drum workshop at CA chapel. One person attended it, and years later he did say he learned something he used his whole life (as a drummer). Sector 4's music led me to positive original music on guitar, with much of my message dedicated to the plight of Mother Earth, the Moon, and the higher vibes as inspired by brothers Bob Marley and Peter Tosh's lyrics. To end, Instead of sharing a Sector 4 lyric, I'd like share one that i feel represents a prophetic ability (about world affairs) coming from this first generation of punk. The lyrics below are from the band "Lords of the New Church" and the song is "open your eyes". Video games train the kids for war Army chic in high-fashion stores Law and order's done their job Prisons filled while the rich still rob Assassination politics Violence rules within' our nation's midst Well ignorance is their power tool You'll only know what they want you to know The television cannot lie Controlling media with smokescreen eyes Nuclear politicians picture show The acting's lousy but the blind don't know Open your eyes See the lies right in front of ya Open your eyes They scare us all with threats of war So we forget just how bad things are You taste the fear when you're all alone They gonna git'cha when you're on your own The silence of conspiracy Slaughtered on the altar of apathy You gotta wake up from your sleep 'Cause meek inherits earth six feet deep Open your eyes see the lies right in front of ya Open your eyes
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.........."In the beginning there were Drums...1962. New Orleans Saint Peters
St. Off Bourbon Preservation Hall Jazz. Me, Seven years old sitting on a worn dusty wood floor five feet in front of a Beautiful Black Pearl Bass Drum and Kit. A quart jar sitting in front of it with a piece of paper taped to it reads: SAINTS $20 ALL OTHERS $5. Around it a Seasoned Black Battalion of Feeling Master Musicians Play. I also feeling it, drink in the music, Sweet Emma Barrett facing the wall playing the piano banging it sweet a big chaw under her bottom lip. Drums, Piano, a Trombone, Banjo, Trumpet, Guitar, Clarinet/Sax. All Singing. For me, a Drumming Foundation of Dixieland Jazz a True Great American Art Form. I revisited many times in my youth. Today sounds nothing like it did in 1962, so has not preserved it like it was, they play too clean not melding not having the United Sensual Soul Passion and Emotion as the past. So to me, a Drum Kit was the coolest thing in the world. Bottom-Line, I needed Drums. Black Pearls... Drums in The Theatre. 1964. Nine years old Bickfords Automat Time Square Broadway Musical Dad walks me down to see The Pit Orchestra before every show I gravitate to the drums complete with Sound Effect Devises which fascinated me. With maybe 10 Broadway Musicals under my belt I gain a Pomp Ass Knowledge of the “Best” in Music NYC Show Music sets the Bar. Drums plus the best of the best. I get my First Snare Drum for X- mass. Dad says if you stick with it (pun intended) for a year I will get you a Bass-Drum ( Blue Sparkle) and Cymbal for B-Day and X-Mass next. And, since it was 1964 and also on Broadway I have to mention The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles, Ringo playing Black Pearl Ludwigs, The Dave Clark Five, with a Drummer/ Singer... And of course, Charlie Watts!!! The Beat Goes On! Drums from every angle. So that year of Television’s inspiration turned into perspiration and I stuck with it and how. Wow. Blood Sweat and Tears Later Further down the road a Rock n’ Roll Heaven awaited. The chrysalis is set- Rock Music. Flash forward. 1971. Old enough to know better. All cat’s are grey in the dark. Rock n’ Roll metamorphoses into Rock. “ ...We never got it off on that revolution stuff” - All The Young Dudes. Ballad of Dwight Frye Sunrise Alice Cooper comes wafting, slinking, slithering seductively scrolling up the hallow out onto Florida High Corridor where I am walking at ears length. What is that crazy music man!?! ... Ben Wilcox is giving a Report on Rock. We meet. Ben has all the best Rock n’ Roll Records. Iggy Pops up The Ramones have the same last name. We play music in his bed room with his piano for years. Trying to write songs. I Wish It Would Rain...We need a band. Drums and Keys to the Future. Required Stolen Rock n’ Roll Guitar ala Mick Ronson. 1972. Billy Bob-Nut McButtsquare enters, and with a Stolen Church Guitar and Amp via David H. Bob-Nut and Sean Bonbon Baboon. They stash axe and rig with me on W. Indian Head Dr. to be used in Kind by Billy to our future advantage. Billy quickly becoming one of the best Rock n’ Roll Guitarist I’ve ever heard. Billy volunteers as Front Man, Lustfully. Drums, Keys and a Guitar Rig..It’s gonna get Big, Watch It Grow! The Big Rig! Watch Out! Jumpin’ Jack Flash! Rock and Soul Music. 1974. Now We needed a Bass Player. So In struts a True Nature Boy with a Flair and So Coming to us offa Dusty Rhodes and Deepening the bench was Jim Ballard an Adonis With a Pitch Perfect Soulful Voice a Paul McCartney Hoffner Bass and a Blonde Bowl Cut like Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Brian Jones Bar B. Q. and Grill was Open for business. Rock On Gordy (gorden solly) Rock On Rick Rock on Dusty. Look for our Grand Opening in 1979! ...Coming to The Lucky Horse Shoe near you. Pump It Up... London Rock.1975. Ben and I half of the future Slut Boys attend college in London studying Theatre and Economics. Like Mick. London theater being the only legitimate Theater out side of NYC. We Studied Pubs and Rock Shows more though. With England Rocking the only legitimate pubs in the world .The Hammersmith Odeon Theater held big shows where Ben and I saw Lou Reed’s “Rock and Roll” album Tour show and Ian Hunter’s and Mick Ronson’s Show performing “Once Bit and Twice Shy”. Rocky Horror Picture Show on Kings Road was Rock and Theater. In a critique of the Play I said, “ If you have seen David Bowie this is Old Hat”. On Kings Road I Entered Sex Where Vivian Westwood Cat Girl and Malcomb McClarion were standing donning and selling Bondage Ware and Safety Pinned High Courtier sic with me not realizing really what I was seeing. There were some clues to what was to come in London in a short year but us “hicks” as Iggy would call The Slut Boys later on at our Tallahassee show in 1980 were already playing High Energy 3 chord accessible songs instead of studio band crap. Also in London I saw Kilburn and the Highroads twice , with Ian Dury Singing and Teddy Boys attending and Ben saw Cockney Rebel, Twinks attending, all of whom were a foreshadowing of the eventual Punk Scene. We both missed The Pink Fairies or Hawkwind. Even though We were regulars at The Famous Round House and Marquee Club. The Seminal Prototype Punk Song “City Kids”, in my humble opinion, was Released in 1973 by The Pink Fairies, who played at The Round House often. If you’ve never heard it look It up ands see if you agree. Flash to 1976-1979.In the Aftermath of England and Many years of Practicing, Ben, Billy, Jim, and I were building a Mistique around town or in our case a Mistake. Also, We were all Trisexual!?!... Always Trying to have sex... We had finally found a place to rehearse outside of our parents houses, having tortured them enough. It was right across the street from Tallahassee Civic Center, Where U-2 walked in one night after their gig and jammed with us. We dubbed it The O.K. Club because we boarded up the window to protect our instruments and so I sprucing up the joint painted the plywood panel as a window looking out over a Jamaican Bay, on it The O.K. Club backwards as if looking out the club window. We had a refrigerator and a simple wooden Bar, which was too tall being built by Dicky, the lead cow of our entourage, who was six foot six. People could not understand it was our Rehearsal Space and not a BYOB Bar. Most Practice sessions Lasted through the Night with an assortment of friends and Seekers of Fun and Rock n Roll. People were beginning to know our reputation as wild drunks and drug users. And TRISEXUAL. ...Rock n Roll Party...So with our Reputation and Identities being Infamous we had built a “Mystique”. I worked as a Paste-Up Artist at that time. I worked the graveyard shift and had gravitated to a small room with four light tables and a crazy cool girl who listened to LOUD Rock Music all night long. Her name was Patti Milnes and I later found out she was legally deaf. As she knew our band, one night she was singing along with “Dirty White Boy” and pointedly sang over the light table towards me,... ‘Dirty White “SLUT BOYS”, Dirty White “SLUT BOYS”... I immediately stood up and said, ...That’s It! That’s it! We had a band name. So, Later on in an interview in Musician Magazine, when asked what were some of the things that Stood Out on their first American Tour, Bono said, “ We jumped up and Jammed Wild Thing with The Slut Boys at The O.K. Club”. The names stuck with him. Every body loved to repeat the name The Slut Boys. Andy Warhol did with his fey voice when I told him our band’s name. Ooing and ahhing with a sparked interest he repeated it to Christofer Macos and Bob Colacello with a rare giggle. I had Warhol enjoying his evening because of Patty Milnes Improvised Genius. I knew the Controversial name; The Slut Boys was what we were and would serve us well as an advertising coo. Our first gig was at The Lucky Horse Shoe Bar. Whore Shoe. Fuck me Pumps. Yeah Yeah Yeah... Some how some feminists found out a band named The Slut Boys were to perform at the bar. Ben liking or trying to avert a Politically Correct Catastrophe wanted the band name to be The Solenoids.So that day at the bar after we had loaded in and had a sound check we noticed 5 or 6 women with anti The Slut Boys picketing signs. They were ready to picket a Name a woman had authored. As I remember The Slut Boys was on the sign by the door announcing that nights booking. And the Feminists were waiting to engage us. At this time we came out and changed the Name to The Solenoids at which the Feminists Sighed and put down there signs of protest. Damn, unhappy anti- fans, now wondering what to do for the night. That’s no fun. I was disappointed and voiced my opinion as to the name change. We drove back over the hill to the O.K. Club to wait and fuel up for show time. I lobbied that we were Slut Boys and should be proud of such a Perfect band name. Somehow we grew some balls and I won out and We Knew the Correct name was The Slut Boys. At that we raced back over the hill and put up The Slut Boys as our Name. The Feminist were revived and happy and picked back up their sings and as they fell into line they fell right into our hands. Free Publicity! IT WAS ON!!! I didn’t related to a car part but I did connect as a Slut Boy. Thank You Patti. With a few years of upholding our reputation and hosting and opening for artists such as Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, The Fleshtones and more we did Tallahassee a great favor with our high energy Suspenseful shows. How do they do that? Riotous Rock n Roll Shows. Employing Strippers, throwing bags of dog food on the crowd, chain sawing guitars in two, showing up late in a limo and too many pounds lost collectively with the crowd we ruled Tallahassee’s vacuous cultural scene. The Slut Boys had that united sensual soul passion that I had studied listening to Sweet Emma in 1962. We were bad asses and we new it! Dolomite!!!" Donny Crenshaw is a seminal musician who helped shape the early underground culture in a town abandoned by new ideas. His hobby is chasing dragonflies in the nude. Mr. Crenshaw’s article appears here in its original unaltered, unedited edition in order to maintain the integrity and intent of the writing. |
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