Gerard - can't remember his last name - used to go around with Patty Duarte. His friend John Spencer was a fan of mine with whom I went out with at a later time.
Sally had been a fixture of the early LA punk scene but since settling down and having a kid with Roger Hands from Bristol, had rarely been seen.
Karl is Karl Precoda; I had met him the summer before. I forgot he had pursued me so ardently! His friend (and later flatmate) Scott Gaulke I had met the last time we played at Al's Bar, when Brian had arranged a dance contest with the winner winning a date with yours truly. I had run outside and met Scott, who said he'd take me out instead, so I could tell the contest winner I was already booked. (This was Merrill Ward, who never managed to take me to the race track as promised, but I forgive you!) Then I never heard from him.
Who else... Don Garstang was the drummer of our band; he had arranged the show along with Kevin Wood. Suzanne Williams was my friend from high school. Tova Celine I knew from Hollywood, and Sneady was Mark Kenneth "Animal Boner" Snead, sadly no longer with us...
4 July 1981
We were gonna go to Michael's [Livingston] family picnic and to the reggae ting in Exposition Park, but got tied up. So we just went straight to Al's Bar. No Fall there yet.
Frankie [Marley] was there though. We took photos [I believe I'm referring to the photos on the steps across from Al's Bar that Ed Colver took; I should find and scan this!] and went to the liquor store. I sat and drank and read and eventually we did a sound check.
People were arriving early. Now there was a mirror in the bathroom. They [those in charge I suppose] had already said it was too late for the Fall now. But they arrived while I was in the bathroom and it was so weird hearing their sound check out there. [Al's Bar, which later on hosted a number of name bands, was quite a dive then and I daresay the Fall were by far the biggest band that had ever been booked to play there at this point; they were even charging five bucks at the door!]
I watched the sound check for a bit, then went to put my junk in the car but Michael had my keys and was nowhere to be found. I was so mad!! [Easily irritated, are we?] But now Steve [Wynn] was there so I put my bag in his car.
I must have been smashed by the time we played - it was great but last time sounded better. I dedicated Macumba to the Fall and I think Respect to Mark [Stern]. (Outside right after I was talking to someone and then I saw Mark; he had seen our whole set. He still didn't feel that great.)
Oh, earlier, before we played, Gerard said John was there. I sat and talked with him - and Sally and Roger were there! They didn't look quite as normal as I'd expected. Sally didn't say much; Roger seemed his old always nice self - but much better looking than I'd remembered...
Saw Karl outside - didn't even recognise him at first! Found out that girl is or wasn't his girlfriend, that he's going to UCLA in the fall (English major!!!) and that he's known Mark for ages. Also he knows Scott - who was there also. It turned out Scott had lost my number - that's why he had come down!!!
I was sitting on the car talking to all of them... then went back inside where I met Patrik of Kommunity FK. He accused me of giving him dirty looks when I was on stage; had a rant about it! But I always stare at people when we do Macumba, and if I was looking at him I was only noticing his Phil Oakey hair-do! [Or hair-don't, as the case may be...]
Michael who works there got me a free beer; some guy praised our political consciousness etc.!!!! [This made my day, I recall, as most people just thought we were a good-time funky dance band.] I met the guy who produced Theatre of Hate's first single.
When I went in the other room to see the Fall I walked in with Karl and he took my hand. I stood on the side with him and Scott and Suzanne.
The Fall were very good - the sound wasn't too great - but I could only stand it for five songs or so! [Well, it was really hot and crowded, and I was seeing them in a better venue this week anyway.]
After the show Karl asked me to be his date for the party but there was no room in the car as I was giving Tova and Sneady a ride. Scott was also leaving and I was sitting there and while Don was negotiating for money [Al's Bar were not paying us but The Fall gave us a hundred of their half a grand fee], Scott kissed me goodbye, and when John left, so did he.
So the four of us (very cramped!) went to the Silver Lake party - saw Keith [Morris I think] and it didn't exist!! Then Tova talked me into giving them a ride to Hollywood. She gave me a couple bucks.
1 comment:
It the lips, hips, and hair that dominate the cover photo. Glam and punk sensibilities combined in a true to era bap n the face. The post-modern 'factory girl' -- I love it.
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