Showing posts with label The Cramps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Cramps. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Hot Pearl Snatch

According to reports online, etc. etc. Holy fuck... Fuck... FUCK... FUCK.

I'm practically speechless... ANOTHER hero gone and we're only 35 days into 2009! W... T... F.

For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2009

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today.


Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.


The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.


The Cramps are one of those bands who I was obsessed with at one point in my life... By my count I saw the band at least 4x, all of which were either one of their annual Halloween or New Year's Eve shows in San Francisco. Who can forget Lux onstage... climbing up onto the PA stacks... crawling around on all fours... wearing pumps... his mic jammed into his mouth.

My favorite Cramps show was probably Halloween 1993.. when they were billed as Creatures From The Black Leather Lagoon at Bimbo's...


The Cramps on Halloween was always the perfect thing.. and on this night the pit down front was pretty rollicking. At one point a guy dressed as a beer can jumped into the pit but he soon disappeared from sight. After awhile something shot up into the air and landed onstage at Lux's feet: It was the guy's beer can costume. Lock 'N Loll!

For the record, Umlaut's favorite Cramps song is 'Hot Pearl Snatch'... CRANK IT.


R.I.P. Lux... and Dog Bless you Poison Ivy.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Obligatory Election 2004 Epilogue


"When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth."

I'm proud to say that Haggis Buffet / Umlaut stayed above the fray and only reported what Satan told us to:

Bloggers Said to Blame for Bad Poll Info


We now return to regular Umlaut programming.

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Submitted by Heather:

The Cramps
The Warfield, S.F.
Halloween 2004


The Cramps were cool as always. Lux is so HOT! I'm so in love with him. Ivy was gorgeous also.

I had an extra ticket with me and there was this (authentic!) tough punk chick that somehow got into that section and was in our seats. They tried to get her to leave and she wasn't gonna go down without a fight. When the bouncers came thay said "Lemme see your ticket!" and so I gave her the extra ticket. It was meant to be.

I had a bad cold and I put my back out sneezing and had to walk with a cane!

The unfortunate part was that the sound person fucked up the sound SO BAD that it was intolerable and people were leaving! I left early also and on the way out, I poked the sound person in the back with my cane to get her attention and I told her it sounded AWFUL and she flipped me off. I in turn, flipped HER off then went to find some management. They told me it was the BAND'S soundperson, and there was nothing they could do and that I should call The Guardian.

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ADDENDUM - Nov. 4, 2004

After a couple of days to reflect upon Election 2004, Umlaut felt it was time to make a change. So, I ditched the venerable circa 1992 7" single cardboard storage box:



For a sleek 21st Century corrugated plastic 7" single storage box that is chaste of any political affiliation:



As Bono once (sort of) said before he became UN Ambassador to Narcissus: "It's a box drained of all colors.." This 7" single storage box is not a rebel 7" single storage box.

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EPILOGUE TO THE EPILOGUE - Nov. 5, 2004

I suppose as a Lefty Liberal this week was a reality check. I guess God might not be a bargain bin act after all. Who woulda thunk?! He's been repackaged and rereleased with bonus tracks!

I suppose you could say I regained my perspective on life today... and I did so via an unplanned 3-point method:

POINT 1: It began with a leave-work-early screening of The Incredibles. Straight up: I LOVED IT.. which the Cheesehead Duo can attest to. It truly emasculated the silly new Star Wars trailer that proceeded it. Too bad their licensing doesn't include very cool action figures..

POINT 2: My journey then shifted to S.F.'s lovely Tenderloin and the Golden Era Restaurant. An incredibly great meal followed... Which included fine conversation and the sharing of Lock 'N Loll war stories and gossip with Merch Guy, Kamehameha, and Diamond Head ("The teacher?! Really?!") . An all around meal most excellent. A nice cherry on top was seeing the same guy I saw at Dio last week who was wearing the same denim vest with the large Slayer - Hell Awaits patch on the back. In Nomine Satanic Vegetarians! "Angels fighting aimlessly.. Still dying by the sword.." SLAYER... Now more than ever.

POINT 3: Then it was across town for the obligatory Rock Show:

DRUNK HORSE / ACID KING
12 Galaxies, S.F.


Two of S.F.'s finest kickin' it live in my old 'hood.. Acid King threw up a wall of sound unequaled by any band who are like family to me. So many beers and burritos have been killed in the bloody juggernaut I've cut with them over the years... Drunk Horse are Southern Rock without the Confederate inbreeding.. They're like the South back when the South voted Democrat (obligatory Election 2004 analogy). Earlier I said how this week had seen God rereleased and remastered... But so has Acid King, with their classic Busse Woods CD rechromed and detailed. Nice. Beer count = 2. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenage crack whores called me a fag. My trusty companion, the iPod, once again proved that it's my soulmate by randomly playing Black Sabbath / Dio's 'Heaven & Hell' once the Jetta was fired up... The lyrics were quite apt as the theme song for this week:

"They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you've got to ride it well.
The world is full of Kings and Queens, who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.. It's Heaven and Hell..."

"They'll tell you black is really white, the moon is just the sun at night.. And when you walk in Golden Halls you get to keep the gold that falls.. It's Heaven and Hell.."


Today was also my mommy's birthday. Yes, I called her. She told me she loved me.

Peace out.

"You've got to bleed for the Dancer.."