Thursday, August 1, 2019

Kenne and Little Billy Lost (sans Fred Pineau)

friday 26 July 19. In "Detroit Rock City". I kept getting texts from outer limits club in hamtrammack michigan where Stroh's fest was happening. Promoter paid for an uber so i left my rockstar hotel that I paid for to go to club. Arab cab driver knew Vancouver where my dad was living as baby and "that's my backyard! it's all Arab know'....thanks Dad and parents for the uber! Get into club "KENNE!" Now I'm the first Highland NOT born in Michigan but instead it was Little Billy Lost sans Fred Pineau of Bonjour Aviators! Frederick is three score and ten...you think you'll see my ass at club when not playing?!? ("60 is the new 30"?)...Photo is Little Kenne Lost! Motor City meets Dirty Water! A Detroit cover band show coming soon!

Kenne and Rich Coffee

Then I ran into Mister and Mrs Rich Coffee (actually he and melanie were Thee Accessories!) plus Stenson Eddie Flowers, one week older than Smitt E. Smitty. The Gulch (Bloomington Indiana) meets Motor City meets Dirty water? Rochester NY is the Flower City and Flowers HAS been to House of Guitars! ('76). Timmy's Organism (facebook like!) was playing and I got a $5 casette. Timmy introduced me to Mary of Detroit Cobras (facebook friend and "i'm a fan....i spell F.....A.....N...."). Put a red wig on Smitty, the goddam Motor City mayor. More selfies than Theresa Powers!...I found a site Timmy's favourite bands: BLUE CHEER! the first two leigh Stephens albums! read Rich Coffee's "rich's rants and raves"; he claims "space-rock" and i think Hawkwind in mix too. Been playing the dogshit outta that Burger records casette. Timmy introduced us in Bloomington once and "I've been a Gizmos fan since '99!" (oh those kids....)...Lastly I finally saw Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments and they rocked too plus djs were playing all kindsa vintage records, like my old '70s collection....Stroh's drank, people danced....almost sad but back in '77 at CANTONE'S this IS how it was....."....

Friday, August 2, 2019

Kenne and Detroit friends

saturday 27 july 19. Gizmos practice at the ungodly hour of noon but dang! Stools drummer (born 1997!) got ALL the toons first tyme through! Rich and Mel Coffee went to Motown museum same tyme as lil Billy Lost (dad's father lived near there 1935-1940) and i took Tony Kacynski's (Figures on a Beach!) advice and walked to Polish Village, Hamtrammack Michigan and had the Polish sampler (saved "Kilebasa" for last!) read latest issue of Vulchur also. Got back hanging backstage with DANA, you gotta see the way this young lady (Madelin Jackson; knows "Columbus Gurls"!) assaults a theremin! Gotta mention two pm opener Ultimate Ovation, a Jimmy Botticelli-type vintage '70s r&b trio,doin' recods since 1975! VERY collectable on British soul market. more on them later! Jack Oblivian and the Shieks were like Flshtones/Woggles on streroids or "she's my best bette" b/w "everything she says is cryptic (she's so obscure)" played at 78 rpm....Talking with Jack "I had the Afrika Korps album but what is the Korps"...I tried explainging the kennes but he goes "you're the one who went in the marines right? you wrote "mad at the World"?" (active duty AND YOUR tax dollars paid for it!). mary of Detroit Cobras returns as did Timmy Vulgar; i was pleased! So Stroh's Man (hairy bearded kenne klone in Stroh's chef hat/lame shorts and fishnets!) was our handsome Dick manitoba and the Dee-troit crowd whipped into a frenzy....Stroh's man and crowd all sang along with EVERY Gizmos lyric, went nuts for "Muff Divin" then the MC5/Stooges mini-set ("ramblin rose"/"black to comm"/"we will have a real cold Stroh's tonight")....Jams WERE kicked out! Folks coming up: "I saw you in Cleveland when I was 18!" (hmmm..."best gurl on the planet"? whooo!!!")..."I saw you in Chicago"..."Memphis"...but WERE they in Kaiser station, Teaneck NJ 1977!?? AFTER dj playing Soul-le-lu-jah level rare soul 45s sounding like a Detroit Cobras set list (I WAS educated: "yes Detroit Cobras cover this song"), dancin' even BETTER'n james Brown....fuck i aint had that much fun since Afrika Korps live at Cantone's 21 aug 77! (Rich Coffee ALSO at that, so ,maybe it's him as key factor?)"