The BGN News Archive

Nelson Paiva and Simon Gallup of the Cure in Fall River

Last April we reported the story that Cure bassist Simon Gallup visited Fall River. This year, Saturday June 29th Simon returned to the same coffee shop (next to the Lizzie Borden house) to take in an artist expo. The owners of the Miss Lizzie coffee shop are friends of Simon’s. read more here. Nelson Paiva, a loval artist, gave Simon a 8x10 print as a gift.

And we have some BOOKS of note to tell you about.....

Jim Sullivan just released his Backstage & Beyond Complete: 45 Years of Rock Chats & Rants in an ebook edition. Jim says: "Trouser Press Books published two volumes of my Premusic writing. Now, they’ve been combined into one eBook with 11 new chapters! The 71 chapters feature an eclectic collection of artists, spanning generations and styles...." You can get it on Trouser Press as well as Amazon .

It was 2009 when Kenne Highland’s group The Vatican Sex Kittens got mentioned in Under the Dome by Stephen King.

Now another horror writer of note mentions the Boston punk scene. Paul Tremblay is a much favored horror writer from Boston. His 2018 book The Cabin At the End of the World was a best seller. All the action happens in a cabin in New Hampshire. One of the character flashbacks, however, happens in Boston in the late nineties.

Trembley sets up the scene: “A hockey bar by name, the Penalty Box was a hard-drinking dive eschewing the ironic faux charm that might now be associated with the term dive bar. On the corner of Causeway St. across from North Station and the Boston Garden….the tiny room above the Penalty Box, called the Upstairs Lounge, was a local music hot spot and used to host what was called “pill dance parties” every Friday night.”

That was Chet’s Last Call space but the club was gone by the late nineties. Those “pill dance parties” were of course The Pill nights that later moved to Great Scott. Tremblay says the dances moved to Allston but does not name the club.

The Pill is mentioned in NPR's Oral History of Great Scott It started in 1997 at the Upstairs Lounge. It lasted at Great Scott until 2013. There were a few yearly reunion nights through the years and the last one was at the Bellforge Center in 2022. The Pill still has a Facebook page

Having the scene mentioned in fiction is a measure of the influence of the scene.

Boston is also mentioned in the book Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana by Gina Arnold. It sounds like it’s a book about Nirvana but it’s really about the whole punk movement that lead up to Nirvana.

Boston gets an early chapter that focuses on college radio. Arnold says: ”Boston was the city where...the significance of college radio began to take on larger meaning. Thanks to a predominance of colleges, plus a proximity to New York City, it became a hotbed of punk rock early on. As early as 1976 WTBS (later called WMBR) at MIT had begun running the first punk rock show in America.” Arnold talks to Tuffs University WMFO DJ Scott Becker and Geoff Weiss from Harvard’s WHRB.

The spotlight then goes to Julie Farman, who went from a waitress at the Rat, to the talent booker for the club. She says: “All my inspiration for booking came from the ‘MBR playlist.” Furman also became the manager for the Neats and the Lyres. She ended up working for a record company with an office in Santa Monica.

It’s nice to hear confirmation from someone else that we really had a special thing going on in the early punk days.

This book came out in 1993 but we feel it's really worth noting. It’s available on Amazon and for free on the Archive.org website if you create a sign in

Here's another one just out in March- Zip It Up!: The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974 - 1984...the Kindle edition. It's only $8.95 on Amazon marked down from $25.

"It's heavy on historical detail and has lengthy, probing interviews, all written with wit, intelligence and a willful expression of opinions and values. It is also an extensive document of rock’s evolution from the 1970s to the mid-’80s, often capturing now-iconic bands in the early stages of their existence. By turns reverent, snarky, adulatory and cynical, Zip It Up! is a rich grazing ground for fans and students of music and music journalism.

"The book is divided into sections covering the Sixties, Classic Rock, Glam Rock, Art and Prog Rock, the Roots of Punk, US / UK Punk and New Wave, Reggae, Post-Punk and more." Check it out here.

VIDEOS......

Rat Tales just posted a video interview with Worcester’s Preston Wayne. Preston was in rock bands since he was 14 in Worcester. In 1977 however he went to the Rat and that began his Boston years. He auditioned for DMZ when Peter Greenberg left. He tells the fascinating tales of being in DMZ which involved being in large shows in Boston and NYC right from the first week being in the band. He talks with fondness of those Thursday to Sunday shows the bands used to do.

Wayne has a nice positive view of things and appreciates the opportunities of playing on stage. After DMZ he went on to The Odds with J. J. Rassler. Later it was the Superphonics to the Time Beings. Today he still has shows with the Time Beings and his favorite Preston Wayne Four that plays all instrumentals.

The New York Hardcore Chronicles with Drew Stone interviews Dave Smalley. Dave’s career goes from Down by Law, DYS, All and Dag Nasty.

Dave has health problems. He has cancer and chemo for that gave him encephalitis and landed him in the hospital for a while. Dave talks a lot about the support he has received from the hardcore community during his time of need.

Dave was in DC before he was in Boston (August 1981) and saw Minor Threat and other bands in the hardcore scene there. He talks about the magic in the studio with the recording of the first Dag Nasty album. Dave and Sam Williams talked about the new Down By Law album Crazy Days.

Dave describes himself as half nerd and musician!!

RADIO......

On Tuesday’s Late Risers Club DJ Tapedeck Tommy played C Turtle, a group from London. The song “Melvin Says This” is a mix of noisy and melodic sections. They describe themselves a lo-fi rock so the recording isn’t super but it works for them ... and this song especially. We like the overdriven keyboard sound that’s in the choruses.

The rest of the album has them doing a variety of styles. The one other tune that works for us is “More Insects.” It starts out slow and low but builds up and gets noisy and loud.

To hear Tapedeck’s whole show go to the WMBR archive page and hit the Late Risers Show for Tuesday 7/2.

Brian Young had David Harrison of the False Positives on A Crash Course for the Ravers show this week. David was in the Voodoo Dolls back in the day.

The current False Positives song “The Real You” sounded fine next to the old Voodoo Doll classic “This Town Makes Me Feel So Lonely”.

“This Town Makes Me Feel So Loney” was written by Evan Shore who was in the Voodoo Dolls. The current lineup of the False Positives is Pete Cassani (Peasants) and Carl Biancucci (Classic Ruins). They are going to record this new line up soon. The interview is below which has some live songs that Harrison did in the studio.

Tony Kaczynski was supposed to also be a guest but he was recovering from Covid.

Brian also says that his band The Thigh Scrapers now has Pete from the Stigmatics on bass, are practicing two times a week and have a lineup of gigs this summer. They are at the Middle East Up on July 24 and have a show at the Worthern Attic in Lowell with the Va Va Voodoos from Albany, NY on 9/15.

Skybar will have The Ghouls, winners of the latest "Rumble" on his Rising show this Tuesday. They will tell their story which we want to hear. They came from relative obscurity to win the prestigious contest. They will play some live songs in the studio.
Listen Tuesday at 8 pm on WMFO 91.5 FM or streaming at https://www.wmfo.org/

PODCASTS.........

A lot of radio shows featured songs about the USA for the July 4th. No one, however, gets into the nitty gritty like Sonic Overload’s yearly Salute to America. With the recent Supreme Court rulings, emotions are high everywhere. Suitably Al Quint had “Abort the Supreme Court” by Expert Pie in the second set.

The first set alone will clear your palette.

Local group Social Circkle had the song “USSA.” More titles: Fen Fen – “American Lies”; S.L.I.P. – “There’s No Hope For the USA”; Lightning Bolt – “USA Is A Psycho”; Gene – “America Was Never Great”; Whipping Boy – “America Must Die” and you know ... it goes on. Quint had no mercy and really piled the songs in there. All very intense.

Al did do a humorous set in memory of Martin Mull and that gave him the chance to play Happy Flowers with “BB Gun”. You don’t hear the Happy Flowers enough these days. Here's "BB Gun" on YouTube.

You can hear the whole show at Sonic Overload

Twisted Rico has Lynda Mandolyn in to talk. Lynda is in Tiger Bomb, Crystal Canyon and she’s doing solo material. Lynda talked about her latest show with Tiger Bomb which was the show with Brad Marino and Nervous Eaters at the Press Room in Portland, ME. Lynda has been playing music for a long time and has been writing songs almost from the beginning when she was 15. She has wide ranging influences like Asia and Tangerine Dream.

Inside Out was her first band in Detroit in 1986. They played Berlin after the wall came down, they were the first all female punk band to tour Eastern Europe!! And they did a John Peel session. Lynda has been in so many bands that even the very prepared Steev had trouble keeping track. She has a Facebook page but she would be better served with a website that lined up her accomplishments.

Lynda says that Tiger Bomb has 15 songs recorded. They are being mastered now. No date on its release yet. Lynda’s next solo song will be “Little Dreamer” on July 19. Her last solo song was “Billet Doux” and is on Bandcamp

Besides all of that Lynda is having an Art retrospective Sunday July 14th at High Fidelity (200 Anderson St) as part of the East Bayside Block Party in Portland. Here's the FB event page for that...she'll be there from 1-3PM.

A.J. Wachtel got up to speed with Lizzie Borden on his Watchtelligence Podcast.

Liz grew up in New York City and later in Boston. The Axes got together by a meeting in the Rat dressing room at a Joan Jett show. Liz has funny stories of the record company and their attempts to refashion the group. The Axe’s first show was at Streets, then the Rat and CBGB’s.

The Hell’s Angels followed the group and Liz has stories about that. Wachtel had an inside Angels story too. Some of the Axe members were gay and they suffered from prejudice from the public and management. Liz has complained that record companies never let the group be what it wanted to be.

Lizzie is probably busier now more than ever. To keep up with her check out her website where you can see her in her film appearances.

NEW MUSIC/CDs......

What we love about locals Circus Battalion is that they're just simple punk. Their latest single "X-ACTO" is another rough punk anthem about the conditions animals are kept in to feed our meat-centric diets.

The chorus uses the X-acto knife to bring home the point of violence. It's very effective!! The verses also emphasizes the idea that meat eaters aren’t thinking enough about what is happening to the animals they eat.

The punk blast and in your face vocals are perfect for this message. Be sure to listen to that bass. Man, Tak Atak is ripping here. We like how the song ends with a buildup and then the final emphatic, one syllable at a time, pounding of the words, “Why-Don’t-You-Give-It - A-Try?”

The flip side of the digital single is a cover of Morrissey’s “The Bullfighter Dies” that is done up punk style. That’s a perfect match up for a thematic single.

Girl With A Hawk have released their first song since their fine EP Keep ‘er Lit six months ago. The song “Way With Words” is a tidy classy affair. Linda Vien’s much celebrated voice is at the forefront, as is her songwriting. Linda’s lyrics cut to the core with perceptive observation of human foibles. Here she slams on those who give back handed compliments. It’s ironic that she stamps them as having a “way with words” when the lyrics show that she has her own way with words. “Way With Words” is more than equal payback for those put down artists out there!

The band performance is understated and tasteful.

Bob Moss and the Skin Tight Skin are up to about their tenth single release. The guest players, many local, have been all notable. This time the guest guitarist is Anthony Piazza of Sister Ex and Winter Sect. Piazza has a big gothic guitar sound (On Bandcamp) which he brings to the song “The Next Time (I See You).” The lyrics are a laundry list of angst and the reason is revealed in the very last line.

Problem Patterns are a group from Belfast. They have a powerful song in “I Think You Should Leave.” In the song they have four different group members singing a verse. Each one delineates the problems they see in Belfast and how they come to grips with them. The first line says a lot, “Belfast, the city, it’s complicated.”

Punk was made to deliver a personal polemic like this.

Here's some good shows coming up .....

July 11, 2024 (Thursday) Ragz to Stitchez, Typhoid Mary, The Jacklights, and Vallory Falls for a of punk at AS220 - Provi, RI ! Doors at 8:30, show from 9pm-midnight, $10 cover!! FB page for tix etc.

July 12, 2024 (Friday) Daughter of the Vine, and Shiny Beasts at The Lilypad 7PM show.

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) A Crash Course for the Ravers has Double Star and Simon Ritt as guests to celebrate Johnny Thunders birthday 1-4PM on WMFO FB page

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Rum Bar Records & Los Coronas CC Present Diablogato's Party with Screamin' Rebel Angels, Diablogato. The Dogmatics, Girl With A Hawk at the Porch in Medford 1-6PM. FB page

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Rockin Bob Punk Band, Kermit's Finger, The Grommets, Lobo Hombre at The Midway for a 3PM matinee show

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Bim Skala Bim 40th Anniversary Show with Void Union, Duppy Conquerors, Some Ska Band, and Brunt of It -8:00 PM | Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre. Two shows! Special guests, FB page.

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Linnea's Garden, the Worst, Mattias, and CJ Honey at State Park in Kendall Sq. Linnea's Garden will be celebrating the release of their new single, "Cherry"!

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Psychic Weight, Neighborhood Shit, Latch, Silent Spring and more at the Peabody VFW in 20 Stevens St Peabody, MA.

July 14, 2024 (Sunday) Cape Crush, Loser's Circle, Blame it on Whitman, Dear Maryanne at The Midway for a 3PM Matinee

July 17, 2024 (Wednesday) Gossip Collar, Frogs, Burn Kit at The Silhouette

July 19, 2024 (Friday) Bash At the Beach With WORM, Rockin' Bob Punk Band, Spectacle, Scotty Saints & The True Believers, Screw Cart at The C Note, Hull FB page

July 20, 2024 (Saturday) A Crash Course for the Ravers has The Stigmatics on WMFO 1-4PM. FB page.

July 20, 2024 (Saturday) Electric Street Queens, The Humanoids, Midnight Creeps, and Pledge Pins at The Midway 8PM show

July 24, 2024 (Wednesday) Sloppy Seconds, The Queers, The Raging Nathans - at The Middle East Down

July 24, 2024 (Wednesday) Bad Mary, Double Star, Thigh Scrapers, Stigmatics at The Middle East Up _ FB page

July 25, 2024 (Thursday) The Hi-End, Tim McCoy Rock Quartet, J Prozac Band at The Square Root,

July 25-28, 2024 Nice Fest is back! It's got LOADS of bands - this year it's at the Rockwell, and Crystall Ballroom AND outside at the Grove st parking lot. Too many great bands to list here but check out their FB event page and website.

July 26, 2024 (Friday) Carrot Flowers, Toadpatrol, Bleach The Sky, Ruffian Dick at The Union Tavern - FB page

July 26, 2024 (Friday) The Wynotts, The Spackles, Tsunami of Sound, Black & Grey at The Midway for a matinee at 3PMS

July 26 & 27, 2024 Rock Garden Showcase with Adam M Sherman, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Robin Lane, Little Billy Lost, Ricky Rat, Smitt E. Smitty, Hummingbird Syndicate, Crow Follow, Captain Easychord, Satch Kerans Band at Warehouse XI Union Sq Somerville - check the FB page for what bands what night

July 27, 2024 (Saturday) Honkeyball, White Dynomite, Welsh Boys, Hammered Saint, Catching Hell at the Middle East down - 7PM!

July 27, 2024 (Saturday) The Dogmatics, The Grommets and Kevin Patey’s new party band The Carnivals at The New World Tavern, Plymouth.

July 27 & 28, 2024 (Sat & Sun) O'Brien's Annual Blood, Sweat & Beers - July 27: (3PM Doors) Crowfeeder, DJ Grayskull, Karate Steve, Loudsounds, Morgued, Northstar The Wanderer, Silver Screams, Viqueen, Voidkeeper, Waelmist - July 28: 1PM Doors- Bacterial husk, Coma Hole, Cortez, Dragged By Chains, Eyespressedin, Guhts, Kind, Miracle Blood, Mollusk, Philip Eno, Shadowcloak and ... Special Guest - O'Brien's

July 27 & 28, 2024 (Sat & Sun) Worcester Punk Rock Flea Market at the Hotel Vernon! Market 1 to 7pm, Bands 4PM, Saturday bands: Ratlord, The Lousekateers, Leatherrax -Sunday Bands: Jonee Earthquake Band, Bangzz, Dando Fever Facebook page LOADS of very cool vendors.

July 28, 2024 (Sunday) Matt Burns Memorial Show with Frank Rowe, Larry Newman, Spike, Captain Easychord w/Schlemiel, Kenne Highland's Air Force, Classic Ruins, The Reverand Joseph Fagan and his Deacons of Love, Vogon Poets, Shiny Beasts, Crow Follow at The Burren 7-10PM FB page.

July 28, 2024 (Sunday) Linnea's Garden, the Worst, Mattias, and CJ Honey at State Park in Kendall Square. Linnea's Garden will be celebrating the release of their new single, "Cherry"! FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Plymouth Punk Rock Market - 60+ vendors selling weird stuff for weird people - Live music, Craft beer and a food truck (or 2), Vinyl records, vintage clothing and housewares, original art, handmade, jewelry, oddities, and more! Noon to 5PM All ages, FREE EVENT at Mayflower Brewing Company. FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) BV70!!! Yup, Bob Voges is turning 70 and wants to celebrate with a rocking show! So he's got Abbie Barrett, Stars Like Ours, Sapling at Warehouse XI in Union Sq Somerville. Doors at 7:00, Music 7:30. FB event page. We love Bob!!!! So be there. FB event page.

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Cheap Cassettes, Chelsea Curve and Shang Hi Los at The Square Root - FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Mayhem In Manchester!! with WORM (their 21th Anniversary Show), Street Trash, WarGraves, Gagger at The Shaksheen Pub - FB page

August 9, 2024 (Friday) Barrence Whitfield & Sal Baglio’s Giant Rocket Roll Show! at The Bull Run in Shirley - FB page.

August 10, 2024 (Saturday) Bootleg Dan presents The Midnight Callers, Freeloader, Rattle Bones at The Burren 6PM show!!

August 11, 2024 (Sunday) Brunt of It, PWRUP, Sgt Scag, Threat Level Burgundy at The Midway for a 3PM matinee

August 15, 2024 (Thursday) Bootleg Dan presents John Powhida CD Release Party, Shang Hi Los, The I Want You, at The Burren 6:15pm show

August 17, 2024 (Saturday) Booze Cruz'n on tha Harbah- yes on a boat with The Queers, Unnatural Axe and Stop Calling Me Frank - boat leaves at 4PM SHARP- Rowes Wharf - FB page for info and tix

August 17, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb and Muck & The Mires at Belfast Harbor Festival After Party - The Marshall Wharf, Belfast, ME

August 18, 2024 (Sunday) Boston Punk Rock Trivia at The Armory FB page

August 18, 2024 (Sunday) Surf at The Midway with The Electric Heaters, The Nebulas, The Beachcombovers, Kioea 3PM matinee

August 18, 2024 (Sunday) The Peelers, The Pourmen, The Gobshites at Alchemy in Prov. RI 7PM -FB page.

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents: Sharp Class, Muck and the Mires, The Chelsea Curve at The Burren - FB page

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents: Sharp Class, The Chelsea Curve at Parkside Lounge NYC

September 7, 2024 (Saturday) Girl with a Hawk on A Crash Course for the Ravers 1PM on WMFO- FB page

September 8, 2024 (Sunday) The Somerville Rock And Roll Yard Sale is in Union Square Somerville

September 8, 2024 (Sunday) The Lowell Summer Music Series has Belly playing Boarding House Park: 40 French St., Tickets

September 14, 2024 (Saturday) Bootleg Dan presents: The Prime Movers Reunion!! with Thee Sonomatics at The Burren 7PM show FB event page.

September 14, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb and The Nervous Eaters at Askew Provi RI

September 15, 2024 (Sunday) The Thigh Scrapers and Va Va Voodoos are at the Worthern Attic in Lowell

September 16, 2024 (Monday) John Cooper Clarke comes again!!! at The City Winery [7:30PM]

September 19, 2024 (Thursday) Legendary Queer-core Pop Rockers Pansy Division, The Fatal Flaw and Gene Dante at Faces in Malden

September 19, 2024 (Thursday) Bootleg Dan presents: Arthur Alexander Band, The Glimmer Stars, Tiger Bomb at Blue in Portland, ME

September 20, 2024 (Friday) Tiger Bomb and The Nervous Eaters at Sonia

September 20, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents:Arthur Alexander Band, The Glimmer Stars, Crow Follow, at The Burren 6:15pm show

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) Rich Mirsky is on A Crash Course for the Ravers on WMFO 1-4PM. FB page.

September 29, 2024 (Sunday) Supersuckers, Downhauls, TJ Welch and the Wasted and XEROFUX (That's Jesse Meyers and Andy Excuse's new band!!) at Sammy’s Patio - Revere Beach - Facebook page

October 25, 2024 (Friday) Moving Targets, The Long Wait, Spiller - Middle East Up - Facebook page

October 26, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb, The Cocktail Slippers, Stupidity, Muck & The Mires at The Bayside Bowl, Portland, ME FB page

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your anything else you've got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.