[kj] 1000 SUNS Outside Gate and PHANTASMAGORIA

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

Greg,

I believe you. And since I burnt -- uh, I mean BOUGHT -- a copy of 
_American Hardcore_, I'll have to go back and watch it with the 
commentary ON. But I have to stick by the Misfits being an essential 
part of the American hardcore movement this movie delves into.

So, if the documentary makers if they can give air time to folks like 
Nig Heist (!) and Flipper -- who, okay, I guess were hardcore, sure -- 
and interview folks like the dudes in Superjoint Ritual as well as Flea 
(who they intro as a member of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fear, the 
latter of which is true but how is he there more for movie star power or 
what), they'd in the best of allw orlds be able to devote time the 
Misfits. I mean--

These are just the smallest smattering of shows between 1980 and 1983:

 -- Misfits w/ Poison Idea & 7 Seconds & Septic Death (!):
http://www.punkbands.com/lyrics/images/flyers/misfits.gif

-- Misfits w/ Negative Approach and The Meatmen:
http://www.nestorindetroit.com/Flyers-brian/misfits-freezer.jpg

--Misfits w/ FU's and Boston's DYS:
http://www.onethirtyeight.com/images/flyers/fccc_crimsonghost.jpg

--Misfits w/ Necros:
http://www.stardoom.com/punk_flyers/see_artwork/misfits_pushead.gif

And there's a pic in Bannd in DC, the book, of The Misfits letting DC hc 
band Govt Issue use their equipment.

Etc. The 'Fits had their own DIY "fiend club," which was either a PO Box 
or Glenn Anzalone aka Glenn Danzig's mom's house's address in Lodi, NJ. 
They started their own label, Plan 9 Records, also in the DIY spirit. 
(Actually, Glenn did that and still uses it.) They used Minor Threat's 
Lyle Preslar briefly as a guitarist near the end when they were 
transitioning into Samhain, used Black Fag drummer Robo and even Rollins 
as a guest vocalist on their _Evilive_LP; did covers of Black Flag's 
"Rise Above" live  -- & the impact they had on bands w/ their imagery, 
artwork, stage presence, etc., is hard to over-estimate. I'm just saying 
no really comprehensive American HC documentary can ignore all that. But 
again it's not like _American Hardcore_ sucked -- I was really stoked 
and grateful they got in some footage of Houston's almost-forgotten, yet 
very excellent, old hardcore band Really Red, too. Those guys were 
great. And the attention paid to Bad Brains and MDC was very cool.

We could nitpick the thing all day. Government Issue were also absent 
from the documentary, along with GG Allin. My main point was just that 
The Misfits and DKs seemed like a towering absence, regardless of the 
reasoning behind it, sound or unsound. And I'll be getting to that 
commentary on the movie soon, per your recommendation! :)


-Oliver




GREG SLAWSON wrote:

>

> Check out the commentary--better than the deleted scenes. I like the 

> more melodic hardcore (although I've never heard much Misfits nor knew 

> anyone really into them)--the movie seemed to focus mostly on the 

> really independent, underground bands (except for BB and BF), 

> including many that I never thought worth playing (at home or on my 

> radio show), such as Necros, DRI, Die Kreutzen, etc. I've always had 

> the belief that there was a lot of bad hardcore out there--esp. bands 

> that just wanted to play fast and didn't write songs. I wish all 

> hardcore songs were as good as: Pay to Cum, Police Story, In A Free 

> Land (Husker Du single), Which Way to Go (Big Boys), etc...Another 

> overlooked band: THE DESCENDENTS!

>