Stay Fanatic!!! Vol. 1: Hectic Expectorations for the Music Obsessive

By Henry Rollins

Fanatic! Thank you for getting this book. I wanted to take this space to tell you about how it came to be. You might remember Fanatic! volumes 1-3, which were published between 2004 and 2007. I had a radio show at a station called Indie 103.1. I was there from 2004 to early 2009 when they signed off.

I made extensive notes for each show and annotated each song. I thought that they might be useful for people who were curious about music and they were really fun to write. The Fanatic! books were comprised of these notes.

When Indie closed its doors in 2009, I felt bad for the station and that all the people who had put so much into making it great were suddenly out of a job. Selfishly, I felt bad for myself as I really dug having a radio show. Playing music for people is something I’ve always liked. Having this as an actual job was incredible. Whenever I’d get a letter from someone who said they appreciated the show, it made my day. The idea that someone would take the time to check out the broadcast and actually liked it was the best thing. I started missing my radio show as soon as it was over.

A few days after Indie was history, I was rescued by Jason Bentley at 89.9 FM KCRW. He wrote and asked if I wanted a show at the station. Scarcely able to believe my good fortune, I replied immediately in the affirmative. By April of 2009, I was gainfully employed there and at the time of this writing, still am. I never know when I’ll be terminated but so far, Engineer X (my long standing sonic ally who I started with at Indie) and I seem to be in good standing with the bosses and haven’t been called into the office for a talk. I like being on KCRW. It’s where I learned how to do a radio show from the great Deirdre O’Donoghue, on her show SNAP, in the 1980s. Whenever I’m live at KCRW, I sit pretty much where I did when I was learning from her. You couldn’t imagine a better person to learn how to do a radio show from. If you have ever heard our show and liked it, the good parts are what I learned from Deirdre. I’ll tell you more about her some time.

Since I was back in harness, I wondered if I should keep up the writing like I had been doing at Indie. There was no way I wouldn’t do some kind of pre-show notes but I thought they should be different.

I found that I really liked writing about music, so I kept on typing up brief show notes, which I still do every week. However, I wanted to write about music beyond what I was doing for the radio show. I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I’ve been collecting records, flyers, set lists, clip- pings and other music related materials since the late 1970s. I wanted to be able to scan these pieces as images, imbed them on pages and write about them. I wanted to take the reader into a world of obsessive gathering and organizing. Otherwise, this stuff just sits in acid-free environments, for the most part, unseen. I also wanted to detail the record stores I go to all over the world, the epic searches I’ve embarked on to locate records and music related items, the shows I’ve been to, and so on. Basically a life of being a total music Fanatic.

So, how to do it? I tried to come up with ideas as to how to put all the enthusiasm I had for music and records into a format that would be fun for me to write and enjoyable for someone to read. Over a period of several months, I made many attempts but didn’t like the results. Yet, the desire to write about music Fanatically wouldn’t leave me alone! At some point in 2013, I was finally able to get some traction.

What I want to do, whenever possible, is to get in as deep as I can, to follow my obsession with records–different pressings, picture sleeves and a lot of the small facts that come with almost any release, write about it, show you images and provide way too much information. I’m in full Fanatic knowledge that I’m not reinventing the wheel here. This is a fanzine. Doesn’t mean it can’t be really cool.

Aro

• Language: English
• Publisher: 2.13.61
• Release date: Mar 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781880985991

Henry Rollins

Originally from Washington DC, Henry Rollins fronted the Los Angeles-based punk band Black Flag and is well-known for his hard-hitting writing, music, and acting.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

August 2013

Fanatic! Perhaps like you, I’m a Stooges fan. The Stooges are as Rock and Roll as any band that’s ever been.

The first time I was able to see the reunion-era Stooges was in 2006 at the Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand and Australia. I knew it would be great but I didn’t think it would as moving an experience as it turned out to be. I remember standing on stage left near Ron Asheton and Steve Mackay and it occurred to me that Iggy finally had a band he couldn’t overpower. I had seen him so many times where he just clobbered everyone on the stage but this time he was evenly matched. They were fantastic. The below is from my notes.

01-22-06 Surfer’s Paradise Australia: 2213 hrs. Back at the hotel. What a day. Life changing experience. Stooges. Iggy is the best. Iggy is the only. There’s nothing that comes close to him. What a show. One of the best I’ve ever seen. There’s nothing like hearing those songs with Scott Asheton on drums, Ron Asheton on guitar and Steve Mackay on sax. Mike Watt was amazing on bass. He locked in with Scott perfectly.

I’ve seen Iggy do a lot of these songs with his solo band. It’s nowhere near the same. It’s all about Scott Asheton’s left hand. That snare shot. It’s as solid as it gets. When they came out of Loose and went into Down On The Street, I actually wept.

Iggy is perfect the way a shark or a leopard is perfect. There’s nothing on him that isn’t functional. I’ve never seen anyone onstage so completely self-defined yet unable to be defined. He’s not in a zone. He is the zone. He doesn’t know any other way. As a witness, you have to find a way to deal with that. Every time I see him, he makes me think of every singer I’ve ever admired and how, with great exception, they are quite ordinary, mortal and by comparison, mere entertainment. Iggy’s playing his life up there. That’s not to say that Iggy’s the only great front man there’s ever been. Lux Interior and Nick Cave are completely compelling, but Iggy is the ultimate.

Tonight when Iggy sang the line from 1969, Last year I was 21 / I didn’t have a lot fun / Now I’m gonna be 22 / I say oh my and a boo-hoo, it didn’t occur to me that he wasn’t 21.

The first two Stooges albums are frightening. Lean, intimidating. Talk about getting it right. Talk about a reunion not being a letdown! I was so glad to see the Asheton brothers and Steve getting what they deserved up there. The place went nuts. Their music registers instinctually. You can’t do anything about it. The Stooges created a savage environment of possibility and consequence. Their impact is unavoidable. No one in that audience will ever forget what they saw tonight. It was the truth. That’s all. 2241 hrs.

The only Stooges shows I regret are the ones I didn’t see, so I made a point of trying to get to their shows whenever I could. When I found out they were going to play in South Korea, I contacted Henry McGroggan, Iggy’s manager, and asked if I could tag along with the band and see the show up close. I got the okay and started making travel arrangements. Fanatic, this is what it’s all about!

08-13-13 LAX: 2238 hrs. Fanatic! Fanatic is as Fanatic does. I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m a music maniac. Life without music isn’t at all interesting, or even possible. Since I was young, I’ve had music on the brain. There are much worse ways to go.

Several weeks ago, I learned that the Stooges were playing a show in Seoul, South Korea and it occurred to me that I had to be there. Get in an airplane and fly twelve hours to see one show?! The idea sounded so extreme, so Fanatic, I knew I had to do it. Now and then, a move like this is mandatory, in accordance with the brevity of life and living as regret free as possible.

A lot of our existence is spent going to work, working, going back to where you were before the work started and trying to enjoy your life before the work starts again. No matter what you do, there’s probably a fair amount of this in your life. There is for me. While some of it is inescapable, I’m always looking for something memorable to do with the time I’ve got left. That’s an extreme way to think about living, but that’s how it is for me.

I’ve been dying in Los Angeles. The sun rises, sets, and the night begins. I leave the house to write and think. Every day is the same. Comfortable. Predictable. I have to be careful not to become predictable myself. I fear it.

I got up early this morning, hit the gym and did a full day of office work. The jet lag from the last two European trips had me buzzed and unfocused for the second half of the day but I was able to stay awake.

Stooges live recordings have been around for years. Now that the band is playing again, new ones are starting to turn up. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been getting back into them.

I have a few days in Seoul before the show. I’ll spend as much time on the street as possible. I’ll get out of here and try to be alive again. 2256 hrs.

08-15-13 Seoul South Korea: 0711 hrs. Fanatic! In the breakfast room of the hotel. What a spread. Thankfully I have the iPod to mitigate the screaming child at my one o’clock. Whenever possible, have audio access at the ready to avoid compromise. The Joy Division Substance album is creating a perfect barrier between me and them. This album has been one of my early morning hotel breakfast room listens for years. It’s a collection of the band’s music from here and there, a smart compilation that ends up making a great JD mix tape.

I don’t know how many times I’ve played this album. When I’m living in hotels and up early, I sometimes listen to it every morning. When I’m out in the world and have the rare night off, I almost always listen to Raw Power. Another one of those albums I have no idea how many times I’ve played.

The flight was good. That is to say it was a non-event that passed quickly. I slept some but will top off and even out post-meal. It’s Thursday. It’s a big day off for me and another one tomorrow. As soon as I get my bearings, I’ll hit the street and find a place to get water. Staying hydrated is key for beating jet lag.

I was hoping the hotel would be more in the center of the city. From my view out the window, I seem to be in a business district. On my way back to the room, I’ll check out the gym. Looking forward to some unreasonably tough workouts while here.

2221 hrs. The heat and humidity are incredible. Within a couple of blocks of walking, I’m sweating. It’s great. I found a Starbucks to sit in. The sign said it was closing at 2300 hrs. but it actually closes at 2200 hrs. I bought a coffee to sit in the place and think/space out. Walking the streets here is an upgrade from being in LA. Fanatic, I’m not trying to imply that Los Angeles is bad. I just feel that by being in one place for too long, I’m not trying, that life is passing me by.

Hours ago, I was walking around. I found a supermarket where I bought some water, and I got that feeling that often arrives when I’m out in the world. It’s as close as I get to happiness. It’s a rare feeling but it sometimes hits me when I’m alone, on the streets, just walking around. I feel free. When I was walking through the heat, the sweat rolling down my sides, I knew I was right. I was right to come out here. Right to be on my own. Right to be a total Fanatic and music obsessive.

In the lobby of the hotel, I ran into the Stooges manager Henry, sax player Steve Mackay and bass player Mike Watt. I found out that the band has booked one more show for this year at the end of September in San Jose. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to that one but damn, I’d like to. I also found out the show time for the Stooges is at 1800 hrs. on Saturday for a 70 minute set.

Today was mostly a blurred burn out. I got up to the room post-breakfast, planning on falling out for a few but woke up several hours later. I must have needed it because I don’t remember anything about going back to the room or lying down. I got up, hit the streets, got the water and shortly afterwards went to the gym and did one of those strange jet lag workouts that are hard and bordering on miserable but I was determined to get through it. I’ve found that hydration and workouts shorten recovery time from jet lag. Time change doesn’t seem to affect some people but it knocks me over for at least two days.

I found a coffee place that’s open late and I’m here now, rockin’ tunes in my headphones. I’ve learned to have fun in the margins, in the cracks of existence. I have a big day off tomorrow and then show day. To be out of LA and all the way out here, unknown, alone, this is the way to go. It’s a relief. It’s not elaborate but for me, this is really living life. Just being here is like the greatest idea ever, like winning the lottery. Doing something eventful with time is a win.

Two perfect warm weather listens

I’m a loner and a Fanatic. Took me a long time to figure this out. I tried to be normal because I thought that’s what you were supposed to do. I really tried. So embarrassing and humiliating. I saw all the other people at my school and I wanted to be like them. They seemed happy and well adjusted, at least on the outside. That’s what I wanted. As I got older, I started to understand myself more and I saw that I was better off out here in the world. When I’m alone in a place like this, I don’t feel lonely. I feel like I’m exactly where I should be. If I’m not working, this is how I try to spend as much time as possible. I’m not exactly happy, but I’m not feeling as bad as I sometimes do. I don’t need to be with anyone, don’t want someone to travel with or talk to. This is all I need. The simplicity of it holds great appeal. I’ve found the right combination. Music, the note pad, coffee and being alone at night. Good to go. Doing this all over the world is as good as it gets. These two albums are perfect night soundtrack albums. I never leave the house without them.

Fanatic, I’m not trying to sound morose, I just think that if you’re not really careful, life can be too full of compromise. I’m fully aware that a certain amount comes with existence but being such an adaptable species, you can become so acclimated to a routine that it doesn’t register that your life is passing you by. I live at varying levels of desperation at all times. It keeps my blood thin and my mind hungry. This is what staying Fanatic is all about. Places here close too early! 2200 hrs.

08-16-13 Seoul South Korea: 0704 hrs. Fanatic! In the breakfast room. I could stay here for hours. Ate less than yesterday. Not as hungry. Perhaps exhaustion caused me to eat more. Today is a big day off. I always call it a big day off. To me, all days off are big. They come so seldom. I see a sick work out, coffee and music in my future.

I feel ageless and good in this environment. As much as I fight against it, my life can get very mundane. When I’m out in the world, I feel like I stand a chance. Between tours, I usually go back to Los Angeles but maybe I should start coming to places like this. Work hard on tour and then tune out for a week before returning to the office. Sometimes, I need a break from all of it. Too much interaction shorts out my circuit board. I get a lot of email, which often comes with requests to read someone’s work or check out their music and then get back to them with what I think about it. I like these people and do the best I can but I don’t think I’m qualified to do what’s being asked of me. Now and then, it’s great to have the opportunity to get some thinking done without all the extra noise. It’s not a situation of feeling sorry for myself thinking that the big bad world won’t leave me alone, nor is it resentment that someone wants to reach out. I think it’s great but sometimes, I want to shut it off for awhile.

I always get a kick out of seeing the Stooges sax player, Steve Mackay. He’s always very friendly to me. Whenever I meet up with him, I’m reminded of the fact that on the Fun House album, when Iggy yells, Come on, Steve! during the song Fun House, that’s Steve! He was there. That’s so cool, I can barely stand it, which brings me to a point, Fanatic—I like having things in my life that are legendary, that amaze me. Without awe, life is flatline. Is seeing someone who played on Fun House awe inspiring? Fanatic, need you ask?!

This is why I have so many records, multiple copies of some of them, posters, promotional materials, etc. I quite enjoy being a fan when the music a person or a group makes is great, it’s actually greater than the person or persons who made it. The musicians are ultimately just people. They’re late, they screw up, but they’re able to make something that’s better than they are. They create something that stays with you, that becomes part of your life. They make history. This is what never fails to amaze me. Music is better than people, yet people make music. The music is forever and in a way, so are the people who created it. The fact that you can be in the presence of someone who played on Fun House is immense to me, almost beyond belief. Whenever I see Iggy, I trip on the fact that he wrote I’m a street walkin’ cheetah with a heart full of napalm / I’m the runaway son of the nuclear A-Bomb. Are you kidding? That’s more than just a lyric—it’s a world, it’s a revolution of thought. It is greatness defined.

I would rather be amazed, awed and inspired than just be cool. It’s like when I watch Rock ‘n’ Roll High School or anything that has live Ramones footage, I always tear up. I hope that never changes. I’m glad to be a Fanatic. I’m glad I’m often powerless against my music obsessions. Obsession, which can be totally ruinous if it’s destructively directed, is ultimate human truth. It’s the brain registering exactly what it wants. It is when the ordinary person becomes extraordinary. It’s too bad when it’s something like gambling or drugs. For me, it’s music. Now and then, someone comes by the house and sees all the music related stuff and often, you can tell they’re slightly freaked out but to me, it’s optimum, or at least preferable, to not having all that stuff.

I get mad when not enough respect is being paid to the music or the people who made it. Perhaps I take all this too seriously but that’s a Fanatic for you. The other day, I found something on eBay that I had been after for years. A single piece of paper. A promotional calendar page for Wire’s Pink Flag album. It’s a great looking one-sheet with the cover of the album on top and a calendar page for the month of December 1977 on the bottom. I’ve seen one other in a collection in England many years ago and I have been after it ever since. Several people bid and it ended up costing quite a bit. Worth it. I really like that album and anything associated with it is relevant to me.

The seller sent it folded, instead of rolled. It was already folded but when you send it through the mail that way you only degrade the document. I wrote the guy and told him that in his whole life, he will never do anything as good as that album and he was just a hack vendor and he should learn to respect the past and the relevance of what he is selling. He sent my money back and went into a rant about the yankee dollar. I sent him the money back and told him that it wasn’t about the money, it was about the respect to the greatness of the time, the band and the album they made. A lot of this stuff is wasted on people. I’ve seen amazing things in collections being cared for in the worst ways. Sometimes, when I’m in a record store and see a great album that has a bunch of price reduction stickers on it, I buy it for the same reason someone gets a dog from a shelter. The record needs a good home, so it comes with me. It’s not a purchase, it’s a rescue.

At this point, my strangeness defines me and makes life worthwhile. I knew I was a freak at a very young age. At first, I didn’t understand why I couldn’t identify with my parents. Besides my mother liking music, I felt nothing in common with either of them. You’d figure there would be more there but there wasn’t. The music always worked though. The music was as good then as it is now. Actually, it’s better now. I have no desire to make music, I would rather just dig it. I would rather be a Fanatic than a casual anything. Go Fanatic or go home. I don’t have much interest in going home.

Almost the first thing that happens when I get back to the house is I get depressed, then angry, then depressed again and then I start planning a way to get out once more. I will stay furiously angry, easily bored, eternally restless, curious and uneasy for as long as I can. The more out into the territory I go, the better. Stay Fanatic!

Desert Music Fest 2010

Music, the pursuit and acquisition of it, has sent me all over the world. It brought me here to Seoul, South Korea to see the Stooges. This was an elective. There’s no reason I had to do this besides I just wanted to see the Stooges play and do something Fanatic to neutralize the flatline dullness of the last few weeks. There’s something empowering about coming up with an idea like this and then actually going out and doing it. Music is one of the ways I’ve actualized a lot of ideas. Those two trips I made to Mali a few years ago to see bands play in the Sahara Desert, that was totally Fanatic. Life is short and I’m impatient.

All the while I’m out here, back in Los Angeles, members of Black Flag are lawyering up and sadly, I’ve been dragged into their drama. Hard earned money going out to one lawyer with yet another still to be paid. I’m trying not to think about it too much.

The older I get, the more I prefer music to people. I don’t dislike them but honestly, I’d rather put a record on and breathe air that’s filled with music.

The hotel has a gym on the third floor. It’s a great facility. I was in there with a short sleeve t-shirt on and my long sleeve rolled up in my towel. Someone from the staff said that tattoos can’t be exposed. I put my long sleeve shirt on and the man left me alone. I noticed a guy on one of the treadmills with bandages over tattoos on his legs and left shoulder. At least they’re prepared.

Post-workout I was in my room in the shower when there’s a knock on the door. Someone is really hammering on it. I was walking towards the door when it opened. Nice man. Turn down service for your bed? I stood there naked, pointed out that the do not disturb light outside the door was on and that I wasn’t in need of turn down service. I also told him that I enjoyed our conversation. He thanked me and closed the door.

The hotel isn’t located near much to walk to but there’s a small neighborhood near the hotel that I’ve been wandering around in. The weather is intense, even at night it feels like it’s in the 90s. Walking around during the day is kind of a no go but when the sun starts to set, things get better.

Coming out here to see the Stooges was the right thing to do. It occurs to me that it’s right as anything I’ve ever done. The demands of life are, for the most part, what you demand of yourself. I have to do things like this. Seeing the Stooges is always a moving experience. For me, it’s more than a show. I don’t have the time to see any of their remaining shows for this year. I think there’s three after this one. Toronto, Colorado and San Jose. I don’t know if they have any shows booked for next year. Iggy is a restless man. I don’t know if he’ll be able to say no to festival offers if they come in.

Recently, Henry M, the band’s manager, asked if I would write the foreword to a book of photographs of Iggy taken by Esther Friedman, Iggy’s girlfriend for a few years in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember seeing some of her photos in the Iggy autobiography I Need More. I said I would try. Esther sent me a PDF file of the book and I must say, I’m blown away. It’s really good. It’s an amazing time capsule of not only Iggy but of Wall-era Berlin where they were living. These days, Berlin looks nothing like the pictures captured in the book. Just the shot of Iggy and Bowie getting on a train there is worth the price. I went through the photos several times and started writing. It took hours, but eventually I wrapped it up. I’ve written on behalf of Iggy a couple of times before and I always say yes to the opportunity but always approach it with a certain level of trepidation. Not looking to incur that particular batch of wrath for getting something wrong!

Before I sent the writing to Esther, I sent it to Henry M so he could check it out. He wrote me back pretty quickly and said he liked it and that he was in Berlin and standing next to Esther at that moment! He said it was good to go and I could send it to her. I did. She said she and her publisher were happy with it. Yesterday, when I ran into Henry M, he told me Iggy really liked it. Major relief! It’s an honor to be trusted with the task, complete it and get Iggy’s approval. I must say, before he signs off on work I’ve submitted, I’m always a bit nervous. Glad to be a Fanatic! 0928 hrs.

08-17-13 Seoul South Korea: 2112 hrs. Fanatic! At a coffee place, listening to Family Underground’s Candle Fingers album. Have you ever heard of this band? Fanatic, you need to need to check them out.

I think I got turned on to them by way of Engineer X who loaned me some records by Jackie O Motherfucker, who put out records on U-Sound Archive, which is owned by Jackie O member Tom Greenwood. I was checking out other releases on the label and came across Family Undergound’s Nightflight To Venuses CD. I got it and have been a fan ever since. If you’re into Drone and Noise music, this band and the solo releases of Family Underground member Sonic Sara are great.

The Stooges show at the Jamsil Sports Complex was a couple of hours ago. The band and the man definitely felt the weather this evening. Iggy seemed to use the first song, Raw Power, to acclimate and then settled in. The rhythm section was working hard tonight! I kept thinking Thrilla In Manila all through the show. The heat and humidity were intense. Thankfully, the sun wasn’t out but it was still a sauna out there.

Iggy out in the audience, Seoul

The band played really well. They were solid like at the show in Long Beach weeks ago. All the festival dates they’ve been doing have paid off. Even though the weather was tough, they laid into all the songs hard.

Due to the rules of engagement at the venue, Iggy wasn’t allowed to bring anyone onstage, so he went to them. It was great to see stage manager Jos Grain run all over the place, giving and taking mic line. At times, it looked like he was flying a kite and at other times it looked like he was reeling in a marlin. The best part about watching Jos run after Iggy is that it’s obvious he’s been doing this for years. He always has a determined, zero drama, this-is-just-another-night-at-the-office look on his face which always makes me laugh.

Iggy’s voice doesn’t seem to fail. I have some live recordings of him from the 70s and 80s where now and then you hear a faint rasp but it’s really nothing. These days, he has total control and it’s not like he’s taking it easy, he lays into it really hard and it doesn’t seem to be a problem. After he gets off stage, he sounds like he had never even done the show. He pushed it really hard during Fun House and I Wanna Be Your Dog. Steve Mackay is playing through almost all the songs now, it sounds so cool. He’s even playing on Raw Power! The band played The Passenger tonight, so into it! I haven’t seen them do that since the Off Festival in Katowice, Poland 08-04-12.

Stooges onstage, South Korea

The audience was intense. During Raw Power, they were just kind of getting their heads around what they were seeing but by the second song, Gimme Danger, the Stooges had ‘em. It’s amazing to watch an audience encounter Iggy. They just go nuts. At one point, Iggy did that wave-your-hands-over-your-head-from-side-to-side thing and the whole crowd did it in almost perfect unison.

It was a fast 72 minutes. After the encore of Penetration, the band left stage except for Iggy, who stood out there for a little while waving to the audience, who were cheering wildly. I wonder what he thinks about in that moment. I’ve seen him do this before, where he just checks out the audience like a wild animal. After several seconds of this, he exited and almost immediately, the stage was besieged by a large group of men changing over for the next act. Who was it? Who cares?! This was the set list.

01.  Raw Power

02.  Gimme Danger

03.  Gun

04.  1970

05.  Search And Destroy

06.  Fun House

07.  Night Theme

08.  Beyond The Law

09.  Ready To Die

10.  I Wanna Be Your Dog

11.  No Fun

12.  The Passenger

13.  I Got A Right

14.  Cock In My Pocket

15.  Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell

16.  Louie Louie

17.  Penetration

Stooges post-show

Back in the dressing room, the band minus Iggy decompressed and talked about the show. Larry the drummer and Mike Watt recounted how hard it was to get through the set. They were both pretty wiped out. James and Steve seemed to be in better shape. Iggy came in after awhile and hung out. I asked him if he was feeling the weather up there. He laughed and asked if I was kidding. I said that it looked like he was figuring out his breathing and what was going to be required during Raw Power and then he was off to the races. He said that was the case. The heat and humidity must have been considerable, especially with such a full on song selection as they had tonight. The band’s front of house soundman, Max, came in and said the PA was good, if not slightly quiet and judged the set to be in the top ten of all their shows. Someone remarked that he’s said that about twenty times this year. Iggy recommended a book he’s been reading called The Skies Belong To Us by Brendan Koerner. It’s a history of airplane hijackings. Sounds pretty intense. The things he said about what he learned from the book seemed really interesting. Iggy reads a lot, which I always thought was cool.

Several minutes later, I’m in a crew van with some of the band members, heading to the hotel. I got back to my room at 2030 hrs. Strange to have the whole thing be over so early. Still time to walk around.

So now, it’s all behind me. Worth it? Absolutely. Good to be a Fanatic and good to beat up on time a little. This is using time with a vengeance. There are whole days, none of them will I ever get back, that were totally wasted. I hate to think how many days like that I’ve had in my life. In my line of work, there’s often a lot of waiting and then a sudden compression of time, monster minutes, roaring hours and then the flat stillness. Whatever it is inside me, the pain or the anger or fear, compels me to go so far and wide, as if I can dilute the pain by mixing it with thousands of miles. If I sit still for too long, the concentration of rage builds up and all I can think about is being back out here. It’s like I can’t breathe when I’m off the road. It’s like living in a bag.

Keep walking the streets of the world alone. Music on. Fanatic. Restless. Curious. I’m sitting in a coffee place, Saturday night in Seoul. That’s so cool to me. It’s a victory over mediocrity. It’s so great, it makes me wonder how I was able to figure out such a great way to spend time. Small slivers of freedom. Life where the camera lens isn’t pointed. Life where the garbage rolls by like gray tumbleweeds in an urban desert, lit by neon signs and traffic lights. Alone in cities all over the world. My secret happiness. No one recognizes me. I walk invisibly amongst the species. I wish this night would last forever or that I could live forever in it. It’s all I need. In these dark hours, I command time and live life, it’s not living me. Fanatic. 2236 hrs.

08-18-13 Santa Monica CA: 1910 hrs. Fanatic! I’m at the radio station for the Sunday night graveyard shift. That’s right Fanatic, last night I was in South Korea and tonight I’m at KCRW. Worst night for radio. I’ve been kicked to the curb so hard at this place! I used to be on Saturday nights but earlier this year one of my bosses called me and said that I was being moved to Sunday nights. I asked what I had done wrong. The boss said that they wanted to bring up the Sunday night numbers. I’m not trying to call anyone a liar, Fanatic, but I find that hard to believe. At this point, it’s funny. I was mad about it weeks ago, now I’m resolved to being on a dustbin shift. Even one of my other bosses, in a conversation days ago, admitted that the shift sucks but put me there anyway. I’m going to have to figure out a way to make this work or I’ll have to quit. I don’t want to, but I don’t want to be mad when I’m putting the show together.

I landed a few hours ago. Memories of the last couple of days are foggy. I got up early in Seoul. Went to the breakfast room. Damn, I’ll miss that place. Some of the Stooges road crew were there. I wished them safe flights back. One of them asked me if I was showing up at any of the other shows and it felt like a punch to the solar plexus because I probably won’t be. Ugh.

After breakfast, I went back to the room and fell out for a couple of hours. I had a 1215 hrs. lobby call for the ride with Mike Watt to the airport.

Watt and I were both in the lobby early. The car was ready, so we hit the road. It was good to hang out with Mike. We know a lot of the same stuff, have done a lot of miles together, so the conversations are good. Mike was taking a different airline, so he bailed out and I went further down the building. I checked in and then sat near the gate until the flight. I was too dazed to write or do anything constructive.

Eventually I boarded and found myself in seat #55H. It’s a long flight. I slept some and watched films. On the other end, the line at immigration was very long and slow moving. A lot of people ahead of me had paperwork. It took about half an hour to get up to a desk. This is the second time in a row that I’ve been asked to show more than my passport for identification. I don’t understand why a passport is no longer enough.

Finally, I was out of the airport, into a taxi and back to the base. Food, laundry, final show prep, thirty minutes knocked out and off to the station I went. I had to keep reminding myself that it was Sunday and that tomorrow, everything starts. Here are the show notes and the tracks we played.

RADIO BROADCAST #229

08–18–13

Fanatic! Currently fighting jet lag in Seoul, South Korea. The weather is nuts. At night, it cools down to a mellow 90-something. During the day, forget it. I haven’t been here for a few years and it’s good to be back. Food great, people friendly.

Stooges are on tomorrow evening. I’ll see the band play, come back to the hotel, get some sleep and then it’s back to LA a few hours before show time.

I’m extremely happy with our show. We have some great, different and all over the place listening lined up for you. The Bootsy live track we’re starting with is going to snap your thong. What a band he had. The track is absolutely crushing.

I thought we should listen to some Glaxo Babies seeing that Steve at Superior Viaduct is reissuing Put Me On The Guest List later this year. I don’t think the Glaxos ever had a release in America.

If you look through the tracks, you’ll see some familiar folks but also some new names. I’ve been wanting to lay some Augusto Klamm stuff on you for months. It was a cassette only release that came out of Belgium a long time ago. I downloaded it from the now sadly gone Mutant Sounds site. I think the guy did the recording with his voice and a telephone answering machine. He makes it sound so easy!

If your weekend allows, please join us on the main deck at 2000 hrs. PST for two hours of great music and searing repartee. The Big Three will all be there. Summer’s almost over, await the cool and STAY FANATIC!!!

– Henry

Hour 1

01.  Bootsy’s Rubber Band - Bootzilla / Live In Louisville 1978

02.  Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced (mono) / Are You Experienced

03.  Rites Of Spring - Deeper Than Inside / Rites Of Spring

04.  UK Subs - Too Tired / Diminished Responsibility

05.  Glaxo Babies - Who Killed Bruce Lee / Dreams Interrupted

06.  Ashtray Navigations - Bubba O’Meiser / Spray

07.  Pumice - World With Worms / Quo

08.  Fats Waller - You Must Be Losing Your Mind / Best Of

09.  Minutemen - Tension / The Punch Line

10.  The Pyramids - Aomawa - Pyramids / Music Of Idris Ackamoor 1971-04

11.  Aerosmith - Sick As A Dog / Rocks

12.  The Saints - Know Your Product / Know Your Product

13.  Lemon Kittens - Boom Burner / I Wanna Punk Rock

Hour 2

01.  Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf / Live At Last

02.  Devo - Are You Experienced? / Shout

03.  Black Pus - The Dexilhellipers / Black Pus 2

04.  Hamza El Din - Greeting Card (Abdin) / Al Oud-Instrumental & Vocal

05.  Kit - Golden / Invocation

06.  Augusto Klamm - Thriller / Poisonous Fragrances

07.  Cabaret Voltaire - Landslide / Red Mecca

08.  Los Dug Dug’s - Sometimes / Los Dug Dug’s

09.  The Moving Sidewalks - Crimson Witch / Flash

10.  The Mad - I Hate Music / We Love Noize

11.  Laurie Anderson - White Lily / The Ugly One With The Jewels

12.  Sun Ra - Music From The World Tomorrow / Angels & Demons At Play

13.  Procedure Club - Artificial Light / Doomed Forever

14.  Shin Joong Hyun - I’ve Got Nothing To Say / Beautiful Rivers And Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound Of South Korea’s Shin Joong Hyun 1958-1974

15.  Death - Freakin Out / …For The World To See

16.  Fugazi - Bed For The Scraping / Red Medicine

17.  MFSB - TSOP / Some disco comp.

I would have dug a few more days in Seoul. That was a good trip. Worth all the long sits, lines, etc. Being Fanatic is to push back against the crushing mediocrity that real life has in such great abundance. Now and then, I have to get out of it.

Definitely back in the world now. Sunday nights at KCRW. How many months have we been in this tepid slot? It feels like years. The show has changed in ways I didn’t see coming, maybe even improved. I’m so uninterested in doing a radio show on Sunday nights. It’s completely lacking in fun. For weeks, I was going in and out of wanting to stay with it. This disenchantment has sharpened my focus. Since I’m having much less fun, I’m taking a more academic approach to putting the show together and gathering more information to lay on the listeners. Since it’s no longer a Saturday night show, it will be something else. At this point, and this is perhaps the biggest upside, I’m only doing it for the audience. They used to be about 98% of the deal. I figured I would take the 2% for having fun and saying ridiculous things to keep it from taking itself too seriously. It’s pretty much all for the Fanatics now. Past that hopefully they really like it, there’s nothing in it for me besides hanging out with Engineer X and Young Will Bentley. Those two and the Fanatics are what’s keeping me from bolting. 1936 hrs.

08-21-13 LA CA: 1945 hrs. Fanatic! Ugh. Still coming down from the great trip and coming to grips with the reality that I’m back in Los Angeles and the week has started.

Fanatic Post Script Dept.: Total retox into the Iggy/Stooges catalog to even out. Last few days have been boring. Thankfully, there’s music. Have been doing some carbohydrate listening. Aside from the aforementioned, there have been deep dives into Damned, UK Subs and Buzzcocks. Music I know, that always hits the spot. But there’s been a lot of protein listening as well. Vlubä, Uton, Spykes, Ty Segall, Fuzz, Running, H&H Slaughter, to name a few. There are a few bands I’ll be putting back on the shelf at the end of this month until spring. Rites Of Spring, Embrace to name just two. For me, this is warm weather listening and even though it will be hot in Los Angeles for weeks to come, August 31 is the last day to play these bands.

I have a few days left of August to start transitioning into fall weather listening. Speaking of fall, I am waiting on that new box set of The Fall on Beggars Banquet to come in. A whole disc devoted to Hit The North, all the different parts in order. I’m hoping that shows up before next weekend. Also, in October, the Road To Red box set of King Crimson. Twenty-four CDs of live Red-era Crimson, alt mixes, etc. Damn. If I could get on a plane tonight and bail out of here, I would. Fanatic to the core.

A few hundred words ago, you might have noticed I used the terms carbohydrate and protein to characterize the music I was listening to. Allow me to explain. Like you, Fanatic, I have a lot of favorite records. It would be too easy for me to play them over and over and never try to hear anything new. This is what I call carbohydrate listening. It’s music I like but does not require the concentrated listening that music I’m unfamiliar with does. I usually reserve carbohydrate listening for the weekends as a reward for the protein listening I’ve done all week, where I’m playing new music. At all times, I have a lot of records I’ve not heard yet. It’s easy enough to acquire them, quite another thing to get them played. I try to listen to five new records a day, even if it’s just five 7"s. I’m always looking to put a dent in the shelves and boxes of yet-to-be-played records. If I’ve pushed myself during the week and forged into enough new music, I’ll pull out some of my seasonal favorites and put them on. I started doing this a few years ago when I noticed new records were coming in at a faster rate than I could listen to them. Records were made to be played, so I’m trying my best to hear a lot.

Fanatic Supplement Dept.

I was asked to write a column for Songwriter Magazine. Here it is.

Column For Songwriter Magazine 08-30-13

Recently, I watched a brief interview with Iggy Pop from the early 1980s that I found online. He was talking about his soon to be released autobiography I Need More. He said something that really stuck with me. He postulated that Rock and Roll is a solution to tragedy and that bands were desperately trying to solve the tragedy in their lives by making music.

I Need More two-sided promo sheet

It occurred to me that this was probably the only reason I ever wrote any song. I was trying to make myself feel better. I was trying to alleviate pain. For me, it’s always been the Blues.

I always wrote from and for myself. I would never assume to know anyone else’s life. I figured it was the only way I could be honest. Any lyric I wrote that would potentially be put to music would eventually find itself on the stage. What I had written, no matter what anyone else thought of it, would ultimately have to hold so much truth for me that I would be willing to fight for it, which sometimes was the case.

My first several years as a touring and recording musician found me more often than not, in environments less than desirable. Working conditions were often challenging and the audience could be depended on to be volatile and quite capable of showing their displeasure with the band’s repertoire. Frequently, these grievances were expressed vocally, which is fine, but often their protestations had a physical component. They always seemed to target the singer. I was the unfortunate recipient of punches, kicks, projectiles, lit cigars and cigarettes, saliva, urine and the occasional utilized feminine napkin. The lyrics had to be strong.

I think whatever purpose someone writes a song for–expression, financial gain–is all fine. Song writing doesn’t need to have any rules. This is perhaps one of the reasons the form has endured and will continue to do so. No matter how corny a song can be, no matter how cringe worthy, it could very well be someone’s personal anthem.

The idea that a lyric had to have a purpose never meant anything to me. That puts some imagined burden on the songwriter, which can lead to a heightened sense of self-importance, something I have done my level best to avoid.

There was a lot of that in the Punk Rock. Lyrics were often held to a high degree of scrutiny for their political correctness and anti-establishment quotient, lest they be too happy or shiny. In a genre that was supposed to be so do-what-you-want, the thought police were telling you how it was supposed to be.

Many years ago, I was in a band called Black Flag. The two principal song writers, Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski, were hugely influential and inspirational to me. They wrote some excellent songs. Dukowski with his Orwellian/Huxleyesque apocalyptic future world outlook and Greg Ginn’s fiercely personal and naked expression gave me quite a bit to consider and draw from. They compelled me to put it all out there without fear of consequence.

I have recorded and released many songs over the years. I have written far more lyrics than I have ever recorded. For one album I made in 1996, I wrote damn near one hundred sets of lyrics. It became quite an obsessive form of writing for me. The worse I felt about things, the more I would write. I haven’t looked at any of them since the recording sessions concluded. I tend to move on and start from scratch. This practice of overwriting stayed with me until I stopped writing songs.

In 2001, suddenly, I no longer thought lyrically. It was as if I had never written a song in my life. It was like a switch had been thrown and it was no longer something I did.

In 2003, I did a tour that featured old songs. The single purpose of this tour was to raise money for a group of young men called the West Memphis Three, who were languishing in Arkansas prisons for murders they did not commit. We went from Arizona to Japan and raised substantial funds for them.

In 2006, at the behest of the guitarist from a previous line-up, I went out with my bandmates of nearly a decade before for a brief tour. We played