Lou Molinaro

SAM LAWRENCE 5 - R.I.P.

Howdy gang...

Hope this entry finds all of you well.

In early 2001, I met 3 guys at the defunkt Raven (a very cool bar that helped launch the current indie music scene). We were all at a Vapids show, and I was introduced to these punks, the Sam Lawrence 5. I recognized the band from seeing them perform at the Legendary Corktown (prior to September 2006) as well as playing at Polo's in Hess Village. I liked them, and they reminded me of a trashier version of the Clash. Quite honestly, I did not pay much attention to their lyrics, but I would later find out that this trio were actually Hamilton history classes a la Punk Rock.

We introduced ourselves officially, and I remember Glen The Hamilton Kid thinking that I was Ray Farrugia from Junkhouse! - Mind you, it could have been much worse. ( I LOVE RAY!)

We spoke about their band and they told me that they were interested in being part of my Rock N Roll label called DOUBLE HELL. We spoke about getting together and meeting for beers at a later date. After a plethora of beers, and great chats, this trio became good friends of mine.

We released their first record, DEATH THROES FROM THE RUST BELT, and I immediately felt that these guys had a distinctive magic. Aside from the fact that they married old Punk with Shockabilly, they were well read individuals who became colourful characters.

Sam Lawrence 5 was Glen The Hamilton Kid, Rob The Champ, and Diky LLibakcor.

During their tenure, they also hosted STEEL CITY ROCKERS. It was an annual tribute to Joe Strummer (Glen's hero). The SL5 would invite a multitude of local acts who would pick Clash and Strummer songs to perform on Good Friday. Donations would normally go to a children's organization. For the past few years, underpriviledged schools would reap the benefits in support of their music programs.

As the SL5 became better acquainted with the local music community, our beloved local musicians had the chance to better understand this trio, as well as getting to know the political and social stands in which they supported proudly. Glen The Hamilton Kid would attend municipal meetings, as well as contacting our local politicians in support of Hamilton's rich history. Glen and the boys took it upon themselves to voice their concerns about demolishing downtown buildings, and they also made it their responsibility to endorse Hamilton as a true, proud World Class City.

If you ever get the chance to visit the home of Mr. and Mrs Hamilton Kid, you will notice antiques which were once made in Hamilton. 2 Studebakers, a collection of bottles, and framed treasures decorate their wonderful home.

During the support of DEATH THROES, Glen mentioned to me that he had enough songs to put out another record. It took a few years before their 2nd release was released, but the timing made even more interesting.

Their 2nd release, THIS CITY IS A FIST (also released on Double Hell) was a continuation of their debut, however the circumstances involving this release will forever be historical. Here are the facts.....

Before the old Corktown ended its reigns on Hamilton Punk Rock, Glen asked me about hosting his CD release party at the Cork. I hosted the previous release, and I was looking forward to hosting this one too. During the changeover period of the Corktown, Glen was not too impressed to what was happening to his favourite Hamilton bar. I tried to assure him that there would still be some level of musical excitement that we both loved because I was still booking talent at the bar. Glen's inner instinct took over and it presented an ill feeling. As much as I was trying to encourage Glen that the Cork still could be his favourite bar, he felt that the changes swept all the musical magic away. That old lady had 3 decades plus of thrilling musical excitment.

Once the "new" Corktown opened its doors, both Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Kid came in during the open house night. Feeling uncomfortable about the new digs, he voiced his concerns about having his Cd release party hosted at the new Corktown. He told me that it was nothing personal, but he did not feel any vibe from the newer somewhat sterile environment. Knowing how proud the SL5 are, I felt like I personally owed something to the lads to assure them that the Corktown would NEVER let go of its Rock N Roll past. So, I invited the Viletones to be on their CD release party. I knew that the trio were Viletones fans, and I also felt like I owed one of my closest friends some comfort.

A week before their CD release, Chris Houston and I were asked by the Hamilton Spectator to pose for a picture in support of the "new" Corktown. Luckily, Glen The Hamilton Kid gave me a promo SL5 T Shirt a few weeks before his Cd release show. I felt that if I wore this T-Shirt for the pic, it would tell the readers where I stood musically, and ethically. One thing that the SL5 taught me over and over again was that Pride takes priority, and then game facing comes 2nd.

Once the picture was published, newer Corktown heads were a little confused as to why I was wearing a T-Shirt from the SL5. Infact, a meeting occured to talk about the SL5 show. 7 hours before the show, there were talks about cancelling the show. Some of the brass were a little concerned about their high energy, and they were not too sure about the word "Punk". Both Houston and I finally convinced them to go ahead with the show.

Once this meeting was over, I personally felt a struggle. I knew that going forward, I would have to justify and validate my bookings for their comfort. It seems like a reasonable business practice, but it could also deflate the drive to create musical brilliance.

The Sam Lawrence 5's THIS CITY IS A FIST record represents a change in my life. It reminds me of looking at myself as a person, promoter, and business person. I was faced with the challenges of having to compromise the hard work that I put towards solidifying Hamilton Rock N Roll, as well as compromising my relationships with plenty of great local musicians. All this was going to be compromised so I can book shows and not have fun? C'mon, pay me a million dollars and I will swallow 5% pride. 2 million gets you 12%. Although, promoters do not get paid well enough to hack out friends and art. So, I tood my stand.

Luckily, I had a band like the Sam Lawrence 5 who always gave me a light at the end of the tunnel. I think about Glen and the boys, and how hard they worked and achieving their solid reputation, as well as giving hard to this fine city.

Close to a month ago, Glen mentioned to me in privacy that he was thinking of calling it quits with the band. He had mentioned his reasons, and I felt personally sad to think that there would no longer be Sam Lawrence 5 shows. I honestly tried to convince him to reconsider his decision, but it appeared that he made his choice.

This band was together for close to 7 years. They excited old punks and new. They told intelligent stories with a hard fast driving sound. They are members of Hamilton's rich Punk Rock history.

I have a lot of great memories of the SL5, and now that the band is gone, these memories will shine greater.

So long to a great Hamilton Punk Rock Institution.

Glen, Rob and Rob....THANK YOU!

Sincerely

Lou Molinaro

PETER CASE

 

 

Hey Hamilton...

 

Been quite busy as of late, so I did not have the chance to post anything about Singer/Songwriter, Peter Case.

 

Peter was in Hamilton on Sunday July 8th.  He performed at Club Absinthe, and he gave the crowd an amazing show.  I have had the opportunity to speak with Peter on a few occasions, and I was delighted to find out that he has been a fan of Canadian Music since his teen years.  In the late 60's, Peter and his sister visited Toronto often to see concerts.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he was coming out here to see bands like Perth County Conspiracy. 

 

Peter is originally from Buffalo, so the trek up to Toronto was painless, especially the border crossings.  In the mid 70's, Peter moved to California and remained there till the present. 

 

So, as Peter was digging acts like Perth County Conspiracy, then I would imagine that he was also into other Canadian acts as well.  You bet he was!  He expressed to me with great excitement that he LOVES Teenage Head.  Peter used to play the first Teenage Head record on a cassette in the car while the Plimsouls (Peter's proto-type power pop band) were touring.  In fact, a few years earlier, Peter was introduced to acts like The Diodes, as well as other current punk acts while he was in a seminal LA band called The Nerves. 

 

So, once we started name dropping, I also found out that Peter Case is a big fan of Willie P. Bennett's as well as Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and Tom Wilson. 

 

On his last visit into Hamilton (Oct 2006), Peter was introduced to Dave Rave.  I asked Peter if he knew Dave Rave, and he told me that he heard a lot about Dave, but he had never seen him play live, nor have they ever met face to face.  Luckily for Peter, Dave Rave showed up to his October show.  It was an instant connection of talent.  Both Rave and Case name dropped like crazy, and they enjoyed chatting about gentlemen like Ralph Alfonzo from Bongo Beat records.  This particular Peter Case show on July 8th included Dave Rave on the bill, as well as Jean Caffeine.

 

After Peter's Absinthe show last week, a gang of us went to the Basha Lounge for some delicious post show goodies.  Their food is HIGHLY recommended!  Luckily for us, Basha is open till 4am in the morning.  So that gave us plenty of time to talk Rock, and hang out with Peter Case.  There were times where I felt that the situation was too surreal for me.  Dave Rave, Gary Pig Gold, Chris Houston, Bill Culp and yours truly were enjoying mango juices and falafels while hearing Peter share amazing stories from his career.  Stories that included the White House, Plimsouls shenanagans, and of course the who's hot and who's not chats.

 

I have been a fan of Peter's since the Plimsouls days.  I saw the Plimsouls open for the Tubes at Canada's Wonderland, and they were fuckin' hot!  I was active in buying the collection of Plimsouls releases, and then I discovered that he played in the Nerves (band shared the bill with the Diodes for the first ever show at Toronto's Legendary Crash N Burn - another ode to Ralph Alfonzo).  After the Plimsouls broke up, Peter took on a solo career, and became an instrumental singer/songwriter for the new wave of "folk music".  ALL of Peter's solo work depicts the strength of a naturally talented singer, musician and songwriter. 

 

Last year, a mind blowing Peter Case Tribute compilation validated Peter's work to any critic who was not sure of Mr. Case's efforts. This 3 CD set was packed with talent such as Joe Ely, Dave Alvin, Steve Wynn, Kevin Kinney, and John Prine.  The tribute is titled Case For Case on Hungry For Music record label.

 

In closing, it was once again an evening that provided many memories for a musical fan. 

 

"You can't put your arms around a memory"

 

Lou Molinaro

 

THE TAMING OF THE CHEETAH...

Howdy Folks...

Lou here..

Hope this email finds all of you well.

Some of you might find this blog entry to be somewhat of a "Dear Diary" submission. Some of you may take this as a page from the Rock N Roll bible. This is a letter from the Apostle Lou to the Rock N Roll Believers.....

I was lucky to spend a week with the one and only Cheetah Chrome. A lot of us are aware that Cheetah Chrome is the guitar player and an integral part of Rocket From The Tombs. Of course, we ALL know that Mr. Chrome was also the lead guitar player and principal songwriter for The Dead Boys. However, not many of you know Mr. Cheetah Chrome as a human being.

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, the music industry is a dismal paying enterprise. Like the rest of society, some get paid very well, and lots get paid poorly. Although, the chance to work with your idols can be worth a fraction of Conrad Black's legal fees.

Last week, The Screwed (Cleave Anderson, John Borra, Steve Koch and Steve Saint) and I spent a week with one of the legendary names in Punk Rock. I picked up Cheetah Chrome at his hotel in downtown Toronto on Tuesday, and we made our way to the Screwed rehearsal. During the drive, Cheetah shared great memories about T.O, and he was elated to hear that a lot of the 70's scenesters are still alive and well. He told Buckshot and I about the New Yorker, The Horseshoe, private parties, as well as meeting Thin Lizzy in Toronto. He admired a lot of the old buildings and history that Toronto does proudly exhibit.

Cheetah met the Screwed and it was instant compatibility. The rehearsal was fun and loose. Cheetah was blown away with the musical calibre of the Screwed, and by the time rehearsal was over, Cheetah knew that he had found his new band. "Well, I need a band, the Screwed need a 2nd guitar player, so this is perfect!" smiled Mr. Chrome.

Bands do not get much better than the Screwed. These guys are pros!

Rehearsal wrapped up and Cheetah thought that it might be a good idea to pop into the Bovine just to check it out, and make an appearance. Cheetah's Toronto show was booked at the Bovine Sex Club, and Mr. Chrome being the pro that he is, thought that it is good business practice to introduce yourself to the establishment and create some buzz. Some of the Screwed proudly joined him for a pint. So, while The Screwed and Cheetah were getting ready to have a seat, the band playing Tuesday @ The Bovine played Sonic Reducer. The funny thing is that the young band playing did not know Cheetah from Milton Berle. After a pint, all the boys went to ZZZZZZZ land.

Wednesday Night - Cheetah Chrome live at the Bovine with Special guests, Get Ready To Rumble (Rob Sweeney's newest outfit - check them out, they are great!) The Screwed are pumped and so is Cheetah. Lucasta from the B-Girls says hello to Cheetah and both of them go down memory lane. The Dead Boys and The B-Girls were super tight in the 70's. Ian Mackay from the Diodes says hello, and personalities like Jasper from the Battered Wives, are in the audience. The set is a perfect marriage between Rocket From The Tombs music, Dead Boys classics, and some tasty covers from bands like the MC5 and Johnny Thunders.

The crowd were treated to an exciting set of Rock N Roll, and once the show is done, Mr. Chrome steps into the audience and says hello to his die hard fans. The evening is foreplay for the following 4 days. Next up, Hamilton's GRANT AVE. STUDIO

Its Thursday morning/afternoon - Buckshot and I are getting ready to pick up Cheetah. We meet him at the hotel, and we could tell that he is genuinely pumped about playing with the Screwed. "Man, can those boys sure play tight! I am looking forward to the next few days. I normally fly from the seat of my ass on these kind of trips, but The Screwed are a fuckin' great band" states Cheetah.

I speak to Cheetah about Richard Lloyd's visit into Canada, and we both agree that Richard is a one of a kind person. Cheetah has amazing respect for Richard, and he tells us about great moments that both have shared together. I mentioned to Cheetah that Richard Lloyd visited Grant Avenue Studio in May, and Cheetah reminds me that Richard is always correct, 99% of the time!

We pull into the parking lot, and we see Liz Worth sitting outside. Liz is currently writing a book about the 1970's Canadian Punk Rock Scene. I am thrilled that she is available to document Cheetah's visit at Grant Ave. Both Liz and I had a lot of head scratching during Richard's last visit. Mind you, we both had huge smiles on our faces as we spoke about Mr. Lloyd. Cheetah Chrome hears us, and adds "Yep, that's my buddy!".

The Grant Avenue Studio Show was a private party with 20 RSVPs. Gord Lewis of Teenage Head, Dave Elley of The Orphans, KiKi Lorraina of the Lorrainas, Chris Houston, Buckshot Bebee, Sammy The Squid, Candy Rotten, plus some of Hamilton's elite media and fans were all in attendance. The show was recorded and videotaped. Paul Riemens patiently directed and recorded an evening with Cheetah Chrome. We will talk more about this recording later on this summer.

So, the Thursday night show recording is a winner, and we all agree that this nucleus is as brilliant as it gets. Eyelids shut, and the weekend starts at Club Absinthe on Friday night.

Club Absinthe is a very relaxed, extremely comfortable venue, where musicians do not feel rushed or pressured. The staff is always accomodating, and the artists know that! Cheetah loved the layout of the venue, and he was ready to rock, Punk Rock Style. Trash Gallery, and The Orphans warmed up the evening. Cheetah was told about how important Hamilton is to Canadian Rock N Roll. We chatted about Teenage Head, The Forgotten Rebels, Simply Saucer etc....

The band hits the stage, and Cheetah is disappointed that the crowd is laid back, and restfull. He screams into the mic " Get your asses up here, I'm Cheetah Chrome and this is the Screwed!" Unfortunately, the crowd preferred to sit comfortably instead of sniffing around the front. Midway during the set, Cheetah says to the crowd: "If you want to treat us like a fuckin' bar band, then we'll act like a fuckin' bar band. We are taking a break". As my jaw drops to the ground, I admire his attitude. It is not very often that Cheetah Chrome pops into our neighbourhood and plays a show. He is the feature attraction. Looking back now, I think a lot of this was my fault for bragging about Hamilton!!!!!! In any event, Cheetah & The Screwed finish their 2nd set, and leave a great impression on the crowd.

As we drive back to the hotel, Cheetah mentions to me that he was stunned at how relaxed the crowd was. Buckshot pipes in with a very good point and says; " Hamilton has so many great things going on all the time. Perhaps we are a spoiled city". Buckshot's words closed the chapter on that topic and once again Richard Lloyd's name comes up. "Did I ever tell you about Richard and I........" Another great story, and another slice to confirm Cheetah's loyal respect for Richard. I am a sponge for great Rock N Roll stories!!

Cheetah looks a little tired, but he knows that Saturday is going to be a busy day. Colin Brunton, the brain child behind THE LAST POGO, arranged to meet Cheetah and film him for his upcoming revisitation of THE LAST POGO. Colin was pumped about speaking with Cheetah, and he told me about the New Yorker show back in the 70's. Its a classic tale, and quite fitting for the Dead Boys! Unfortunately, I did not make it to the London show at Call The Office, but I am sure that Cheetah pleased his fan base.

Sunday afternoon hits, and its HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheetah comments on the heat comparing it to Nashville's weather. I think to myself, how could Nashville have anything but hot weather with Cheetah around? I meet Cheetah for a beer in Toronto, and then we are off to the airport. Thankfully, the busy traffic gives us time to reflect towards the week past, and we speak about the highlights.....The Screwed, Grant Avenue Studio, Liz Worth, Ric Taylor's VIEW Magazine article, Lucasta, fans, Richard Lloyd!, The Hamilton Kid, the fans.....

Cheetah steps into the airport, and at that time I looked at Cheetah as a friend. I was peaking so often during the week! There were times when I would look at Cheetah in the rear view mirror and think that it was just a surreal moment. However, life has a funny way of working. In 1978, I would have never thought that Cheetah and I would be hanging out for a week. Nor did I ever think that Cheetah and I could formulate a good friendship. Rock N Roll heaven and their rock gods work the magic that have been very kind to both Buckshot and I.

Perhaps Stiv is the miracle worker!

Ain't It Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lou Molinaro