Pranks, Punk and Industrial Culture from V. Vale

V. VALE RE/SEARCH BLOG 6-26-09 THE ZEROS at GILMAN STREET, plus NEGATIVE TREND and THE LEWD

Sometimes when a band comes to town, memories get activated so strongly that decades (in this case, three) seemingly get instantly erased. It’s magic when a band not only plays an entire set of what now appear to be the “classics” they must have always been – where every song seems simple, minimalist, perfect – but everyone still looks great. And now, the playing seems effortless and sometimes blazingly fast while barely looking at the guitar fretboard. Thirty-two years! A real band, the Zeros play fully in synch — instinctual choreography without prior rehearsal — very captivating yet not contrived — just people playing together in harmony and intuitively doing what’s “right.”

Gilman Street itself is a marvel of Punk Countercultural longevity. For the first time I noticed the facade — the tan corner building at 924 Gilman Street proclaims itself to be a “Caning Shop” – Chair Caning – Rush – Splint – Wicker – Repairs and Supplies – How-To Books – Basketry Classes.” What a perfect cover for a Punk Rock Club. Outside at 8:30pm three men had set up two BBQ grills and were serving both meatatarian and vegetarian burgers and hot dogs, prepared on separate grills with separate spatulas. Unbelievably, they were free, no strings attached. I had two vegetarian patties with catsup, served on a napkin (I’m avoiding anything made from grains). Amazing.

Craig Gray, Negative Trend guitarist, came up and and I mentioned how, back in ’77, he had been an amazing guitarist while still a teenager in the band Grand Mal, which I had briefly played bass in. He talked about how nowadays kids learn how to play guitar in “rock class.” You go to a rock ‘n’ roll school and in one room you hear Led Zeppelin, the next room the Beatles.” I said, “Well, maybe they can learn how to play much faster.” Craig said, “But, I’ve always been someone who stayed in my room and played guitar — I still do that. But I’ve gone out with women who were amazing piano players, playing very difficult classical music, but I ask them to play something THEY wrote and — they can’t. I’d much rather be able to play AND write songs … come up with tunes. Sometimes it seems that musicians who aren’t quite so good are the ones who can write the songs. Well, it seems better to be able to do BOTH.” I agreed, and indeed, find it difficult to understand why people who are so technically proficient just can’t write original songs. Weird…

Made it inside the dark club and Javier Escovedo came up (Zeros guitarist). I don’t think I’d seen him for thirty years, but he looked good. He said, “My younger brother Mario came up and he’s working our ‘merch’ table.” I said, “Alejandro (guitarist for the NUNS, 1977 S.F. Punk Band)  is your older brother, right? How much older is he?” “He said, “Oh, I think he’s six or seven years older.” I said, “Aren’t you related to Coke Escovedo?” “Yes, he and Pete (Escovedo) are my half brothers. Their sister is Sheila E; she’s worked with Prince and others.” I said, “All the Escovedos are musicians; that certainly must be genetic.” He said, “I did an interview with the L.A. Times yesterday, and told ‘em that my mother said she would be ashamed if everyone in the family WASN’T a musician.” Wow … that sounds like a better way to raise kids…

Ricky Williams, legendary Sleepers vocalist (one of the best rich male voices during Punk, anywhere) had a son Zach, and he got up and sang two songs with Negative Trend. Penelope Houston (Avengers vocalist) was there and she whispered, “It’s so weird seeing him sing — some of the facial expressions are just like Ricky’s — but Zach has long hair. Very strange.” I talked to Zach before the show and he said he was gonna try to sing more from the diaphragm … this saves your throat from being damaged.

Negative Trend has a new vocalist who is full of fire and passion, and tonight featured on drums Tony Sales Jr (the son of TONY SALES, who I had interviewed thirty years ago when he and his brother Hunt backed Iggy Pop on tour). Tony said he had lived thirteen years in Wisconsin on a farm, and had recently moved to Berkeley. In Wisconsin he had a Country Music band, and in Berkeley he’s also playing jazz (and hopefully will play more Negative Trend concerts). He certainly is an amazing drummer, just like his dad…

We also saw the last part of the set by the Lewd, and it was pile-driving, just like the band was thirty years ago.

The Zeros’ powerhouse set raced against time, with only a few seconds between each song. Great sound balance, vocals totally decipherable, Simply a great band, highly underrated, with world-class songs and stage presence — but nobody is “full of themselves.” A handful of people from the Seventies were in the audience, and some had brought their kids, including Baba Chenelle, who drove up from San Diego with his wife, 15-year-old daughter and younger son (?). We talked to an older Hispanic woman, dressed in stylish black, who said she had seen the band in the old days and liked them because she too is Hispanic — she thought of them as “the Mexican Ramones.” After tonight’s set of A-list songs, I’d have to agree that the Zeros deserve much wider, international appreciation. Maybe they’ll get it; it’s not too late… We drove home to San Francisco over the Bay Bridge with their beautiful songs reverberating in our memories… Time is a mystery, isn’t it? [The End]