Punk Rock Thailand

Back in the last decade I received an email from Willem Dafoe mentioning his having read Legs McNeil's punk opus PLEASE KILL ME.

"Just finished kind of fun- kind of junky- no pun intended PLEASE KILL ME- An Uncensored History of Punk. All interview excerpts-a lot of bragging about drugs and who fucks who. Some people and places I knew- most I didn't."

I reported to my old friend that I was always surprised by the number of Sid Vicious tee-shirts worn by young Thai kids and that they actually know Sid was the Sex Pistols' bass player, who killed his girlfriend.

"Bhang-tee."

Maybe, right?

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

Punk rock is one of few phrases in Thai that is the same in English, then again.

Thailand has the right combination of negative aspects to instill a small segment of the youth with the feeling of 'no future'.

Punk 101 BOWLING FOR DOLLARS, COBC's ULTIMATE PUNK LOVE SONG and Nicole Theriault's MAI CHAI MAI CHAI are more natural heirs to the Ramones than Big Ass who were originally pop rock fame and fortune seekers like ex-Mouseketeer Avril Lavigne.

My delinquent niece said of Avril, "She's a poseur."

I threw her CD into the trash.

I love punk rock, having spent 1976-78 at CBGBs and Max's Kansas City. Of the nearly 3000 bands the best show was by the Whorelords.

A one-night wonder with Bobby Steele on guitar who wrote the following; "My first experience at CBGB's was a Patti Smith concert, probably late 1976/early 1977, but it was my second time there, to see The Ramones and Cramps, when I began to meet new friends - like Deb O'Naire, who went on to greatness with the Fuzztones, and Bobby Ebs, who went on to... well, we don't like to talk about those things."

"It was also the night that I first met the members of the Cramps, who, onstage, bore the most intimidating personas I'd ever seen; but offstage turned out to be the nicest people. On my third or fourth time there, for the DICKIES/B52s, I met Xcessive and we ended getting booted out of CBGBs for smoking weed in the Ladies Room by Karen Krystal. Once we were outside, Hilly came out, told us to lay low for awhile and then we could sneak back in as long as Karen didn't see us. Hilly was cool.

My first 'gig' at CB's was when I was playing guitar in the Whorelords. Someone had stashed beers in one of the drum cases, and got caught, and our set was cancelled. We tried to argue, and plead to be allowed to play, but once the Hells Angels arrived - we knew it was time to leave.

Then, I joined The Misfits - a Max's Kansas City band - and I had a new home, at least for awhile, as I weathered my exile from CBGB's. Over time, I was exiled from almost every established NYC club that was worth going to, and that was it until I re-emerged with The Undead and, out of necessity, started a new scene a few blocks east of CBGB's in the no-man's land then known as Alphabet City. Once The Undead's name had been established, and while the booking people at CBGBs were still unaware of my new band, I had a friend put us into both of these clubs. I returned to CBGB's and played for my very first time - in November 1981. From then on my relationship with CBGB's...and especially Hilly, was solid.

I'd heard the constant rumors that Hilly ripped off bands, and all the other cliches of disgruntled bands, so I devised a method of keeping track at the door myself...either by handing the doorman 300 Undead pins to hand out to paying customers, and then counting how many were left at the end of the night; or by having a rotating "counter" watch the door, and click a button on the pocket counter. Each time, we were paid for more people than we counted; and the one time we played to a packed room and walked away with a mere $150, I returned the next day and confronted Hilly. He politely pulled out a book, showed me the numbers for the night, and a list of all the "comped guests" - musicians that always get in free. It was a huge list, but I could recall seeing each person the night before... There was no discrepancy, nor dishonesty, and I've defended Hilly on that count, religiously, ever since. This incident was what solidified a mutual relationship between Hilly and myself for the last 25 years.

To me, Hilly was that 'cool uncle' everyone wishes they had. He's owned the coolest dive in the world for how long? When I was hospitalized, he took the time to cross town and visit me. When someone he entrusted to handle the booking got nasty with me - and I stopped playing CBGB’s, Hilly finally asked me why, and I told him. He instructed me to meet him that very next Tuesday at CBGB's, and when I got there he made it clear that I was to get a Friday or Saturday headline slot. No other club owner would ever do that.

When I learned that CBGB's was being evicted - after being the catalyst that led to the improvement of the Lower East Side - I was no less than broken-hearted. When I sought out an apartment, I wanted it to be within walking distance of CBGB's. Now, with my 'home away from home' closing its doors for good - and seeing how the East Village has become Ethnically Cleansed by a lily-white, Liberal populace that would rather not have to look at such unsightly reminders of days past as CBGB's, Bowery bums, homeless - and any darker-skinned races - I can't be more pissed. For all CBGBs has done for NYC, the Lower East Side, the East Village - and for the world of rock and roll... none of the newcomers give a rat's ass. I'm sure that, by this time next year, a new club will have opened at 315 Bowery, and it'll be just one more snooty Jazz establishment, frequented by people who will insist that 'Republicans will eradicate all rock and roll music', as their Liberal Democrat friends continue to rape a once vital and ethnically diverse neighborhood.

Bobby Steele was thrown out of the Misfits and formed the Undead with my friend Patrick Blanck on drums.

Patrick died an early death.

Lots of punks followed the old line, "Live fast, die young."

I luckily survived through no fault of my own to tell about the Whorelords' legendary show at CBGBs with 15 year-old runaways as go-go dancers in torn dresses. Their lead singer attracted that type of crowd, unfortunately the band lead a Johnny Thundersesque existence.

Band History

Bobby Snotz formed this band in 1978 with Tarik Schapli. Because Tarik hadn't been playing guitar for long, Barry (and later Bobby Steele) joined the band as second guitarist. The Whorelords performed live several times while Bobby Steele was in the band; he left when he was asked to join The Misfits. Along with The Whorelords came a group of Whorettes (Charlotte Harlotte, Diedre, Carry Hamilton, and Rachel Rage) who did background vocals. Some members of The Whorelords went on to form Hell Sent, who opened for The Misfits in September 1979. A Whorelords reunion show took place that weekend when Bobby Snotz showed up and replaced Hell Sent's singer Kate K-Mart to perform a set of Whorelords songs. After spending a few years in jail, Snotz reformed the band in 1982. At some point during this time, they recorded a demo tape (with Pete Marshall on guitar) that has never been released. Bobby Snotz and Tarik also recorded as The Fiends on the New York Thrash compilation. Snotz was beaten to death in 1992.

Beaten to death?

Punk rock lives in Thailand and everywhere in the world.