BOOK REVIEWS
Reviews by Jaime Pina
My Punk Rock Life
★
Marla Watson
Marla Watson was heavily involved in the early days of LA Punk and Post Punk. She was a co-owner of Black Cat Records located above the infamous Hollywood Book & Poster when it was at its best location on Las Palmas right up from the corner of Hollywood Boulevard. The record store hosted a great signing with The Dickies when they were promoting the Killer Klowns From Outer Space ep. She also contributed her photos of local and touring bands to many local ‘zines and built a reputation as someone who was for real.
Her new book collects photos she took at various gigs in LA and a few while travelling. Most are in glorious black and white and there are a few in color. She shares some insights about some of the gigs and the subjects. One of the most interesting is her reflections on John Macias of Circle One. There are also remembrances from various people she shot ranging from Mike McGrann of CH3 to Goth mainstay William Faith. The book also has a section dedicated to shots of fans at the gigs and crazy action in the slam pit. And a true book about early LA Punk Rock would not be complete without shots of the LAPD harassing the fuck out of gig attendees. The photos include many riveting shots including The Misfits in East LA, posed shots of Dave Vanian from The Damned, the Mommy’s Little Monster era Social Distortion and many, many more.
I asked Marla about her photography and what it was like to shoot photos at gigs as the punk rock tide was changing.
Punk Globe: How did you react when the LA Punk scene changed from the first wave to hardcore?
Marla Watson: As a female, I fled the punk scene when it was no longer inclusive for women. The violence was too much for me. In my book I have a review I wrote of The Vandals at the Olympic Auditorium in 1984. From my writing I could tell this was just about the end for me. The smell was off the rose as they say. As the scene grew bigger and more popular it attracted young men not for the music, the politics or the spirit of punk, but as an excuse to go crazy and beat the shit out of people. My camera was broken a few times and I was physically injured. I transitioned into psychobilly (The Cramps, Gun Club, The Meteors, King Kurt, Guana Batz, etc.) which I already loved and also more independent rock like The Southern Death Cult, the Smiths and The Jesus and Mary Chain just to name a few. I really loved the UK bands of that era.
Punk Globe: While going through the negatives you had amassed over the years were there any shots you had forgotten about or were surprised to find?
Marla Watson: Yes, I did find memorable negatives! There is a picture in my book of Glenn Danzig getting his nuts grabbed by some girl at the Misfits show in LA, 1982. I just never really looked at it before and when I found it, especially in the context of Me Too, I was floored. The look on his face is priceless. I found a bunch of Descendents photos I didn’t know I had and some really great Circle Jerks photos. After 40 years your memory starts to slip and it is hard to remember the gigs, let alone every single band I ever shot! It was fun scanning all those photos. It was like a giant Rubbermaid container time machine. I also found a few unprocessed rolls of film. One was of The Chemical People, who you might be familiar with and this little known band The Dickies playing the Coconut Teazer in 1988. The other one was of Minor Threat at the Valencia Tool and Die in San Francisco from 1983. The later were colored photos which had really faded. I spent a lot of time trying to restore them. I think they came out pretty cool.
Some New Kind Of Kick
★
Kid Congo Powers with Chris Campion
Not many guitar players get to experience the life that was bestowed upon Kid Congo Powers. The musical spirits truly smiled upon him. There are lots of musicians who have talent. Many young people come to LA and attend Musicians’ Institute with high hopes and many are super talented but end up in a regular job and leaving their dreams behind. But it takes a real talent to be in the right place at the right time and be the player with the personality and talent people want. Kid Congo was that guy in at least three instances.
Growing up in Southern California he found himself, as a young gay man, attracted to the glam rock scene in his teens and later became a fixture on the burgeoning punk scene. He met a real character who had a lot more on the ball than your average punker named Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Jeffrey decided to appoint Kid as his guitar player in a yet unformed band even though Kid had never played or even owned a guitar. That band became The Gun Club. He was later asked to join The Cramps and shortly after his run with them ended he started playing with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. And like many musicians, he developed some bad habits.
Kid Congo tells his story and it involves a lot of things. Growing up Latino in Southern California, he got to see lots of cool bands in El Monte as a kid like Thee Midnighters and Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention and as a teen he hitchhiked to Hollywood to go to the legendary Rodney’s English Disco. It was being seen at Rodney’s in homemade platform shoes that laid the groundwork for him to gain entrance as a VIP in the LA punk scene before he even picked up a guitar. Punk historians and fans of the bands Kid played in will find this book to be essential but it also works as gay lit. Kid had the rare experience, especially as a Latino, of having understanding parents. There is a great bit about Kid’s mom telling him in her own way that she knows and it was ok. The writing is free and easy and sometimes poetic. There are some great photos. Congratulations Kid, you’ve done it again!