Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Just another night at Hurrah

Feb 1st, 1979
Went to Hurrah to see the Only Ones and the Invaders. The Only Ones were pretty boring. Nigel, Frank, & Clem were there from Blondie and I think they all acted kind of snotty to me. They don't appreciate what a good fan I am. Johnny Thunders was there. It was so great to see him but he was kind of f'd up, as always. Eileen Polk was there and we made arrangements to get together on Saturday. I am going to go over to her house and we are going to work on the Blessed Fan Club and start to plan for this big upcoming show at the Mudd Club. Howie Pyro was also at Hurrah with some guy from the Misfits. Howie was really nice that night.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Interview with Howie Pyro

For my on Howie Pyro, please visit his myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/papaoooomowmow

ME: How did the Blessed start and were you a founding member?

HOWIE: I WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER...WE WERE ALL STREET KIDS ATTRACTED TO PUNK ROCK & FLOATING IN & OUT OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE...WE WERE 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE AT THAT TIME (JOHNNY THINDERS, RICHARD HELL, DEAD BOYS, ETC.) & WE FOUND EACH OTHER...MOSTLY AT BLEEKER BOB'S DESPERATELY SPENDING OUR ALLOWANCE OR BEGGING MONEY ON RECORDS)

ME: How old were you?

HOWIE: I WAS 16 WHEN WE ALL MET

ME: How old were you when you played your first show and where was it?

HOWIE: IT WAS XMAS 1977 AT MAX'S, I WAS 17.

ME: When did you first know you wanted to be in a band? Why Punk Rock?

HOWIE: I WANTED TO BE IN A BAND SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID STARING AT RECORDS ON THE LITTLE RECORD PLAYER MY OLDER SISTER HAD...THEN GOING CRAZY FOR ALICE COOPER, STOOGES, VELVETS, ETC & READING CREEM & ROCK SCENE (ESPECIALLY) MADE ME FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCAL GOINGS ON & WHEN I WOULD GO TO A CONCERT AT THE PALLADIUM ON 14TH STREET WITH FRIENDS WE WOULD WALK UP THE STREET & PEEK INTO MAX'S KANSAS CITY'S WINDOW & I WOULD DREAM OF THE DAY I WOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT WINDOW...PUNK ROCK & MY ENTHUSIASM BROUGHT ME TO THE OTHER SIDE...THIS WAS BEFORE THE BLESSED A BIT...LATE '76 PROBABLY..

ME: How did you get into the Punk Rock scene and what was the first band that you saw?

HOWIE: I GOT INTO IT BY READING THE ABOVE MAGAZINES...AS IT WAS UNFOLDING...I THINK THE FIRST SHOW I SAW WAS BLONDIE & SUICIDE (AND I THINK THE CRAMPS WERE THE FIRST BAND ON...MAYBE THEIR SECOND SHOW?) THEN I SAW THE DAMNED & THE DEAD BOYS AT CBGB'S...I HAD SEEN THE DEAD BOYS SHORTLY BEFORE THAT WHEN THEY STILL HAD LONG HAIR...

ME: Who were your major influences in your music?

HOWIE: WHATEVER WAS HAPPENING RIGHT THEN...SEX PISTOLS, DAMNED, CRAMPS, HEARTBREAKERS, THE FAST, I WAS ALSO FRIENDS WITH LYDIA LUNCH & ALL THE NO WAVE PEOPLE & THAT HAD A GREAT EFFECT ON ME PERSONALLY. WE GOT GROUPED IN WITH THEM EARLY ON BECAUSE WE MADE SUCH AN INFERNAL RACKET! THE CRAMPS DID TOO!

ME: How did it feel the first time you were on the stage?

HOWIE: PURE ORGASM OBLIVION.

ME: How long did the Blessed last?

HOWIE: UNTIL THAT LAST GILDERSLEEVES SHOW, WHICH WAS A REUNION OF SORTS...SEE BILLY'S INTERVIEW...

ME: Why did the Blessed break up?

HOWIE: WE WERE INSANE, VERY YOUNG, & UNPREPARED...I GOT EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN HANGING OUT WITH JOHNNY THUNDERS & THAT CROWD & HEAVY DRUGS...WE WEREN'T OLD ENOUGH TO EVEN GO IN THE PLACES WE WERE PLAYING & SOME OF US (ME & NICK) WERE HOMELESS & LIVING A VERY HARD LIFE...

ME: Since you were so young, what did you think of the fact that you had fans?

HOWIE: I THINK WE WERE FANS FIRST & FOREMOST...THAT WAS VERY SURREAL...I DIDN'T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY AS IT WAS A SMALL SCENE & FANS QUICKLY BECAME FRIENDS, YA KNOW?

ME: Where was your favorite show that you played at?

HOWIE: MAYBE THE PUBERTY BALL AT THE MUDD CLUB...THAT WAS INSANE...

ME: Who was the first really famous person that you met? Were you at all impressed that you were so young?

HOWIE: WELL...ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE CLUBS IN BANDS WERE FAMOUS TO ME...I HAD BEEN READING ABOUT THEN & LOOKING AT PICTURES OF THEM FOR A FEW YEARS ALREADY...NY DOLLS I GUESS (DAVID & SYL)...I MET THEM IN 1974 AT A BEATLES/ROCK & ROLL CONVENTION...

ME: What was it like for you in high school? Did the kids in your class know that you played in a band at night?

HOWIE: IT WAS HELL CUZ I LIVED IN QUEENS & THERE WASN'T EVEN A CONSCIOUS WORD LIKE PUNK ROCKER THERE YET SO PEOPLE WOULD THROW ROCKS SOMETIMES! IT WAS ROUGH...I WOUND UP IN A PROGRAM (BEFORE PUNK) WHERE YOU WORKED ONE WEEK & WENT TO SCHOOL ONE WEEK. THE HEAD OF THE PROGRAM AT MY SCHOOL WAS SUPER HIP & HUNG OUT WITH PATTI SMITH & WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER...THE IDEA WAS TO LEARN WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE...I HAD A JOB ON WALL STREET & WOULD GO TO THE EAST VILLAGE AFTER WORK...THIS WAS IN 1976,,,I JUST FOUND THE PLACES I WANTED TO BE...WHEN PUNK HAPPENED I WAS RIGHT THERE & THE STORE MANIC PANIC OPENED & I WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET & BEFRIENDED THEM & WAS THEIR FIRST EMPLOYEE...I WENT TO MY FIRST SHOWS & WAS IN A PLACE I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF...I WAS ACCEPTED BY THESE PEOPLE I ADMIRED SO MUCH. I FINALLY GOT TO GO INTO MAX'S KANSAS CITY & THE FEELING WAS INSANE! I HAD NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED IN MY LIFE...IT WAS LIKE WALKING INTO HEAVEN. MY TEACHER KNEW I WAS THE ONLY STUDENT THAT HAD A CLUE OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO & I WAS DOING IT...ONCE I ENTERED THAT WORLD, THOUGH, I COULD NEVER GO BACK...I LEFT HOME FOR THE MOST PART & LEFT SCHOOL & BECAME A VERY HAPPY STREET RAT...THE FEW KIDS I SPOKE TO CAME DOWN TO HANG OUT...BRAD WAS FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN QUEENS...THAT'S HOW HE BECAME OUR DRUMMER...

ME: Do you stay in contact with any of the original members?

HOWIE: ON & OFF OVER THE YEARS THROUGH LOTSA DRAMA THAT IS GONE NOW THAT WERE ALL SLIGHTLY SANE.

ME: What are you most memorable experiences that you would want to share from the Blessed days?

HOWIE: JUST THE AMAZING KNOWLEDGE THAT RIGHT NOW HISTORY WAS BEING MADE & WE WERE ALL MAKING IT...IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL & BIZARRE TIME...THERE WERE TIMES LIKE THAT IN MANY DECADES PREVIOUS, BUT THAT WAS REALLY THE LAST DECADE OF PURE CHANGE...TEENAGE POWER...MUSIC TO DIE FOR, LITERALLY.


XOXO JLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Every Picture Tells a Story....

Jan 31st, 1979
First we went to visit Howie at his store. It was so good to see him again because I had not been in to visit Howie in so long. Or at least it seemed like a long time. Then we all went over the Eileen Polk's house to see my Blessed movies and her Blessed slides. Billy came over and this girl Michelle was there who wants to be an actress. I think they said she was Sid's new girlfriend. Eileen took photos of us. I had on my home made Blessed T Shirt where I had taped the Blessed name on a black T Shirt and then spray painted around it in white. When I took off the tape - you saw the Blessed imprint. I thought is came out pretty good although the paint made the shirt alittle stiff. Howie was playing with this big Kiss promo thing in the photos. I had so much fun there. I got stuff from the Blondie Fan Club today in the mail. It is such a joke. I should be running that fan club. Whoever is running it, is doing it like complete crap.

So who is in these photos: That is me on the right looking up at Howie & Billy. On the left, Michelle is the girl in the front and JoVan is the girl in the back. JoVan is the one who first told me all about the Blessed and is certainly part of this diary. She was an original Dead Girl. And no need to tell you that Howie Pyro & Billy Stark are in the middle.



XOXO JLP

Monday, October 20, 2008

Back to CBGB's...

Jan 28th, 1979
We went to CBGB's to see Music Industry Casualties with Cheetah Chrome. This is the first ime I have been to CB's in so long. Unfortunately, one of the people that came with us was so F'd up that we had to leave after the first set. But I did not care since CBGB's was so dead anyway. Cheetah Chrome's band was really good though and I really liked the keyboard player. I loved the way that he moved while he played. I found out the Richard Hell & the Voidoids finally recorded another single and they will be putting out an album soon. But they won't be back until the end of February and I am going to miss seeing them so much.

I have changed my list of Top 10 people for now and I am putting Nigel Harrison on and knocking off Mick Jones. But my list is just changed for now. I do seem to change so easily with how I feel about rock people. They are just so much for fascinating than ordinary people. I can't wait to see Nigel on the stage again & Thomas Trask also. They are two of my favorite guitar players on stage but I can't wait to see Howie Pyro again either. He is still of course on my list.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Friday, October 17, 2008

The Most Devoted Blondie Fan...

Jan 27th, 1979
What a wild night. I don't even know where to begin. I went to see Johnny Thunders again at Max's. Thank God he was not so f'd up. I filmed him during the first set. Too bad my camera does not have any sound but at least I can see him moving. They cleared out Max's in between the first and second set so I went downstairs to hand out in a booth. So as I was leaving I saw Tommy Trask in a booth in the back. So I was pushing these people to leave & I didn't even realize who I was pushing & then I saw it was Clem Burke from Blondie. I felt so dumb so I went & told Howie how dumb I felt and he said not to worry because the night before Clem said he liked me and & I was such a huge Blondie fan.

So then I went back in for the second set of Johnny Thunders and was just hanging in the back. Tommy Trask walked by & he was really nice. Then Franke Infante walked by and said hi. And the Nigel Harrison, my new absolute favorite, walked by and he gave me a big hug & kissed me. So later on we talked through almost the entire set of Johnny Thunders. He told me so much Blondie dirt that it was wild. He was so nice and whenever he told me something he put his arm around me and held me real close. The best part about it was that it looked like we were really good friends. I could not believe how nice Nigel was. They are supposed to be playing in Feb & I can't wait. I think that if I didn't get tickets, I would get in for free. I bet they all think that I'm the most devoted or one of the most devoted Blondie fans.

XOXO JLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Stolen Letter

Jan 26th, 1979
We went to see Johnny Thunders at Max's. What can I say except he is practically dying. He was in such sad shape. He was beyond F'up up and was stumbling so bad around the stage. You could just tell from the look in his eyes. He screwed up alot of the songs but it was still great to see him.

One good thing is that Nigel, Frank, & Clem were there from Blondie. I got to talk to them all and they were really nice. I was so surprised that when Clem said to me "I was so surprised to see you in Phili". I didn't even think he knew who I was. I guess if all of them knew that I was in Phili, then Debby Harry did also. Howie Pyro & Billy Stark were there also & I got to talk to both of them also. Eileen was pretty nice also.

One bad thing that happened was that I wrote Joon this 10 page letter & I think that someone stole it. That is enough to make me never go into NYC again. I had some intense stuff in that letter but I don't think anything too incriminating. Besides, my letter begins really boring so maybe who every stole it will just get bored & throw it away. Johnny Thunders is playing again tomorrow night so I think we will probably go again.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginal

Thursday, October 9, 2008

More Guitar Pics............

Jan 25th, 1979
Went to see the David Johansen Band at Creation. It was a pretty nice club in New Jersey. They were really good but I am really not a very good judge of that since all I did was watch Tommy Trask. I got 5 guitar pics from him while he was playing. I am getting a really good collection of them. I didn't like the crowd that much as there were way too many groupies. They finally changed their set. They don't do "Its a Heartache" anymore which was really pretty boring but instead they are doing "Let's Hang On". Tommy Trask's pants were really tight which made him even better looking. Certainly makes going to see them more fun. I can not wait to see Johnny Thunders playing tomorrow night at Max's.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Sunday, October 5, 2008

The Blessed Fan Club.....

Jan 24th, 1979
I spoke with Eileen Polk, the Blessed Manager on the phone. I can't decide if I like her or not. The only thing I really don't like is how she wants us to show her everything before we do it for the Blessed Fan Club. If she wants to do the Blessed Fan Clib, then she should have started it from the beginning. I also spoke with Kim from NY. She was really nice surprisingly. I really like her and Jody also. Jody is really sweet. I am going to see the David Johansen Band tomorrow night. Can't wait. Hope I get more guitar pics from Tommy Trask.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Worst Day of My Life............

Jan 21st, 1979
What can I saw about the worst day of my life. I went to see Blondie at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. They opened up for this horrible band called Rush that attracted a bunch of hippies. I went alone to the concert since no one else wanted to go. I wish I knew other Blondie fans that liked them as much as I did but I was not going to miss a Blondie show. It was raining out and my car broke down on the way to the concert. I was in the middle of no where but some man stopped and fixed it for me. They I had to wait on line to get into the show with a million other hippies. The floor was not reserved and there were no seats so if you wanted to be a up front, you had to be online early. So when I finally got in & I made it up front but right behind a bunch of guys who were so disqusting. You think they would have let me in front of them just for Blondie playing but they would not give up their spot against the stage. Anyway - it was so awful. People were booing Blondie and throwing things at them. People were hitting me so would stop dancing. I finally left during the show since I could not take it anymore. So I waited at the Hilton for 2 1/2 hours and then found out that Blondie wasn't staying there. Usually all the bands stay at the Hilton right next to the Spectrum but I guess that they decided to stay somewhere else. What a sick day. I never felt so suicidal in my life. I felt very numb in body & mind. Someone could have really physically hurt me and I don't think I would have felt it.

XOXOJLP
www.cafepress.com/jlporiginals