Fanatics! Henry Rollins' KCRW Show Saturday Night: Kaoru Abe, Acid King, Pontiak
KCRW BROADCAST #111 for Saturday, April 23.
Timothy Norris
Fanatics! It is Friday, early afternoon and I am just now getting a chance to write these brief notes up for you. One of these days I'm going to get some sleep.
Just back from Ann Arbor, Michigan where we had a major blast at the Stooges show at the Michigan Theater where the band played last Tuesday night.
Last week was a blur leading up to a blurrier blur. Record Store Day get down at Amoeba, from there to the show and then up a few hours later to get to Detroit. Heidi "The Demon" May came with me to film the whole thing as we are doing a multi-part documentary on my 50th year.
We get to the hotel and already it's practice time. We had time to get a quick meal and then haul ass to the rehearsal place. We walk in and the Stooges are playing. I see them play a song and then Iggy sees me and says that it's time for me to start singing. I didn't even get my sweatshirt off. I walk onto the stage, meet James Williamson as I am grabbing the mic. Iggy is staring at me, so I guess it's time to get it started. We went into "I Got A Right," which I was to sing with them at the show. It sounded good. Not bad for walking out of a taxi and onto a stage with the Stooges.
Three days of rehearsal and a lot of chances to watch the Stooges play. Jim Jarmusch and crew were there to film the whole thing. Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman was there to do some of the Stooges songs that Williamson wasn't going to do.
The show was one for the books. I get out onstage to talk to the audience about Ron Asheton, the departed Stooges guitarist and see the Melvins sitting a few rows from the front. I get through that and then the band hits stage, do the song and then I get out of the way and the band goes into "Raw Power," and Iggy comes roaring out there as he does. I think it may have been the best I have ever seen Iggy. He was inspired. Perhaps he was doing it for Ron. Whatever it was, he was killing it out there. The band delivered big time. Seeing James Williamson and Deniz Tek in one night? OVERLOAD!!!
Post show, we all retreated back to the hotel for some food. Iggy was presented with a birthday cake and we all sang happy birthday to him. Sixty-three.
We all hit the road the next day. The Demon and I got back here on Wednesday night and went back into the work grind that I find myself deep in at this moment. LA Weekly article for next week all turned in and approved. Now, I am sitting here, listening down to all the tracks on this mighty fine radio show that is all ready to go.
You have heard me say this before, but I think we have a great one! This one is all over the place. Some new visitors to our show. Kaoru Abe was a Japanese sax player who died very young. I got turned onto his music by looking up information on a different Japanese artist. It's heavy stuff, might not be everyone's thing but I really like his work and have been checking him out here at the office for weeks now. Pontiak gets some play, that's a cool band. Also, some Acid King, I don't know why we have not jammed that band before, it's such an obvious choice for us. I have been sitting on this one for awhile, sorry about that. The new Terakaft album is really nice, we have a track from that.
We had to play some Radio Birdman to salute Deniz Tek. It's been a long time since we listened to Pentagram and I figure we should end the night on a jammin' note, considering how much bouncing I put you through with everything else.
All in all, it's going to be a great night. The Double B will be back with us live, so we will have him to pick on. I am sharpening the stick now. As the man says, lose sleep, stay away from bed and STAY FANATIC!!! --Henry
Henry can be reached at: Henryontheradio@gmail.com
Read on for Rollins' list of tracks:
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