Obituary - John 'Stabb' Schroeder

On Saturday 7 May 2016, John ‘Stabb’ Schroeder, best known as the vocalist with GOVERNMENT ISSUE, passed away at a Hospice center in Rockville, Maryland after a battle with stomach cancer. He was aged 54.

Born John Dukes Schroeder in Washington on 12 July 1961, he grew up in Rockville and graduated from Magruder High School in 1979. His first marriage, to Mika Ackerman, ended in divorce. On St Patrick’s Day 2016, he married his long-term partner Mina Devadas.

Stabb formed GOVERNMENT ISSUE in 1980 (originally called THE STAB) and remained the band’s only constant member.

GOVERNMENT ISSUE’s history is well documented elsewhere, but the band released six studio albums and a myriad of EPs, morphing from the DC Hardcore sound of the 1981 debut, ‘Legless Bull’ EP released on Dischord Records, through wider experimentation with psychedelic tones and slower rhythms, culminating with the final studio album, ‘Crash’ in 1988 and the ‘Strange Wine’ EP the following year when the band split.

Following GOVERNMENT ISSUE’s demise, Stabb continued to front several DC bands including STAIN, EMMA PEEL, WEATHERHEAD, BETTY BLUE, THE FACTORY INCIDENT and, up until shortly before his passing, HISTORY REPEATED.

Over the years, GOVERNMENT ISSUE played a series of reunion shows including 2007, 2010 and most recently in 2015.

Stabb was renowned for bucking the trend of Hardcore Punk fashion by growing out his hair, wearing all sorts of flamboyant, bright clothing and leisure suits. This is emphasized in the Going Underground book where he states: "I didn’t care if it was a purple velour women’s pants outfit with a vest with pleats for breasts; I’d wear it."

In recent years he had been working on his memoirs, entitled Hear The Scream which chronicles his troubled childhood, his time in GOVERNMENT ISSUE and recent life events.

Following a series of hospital visits at the end of January 2016, Stabb was diagnosed with malignant stomach cancer. At a HISTORY REPEATED show on 19 January 2016, he announced to the audience that he had appendicitis and would need to go to the ER after their set. After a misdiagnosis, he was rushed back to the hospital on 29 January, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove two tumors from his gastrointestinal tract. 

Stabb is survived by his wife, Mina and his two brothers and two sisters.

While GOVERNMENT ISSUE never released a duff record, the two that always have most affect on me are ‘Joy Ride’ from 1984 and more specifically, ‘You’ from 1987. Dr. Strange Records released the band’s entire catalogue (bar the ‘Legless Bull’ EP which can be found easily on Dischord’s ‘The Year In Seven Inches’ comp) on two twin-CD packages in 2000, which remain a great place for the curious to start. 

Unfortunately I never got to see the band live, although I was aware of them playing in the UK. In fact, the insert of the ‘You’ album included a photo taken on Brighton Beach.

 

Show Time!

Grant Hart

GRANT HART CONSPIRACY - BLACK SCIENCE - LOUD GHOST - King’s Arms, Auckland, New Zealand - 19 February 2016

I’ve always thought those discussions about the preference over Bob Mould or Grant Hart’s post-HUSKER DU work a little frustrating. I mean, both individuals output has been impressive. I loved SUGAR but I also loved NOVA MOB. With regard to the solo albums, both have released a body of work that has been equally stunning and occasionally bewildering.

With that taken into consideration, I kinda surprised myself with the realization that this is the first time I had seen GRANT HART post HUSKER DU, compared with at least a dozen MOULD experiences. Would old ‘Golden Tonsils’ Hart live up to his former colleague and sparing partner in a live situation? Without a doubt, he did.

The night got off to a shit start though - and that is through no fault of any band. I travelled up to the gig on the Intercity Bus Service. It was due to arrive in Auckland at 7pm. Doors opened at 8pm. First band on probably around 9pm. That’d give me two hours to get from the bus station, grab some food and get to the gig. However Intercity fucked up royally!!

The bus left an hour late and somehow, the driver (that’s a broad statement - he seemed to have his handbrake on the entire way and actually apologised for his lack of pace as he, "had to get used to the gears - they're all a bit different you know!") managed to add yet another hour on the drive. So, I arrived at 9pm and by the time I got to the gig only caught the last five minutes or so of LOUD GHOST.



Black Science

And that’s a shame as they seemed to be cranking out some seriously damaged sounds fusing something like the rock ‘n’ roll drenched sound of (early) GUN CLUB with the intensity of BIG BLACK. Given I only saw a fragment, that could be way off the mark but it was an impressive quagmire of noise for a few minutes.

Auckland’s own BLACK SCIENCE was up next and cranked the jams with some seriously fuzzed guitar lines, catchy songs and some disjointed, splintered beats. Big comparison has to be MUDHONEY with a bit of LEMONHEADS, SONIC YOUTH and MC5. No idea about song titles but the trio put on an enjoyable set, even if some of the guitar histrionics went a bit overboard at times.

Somewhere during the interval following the BLACK SCIENCE set, Grant Hart appeared at the left of the stage dressed in a brightly flowered shirt, wide braces, hobo jeans and stunning red shoes. Somehow, he looked cool as fuck too.

Grant Hart Conspiracy

His latest band, THE GRANT HART CONSPIRACY, is a four-piece consisting of what appears to be pretty seasoned musicians and, from the opening, ‘Back From Somewhere’, it was clear that Hart had amassed some solid players around him. It was also clear that this was gonna be a ‘Best Of Hart’ type set with the following songs being ‘2541’ and a spine-tinglingly magical ‘Diane’ - which proved he still has those Golden Tonsils albeit ones that broke occasionally.

From there, the set spanned HART’s entire career with particular highlights being ‘Pink Turns To Blue’, a set-stealing ‘You’re The Reflection Of The Moon On The Water’, ‘Now That You Know Me’ and a ringing version of ‘The Last Days Of Pompeii’. A number of songs from his recent album, ‘The Argument’, were featured too, with ‘Morningstar’ being particularly effective.

Grant Hart

It was good to hear he remains outspoken. One point toward the end of the set saw him state that we should, "remember to tip the bar staff." A rather bellicose member of the audience shouted, "FUCK OFF," - Grant then chastised him and it appeared the gig maybe over. On another occasion, he requested that cat owners ‘meow’, followed by dog owners ‘barking’. The analogy was that if ‘some musician’ from Minneapolis could get a crowd on the other side of the planet to make animal noises that easily, imagine what Donald Trump could do en masse. Yes, it was rather simplistic - but so are those that follow Trumpton.

Another notable point was that HART possessed the ability to stop the band a few bars into a song and with a matter of three words, lifted the song to another height. That usually indicates an egotistical rock star; here it showed someone who actually knew how these songs work best. I have say the guitarist was particularly good too - he could do the droning tone of HUSKER, add some subtle lead work that appeared simplistic but created added depth, and enhanced the songs with some understated backing vocals.

After 90 minutes or so, the band finished. The house music came on - only for HART to return and do another half-hour with just his magical voice and guitar. Highlights?? Have to say - every song performed this evening left me in awe but this solo set saw some jaw-droppingly magnificent takes on ‘Admiral Of The Sea’, a set-closing ‘The Main’ and ‘Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely’.

And then it was over. For the first time in many years, my ears were ringing viciously. That was compounded by the fact that the sound was the best I’ve ever heard at the Kings Arms. I had a very amicable chat with the man and his guitarist before walking back on a massive high, grinning like some kinda long-haired, Punk Rock clown.

So - did HART match MOULD live? Ohhh yes.... I probably have to say that this gig transcended Mould’s bluster and I sensed that with the set of songs performed here, I’d witnessed a genuine songwriting maverick - someone on par with Dylan even.

Yeah, that’s a massive statement but, three plus weeks since the gig, one I still believe.

NB: If anyone has a song-by-song set list, please let me know

Year-end Recommendations 2015

Another year has gone, never to be seen again. It’s lingering memory, at least for us music loving Punks, is in a batch of what could already be seen as classic records and some dizzyingly impressive live gigs.

Biggest ‘notable’ for me was a negative - missing RUTS DC on the band’s New Zealand tour. As it was due to matters beyond my control, I was gutted beyond belief. When I heard how good the gigs were, and saw the live footage, that gutted feeling became ten-fold. It doesn’t matter that I have been seeing bands for over thirty years; missing one that I really wanted to go to is still a major source of disappointment - depression even!

From my isolated locale though, I did manage to catch a few crackers. CJ RAMONE brought the string section from the ADOLESCENTS over and played a blinder. NZ’s own (and possibly best) PCP EAGLES supported and would’ve blown away any other headliner I reckon. DICKIES came over and played to unbelievably small crowds and were supported by NOWHERE - a stunning NZ band that could’ve turned in the best performance I caught this year. Then there was GORILLA BISCUITS - how odd that was seeing these old timers playing these Youth Core anthems. Still, they just about pulled it off I have to say - and another NZ band, Garage Punks WIZZ KIDS supported blowing away the other two Metalcore support acts.

It’s also been a notable year for a couple of beloved musicians who have passed away. Dickie Hammond, he of HDQ and LEATHERFACE fame was the first real shocker. I saw the man many times, especially with LEATHERFACE and a true guitar gargantuan he was. The second was a little-known fella named Lemmy - the very definition of what a rock ‘n’ roller should be. You might know him - he played in HAWKWIND and was the man behind a little skiffle band called MOTORHEAD. The band’s seminal live album, ‘No Sleep Til Hammersmith’ was among the very first albums I bought and it, along with ‘It’s Alive’ by another little skiffle band called THE RAMONES, will remain perfect examples of what a live album should be. You’ll both be missed, fellas.

So - my Top Sounds for 2015. Obviously loads I haven’t got to hear - including the new NIGHTBIRDS and LEFTOVER CRACK albums. So, here goes - the toppest tunes that have rung out from the House Of Scanner during the past 12 months:

ALBUMS

1. PARANOID VISIONS - Cryptic Crosswords {Overground}

2. POISON IDEA - Confuse And Conquer {Southern Lord}

3. D.O.A. - Hard Rain Falling {Sudden Death}

4. NO MORE ART - Sorrows Of Youth {Rockstar}

5. NOWHERE - Cancer {DIY}

6. JONNY MANAK AND THE DEPRESSIVES - Cold Pizza And Warm Beer {Self Destructo}

7. UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND - The People Are Home {Recess}

8. GOOD RIDDANCE - Peace In Our Time {Fat Wreck}

9. VIOLENT ARREST - Life Inside The Western Bloc {Boss Tuneage}

10. STEVE DREWETT - Ku Jenga Society {Cruel Binary}

Honorary Albums: THE BRISTLES - Last Days Of Capitalism {Heptown}, CASTRO - The River Need, SPOILERS - Stay Afloat, THIRTY SIX STRATEGIES - Strategy Three {Boss Tuneage}, FAT MIKE AND FRIENDS - Home Street Home, TOY GUITAR - In This Mess {Fat Wreck}, POINTED STICKS - Northern Electric {Sudden Death}, STARVING MILLIONS - III {Good Times}, SHEHEHE - Rock ‘n’ Roll Queen {Fall Break}, SCREECHING WEASEL - Baby Fat Act I {Recess}, STEAKKNIFE - One Eyed Bom {Rookie}, DARK AGES - Vapor {Sorry State}

SINGLES/ EPS

1. YOUNG CONSERVATIVES - The End Of Socialism {Obscene Baby Auction}

2. VANILLA POD - Swing Out The Sunrise {TNS Records}

3. THE BOMB - Axis Of Awesome {No Idea}

4. PARANOID VISIONS - Two Black Eyes {Overground}

5. CITIZEN FISH - Manmade {Bluurg}

6. NO PROBLEM - Kid Killer {Deranged} 
7. FLIES ON YOU - Fan-Based Repellent {DIY}

8. POISON IDEA/ ROVSVETT - Split {Just4Fun}

9. WORTHY VICTIMS - A Bitter Future {DIY}

10. DWARVES - Gentleman Blag {Fat Wreck}

Honorary Singles: JOYCE MANOR/ TOYS THAT KILL - Split {Recess}, PEARS - Letters To Memaw {Fat Wreck}

RE-ISSUES/ COMPILATIONS

1. INSTIGATORS - Phoenix {Boss Tuneage}

2. ATV - Viva La Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Complete Deptford Fun City Recordings {Cherry Red}

3. REALLY RED - Complete Collection 1979-1985 {Alternative Tentacles}

4. DWARVES - Are Younger And Even Better Looking {Recess}

5. DOCTOR BISON - The Bloated Vegas Years/ Dewhursts: The Musical {Boss Tuneage}

6. MEAN JEANS - Singles {Dirtnap}

7. THE JONES - Gravity Blues {Boss Tuneage}

8. NEWTOWN NEUROTICS - Triumph Over Adversity {Cruel Binary}

9. YOUTH BRIGADE - Complete First Demo {Dischord}

10. NUCLEAR SOCKETTS - Complete Singles {Overground}

Honorary Reissues: ADVERSARY - s/t, ELMERHASSEL - Self Analysis/ Entertainment Value, EPIC PROBLEM - ‘11-‘14, HEX - Poison In The System: The Demos {Boss Tuneage}, THE LICKS - 1970s, {Overground}, NO IDEA - Jag Hatar Punk {Just4Fun}, IRON BOOTS - Complete Discography {Grave Mistake}

Show Time!

Gorilla Biscuits

GORILLA BISCUITS - LOOKIN’ UP - WIZZ KIDS - SUPERIOR VISION - Kings Arms, Auckland, New Zealand - 26 September 2015

Well, this was a band I never expected to see, and certainly not here in New Zealand. Some 25 years after the release of the classic ‘Start Today’ album, New York City upstarts, GORILLA BISCUITS get back together to sing those same youth anthems, only with the perspective of being an entire generation older. It could have been a total train wreck of tough-guy Straight Edge elitism; a jaded parade of has-beens milking a final few bucks from the sacred cow (or ape as the case might be); or, it could actually be one to remember for all the right reasons. While it wasn’t either of the former, it didn’t get off to a good start...

Auckland locals SUPERIOR VISION chugged out some lurching down-tuned crossover Metalcore riffs and instantly bored me. They were proficient at what they did, and I guess if you groove on chugga-chugga riffs and growled vocals, this is for you. The two vocalists worked OK together; one with a traditional Hardcore shout, the other with a more growled/ barked delivery. Within three songs, I’d moved back to the bar - both to avoid the sounds but also the hilarious wind-milling, karate-kicking dancing. I saw that about 15 years ago at STAMPIN’ GROUND gigs and it still makes me laugh. I’m sure they’re very sincere, but I’d rather mainline a speedball than attend another gig.

Wizz Kids

Thankfully, Hamilton band WIZZ KIDS was up next playing non-down-tuned, non-chugging Punk Rock. This four piece cranked some serious and sneering Garage Punk jams that brought to mind SHITTY LIMITS minus the artiness but with added direction, siphoned through the intensity of NEW BOMB TURKS and THE SHIRKS. A few tracks stood out, but ‘Bad Economy’ was the one that really grabbed my ears. Apparently there were a lot of new songs played, but having not heard much of the band’s material at all, it was all knew to me and very impressive. After all the posturing of the previous band, it was great to see four guys just get up there without pretention and rock, without appearing to give themselves haemorrhoids. 

Lookin Up

Next was another Auckland band, LOOKIN’ UP. While these guys had a bit of that chugging-guitar going down, they had more raging, Hardcore beats and dynamics going on than the openers. The band’s sound certainly brought to mind the brutality and intensity of the best of SICK OF IT ALL with a screamed vocal from an incredibly visual vocalist. The songs were short, the delivery intense and dynamic brutal. Unfortunately, there was also the return of the windmillers. Song titles? No idea - they went by in a blur.

And so, GORILLA BISCUITS. Naturally, the horns that open the ‘Start Today’ album blared - but before the band was on stage. Walter took control of proceedings, got them replayed and then that crunching guitar came in to herald ‘New Direction’. From there it was a run through of the band’s entire catalogue with highlights being ‘Things We Say’, ‘High Hopes’, ‘Cats And Dogs’ that was preceded by a little spiel from Civ about the pros of vegetarianism and having compassion for all living things, ‘Degradation’ that was also preceded by a spiel from Civ about violence and hatred, and, of course, set closer ‘Start Today’. One surprise in the set was a cover of the CIV track ‘Do Something’.

Walter - Gorilla Biscuits

Have to say, the band got everything pretty much spot on, be it vocalist Anthony 'Civ’ Civarelli's enthusiasm or the superb guitar work from Walter Schreifels (now sporting hair somewhat longer than in his original GB days, although still pulling all the moves and jumps) through to the stage presence and energy of the songs. Civ even managed to suggest we here in NZ live in a stunning place that we should keep secret as he marveled about his trip to a volcano and that he even saw a waterfall!! This was all compared with his apartment in Harlem, NYC.

Yep, GORILLA BISCUITS pretty much nailed it. They were better than I expected and, although they obviously looked a little older (with Civ looking a little portly in fact - unless that was staunch NYC muscle of course), they cranked those youth anthems and delivered them with aplomb.

 

 

Obituary - Bryn Merrick

On Saturday 12 September 2015, Bryn Merrick, former bassist of THE DAMNED, passed away at Llandough Hospital close to Cardiff, after a battle with cancer. He was aged 56.
Born in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales on 12 October 1958, Merrick first came to note in the late-70s Cardiff-based Punk band, VICTIMIZE, a band that also featured his future DAMNED guitarist, Roman Jugg. The band was renowned in Wales, mainly due to the ferocity of some its followers, which included several of Cardiff’s infamous football hooligans and the fact they supported Punk notables such as THE SKIDS, GANG OF FOUR and THE DAMNED. Two singles were released, both released on Cardiff label, I.M.E.

After the band split up, Merrick and Jugg continued to play in bands including MISSING MEN that supported THE RUTS and THE DAMNED at the London Lyceum. He also spent a brief spell in the Metal band, Storm Queen.

In 1983, he joined THE DAMNED replacing former bassist Paul Gray (who, ironically and sadly, Merrick met on the same cancer ward in 2014 some three decades since their previous meeting). His first recording with THE DAMNED was on the minor-classic ‘Thanks For The Night’ EP, the b-side of which was ‘Nasty’ that saw Merrick and THE DAMNED play on the then iconic Young Ones TV show.

During his tenure in the band, which continued through to 1989, he featured on what became the band’s most successful period playing on both the top-selling ‘Phantasmagoria’ and ‘Anything’ albums, plus the ‘Eloise’ single that peaked at no. 3 in the UK charts. He also participated on the band’s side project NAZ NOMAD AND THE NIGHTMARES playing on the 1984 album ‘Give Daddy The Knife, Cindy’.

As THE DAMNED went on a long-term hiatus, Merrick along with Jugg hooked up with the band’s vocalist, Dave Vanian, in his project DAVE VANIAN AND THE PHANTOM CHORDS which performed from 1990 through to 1995.

From 2000, he played in THE SHAMONES (under the moniker of BeeBee Shamone), a RAMONES tribute band that played in the UK for five years, which also featured former VICTIMIZE band-mate Andy Johnson.

DAMNED legend, Captain Sensible posted on Facebook stating: "I didn't see as much of him as my colleagues but I've heard many funny stories about the lovable rogue over the years... like the time he wandered into a pub across the road from the band’s American hotel - asking if they (adopts Welsh accent..) "had any fags about the place". Of course it was a gay bar. There's loads more - involving brawling, car theft, prison spells, and all the rest of it... truly, there was NEVER a dull moment with our Mr Merrick."

I was fortunate enough to meet Bryn on two occasions, once after THE DAMNED played the Ipswich Gaumont and the other before they played London’s Town And Country Club. I can remember him as being a lively, genuine character but with some kind of humbleness about him that was reassuring and endearing. What was most apparent was the joy he seemed to express at playing in THE DAMNED.

Bryn is survived by his daughter Ella and songs, Richard and Christian.