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By Kim Friederich
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Punk Globe: The Magic Tramps Played
many clubs one of your first residency as a house band was Max's Kansas
City. Could you tell about some of those times and what that was like?
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(After an earthquake in early 1971, Eric suggested
we travel to New York City. He knew Andy Warhol would embrace us and he
spoke highly of a nightclub/restaurant that had an upstairs music hall
that hadn't been used for quite a while since the Velvet Underground
played there,
called Max's Kansas City.) ==================== |
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Well Kim - That is a good question that requires
some detail....Upon arrival to NYC - The Velvet Underground had broken
up & played their last gig @ Max's last a long time ago & the
upstairs had a padlock on it... Mickey Ruskin {owner} was not
interested in having more music upstairs & he was happy running the
downstairs bar & restaurant. Quite a 'hip' scene with artists -
musicians - & film stars - etc. {Warhol - Superstars - Dali -
Jagger - Jane Fonda - on & on.....so it was a collection of people
watchers watching each other in a very hip setting...Mickey stood at
the door & decided who got in to the 'back room'... fortunately
Mickey really liked Eric as he was always on & ready for 'Showtime'
...where someone would jump up on the table and be a spectacle for the
audience...sing - dance - disrobe - whatever - it was all in the name
of good fun....I remember going upstairs to Mickey's office one
afternoon with Eric {Emerson} & asked if we could showcase upstairs
- he was reluctant as I think he knew what it would open up...He said
"OK - Just once - that's it !!!" - Then gave me a 'Max's' tee-shirt
....meanwhile downstairs as we were hanging out during 'Showtime' -
Mickey sent us upstairs to carry on the party ...with Gerri Miller {she
sang & danced - "Mamma - Look At Me Now" - in Warhol's "Trash"
movie} - Keep in mind we'd go to the 'Factory' often - {Warhol's work
& business space where he did his art projects & the Superstars
hung out.}. We were talking to Andy & his film partner Paul
Morrissey about the NYC music scene & Paul said "Boys - Rock &
Roll won't fly in NYC - it's Cabaret - Show tunes!!!" - Andy wasn't
into the music scene after he & the Velvets stopped working
together as Andy managed them & ended on a sour note...
We had a variety of original songs with electric violin & Eric had never sang in a band before the 'Magic Tramps" {we also performed with our LA name "Messiah"} Actually the first few gigs at 'Max's' were under the name "Messiah" - I have some flyers on the 'Tramps' web site. Anyway we showcased within a few days & had the Warhol troop in attendance & blasted our sound starting off with "William Tell" - {Lone Ranger theme} & into mid evil - tribal & outer space sound... Eric dancing - throwing glitter into the audience - cracking his whip & feathers - skulls - flowers - on stage - there was an "Oh My God" vibe in the room......We were an experimental rock group with original music from classical to chanting to space cadet sounds with an electric violin - feathers & tin foil hanging from my drums - painted faces - neon black light - unreal..... A new energy came to NYC...& Eric Emerson being a Warhol Superstar was a showman!!! Mickey gave us the key to the padlock & said we could play week-ends only at midnight....in exchange for food & beverages ....Deal !!! - Meanwhile during 'Showtime' - Eric would be dancing on the tables in the back room - inviting Gerri Miller to dance topless {as she did with tassels quite well} & he sent us upstairs to continue the ruckus. One night in the room was Richard Nusser - writer for the Village Voice, who joined us upstairs & wrote a review about a new sound & group on the scene upstairs at 'Max's' {by then we learned songs like "Would You Like To Swing On A Star" - our version - so our sound was not in any category} ......Mickey saw the review & that's part of the reason he gave us the key...So 'Max's' was a launch & the upstairs was open once again - we were a showtime unto ourselves & in NYC people want to be part of a show... |
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Punk Globe: You also help start the
Mercer Art Center, and became the house band. Tell me a little about
that and about playing as it collapsed around you?
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(We helped open a revamped off-Broadway theater
called, Mercer Arts Center, in the West Village. and was rehearsing
when it collapsed. )
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While playing 'Max's - there was a fire upstairs
where our equipment was & lost some gear. We were living on the
lower East Side with Elda
Gentile of the 'Stillettos,' who just had Eric's baby 'Branch' while we
were in LA...The band - Elda - Branch - & Eric's Great Dane named
'Messiah'. Fifth floor of a five floor walk-up...Quite the scene -
{across were streets of fruit & veggie markets & I was a
vegetarian so
I was in Heaven.}...We needed money to live & we wanted to get our
own apt...Youngblood's girlfriend 'Natasha' {Punk designer} wasn't in
NY
yet from LA. Keep in mind upon arrival there was really no 'official'
rock music scene - some clubs in the West Village -
'Cafe Wha?' - etc. . .
.nothing regular & we knew of NO bands to gig with. No - NY Dolls -
Blondie - Ramones - Teenage Lust - Harlots - musicians were forming
& practicing but we had not seen bands playing out. - Only heard
that the 'Dolls' were starting up with Rick Rivets on guitar -
'Suicide' had an art jazz style gig - etc. but no scene. Somehow Lary
Chaplan {violin} heard about an old hotel that was to be converted into
an Off-Broadway playhouse but needed a lot of work...we went to visit
the place the "Broadway Hotel" - old - glamorous & run down - the
other side was on Mercer Street to be called the "Mercer Arts Center" -
a small side room was called the "Kitchen" run by Michael Tschudin
{keyboard jazz musician} where a multi-media scene was happening - jazz
- art - video - free form & we hooked up - We did art shows - Eric
danced - & we developed a great re pore with Michael ....he got
Lary & me a gig cleaning up the soon to be theater rooms in
exchange for gigs when it opened as a pre-theater cabaret show in the
dining area called the "Blue Room" {"Clockwork Orange" style} - So Lary
& I scraped rat crap - dirt & broken glass in wheelbarrels - it
was gross & dark but had great bones - chandeliers ..walls of
mirrors - once cleaned up we built stages for plays & this took
quite a while but we saw an opportunity for a happening scene & a
house band shot...Plus we were making a few bucks so I found an apt.
another fifth floor of a five floor walk-up on East 13th Street -
between 1st and 2nd Ave. Rent was $92.87 rent control !!!
Lary {violin} - Youngblood {guitar} & myself each had a room & Eric stayed with his son Branch & Elda......So we worked the 'Kitchen' doing multi-media stuff & helped clean up the theater with many theaters such as the infamous "Oscar Wilde Room" - while playing the 'Kitchen' Eric asked a new band that Eric knew the singer {& I'd seen these guys often on the lower East Side hanging at Gem's Spa {8th St. & 2nd Ave.} called the 'New York Dolls' to open for us as we didn't know any rock bands....They did & had such fun that they went on again & brought friends with them. Both bands were offered a room to play in the theater section - then came Patti Smith reading poetry to the Kitchen - Suicide - & new bands popped up all over that made the house full - Teenage Lust - Butch - Lugar - Sniper - Brats - Wayne {Jayne} County & the Miamis - Tuff Darts, etc. - another scene that launched many people - we played cabaret pre-theater time slot in the dining room {'Blue Room'} - then the place cleared out & around midnight the music scene opened with a band in each room - Dolls - Tramps - Modern Lovers - Lust - on & on.....It's only fitting that while rehearsing there on Friday 8-3-73 around 5:20 PM...The hotel collapsed .....I still recall people yelling & we turned up - the room filled with dust clouds of wall soot & "people yelling "GET OUT - THE BUILDINGS FALLING".......we grabbed what we could & ran downstairs to watch a collapse of a place that had so much history & the end of an era - ....Alan Vega of 'Suicide' walked up ....we simply stared in shock our musical home was gone - Glam Rock ended - |
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Punk Globe: Tell me about having the New York Dolls opening up for The Magic Tramps.
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(We soon became the house band at the MAC, and the Dolls got their start opening for the Tramps.)
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Again - The Dolls just formed & Rick Rivets was
replaced by Syl Sylvain on guitar - Billy was on drums - Arthur -
Johnny Thunders & David Jo....they had a set together - Eric asked
David Jo to open for us in the 'Kitchen' & they did - we did our
show & they wanted back on as they had a bunch of friends &
having a good time so they went back on - it was free form - not a big
deal .....everyone had a blast - They talked to the theater manager 'Al
lewis' for a spot in a theater room & he gave them an off night
& they had a place to play....we {Tramps} had 2 gigs - one
pre-dinner {Blue room} & one evening Rock room .....Suicide got
some gigs - loved the guys - still do. Rev & Alan are true artists
- intimidate the audience & scared them away - {pre-punk.}
Sometimes I was the only one left in the room - so many stories of
their shows -....I knew they had something special......
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Punk Globe: Fondest memories with the Tramps. Could you give me a few?
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Man Kim - That's difficult ....one was the first
showcase at 'Max's' for the Warhol crowd - {we shocked the room} -
Another was opening "Hilly's On The Bowery" again Eric & I talking
with Hilly about playing - dogs & crap all over & a smell from
the Bowery of piss....we seemed to always look to start a scene
somewhere - we convinced him we'd build a stage {went to the streets in
the garbage & found plywood & carpets} & put together a
show with some jazz cats & we opened Thursday -10-19-72 - Later to
become "CBGB's" - Earlier working on the same two day bill with with
Alice Cooper - Eric Burdon & War & Lee Michaels - another is
while driving to a lesbian bar to play somewhere {Jersey?} we were
driving crazy like & had an accident & our bass player got
amnesia & Chris Stein chipped his tooth {if I recall
correctly}....Another was a Warhol Hudson River boat gig with Jackie
Curtis - Manhattan Transfer - & us .....Continental Baths with
Bette Midler - Playing the "Fillmore East" - Basically hanging at the
'Factory' - playing music for a Warhol film with a pianist who worked
with 'Elvis Presley' for 17 years....Being in a French film "dream
sequence" & meeting 'Dali' {a favorite artist of mine}, who liked
the film. Mercer as a home base of Glamour - bands in every room -
Knowing many musicians before they made it - Ivan Kral - Chris Stein -
Debbie Harry - Joey Ramone - Tommy Ramone - Patti Smith - the Warhol
Superstars - Holly - Joe Boy - Jackie - Candy - Ondine - etc....- Just living the experience of living life like there will always be a tomorrow - It was great .....
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Punk Globe: After the Magic Tramps..
You have toured with many bands. Could you tell me some about that and
the bands.(The Pretenders, Alan Vega - Suicide}, The
Cars, Ministry, 'cho & The Bunnymen, Billy
Idol, Chris Stein {Blondie}, Link Wray, Van
Morrison, Andy Warhol & others); Were you a fill-in drummer,
or at what extent was your role with these groups?.
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Some of this is during & after ......After the
Tramps Larry & I always worked together on some musical projects -
we recorded a 45 RPM called "The Stonemen" with a vocalist named
'Superdude'.....I was approached by Alan Vega in the early 80's to
record two solo LPs - one was called "Collision Drive" & "Saturn
Strip"....during "Collision Drive," we toured with the Pretenders
in the US - then we toured Europe - headlining, as Alan was very
popular in France from a previous hit called 'Jukebox Babe' - Rick
Ocasek from The Cars was a big fan of ours & brought us to his
studio in Boston & recorded an LP that he produced - played on
- Ministry sat in on a few tunes, as did Greg Hawke on
keyboard....Echo & The Bunnymen was a group we {w/Alan Vega} did
shows with in NYC - same bill......Billy Idol was a huge fan &
friend that came to all our shows before 'Rebel Yell' - he would join
us on stage & sing our songs with us - {I wish I had recordings of
those gigs} - he also traveled with us along the eastern coast - NYC -
Philly _ DC - etc.-
He later said "Collision Drive" was his favorite LP to play on his tour
bus.....I really dug Billy....Chris Stein was like the sixth 'Stone' -
he was always involved with the Tramps in one capacity or
another.....Link Wray was a treat to work with - We converted the old
Irish bar in Queens called the "Popcorn" to the name "Coventry"... We
were hired to draw a NYC crowd to Queens - we had a show line-up - we
backed "Satan - The Eternal Fire Eater" - then Eric came out &
we were the 'MagicTramps' - then Eric would leave & Link Wray
came out !!!! He was a hero to me & my musical history - I grew up
listening to him & sneaking into parties at colleges as a kid to
see him .......That was quite special - he liked us enough to ask us to
come to Arizona with him to record an LP & he'd produce it, but the
gang didn't want to leave NYC.....Playing a bit with Billy Idol &
Steve Stevens on guitar - {"Rebel Yell" period -- fantastic} - Van
Morrison was earlier when I lived in Boston in '67. Van was my next
door neighbor as I was living there with my band called The
Looking Glass {I started with the Mojo's - then - Rasputin &
The Mad Monks in NY - then on to Boston}....We were a psychedelic band
with a chick singer with hair to her butt...we played the college
circuit - I noticed this short red-haired guy sitting on the steps next
door strumming on his guitar, drinking a glass of wine....I hooked up
with him & he came to our rehearsals & it turned out his record
label had him locked up under contract for a couple years after the
band THEM {"Gloria" - "Here Comes The Night"} - & he was
writing new music for solo projects...he wasn't allowed to play out or
record....One day he asked us if we'd quietly go to Roxbury {the
'Harlem' of Boston} & lay down some tracks he was working on - we
did - & I think they were 'Domino' & 'Brown Eyed Girl' - never
heard the finish as he was still working on them.....He had a son named
Peter that I took upstate NY to visit nature - gorges & waterfalls
- have a pic somewhere.....Making music for a Warhol film sound track
with Elvis' piano player....An ice skating rink scene {?}.......plus
the 'Continental Baths' gig with Bette Midler - & the Jackie Curtis
revue on the Hudson River with the Manhattan Transfer...working with
Jackie Curtis in the off- Broadway play called 'Vain Victory' - so much
more .......
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Punk Globe: What was the craziest show you have ever played?
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I think the strangest {???} gig was a Warhol gig for
a Hollywood Directors black tie award ceremony in NYC for the 'Horror'
Movie Director of the
year...{I still have the seating page somewhere...} all the big
Hollywood directors in Tux' & muscle men in loin clothes carrying
around girls in
bikinis {maybe Miss America?}....& helium balloons all through the
room - many celebrities & we backed up the host - Vincent
Price!!! He sang
with us
"You Gotta' Have Heart" only his version was "You Gotta' Have Guts"
!!!!! - so cool - why didn't we tape it - no one thought it would ever
end .....?!
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Punk Globe: Do you still keep in contact with these people?
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I keep in touch with many from the day - but some
have passed - some in the R&R Hall Of Fame - moved on - It was
great seeing many at Hilly's Memorial {CBGB's}....last summer
....Syl {from the Dolls} - Ivan Kral {Patti Smith} - Rev {Suicide}
- Ruby Lynn Reyner - Tish & Snooky {Sic Fu*ks} - Tommy Ramone -
Cheetah Chrome - Talking Heads - Richard Hell & others - I see
Debbie Harry out & about - keep in touch with Chris Stein
occasionally...Larry Tramp always...Jay Malla - Elda Stilletto - just
ran into Marky Ramone last week - & Dennis Dunaway {from Alice
Cooper} - Billy Idol asked me to tour Europe for "Rebel Yell" - see him
gig off & on now that he's in LA - Some of the 'Dolls'.....Talk to
Alan Vega upon occasion......we seem to be a small club of mentors to
the up & comers.....
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Punk Globe: What other projects are you up to these days? What are you currently working on?
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Well - A lot of start - ups....I manage two acts
from NYC - One is Shanta Williams, an R&B Rocker - {smooth as
butter} & an old band mate, Tom Bakas, who writes & produces
under the name Windfall Music {he also played guitar on
"Stonemen"}......also Shopping the 'Magic Tramps" trilogy CDs -
possibly a coffee table book of NYC unsung heroes of the 70's with a
complimentary CD of their songs for a European label....also a
documentary on Eric Emerson with some film footage & obscure sound
tracks singing "Lonesome Cowboys" - live that wasn't in the film he
starred in with 'Joe Boy'' - along with interviews from Superstars
& friends....
Always have irons in the fire but it takes funding & the music industry is currently interested in Disney music so these seem to be 'cult like' & hard to do .......... |
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Punk Globe: Are you still playing drums?
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Yes - I do - but not as much as I should - I just
moved & running around the country put a hold on that - like riding
a bike though - I just scrape the rust off.....I sat in at a 'Max's'
event a bit ago with Elda Stilletto & it was a blast -
I'm between a possible relocate to play drums with Lary Tramp who has a
group in the Boston area...& or putting together a single {45 RPM}
of two songs - I still need the OK on the songs, but the line-up would
be cool - me on drums - Lary Tramp on violin - Rick Rivets on guitar -
Elda Stilletto on lead vocals & Tish & Snooky on back up vocals
& a surprise bass player...still working out the kinks.....You're
the first person I've mentioned this to...
Thanks Kim for taking the time to show interest in the Magic Tramps - as the band is a missing link in the time period I mentioned that re-sparked NYC during a theatrical period in music with Jayne County & Ruby Lynn Reyner working Off - Broadway musicals - I watched it flourish & take some hits. For those of us who survived I say "Salute" ...... I want to also thank Ginger Coyote from the West Coast Punk Globe & John Holmstrom - East Coast 'Punk' magazine - for keeping the flame alive .... Long live music !!! |
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Punk Globe: What's the scene like in New York these days? Does it bear any resemblance to the earlier days?
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NYC is a whole different animal now.....no
comparison .....Some from the scene still do the thing there & God
Bless them - like 'Deborah Frost' {from 'Helen Wheels' & the 'Brain
Surgeons'}
- 'Suicide' - 'The Brats' - 'Blondie' - I just saw 'Vera Ramone King'
in NYC - DeeDee Ramone's wife from the day....she just released a book
"Poisoned Heart" on her & DeeDee's life together - I still hang
with 'Natasha' - {Punk fashion designer} - Tish & Snooky are great
to hang with... mostly there are events - like 'Bobby Steele" CD
release party this week-end of the "Undead" {original guitarist for the
'Misfits'}.....a new group in the NY area to keep an eye on from the
Punk scene is the "Bad Whoremoans" - Paul on vocals has the right idea
& knows the music history....
The music industry right now is in a holding pattern & "American
idol" seems to have the stage.....
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Punk Globe: Where can we find out more about the Magic Tramps and buy the music?
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I have a CD on CD Baby - called "Kickin' Up
Moonlight Dust" - as a sample of three full length CDs I have - two
with Eric on vocals & one with a new line-up & Jay Malla {of
Koala & the Joe Perry Project} on vocals....I have some cool merch
on the
Tramps web site also but people don't notice it much...I'm shopping the
three CDs now but the sound is rough & in todays market things need
to sound clean - but man - it's history from the period between the
'Velvet Underground' & the 'Dolls' record deal - there was a hole
of history between early '71-to late '72 - that was no man's land
musically - we re-opened 'Max's' - started music @ 'Hillys' {to become
CBGB's} started the theater music scene in 'Mercer Arts' - Worked with
Link Wray to open the "Coventry" - found bands - created shows -
brought up from new Orleans a 'fire eater' named 'Satan' ......Kiss got
their start @ the 'Coventry' & I know they respected us & our
shows with white face & fire eater.....they were in
attendance......under the name -- Wicked Lester......the 'Magic Tramps'
web site has a lot info -
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