It wasn't more than a few hours after the story hit newsstands and the Net that all hell broke loose: Angry calls from the promoter, hysterical messages from KISS flacks and angry missives from the group's management inundated New Times' offices.
Later that night, at a KISS fan convention held at Tempe's Club Rio, word quickly spread that Simmons himself had read the piece -- he reportedly scours every press item mentioning his name -- had become enraged and was soon out for the blood of one Trashman. Simmons went as far as telling erstwhile KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, "That bastard Blake will never write another story again."
Craig Mcnaughton
The long and winding road? The Half Visconte (from left), Scott Tennent, Ben Taylor, Rich Minardi and Dan Sylvester, prepares to say hello/goodbye with its forthcoming full-length debut.
Glenn LaFerman
It's not easy being Gene: Overly made-up trollop (and geriatric poon hound) Simmons, breathing fire in the direction of New Times' resident Trashman Bill Blake.
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As much as we hate to disappoint this fading Kabuki clown, Mr. Blake continues to write for us -- safely ensconced in his aluminum fortress somewhere near Apache Junction and well out of the reach of those who would like to mount his head alongside their gold records.
In the course of his most recent work, Blake has managed to ruffle the feathers of yet another music industry cipher -- Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille.
As part of last week's column ("Liver Let Die," June 8), Blake penned a scathing review of the self-titled debut from Portrait records artist Samantha 7, a new combo fronted by the gravel-voiced DeVille. Blake noted the remarkable (and potentially actionable) similarities between a Samantha 7 track called "I Wanna Be Famous" and the Cheap Trick chestnut "He's a Whore."
The Trashman piece came out just as a Phoenix date was announced for an '80s retro tour featuring Poison, Cinderella, Dokken and Slaughter (a package which is being billed as the "Aqua Net Presents: The Rapidly Aging Buffoons in Leather Pants and Bandanas Tour 2000").
A source close to the Poison camp tells us that DeVille's bandmates, Bret Michaels and Bobby Dahl, read the Trashman piece and nearly soiled themselves laughing at the characterization of DeVille as a wankish guitar institute poseur. The same source also spoke to DeVille, and reported that the guitarist was decidedly less jovial, though he did admit to a "passing" similarity between the Cheap Trick song and his Sam 7 rip-off.
Stay tuned to this unfolding drama. New Timesplans to dispatch Blake to cover the August 2 Poison extravaganza armed with a backstage pass. With any luck, our intrepid reporter will have polished off the band's liquor supply well before their encore of "Unskinny Bop."
They Come From Garageland: There are few places that have a richer garage-rock heritage than the Lone Star State. From Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs and the Sir Douglas Quintet to the 13th Floor Elevators, Texas' musical history is rife with bands that knew how to make three chords go into 4/4 perfectly. Valley rock fans will get a taste of that fine legacy as San Antonio's The Sons of Hercules make a stop at Tempe's Cannery Row this Friday. The group furthers a Stones-by-way-of-Ramones sound on its latest release, Get Lost(Get Hip Records). Included among the 12 originals is a brilliant proto-punk take on the Byrds' jangle classic "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better." As with most garage-rock revivalists (The Chesterfield Kings, Makers, Demolition Doll Rods), expect a stage show filled with some table-hopping showmanship.
The Sons of Hercules are scheduled to perform on Friday, June 16, at Cannery Row in Tempe, with the Peeps and Thee Oh-No's. Showtime is 9 p.m.
