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FORGOTTEN REBELS
STILL FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
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by Eric Schulz
February 17 22, 2005 |
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You know, I recommend that everyone buy the single We Built
This City on Rock n roll by Jefferson Starship and let their
friends listen to it, says Mickey De Sadist, in the same way I
would recommend someone buy a joke book and laugh at it.
Speaking out against the evils of corporate rock is nothing
new for Forgotten Rebels frontman Mickey De Sadist. As one of
this countrys originators of punk rock, De Sadist has been
fighting the good fight against mainstream music. However, dont
let that fool you into thinking De Sadist is a predictable punk.
This interview just might surprise you and change what you
thought you knew about the Forgotten Rebels and their riotous
frontman.
While many old school punks seem to froth at the mouth at
the mere mention of new school punk, De Sadist seems cautious,
yet less critical. When asked his opinion of the current crop of
bands, he offers, Youd have to ask Muddy Waters what he
thought of the Rolling Stones, referring offhandedly to the
popularity modern punk has bestowed on old school punk.
De Sadist continues, You know what gets me is that I think
Green Day is a pretty good band. Everyone seems to forget that
the Pointed Sticks sounded exactly like Green Day way back then.
[Ed the Pointed Sticks are generally regarded as one of Canadas
great punk bands from the 70s.] The Pointed Sticks sounded in
the 70s very much like what Green Day sounded like in the late
90s.
This ability to appreciate music that some punks may
consider sacrilegious should surprise no one. 2003 marked the
appearance of the first ever Mickey De Sadist solo album. Entitled
Welcome To My Basement and released on Hamiltons indie punk
label Amp Records, the album provided De Sadist with an outlet
for his first love: glam rock. And while the songs are definitely De
Sadists songs, theyre not quite in tune with the Rebels.
The solo album was stuff that I felt like recording that might not
have fit [with the Rebels]. When youre in a band its a
compromise situation; its four guys working as a team.
Despite the fact that De Sadist opted for a non Rebel sound
on some of his new songs, he says its all relative: like Mike Ness
and his country songs on his solo album. They didnt sound quite
like Social Distortion songs, but it was still Mike Ness. You know, I
like the glitter and the glam songs.
But considering that theres not one, but two G.G. Allin
covers (Scum Fuck Tradition and Eat You Out) on the solo
album, theres more to De Sadist than the glitter and glam. So
whats De Sadists fascination with the excrement throwing,
animal screwing dead punk rocker? Yeah! G.G. Allin went too far
thats what people think. I just laugh. I think G.G. Allin is
funny.
Going too far certainly isnt a foreign concept for De Sadist,
who has been accused of just that many times over his career.
Perhaps the most wildly held and inaccurate misconception
regarding the Rebels is that they are racists. Its time that we be
nice to each other. And if somebodys acting out of line, he gets
his ass kicked. Racism is stupid, replies De Sadist to the charge.
So there you have it, straight from the mouth of Forgotten
Rebels lead singer and founder Mickey De Sadist the Rebels
are not a bunch of hate spewing bigots. But it is easy to see why
PC sensitive people could come to that conclusion Forgotten
Rebels punk rock classics such as Bomb the Boats, Third
Homosexual Murder and Live Strippers in Action arent exactly
politically correct. De Sadist points out that the bands most
notorious song, Bomb the Boats which concerns the
cringeinducing subject matter of bombing boats with immigrants
aboard was actually a satire on a conversation he overheard
between two racist rednecks.
People should listen to our music for what it is. I was
making fun of rednecks in Bomb the Boats. More than anything,
I was just making fun of that. But I guess it came across the
wrong way.
But it seems that in the Rebels case, bad press truly is good
press: of course you throw some controversy out there just to
get some free publicity, cause you really dont feel like paying a
fortune for it.
History Lesson
The Forgotten Rebels burst onto the Ontario rock scene in 1976.
Getting their start in Hamilton, the band began making a name
for themselves when they discovered there was a punk scene in
Toronto. The Rebels released nine full length albums (including
the classics In Love With the System, This Aint Hollywood and the
untitled album. And while the band has gone through numerous
lineup changes, they have stuck to it and kept a distinctive
sound. Currently, the band includes longtime guitarist Jeff
Campbell, former Dough Boy Paul Newman and former Sven Gali
bassist Shawn Maher.
In 1976, support for punk wasnt as strong as today, but
there existed pockets of people who dug the precursors of punk,
including such bands as the Stooges and the New York Dolls.
There was a few hundred people here and there,
remembers De Sadist. People read about it. Most of the people
who got into punk, like me and my friends, were already into
glitter. We were into the New York Dolls, the Stooges, the MC5,
Mott the Hoople and Slade, bands like that so it was a natural
progression. So when punk came along it just seems like that was
less expensive clothing, he says laughing.
Its no secret that the early punk scenes all across North
America were largely ignored by record labels. Several bands
recorded a single or two and then disbanded, never to be heard
from again. De Sadist sites the original version of the Fits (best
known for their song Bored of Education, which was released
with Frank Manleys book Smash the State: A Discography of
Canadian Punk, 197792), the Dreamdates and Tyranna as
examples of bands from the early days of Ontario punk that
deserved to be heard, but were never afforded the opportunity.
He believes that the record labels just didnt get punk. At that
point, the record industry was run by such stupid people that
missing the punk movement between 1976 and 81 was as stupid
as missing the Woodstock era. And they actually did it. That goes
to show you, you give a suit some responsible and theyll screw it
up.
And when the record labels did smarten up and discovered
that there was a new and exciting rocknroll scene going on they
ended up doing more harm then good.
What happened was the majors got into it and diluted it
turning it into rubbish. And whatever was diluted people just
forgot about and started to ignore. Isnt it amazing that the
Ramones are now bigger then they ever were?
Flipping through the junk on Much Music pretty much
validates that the Ramones, who are arguably the original punk
rock band, truly are bigger now then they ever were. Whether its
Ashley Simpson or Hilary Duff, teen pop stars have been seen
wearing the Ramones eagle not to mention all the bands
coming out of the wood work claiming the Ramones as an
influence.
And you wonder if these pop stars really knew what was
going on? Its good that theyre into it now, but its just too bad
that the Ramones didnt reap the rewards when they were still
alive. De Sadist continues: The last thing the record industry
wants is to have a band like the Ramones get as big as they are
now while they are still alive. Because what that would cause for
the record industry, I mean the fans would love it, but what it
would cause for the record industry is a loss in investment for all
the rubbish bands theyve invested in. Just think, if the Ramones
had got big, what would have happened to Jefferson Starship, and
other rubbish units like that? I mean We Built This City on Rock
n roll? Can you imagine all the idiots singing that song?
So if youre in the mood for a good joke and want to hear
what music was being shoved down the publics throat while the
original ignored punk scene was at its peak buy Jefferson
Starships We Built This City on Rock n roll. Youll regret it!
And if you want to hear the real deal check out the Forgotten
Rebels in Cambridge Saturday February 19th at Fiddlers Green
Irish Pub. Opening will be The Rotten and The Decay. Tickets are
$12 advanced and $15 at the door.
FORGOTTEN REBELS
w/ The Rotten and
The Decay
Saturday, February 19
Fiddlers Green
Tix: $12 adv / $15 door
www.forgottenrebels.com
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