Let me express my gratitude
My thanks for the most-read post in The ‘Stack’s one-year history, and for this past year. ALSO: Corrections from The Saints’ Ed Kuepper.
Take a look – 1,182 unique views. That’s how many individual people read last week’s assessment of what I feel is punk’s most definitive 45, The Saints’ “(I’m) Stranded” b/w “No Time.” That’s the biggest reader response for a single Tim “Napalm” Stegall Substack post since the first, “The Manifesto: I’m A Contaminant In The Program,” dated July 27, 2022.
Yes, The ‘Stack celebrates our first anniversary in one week, its launch triggered by an email from the new editor of a magazine I was associated with for 32 years rejecting my latest batch of article ideas, dismissing them as “nostalgia.”
Funny, I thought I was writing about punk history
I received that email last July 22nd. Two days later, inspired by Patti Smith’s Substack, I began this ‘Stack. I opted to do things the punk rock way, creating my own outlet to continue my work. After a few years of writing listicles and grinding my teeth as I watched a magazine I helped build get gutted and debased by new owners with no respect for its history, I essentially went back to publishing a fanzine. My origins. Because I felt my back against a wall.
In general, each of my posts at the old magazine averaged 350 unique views. The stats on “The Manifesto” within 24 hours equaled that, then grew by another 100 views over the next 24 hours. In that period, I gained 59 subscribers, 13 of them paid. To date, 562 people have read it.
One year later, the most recent post has garnered 1,182 unique views. 441 people currently subscribe to The Tim “Napalm” Stegall Substack, 78 of them paying. Not bad for a buncha “nostalgia,” huh?
Thank you. I am hoping I am providing you with good quality writing and punk journalism. Since beginning my book three months ago, I have not tended to this space’s care and feeding as I should. I know this. But as a first-time author, I am discovering the process is more strenuous and difficult than I imagined. It requires more attention than I imagined.
But the book is winding down. And though I have another book to begin immediately after, I think I may be able to return to posting three to four times per week, as initially promised in that opening manifesto.
Thank you for your faith in me and this venture. Thank you for your support. Thank you for being a community who pushes me to the finish line, eggs me on, and enjoys what I hope is high fiber rock criticism.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I’m not fooling myself. I know that those 1,182 views didn’t come on my own. I owe original Saints guitarist (and marvelous solo artist in his own right) Ed Kuepper an enormous debt of gratitude. Last week at his Ed Kuepper Music Facebook page, he made a post promoting the “(I’m) Stranded” reissues, complete with a link to my review. Much obliged, Ed.
However, he felt the need to add some corrections, which I will gladly repost here (albeit with a few corrections for grammar’s sake, for the same reasons Ed listed *winks*):
Now... a lovely little review of The Saints’ “(I'm) Stranded” reissue. A couple of inaccuracies which I'll correct because I'm definitely not pedantic.
1- Kym Bradshaw wasn't in Kid Galahad and the Eternals. Ivor Hay played bass and we had a number of drummers, none of whom could stand the heat. In fact, one guy packed up halfway through a show because his girlfriend threatened to leave him if he continued playing with ''that god-awful band.'' We finished the night without him, and I'm guessing his girlfriend left him anyway when she realized what a moron he was. Kid Galahad and the Eternals were formed in April 1973.
We changed our name to The Saints in mid-’75 when Ivor shifted to drums and Chris [Bailey] played bass for a short time [which forced Ivor and I to intervene after a few rehearsals because he made everything sound like Status Quo]. Then we had a guy called Doug Balmanno who played bass with us for a few months, and when he left Kym joined in early '76.
[NOTE: I did not actually have Kym Bradshaw in Kid Galahad, although my sentence structure likely blurred the timeline a bit. I accept full credit for not communicating clearly. Many apologies, Ed.]
2- Chris wasn't born in Ireland, he was born to Irish parents in Kenya. Chris' dad was in the British Army and stationed there in the 1950's. Chris insisted to me that his father had been one of a number of covert IRA members operating in the army. I had/have no reason to believe otherwise.... so no further correspondence will be entered into.
[NOTE: LOL!!!]
3- My friend didn't bring around the Ramones LP until after we'd recorded our single [but before it was released], so they had no influence on that decision. But I did say something along the lines of the quote. Even though I was young and incredibly naive I knew the effect it would have, given we came from a backwater like Australia [to say nothing of the fact that we came out of Brisbane which was a small backwater surrounded by a bigger backwater]. But enough is enough... I won't go on because otherwise my manager will insist I write my own reviews from now on....Enjoy the article, friends.
Thanks for the boost and the corrections, Ed. And thanks, especially, for The Saints and “(I’m) Stranded.”
NEXT WEEK (FOR REAL): Captain Sensible, Part Two; Galen and Paul, Part One; new records from Boris The Sprinkler and Thee Headcoats; and a one-year anniversary reprise of that manifesto! Bonus: A vintage 1976 Australian television appearance from The Saints!
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