Poison Ivy postponed ‘til next week

Preparing a surprise for tomorrow. But how do you feel about a Red Rockers reunion gig, instead?

Red Rockers when they still had baby fat, not foreseeing a right-wing terror taking over. (Pic courtesy of Darren Hill)

Yeah, yeah, I know. I promised at the end of yesterday’s first installment of The ‘Stack’s epic Jesse Dayton interview I’d deliver a Parade Of Great Guitarists salute to the one and only Poison Ivy, of the much-missed Cramps. I forgot I plan on taking Xmas weekend off, and am working on a special surprise ‘Stack for all of you for tomorrow.

So, let’s put off Ivy until next week. Instead, I offer a pretty rockin’ consolation prize: Red Rockers, the first-wave New Orleans punk band who came on like The Clash and Generation X having a gumbo-and-Abita-fueled jam session. They reunited for one night only in November at Tipitina’s in their native NOLA. The occasion? The remix and remaster of their rawer-than-a-po’boy-with-uncooked-catfish debut LP, Condition Red. (Full-disclosure: I wrote the liner notes to this LP, which was so important to me growing up. It still is. I shall review it soon here at The ‘Stack, even though I scribbled those liners. As my mother used to say, “I don’t care if it harelips the Governor!” No, I never understood what she was trying to say, either.)

Anyway, for one night only, bassist Darren Hill, guitarist James Singletary, and lead singer/guitarist John Griffith reconvened with drummer Bryan Barberot subbing for the departed Patrick Butler Jones. As visible in this clip of their opening one-two punch of The Clash’s “I’m So Bored With The USA” and their own “Guns Of Revolution” (following an entrance tape of grade schoolers reciting the Pledge Of Allegiance, spliced into Don Pardo’s introduction from their SNL appearance), the middle-aged Red Rockers are still quite capable of dishing out that revolutionary voltage.

And don’tcha just dig how Griffith changed the “Guns Of Revolution” lyric from a “left-wing terror” to a right-wing one? He told me in our interview for those liners he had to do that, after January 6th.

Anyway, here’s their set from that night, including the whole of the new Condition Red, bonus tracks and all, a punkier revision of their MTV “new wave” hit “China” (hey – Columbia Records happens!), and an encore with guest singers fronting some of the ‘70s punk covers they did in their early days as The Rat Finks. It’s potent enough to make me wish it wasn’t for one night only. 

Anyway, hope this is an effective place marker for the full Poison Ivy appreciation next week. Please join me tomorrow for our special holiday edition! Ciao!

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