LeaV

It would have been marvelous to be around in a decade when great bands were just beginning.  For example, children of the 1960s had the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.  In the 1970s, arena rock ruled the day, and concerts were an epic spectacle predominated by radio rock rulers such as Queen, Boston, Journey, and Aerosmith to name a few.  However, as each decade is symbolic of a predominant musical style, each decade in music also spawns its angst-y, rebellious, unruly teen.  In the 1970s, it was punk rock, a direct middle finger to corporate radio-friendly rock.  And as the spirit of punk slowly faded and the rise of the video star gave way to 1980s British Nu Wave, that unruly teen reared its head one last time in the form of the post-punk apocalypse (for you youngsters, consider this the beginnings of Goth rock). 

Crawling out from the sludge of the 1970s East Coast punk scene was Stiv Bators.  A fan of Iggy Pop, Bators formed the beginnings of his first band The Dead Boys in 1975 in his home state of Ohio (although at the time, they were called Frankenstein).  The conservative climate of Ohio frustrated Bators; and after taking up an offer by Johnny Thunders (ex of the New York Dolls) to visit New York, Bators fell in love with the scene and brought back his defunct band Frankenstein to New York, this time calling themselves The Dead Boys.  After line-up changes, band break-ups, solo efforts, and the like, Bators grew tired of not being taken seriously in the music industry and wanted a little credibility.  From his earlier work with the Dead Boys and touring with The Damned, Bators’ friendship with Brian James (ex-guitarist with the Damned) led to the formation of The Lords of the New Church in 1981.  The band featured Dave Tregunna (ex-Sham 69) on bass, Brian James on guitar, and Nicky Turner (ex-The Barracudas) on drums.  It’s difficult to explain a band like The Lords of the New Church.  Unfortunately, I can’t say that I discovered them during their time on the musical scene but actually had someone more informed in the more eclectic music of the 1980s MTV generation explain to me how Green Day was not punk and exposed me to some of the more raw and honest do-it-yourself spirit of real punk rock.

Although intrigued, I was more drawn to this post-apocalyptic, gloom-and-doom style of The Lords of the New Church (translated...I really dug all the leather and the epic mullets and the fact that the music had a darker, creepier feel to it).  It was almost like exposing my ears to my own private little horror movie.

It was with The Lords of the New Church, that Bators finally earned some success in Europe and also in the US thanks to a little channel at the time called MTV and a little something called the video.  The band brought together the creatures of the night and mixed in elements of glam rock, dark shock, booze, melody, and a horn section!