In response to last month’s post about Tom Troccoli, Tom himself has added a Meat Puppets page to his site. There, he describes his first encounter with this odd group of desert punks. He also alludes to the strong feelings those memories still hold for him. Tom’s sharp memory, good eye for detail and quirky use of the occasional all-caps makes for entertaining reading.
Even better, he passed along his collection of Meat Puppets photos and his permission for me to share them. These smudged, aging poloroids document the ten weeks we spent on tour with Black Flag and the Nig Heist back in 1984. I hadn’t seen these pix in two decades, and they really take me back. I don’t recall ever being that young.
These days, I work with a lot of young people. I always encourage them to think hard about their future and not to take it for granted. But there’s not a one of them who wouldn’t quit their jobs in a heartbeat if they had the chance to go on the road for two and a half months. These pix bear out that dream pretty well.
We had only two days off, we slept on the floors of strangers and we were making twenty-five bucks a night. We endured arrests, snowstorms and those annoying huge pots of spagetti the promoters would make to feed us all. (You haven’t lived until you try to serve yourself a plate of overcooked pasta while Rollins glowers over you, making sure you don’t take more than he feels you deserve.) But what 23-year-old could pass up the opportunity to drive across the country, put on eye-liner and pose in front of a Detroit tenement?
Anyway, Tom offered a selection of descriptive comments to go with some of his favorites from this collection. The all-caps have been left intact.
Photo #2: “I’m overhead. Cris has tossed himself backwards into the crowd and is being supported by the fans. Somewhere I have a photocopy of a contact sheet from ANOTHER photog. He snapped one at the EXACT moment I snapped mine, and you can see me hovering over the crowd with Polaroid. This one’s D.C.”
Photo #5 : “We made a gag out of claiming you were Raymond’s model for the My War cover, and here Davo is NOT trying to knife you (yet), but emulating the sleeve. This was the same Denny’s the three of you tipped the waitress by dumping your half filled plates on the rug under the table.”
Photo #6: “Check the expressions on the folks BEHIND you! This is at a McDonald’s at Niagra Falls New York a few hours before crossing the border and we have ingested anything possibly contraband. Clearly, the effects are taking hold.”
Photo #7: “You MADE me shoot this one AS Bostrom being Elvis circa 1972 Madison Square Garden post-gig. This is maybe my all-time favorite picture of you. It PERFECTLY captures the humor and spirit I best remember in you.”
Photo #10: “This is the exact moment I came running out to the van in Atlanta with the latest ish of Rolling Stone awarding you (and The Minutemen) 4 Stars for MP II. YOU may have snapped this one.”
Photo #17: “We each took one of each other being blasted in the head full on by the Surfer. I can’t find the one you took of me. That one’s Atlanta.”
Photo #18: “Right outside Birmingham Alabama. I had just that moment heard the news that Marvin Gaye Sr. had murdered Marvin Gaye Jr., rolled down the window, shouted the news, and clicked the shot.”
And number 15 is the look a drummer gives you when you sneak up on him mid set and start tickling him!
I’m glad you can use the pics, and I truly hope your visitors enjoy looking at ‘em half as much as I enjoyed taking ‘em.
When Ginn first encountered Curt with his green hair, Ginn was chagrined. “How do you expect to get through customs with THAT?” Curt responded “I’ll tell them it’s for St. Patrick’s Day.” He did, and it worked.
Tom Troccoli
Left by Tom Troccoli on May 23rd, 2006
These pictures take me way back. I didn’t actually start listening to the Pups until I was 16 (Huevos). Hell, I was only 12 when this tour went on, but it still reminds me of that great period in music between 83 & 91, when the indy Gods ruled my world. The picture of Kirkwood with the green hair and the goofy fish lips that he always seemed to have when he was getting off on the guitar is just classic. Much more real than the first pictures I saw of the Pups in a Musician Magazine article that got me into them. All orange stretch pants (spandex?) and the like with a bunch of mobiles and what not hanging in the room. Pretty funny in retrospect how that was marketed. But maybe that was real in 88. I don’t know. Cool stuff.
The quote that sold me was when they asked Curt his inspirations in that article, they were the Dead, Led Zeppelin, the Incredible Tiki Room at Disney and electric fans starting up in the middle of the night. Sounds about right, although I’m sure it was meant as nonsense.
Left by Rob on May 24th, 2006
Great pics … ha, I remember those metal playground animals on springs (shot #6)! There were some near a certain Swimming Ground where I grew up. If you rode ‘em hard enough, you could almost touch the ground with your head, and it felt like the spring was going to snap.
Derrick, I am looking for an interview that was done sometime in 1983. It was by Tony Victor, in the Meat Puppets Dining Room, and you used to have it linked to the website. One of the topics that I wanted to share with someone (on the web) is Curt’s answer to the “What is a Meat Puppet” question, where he says that mother nature is pulling the strings, and the band is documenting that reality. I also recall him saying at one point that he would like to cry out to the human race (as they fade off into the distance) … “Penis!”
Is that still on the net somewhere?
Thanks for everything.
Left by G on May 25th, 2006
If that interview used to be on this site, then I must have it somewhere. I’ll look for it.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on May 25th, 2006
I looked through my den, and found a copy I had printed from when it was on the site; the term Curt rolled out was “Reality Documentationalizer Experiencist”, and the context of “Penis” was society’s lack of training, and inability to deal with such a “rubbery word”. Unique interview.
Left by G on May 25th, 2006
Is it me or does Curt look about 10 feet tall in picture #9? And that shot of Cris scowling is pretty insane. That looked like one hell of a tour.
Left by Tom on June 3rd, 2006
Hey OTHER Tom. The pic of Curt? I’ve mentioned that there were nights he was LEVITATING off the stage. He only LOOKS 10 foot tall, he’s actually hovering along on squealed tones of feedback laden Travis picked Sea Whales.
You’ll notice he’s got the full on Linda Blair eyes rolled back in his head routine. That was ALWAYS the sign of a hot solo!
And yes, it was one HELL of a tour. Any and everyone involved in it will tell you it was simply one-of-a-kind, and never to be repeated.
For me the entire tour can be summed up with the phrase ‘Polk Salad Annie.’ Gator’s got yer granny!
Tom T
Left by Tom Troccoli on June 4th, 2006
Wow, the first concert I ever saw was Nig Heist, the Meat Puppets, and Black Flag at the Greystone in Detroit on this tour. When you’re in 8th grade, seeing Mugger in a black leather jock coax male audience members on-stage to simulate anal leaves quite the impression… Brought copies of II and Up On the Sun home from the show and had my horizons expanded for me…
Left by Mike Dunn on June 9th, 2006
Saw the Puppets, Black Flag and Nig heist in Denver that tour at an amazing (and long-dead) venue called The Rainbow Music Hall. Great memories of Curt’s green hair and rolled-back eyes and the excitement of “finding” a new band. Puppets and Black Flag were amazing, but Nig Heist really screwed with everyone’s mind. Lots of nudity and abusive talk, fake jism etc. Young girls were crying, tough punks were strangely silent. Barry Fey, the local rock promoter, came onstage after Nig Heist left and said “you’ll never see shit like that on stage in Denver again.” Rumor had it that the cops were called and Nig Heist took off (for Europe?). I later heard that they were arrested for indecency, but these were all rumors. But a long love affair with the Puppets followed that magical night…BTW, thanks Derrek for a great site!!
Left by Dave Axtell on May 11th, 2007
The pictures are truly wonderful and take me back to a time in my life where I was just discovering the indie scene. Derrick, you look like you are 15 years old. I bet after a tour with the Nig Heist and Black Flag, you aged quite a few years. I saw the tour when it came to Pasadena. Within a year of that gig I met many of the SST folks, especially one named Mugger who then introduced me to Derrick. He gave me a copy of “Up on the Sun” and it still my favorite album of all time.
I took my husband to see the reformed Meat Puppets last month at the Troubadour. Great show but, Derrick, you were missed.
Left by Carla on July 19th, 2007
You’re not wrong. There were indeed plenty of challenges for me on that tour. I guess I’m not cut out for that lifestyle. I knew it even as early as back then.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on July 19th, 2007
I had to make sure Curt had green hair to make sure this was the show I saw! In Philly (at Longmarch) Little Gentlement were also on the bill. Nig Heist’s bass player had no clothes and someone had to give him a flannel shirt so he didn’t get arrested. Wish I had a picture of Hank Rollins with hair to his ass from this same show!
What a scorcher this show was….
Left by tj on August 6th, 2007