I have been a fan of Subhumans since I was 15, and when I was 16, I started a correspondence with the lead singer, Dick Lucas, after sending a fan letter. I was also a fan of his other band, Citizen Fish, whose gigs I saw plenty of anytime they came from England. The last time Dick and I saw each other was probably 1998, in California.
Who knew all this time later we’d still be connected?
Subhumans playing a gig up the street from my home in Cleveland, not too long before the awful year that was, and it was surreal to see one other again after more than 20 years. The punk label Bluurg Records, run by Dick, started a YouTube channel with performances, interviews, and more.
So here we are in the digital age — after letters, faxes, and zines — and I am featured on their YouTube Punks Who Paint series. See, it wasn’t a phase! It’s 15 minutes or so of me gabbing about my work and the different directions it has gone. I also offer advice to artists that applies to musicians, too. But let’s face it, my cat Ike is the real star in this video.
Another bonus, my man Ben Vendetta also got to talk in-depth about his love of punk music, how his writing changed over the years from zines to national music magazines, and his rock ‘n’ roll novels. He offers advice to writers starting out; advice that can be applied to bands that want to get their projects going, no doubt. Ben also shows off a little bit of the Elephant Stone Records roster and how they came onto the label.
I hope you find them interesting, and if you are on YouTube please leave a comment or give it a thumbs-up! DIY it never dies, baby!
Arty Farty 