(David Klowden commemorates a San Diego punk pioneer and AIDS activist.)
I was searching online for my former mentor, Renee Edgington, the founder of Shark Productions, who was responsible for creating so many cool shows in San Diego, and learned that she & her husband died in a car accident 10 years ago while vacationing in South Africa.
Anyone who attended a show at the North Park Lions Club between 1978 and 1981 has Renee to thank for making it happen.
I knew that she had been an AIDS activist in Los Angeles, but I didn’t know that she’d founded Clean Needles Now. Renee was a wonderful woman & I was deeply saddened to hear about this tragedy.
Shark Productions artifacts:
This is all I could find. There’s much more out there, but probably not online. Renee’s flyers were all made with transfer-sheet letters purchased at the SDSU bookstore.
About Renee Edgington:
Clean Needles Now
Renee Edgington and Matthew Francis (The Body)
— David Klowden
Here’s our Google Maps virtual walkaround the North Park Lions Club today:
View Larger Map
The lettering and facade on the NPLC building is a bit different, and I don’t recall there being a tree. But the adjacent parking lot brings back lots of memories.
A copy of that XTC poster is still up on the wall in my former bedroom, now my dad’s office. Thank you, Renee.
Paul: I never knew your dad was into XTC! 🙂
Here’s a nice LA Times obit for Renee and Matthew.
In 1993, her artwork also pissed off Jerry Falwell: “In an ‘Urgent Mail’ letter from the Liberty Foundation, Jerry Falwell began, ‘National Endowment for the Arts just funded the most malicious attack ever on Christ!’ ” (Malice-wise, I’d personally think that whole crucifixion thing might be worse than a prose piece and drawing, but I know Jerry had an inside line with the guy.)
And here’s a little video footage of Renee Edgington in action with Clean Needles Now, Los Angeles 1994:
Who can help out with a timeline for the Lions Club? Dave says Shark Productions was handling the bookings from 1978-’81. And the brief North Park Lions Club entry in AmpliPedia says, “[T]he club opened its doors to indie promoters in 1978, and was one of the first local halls to allow punk shows. … [T]he owners stopped renting it out five years later. … ”
But the joint was certainly jumpin’ later than that — I played there in May 1986 under the auspices of Tim Maze; here’s the Jesus and Mary Chain there in December ’85 (anyone here open that show?) …
Oh! And check this one out: “The Cramps’ seven inch vinyl EP ‘Smell Of San Diego’ was recorded June 2, 1984, at the North Park Lions Club, just days after ending their first headlining UK tour.”
I’m not being comprehensive, just hunting-and-pecking my way through Google as usual. Little help here? 🙂
I recall that at one time Renee had been a friend/partner in promoting shows with Laura Frazier, promoter of The Skeleton Club. It may be that some of the earliest shows at the Lions Club were Renee/Laura co-productions, but I am speculating. I would guess, based on the flyer i’ve seen, that the X show at the Lions Club in 78 was pre-Shark Productions and may have been a Laura/Renee venture. It is definitely true that they had a falling out, and that around 1979-80, before the police shut the Skeleton Club down for good, the rivalry between Laura and Renee led to a flyer war, each of them xeroxing flyers about the other’s faults, putting them out in local record stores, and handing them out at shows. I think Tim Mays wisely stayed out of that whole conflict, and even though he’d been working with Laura, ended up booking shows at the Lion’s Club, right around the time Renee moved back up to LA around ’82, when the punk scene became less artsy, political & weird and started heading in the violent, aggressive hyper-masculine direction it took. Tim could shed light on how he took over bookings at NPLC and the end of shows there.
My last show there was with the TTH, the one Tony mentioned, opening for the Jesus & Mary Chain. I don’t remember the show at all, but Ray might.
Do we know what happened to Laura (who I’m finding on Google variously as “Frazier,” “Frasier” and “Fraser”)?
The Jesus and Mary Chain show occurred on December 21, 1985. The Tell-Tale Hearts were the only opening act. I found a jpg of a bootleg of the show if there is anyone interested in that sort of thing:
As I recall, we played and caught about three minutes of the headliners. Here are my impressions: a) They liked reverb. A lot. b)They took themselves very seriously, as did most of the audience. c) They were soul-crushingly boring. At least two members of the group spent the whole set with their backs to the audience, facing their amplifiers.
Ray and Dave: Actually, as previously discussed, you fellas did play at least once more at the Lions Club — with 3 Guys Called Jesus, opening for Specimen on May 16, 1986.
I woulda jumped over a dozen bales of that cheesy tinsel Spaceman brought to the hall to get to an opening spot with the Jesus & Mary Chain! LOL
(Yeah, I’m a geek, but I did like their first record. Stop looking at me like that!) 🙂
Typical mime.
I’d totally forgotten about the Jesus and MC show. We were all very smug about how annoying they were. Of course, once the TTH were done, what was the point of sticking around?
Re: Lion’s Club in later ’80s days: I remember seeing the Royal Nonesuch there, the Missouri band who brought us John McKinney, who later moved to San Diego. I imagine the Tell-Tale Hearts had met them on their tour of the Midwest.
Somewhere in there (circa 1986?) a late lineup of Crawdaddy people, with me on bass, and including Keith Fisher, played at the North Park Lion’s Club. Possibly as “the Desperadoes,” a name not far from the truth. Keith went out onstage in some pseudo-Plains Indian-style warpaint after finding a box of greasepaint at my house left over from some childhood event. I don’t think it was Halloween, but I definitely also remember some kind of Halloween event there, in ’87 I believe.
All this just to say that things did carry on there at the Lion’s Club to some extent--but they were special events and I believe the place was dark most of the time. I recall driving by with Ron and Carl in ’85 and hearing them say “remember those shows there?”--one to the other. I was fascinated, because I didn’t remember--had just missed them. Quite soon after that, to my surprise, a few things started happening there--or anyway, I became aware of them. Likely it was that TTH / J&MC show; I would have known about that for sure, but I wasn’t there. Too broke (or busy buying instruments) to afford the cover? But of course I saw the Hearts dozens of times….
Not sure where to go with this but what about the ancient roller rink that was nearby? There was a big event there before it was torn down. Sorry to be veering off the subject of Renee; I’ve been interested to read about her. Someone will pull it back, or I guess we have license to veer all we want.
The Skeleton Club is yet another thing I missed by just a smidge of time. It was a legend to me and still is. I wish I’d managed to get out of the house and into the world six or eight months before I did.
Tom, that was Palisades Roller Rink around the corner from the NPLC, the closure of which was another SD planning blunder.
I only met Renee a couple of times very briefly when I was in 9th grade, but I know her and Dave K were good friends. It’s sad to hear that she passed away.
Yeah, man, Palisades Roller Rink! These planning blunders contributed to my leaving town…. I couldn’t stand to see so much great stuff get torn down--or just emptied out, leaving no trace. But here in New York, I am always hearing the destroyed Penn Station screaming, like some kind of massive urban reproach. Forget about that other hole in the ground a mile from my old apartment, this one leaves a bigger void. They tore it down to build Madison Square Garden, the one we’ve had since the Sixties--nowhere near Madison Square, by the way. The silver lining was an act of Congress--the 1966 act that created the National Register of Historic Places. Too bad we didn’t get the Palisades landmarked--I think there was a last-ditch effort. I wonder how many buildings in San Diego are on the National Register, and which are local landmarks with a capital “L”? Ah, but I digress.
Matthew, do we already know about the last-hurrah blow-out gig-type event that happened at Palisades? Or is this yet another as-yet undocumented event? I can’t remember who played, or who may have organized the event. I feel vaguely like our Kristi could have had something to do with it.
Also, what beautiful girl split town right after this closing-the-Palisades event, moving to London? She is definitely part of my “where are they now” file (not far from my Ipcress File and behind my nail file). I wonder if she’s still in England? I suppose anything’s possible. “My old flame; I can’t even think of her name. But it’s funny, now and then, how my thoughts go flashing back again/ To my -- old -- flame.” Maybe you recall the Spike Jones version if nothing else…. Many other names are coming to mind, but not the one I am seeking. But we were nothing to each other. Like two whale-watching boats passing in the night. Or that crazy Scripps Institute flipping semi-submersible thing--what the hell was that thing? Research vessel, yes, to be sure. But there were some weird vehicles around town, like “the Flying Guppy”--and the Enterprise trike…it must be in someone’s garage, yet…but that’s yet another thread. What side of the road do they drive on in South Africa? I hope it was instant for Renee and her husband. Terrible. I’ve followed the links above; they were doing good work.
Tom: I love a little late night stream-of-unconsciousness.
Palisades Roller Rink should have been on the National Register if only for the fact that I skated to Pablo Cruise’s “Whatcha Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye” there. My dad used to pile all seven of us kids in the Ford Country Squire and take us there some Sundays. It was always packed and drew a mixed crowd the likes of which were rarely seen in San Diego in those days.
>>the Enterprise trike…it must be in someone’s garage, yet…but that’s yet another thread.
Tom: Star Trike is indeed featured here in the very fecund “Weird SD” thread.
The Palisades Roller Rink and its farewell have not been documented yet … I don’t think I know this tale. Enlighten us, please!
BTW, I curse Robert Moses’ destruction of NY’s Penn Station literally every time I commute in via NJ Transit (i.e., daily).
>>I’d totally forgotten about the Jesus and MC show. We were all very smug about how annoying they were. Of course, once the TTH were done, what was the point of sticking around?
Where’s Toby? …haha.
I always really liked Head On:
Makes you want to feel makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
I cant stand up I cant cool down
I cant get my head off the ground
Hey Dave sorry to hear about your friend Renee.
You had just wrote about her after I asked you about The Germs gig. I need to find my copie of the Darby Crash book Lexicon Devil. I think they must mention her when they talk about the show…. I read it a few years ago.
I had just told my good friend and ex-bandmate Curtis Franklin about this Che Underground site and he asked me if there was any thing about a Misfits show
at the NPLC.
THE TREK TRIKE is still driving around O.B….. I saw it about a month ago when I was in town visiting my mom. it made me smile!
I just skimmed threw Lexicon Devil three times and could not find what I read about the San Diego show. The show is mention in the gig list in the back of the book.
Jan. 19th Germs, Middle Class and The Standbys play the North Park Lions Club.
I think maybe I read it in the book We Got the Neutron Bomb. that would make sence.
I know read about the show somewhere because acouple of years before, the guy who used to own Off The Record and then owned Mobster Records in San Francisco(name?) told me about the gig. He talked about Dave Klowdens involment as if he were a proud parent.
So when I was reading about the gig, I was bummed Dave was not mentioned but they did talk about the booker…..I think.
Hey Dylan, I read “We Got the Neatron Bomb” and it makes no mention of the NPLC Germs show, nor for that matter, of the existence of San Diego at all.
#@&%! Where did I read it?
It does not talk about The Zero’s and San Diego either?
Oh yeah, it does admit that the Dils (I think) were from San Diego, so there is some proof that San Diego is a real place.
I read Lexicon Devil & We got the Neutrom Bomb back to back.
Around the same time I had been reading alot of stuff online about L.A. punk and such. I think must have read something about that show then. There was a pretty good/long interivew with Pat Smear.
I think thats were the info was.
A bunch of hearsay, really. Some great interviews with people completely blitzed on Opiates. I always read those parodies and take them with a grain of salt.
But hey- totlly cool!
My son and I saw the Star Trike in OB about a month ago too.Too much sun maybe but nothing else involved,I swear.
I remember the name of your periodical, Harold. We’d love to see some copies!
And can someone tell the story Tom Ward alludes to above about a last-hurrah event there?
Was the Palisades last harrah that performance art/fashion extravaganza from ’86? I was there in body…my mind was starting to wane at that point like crazy Edie down in the swimming pool. I remember a rubber clothing show and throwing a tomato at a Nazi Youth Maniquin. I think Chris Jarhead was running that event!
Tom: I believe that was Elaine Winnard that went to London.
Thank you David Klowden for posting those flyers, particularly the one for the B-People, Human Hands, Monitor and NON. I was a huge fan of all of these LA bands. A good friend of mine from my high school days in the San Fernando Valley (before moving to SD) was a member of Monitor. I was a huge fan of their music, as well as Human Hands. NON, a noise endurance challenge, was interesting from the standpoint of watching members of the audience. Typical responses were hands over ears and dismay.
i think the last palisades event was a hair theater/crash worship double bill. it was fantastic.
I went to that Jesus and Mary Chain/TTH show. I was in the distinct minority of attendees who were there to see both bands. JMC definitely had a weird stage presence. They cranked out ditortion on 11, played with their backs to the audience, and I believe, their set lasted all of twenty minutes. I also remember a dutup over payments to the bands. JMC got a fair chunk of change, and TTH felt justly slighted that they did not, as they had drawn more people to the venue.
I believe the Palisades blowout was “Go Go International”, put on by Kristy Maddox (sp) and Todd Tomorrow.
Another Palisades memory was the big Mod all-dayer that was shut down by the man. Tony Suarez and I were supposed to DJ. Many of the bands, and audience members, decamped to my Mom’s house, and had a throwdown in the backyard, until the cops shut that down as well.
James: Thanks for mentioning another side of the tireless Kristi Maddocks, also co-founder of the band Everybody Violet. Kristi’s promotional skills were manifest in the Go-Go Impossible series of mid-’80s happenings … My band 3 Guys Called Jesus got its first real public hearing at one of her gatherings — press in the San Diego Union, too, which seemed ridiculously big-time to me.
Wow! Renee is dead. I am saddened to hear it. We always didn’t see eye to eye on the music scene, but I would have to admit I always had great respect for her, and now learning about her other acomplishments, I am truly grieved, R.I.P.
“Eva, Randy, Bruce, Londis, Rosie; NPLC”:
Wow! The value of CHE increases daily as history is remembered and archived here.
Haven’t seen a lot of photos of NPLC!
Lou, Lisa, and I lived right down the street in a house that Cliff Cunningham may have taken over after we moved in to Mod House with PENS, Paris, others…
It was a great North Park bungalow and we, sadly, destroyed it.
I want to learn more about the Renee Edgington/Laura Frasier feud … I just came across this exchange Mature Adults had with Dan McLain in Snare #3:
Suzi -- Then you have the promoters, I won’t mention names, not co-ordinating things
Marc -- We should Lock Renee and Laura in a room and sell tickets to watch ’em fight. (Snort, chuckle)
Did this ever settle down? 🙂
The two tickets for the NPLC pictured here were from my collection.
I traded them to Jon along with some from the Skeleton Club tix and a few posters also pictured on his site (Cramps @ NPLC [color], BB King @ The Palace, Ramona Love-In)
http://www.sandiegoconcertarchive.com/tickets.html
http://www.sandiegoconcertarchive.com/ephemera/posters80s-02.html
Oops -- the Pop/Pens tix was from the Roxy Theatre show…
Renee and Matt were two of my best friends ever. I met them while doing my “shooting Gallery” art benefits for clean needles now. I was one of the the original four founders of CNN. The brick bldg in the background on the video above is the bar I owned in Hollywood called The Opium Den.
I own several of her art collective, “Powers of Desire”, art pieces which I totally treasure.
Renee changed my life, artistically and politically, forever. I miss her all the time and there are so many days and nights in my life when I wanted her in my life to help me and guide me in troubled times.
I went back to school a few years ago and last year, at the age of 46, I was accepted to attend the University of California Berkeley. I am studying Sociology with an emphasis on infectious disease. I know Renee would be so proud of me.
I miss her everyday.
-- Joshua Patrick Wells
Yeah, that JESUS AND MARY CHAIN show was somethin’ else! They played for 25 minutes with their backs to the audience, and the tickets had to be in the $7 to $10 range. I don’t remember seeing the TTHearts play, but I was probably drinking in the parking lot with Dave Dick & Co., or something similar…
Reading this brings back alot of memories. I used to run the North Park Lion’s Club during it’s heyday. I was not into this type of music, but, I remember Laura and Renee and Tim quite well. I have to say I made a lot of money for the time and it was worth all of the mess that went along with the job. It was an education for sure.The Lion’s Club members told me to not do it anymore and then asked me to leave the premises. I used to live in the little house in the back. I am surprised to read that the concerts continued for awhile after I no longer managed the place. My son was just a toddler back then and I am now a Grandmother of three. How time flies!!
I was close friends with Renee during that time and remember Karen well, and your son. We all thought you were very cool to support the scene. The flyers shown on this page (except the One by Gary Panter) i made with Letraset and old school graphics. I still have the original art. The last time i saw Renee was at my first wedding in 1983.
Just saw this today about her life. Looked because she was in a dream last night.
Steven Schneider
In the movie Closer, about Joy Division, Ian killed himself just before the US tour. In the movie the itinerary including San Diego is shown. Renee booked that tour at the Lion’s Club. I clearly recall receiving the news that ian had committed suicide. It would have taken the scene to a new height. We missed something there.
Steven Schneider
SHARK PRODUCTIONS AT THE NORTH PARK LIONS CLUB
1980
December 22, 1979, Saturday
The Bags, Suburban Lawns, Eddie and the Subtitles, Phillippe LeShark
January 12, 1980, Saturday
The Crowd, The Blasters, The Klan, Angry Samoans
January 26, 1980, Saturday
B-People, Human Hands, Monitor, Non
February 19, 1980, Tuesday (with KMC, Tony Kampmann)
XTC, Wazmo Nariz
February 23, 1980, Saturday
Rubber City Rebels, The Adaptors, The Upbeats, The Standbys
March 1, 1980, Saturday
The Last, Black Flag, The Urinals
March 15, 1980, Saturday
The Bags, The Gears, The Verves
March 29, 1980, Saturday (With KMC)
Cherie and Marie Currie, Rick Elias Band
April 4, 1980, Friday
X, The Crowd, The Blasters
(First San Diego appearance of X)
May 8, 1980, Thursday
The Cramps, Human Hands
June, 1980
Joy Division, canceled tour due to death of Ian Curtis
LA dates were from June 5th to 10th
July 4, 1980, Friday (with fireworks!)
Dead Kennedys, Flipper, Buffy’s Ghost (with Pat Bag)