(Miss Kristi Maddocks goes from crayons to perfume.)
It is not quite as dramatic as turning from the living to the undead, but each of us hipsters had a point in our youth where we were bitten by the bug of the underground.
This photo is a time capsule. It was taken early in the summer of 1980 and captures me on the verge of change. By this time I was attending shows at thr Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Distillery East. I obviously still had long hair, which was deemed very uncool by the punk girls, who used to try to cut it when I was at the big shows.
I sewed the dress myself, replete with zippers and feathers, a design visibly influenced by the savagery of Adam & The Ants! I wore torn tights and short, high-heeled boots with this charming ensemble — a style that is popular in high fashion today! Notice my friend Carol Kelley, who was a real instigator — her hair in a mullet, with black-and-white, vertical-striped Dolphin shorts.
My, were we a pair! We couldn’t even drive yet!
What did your turning point look like?
— Kristi Maddocks
Kristi, that’s a great picture. Unfortunately, I don’t have many pictures of my earlier self to share. I don’t know if I actually had a turning point when we were hanging out in San Diego. I think I was kind of stuck between the worlds of old school rockers (the Led Zeppelin kind) and new wave/post punk. I had a mullet, but not the kind Dog the Bounty Hunter wears. It was all long except the bangs, sort of half nu ro/half rock ‘n’ roll. I went to punk shows, but I would wear things like a frilly black shirt with black trousers I had turned into peg legs with my mother’s sewing machine. I remember some of the punk girls thought my look was interesting, but the guys not so much so.
Before:
After:
Man- I had a really great photo of me after going with practically no sleep for six months or a year- weighing in at way less than healthy, unhealthy pale skin, mohawk, torn shirt held together with safety pins, mirrored john lennon glasses- if I could find that the juxtaposition would be outstanding.
OK, OK: Todd Barker (left) and me … Must be my freshman year at San Dieguito, 1978:
Those are my gym clothes in that bag.
Simon: Did you just call me a “doughy nerdboy”?? LOL
Listen, folks … Comments are all broken again on the blog. The elves are scrambling in the tree to turn ’em back on for every post, but … Patience, please!
No, no, no! I’m the doughy nerdboy. I didn’t call you anything, but a saint. I better stop posting until I can stop accidentally insulting everybody. I meant well. I always mean well…
Simon, my dear! Just teasin’ ’cause it fits! 🙂
Not only was I doughy and nerdy, followers of this site know I was a theater geek who did … magic tricks.
(Do I have to whip out my balls again? They’re foam rubber, and I believe I can still make them disappear.)
Turning point:
Crawdaddys play at International Blend, and move into the end of the set with Ray Charles: “Tell the Truth”. The ‘stage’ was only 10″ high -- so Ron Silva can actually hear that I’m singing along, and know every word. He pops the mike stand in front of me to squeak out the wind-up; “You know ya… You know you oughtta… Stop Lying! And tell the truth, little girl. Whattabout that man you’re with last night?” Probably a different Jerry after that.
Turning point:
Jeff came back from his tour of L.A.’s darkside, to again join the regrouped Answers. We spent a lot of time stranded in Mira Mesa, talking ’bout music we liked and what wasn’t being made. I started penning my first lyrics -- unfettered by trying to ape a Jimmy Reed or Kinks tune. I can recall the first third of the very first one -- scratched out in my sublet around 1 AM. It’s not deathless pop! The Girl in Mind:
Well there’s two girls
And one’s inside my head
I hope that you’re like her
And say what that girl said --
That’s what she said,
That’s what the girl in mind said
I’d overdosed on Rubber Soul/Yesterday../Revolver that week -- She said, you don’t understand what I said, Rain, I don’t mind.
The things that stick with you…
Lou Skum sent me this vintage beefcake from 1975 to 1980 … I’ll include it in this thread and the Injections thread:
hard days night at the ken 1981. two rows up from carl rusk and ron silva. i went with shawna. we got all excited b/c, well, duh, they looked like the beatles! so we started talking to them and became friends. got invited to a show that weekend and i stayed at the davises. we went to our first show at kings road and fell madly in love with the idea of being part of that life. i remember feeling like i was home. i was all of 13.
jody and i did a lot of photography and shawna and i did a lot of thrifting and music hunting. we did our hair so much i am surprised i still have any. i wish i still had some of those clothes and shoes. such cool things at dav and the downtown goodwill. red barn. bargain center.
what pat said about the making real friends with a common cause rings true for me, too.
in the fifth grade at chollas elementry i witnessed three six-graders performing dance in costumes to the record the clones of dr funkenstien .
in 1980 while the white guys i knew were hearing judist priest and iron maiden -- others were into boston and styx- and black kids were into the sugarhill gang and prince- the vatos in my hood were still listening to oldies: doo-wap, soul ballads and tear-jerkers.
that chicano experience
gave me permission to ravage my uncle’s closet
there i found
john lee hookers boogie chillin and
englands newest hitmakers the rolling stones
went mod style in last year of high school
it was cool
but something was missing
then as a graduation present
a fellow doors fan
gave me a copy of
love’s
forever changes
that changed my perspective
and i will always value
being hip
with my moccasins and fringe coat
Nice image of you in your fringe mocassins & your Love record Louie. Your a handsome guy regardless what costume you wear!
Now that we are all about to reconnect once again in San Diego, for The Che Underground Showcase Two (or; The Winter Che Games at The Casbah on January 30th)…I thought it might be a nice time to kick up the dust on this old thread and give folks a chance to share some photos of how they looked when they first “CHANGED”…into a mod, punk, psyche…whatever! Give us your best shots!
Ohhhhhhh, I may regret this … Ca. 1980:
Note Mr. Rives on bass beside the water heater.
Awesome photo!
Is that the lineup of LHOOQ??
and is that Wendel in the right corner?
>>and is that Wendel in the right corner?
Dave: I was wondering the same thing … The photo’s from the collection of his older brother Hannes (who probably shot it from behind the keyboard).
Yeah, LHOOQ. At 15, it counts as a juvenile offense; my record has been expunged! 🙂