Welcome to the Crazy World of Rikki X & Rock N' Roll!!!
The Beginning PT.1
I am in my mid-30's...but many people say I don't look it (or act it). I'm obsessed with Rock N' Roll ( and I'm not talking about 70's/80's MOR/ AOR Bullshit!!! I love the dangerous, self destruction blues, Gutter Rock variety. It all started way back in '80, when I was an inquisitive, creative, but hyperactive Kid (around 9). I was watching a show on cable called Video Concert Hall over my lil' brother's friends house. I saw videos of Gary Numan's "Cars", Boomtown rats "I donj't like Mondays", Iggy Pop's "I'm Bored", The Cramps "Garbage Man", and The Rolling Stones "Emotional Rescue". I fell in love with the images, the music, and the attitude. In' 81 I never cared for the lame bands like REO Speedwagon, Styx (except fot Renegade and MR. Roboto), Kansas, Boston, and shit like that!!!!! I hated that crap, because when I was like 10-12 you would catch me with my little portable radio tuning into the the local K-15 (where i'd here locals like Blue Shoes, The Jetzons, Billy Clone & the Same, Killer Pussy, and Alice Cooper "Clones" would get played. Also getting into New Wave & Punk like The Cars, The Clash, B-52's, The Ramones, Generation X/ Billy Idol, Adam & The Ants, Lords of the New Church, Ultravox, Siouxie & The Banshees, Loverboy, The Fixx, INXS, and The Pretenders from MTV. In '82-'84. I was lucky to get into Punk bands like Fear, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, TSOL, Christian Death, The Adolescents, Angery Samoans, The Misfits, DOA, and X. all from 5 sources , my friends like Mark Bader. New Wave Theater om USA'a Night Flight, Trouser Press (New Wave/ Punk), Creem Magazine, & Action Now (Skate/Surf culture magazine), and Jonatham L's late niight radio show on The Storm I think. Oh yeah, in '81 when my family took us kids to Disneyland I bought a Rodney On the Roq LP and Tape. I even saw a flyer for this new band with a very outrageous look called Motley Crue.at the record store in Anaheim. A year and a half later I would buy Too Fast For Love and loving it!!!!!!
I then started hanging out with my older cousin Denny. We would skate or ride BMX bikes all around the Mesa area. He first introduced me to REAL Heavy Metal at the time to Judas Priest, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard, Coney Hatch, Legs Diamond, Tank, Surgical Steel, The Schoolboys (locals), Accept, Krokus, and any bands with studded, bulletbelts, leather, japanese/tiger/ leopard print tee's, and long hair. Mind you this was the more commercial version of what commonly known as New Wave of British Heavy Metal ( even though some of these bands were European or Canadian). We would drive to record stores like Roads to Moscow , Tower Records, and Zia's (on Mill Ave. back then). I was in Heaven, man. Records by bands I never knew existed like Heavy Metal Kids (I never bought until 20 years later...they looked to early 70's for my tastes), The Stooges, NY Dolls, The Dictators, and Dead Boys. But back in '82-83. I was buying bands like Motley Crue, Motorhead, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, Lords of The New Church, Girl, TRASH (Sweden), Thin Lizzy (Renegade & Thunder and Lightning), Anvil, Def Leppard (first 3 only!!!), and Accept. One afternoon after school I was with my brother Scotty at The Tower Records at Mill Ave. & University (Downtown Tempe, AZ.), and we were in the Heavy Metal Import section where Tank, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Pretty Maids, Heavy Pettin, Satans Jokers, TRUST, Siverwing, Roxx, and Wrathchild all were stuffed in a a crammmed area about 10 feet long. I saw this Bright Yellowish record album (yes kids, there were real records back then), with a strange picture of this band of guys in femme thrift store vintage clothing , full make up, with scarves and bangles, (nothing like Motley Crue, Ratt, or Dokken did in '82). This was the album that would change my life FOREVER!!! Itwas Self Destruction Blues by HANOI ROCKS!!!!! I came home with the $9.99 LP), and put it on my turntable and freaked out at the entycing strange Rock N" Roll sounds eminatting from the Stereo consule. It was kinds Punk like The Clash, Ramones, and Generation x, Glam Rock like Bowie, T.Rex, and mott The Hoople, Power Pop like Cheap Trick, a touch of Reggae< Funk, and New Wave, and the swagger and gutter blues of mid period Rolling Stones. But at the time I only saw David Johanssen doing We gotta get outta of this place (The Animals tune) on a MYV New years special, nut never heard the NY Dolls back then. Also Iggy, Dead Boys (even thiough I liked The Lords), and MC5. all BIG influences for this impossible strange, but gorgeous Rock N' Roll band in the early 80's. I was a straight lil' kid 12, bought I found Michael Monroe oddly attactive and interesting. When I turned 15 I started to waer tight black jean , and grow my hair out from a mullet to all one length, and wear earrings and bangles so I could look like Andy & Nasty Suicide or Ramones or He;; even KIX'x look was a huge influence on me. I bought 2 records Kix & Cool Kids. GREAT BAND!!!!
(Coming soon) The Glam & Speed/ ThrashMetal Years Part 2
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