O’Banion’s, the punk club where ‘Special Affect’ cut their teeth, is holding it’s 11th Reunion at Club Foot in Chicago on Saturday, June 10th. Lot’s of late 70’s and early 80’s Chicago scenesters, including people from the Wax Trax! store, etc. are usually in attendance.
Last year, there were musical performances at The Note in Wicker Park the Friday night before. “The Effigies” (the band that inspired the song ‘Effigy’) were the headliners last year and are rumored to be playing again this year.
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“The Effigies” (the band that inspired the song ‘Effigy’) were the headliners last year and are rumored to be playing again this year.
Hah! No kidding? care to elaborate?[/reply]
I don’t think it was based on any particular incident. Just one of those friendly “my band is better than your band” face-offs. It might have been that Al was mistaken for Effigies singer John Kedzy and wrote a song about it. It was pretty innocent. There was no bad blood between the bands or anything.
I do recall John Kedzy getting up onstage with Ministry at the New Music Seminar at the Ritz in NY and singing along with Al at the mic during the choruses once. Everyone was laughing and having a good time.
That’s great! I always thought that song was a little odd just taken at face value, so now it’s good to know there’s a little more of a story (and an in-joke) behind it.
I thought the rumor mill always suggested that with that particular song Al was trying to say (somewhat subtly) “I’m not an F-A-G” and give Arista a fat middle finger for making him take the album in a ‘poppier’ direction.
Wempathy, any insight/comments on that particular theory? Also, do ya think he is he talking about Boston “…I’m walking this stinkin’ town, I look up at the buildings and they get me down” or is that just a generic lyrical sequence?
I thought the rumor mill always suggested that with that particular song Al was trying to say (somewhat subtly) “I’m not an F-A-G” and give Arista a fat middle finger for making him take the album in a ‘poppier’ direction.
Wempathy, any insight/comments on that particular theory? Also, do ya think he is he talking about Boston “…I’m walking this stinkin’ town, I look up at the buildings and they get me down” or is that just a generic lyrical sequence?
‘Effigy’ was written and was a staple of the Ministry live show well before Arista ever showed any interest in the band. So I guess it had nothing at all to do with them. Them being Arista. As far as the F-A-G wordplay is concerned, well, I don’t think that’s true…I don’t think there was any homophobia ever in the band at least then there wasn’t. I mean, the two people who supported the band the most to that point were Jim Nash and Danny Flescher, a gay couple. I do remember some band members making a joke about the lyrics by singing “It’s not in F or G”, a reference to the musical key in which the song was written. BTW, it’s in E minor.
On your second point…I’m pretty sure that ‘this stinking town’ is a reference to Chicago, not Boston. Chicago definitly has a “big building” feel about it. Much moreso than Boston. But it’s not meant to be taken literally that Chicago ‘get’s Al down’. It’s really more about the mood of the main character. I mean, just cause Al sung it, doesn’t necessarily mean that Al himself feels that way. It’s just the character in the song that does. At least in this particular instance.
O’Banion’s, the punk club where ‘Special Affect’ cut their teeth, is holding it’s 11th Reunion at Club Foot in Chicago on Saturday, June 10th. Lot’s of late 70’s and early 80’s Chicago scenesters, including people from the Wax Trax! store, etc. are usually in attendance.
Does Al himself ever attend these “reunions”? If so, let’s get him on stage with Bob, JD, and Stevo to belt out a few classics!!
Does Al himself ever attend these “reunions”? If so, let’s get him on stage with Bob, JD, and Stevo to belt out a few classics!!
I’ve been to a few of these reunions and have never seen Al, or Stevo, or JD.
Last year, Bob, or Rob as he goes by was at the live portion as was Paul Taylor, the founding member who had to quit before the first show because he became ill. A band called ‘Vendooza’, which Rob was playing in until about a year ago played last year, without him. A couple of the guys in Vendooza were in a band called “TuTu & the Pirates” which was one of the first punk bands in Chicago. They’re kind of a cartoon/punk band, like the Ramones or something. I remember the bass player had a bass that looked like a toilet seat, etc…
you know, there’s a guy who was into photography and chicago in those days, he has stories about the early 80’s bars here (also has pics of Al)::: http://kmier.net/mixed/punks1.html
you know, there’s a guy who was into photography and chicago in those days, he has stories about the early 80’s bars here (also has pics of Al)::: http://kmier.net/mixed/punks1.html
Paul looked great. He had a nice young woman with him and was very cordial. I’m not sure what he’s been up to but he looked like he had hardly aged at all.
I’ve been to that site (kmier.net/mixed/punks1.html) before. The picture of the “Al” isn’t AJ. It’s some other guy. I know a lot of the people in the other photos. Roseanne, Max Grey, and Frankie, etc. I kinda remember the photographer too. I’ll have to look for him at the reunion.