Beat Me, Beat Me

 Marilyn Manson. I was never a fan. I found the guy articulate. Intelligent. But edgy? Dangerous? Controversial? Exciting? Only if you grew up in the suburbs. Or were Christian. His whole act seemed just like shock theatre aimed at a very specific audience. He did it well. It worked. But it was hardly shocking to anyone who was paying attention.

Now it is all kind of falling apart. Accusation after accusation is coming out. The tall, decidedly more bloated, shock star is being painted as an abuser of women and men. Television shows are dropping him. His manager and label have kicked him to the curb. It is all quite shocking in much the same way Manson was, which is to say not at all.

The allegations have been around for a quarter of a century. Some were mere hints. Others claims were more outright. In the era of #MeToo, though, it's harder to dismiss these claims, which Manson himself calls "horrible distortions of reality." This from a man who made it his job to horribly distort reality. It is as ironic as it is tragic.  

I'm not taking pleasure in Manson's downfall. He never mattered that much to me. His music was background and not a soundtrack to my life. I have plenty of friends who thought he was a genius . . . and maybe he is. A genius can still abuse women. If Einstein was putting cigarettes out on a girl's nipple, though, that would be surprising. The shit Manson has been accused of? Not surprising at all.

I will be the first to admit that Manson may be correct to say it is a horrible distortion of reality. That these accusations are baseless. After all, he is about the easiest target for these accusations. It's easy to paint him guilty without a trial and nobody would really care all that much. But . . . there's enough smoke to indicate fire. There are enough claims to take the accusations seriously. Was it a consensual relationship that now seems abusive, but was not at the time? Was it always abuse? Are the claims baseless? I don't know. 

Guilty or not, his career is done. The Manson people love and admire can be no more. Guilty or not, he is now on a defensive that he probably can't defend. At this point, the outs seem to be fade into obscurity or suicide. Hard to say which way he'll go. But I do know one thing. I won't care either way.

Mr. Mojo Rising

I give music far more credit than it sometimes deserves. I've said it can do everything from cause joy to cure cancer. All hyperbole ... until now. I've just run across a release that has inspired me to write one hell of a terrifying story, and it is all thanks to the music of the Bad Mojos.

Few bands ... no ... no band I know of has ever said that it was inspired by GG Allin and Mahatma Gandhi, but it is a claim made by the Bad Mojos. This Switzerland-based trio who play some lo-fi punk rock may or may not be sincere about it, but they say it and that is all that counts. So how did all this inspire terror?

I was traveling 101 South and listening to the band's I Hope You OD. The song, though it doesn't matter because it was the mood the entire CD was setting that caused this, was "I Wanna Be Dead." It's a pretty standard song title, and the band's sound makes it fit right at home on its label, Voodoo Rhythm Records, but there was something in the air that day. Something that made this release trigger an odd thought in my brain that no other CD has done. I started thinking of a scenario so creepy, so Lovecraftian (this should be a real word by now), so terrifying that it started to freak me out.

I'll be giving the band an appearance in the story, that is for sure. Will the story scare you like the idea did me? I don't know, but I think so. All I know is I could go on and talk about the band's punk sound and so on and so forth, but the fact that it inspired this idea for a story is far more important and interesting to me. If you want to perhaps experience the same thing, try driving down a highway along a bay on a cloudy day and watch the birds in the sky as you listen to "I Wanna Be Dead." Your results, of course, may vary.

Legalize Murder

After a hard day at the office, there's nothing I like more than a little GG Allin and Bulge.  It's not everyone's favorite backing band for Allin, but the Legalize Murder 7" is something I can get behind.

Released on Fudgeworthy Records, this delightful bit of blue vinyl is probably fairly sought after today.  I will not be parting with my copy, however.  I like it way too much.  And while only two of the three tracks are all that good, it is the title one that brings a smile to my face.  You see, when Allin sings, "So many people I want to kill," you can kind of feel where he's coming from.  One of the angriest most unstable musicians of all time singing about how he'll stick a knife in your chest or put a gun to your head may make the more cynical among you give a wink and a nod, and if any other singer would sing that, I'd be right there with you.  Remember, though, Allin did time for cutting a woman, drinking her blood and setting her on fire.  He was as out of control on the stage, too.  In other words, he sang what he believed.  It wasn't politically correct or even pleasant, but he did harbor a lot of anger, and it often came out in his songs.

Yes, I used to be right there with Allin, thinking people should be able to tag one a year like a deer, but the times have mellowed me.  What started as rage transformed into pity, and now it is indifference.  In other words, I wouldn't waste my time with people.  Instead, I'll just let fate have its way with them and do little to intervene.

As I was doing some work around the house this song was flitting through the air, materialized through the needle's connection with the wax grooves.  And as I was singing along, I pictured people glued to their sets waiting for that Doritos commercial they had heard so much about on the news.  I couldn't help but wonder what they would make of this song if popped up selling the new Prius or asking you to visit a site that would help the unemployed find work.  Would they be terrified?  Offended?  Numb?  Numb is probably right.  Sometimes, even calling for one's murder fails to elicit a reaction from well-controlled subjects.  The single is 21 years old, but it could've been made yesterday...

Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I bought this.  Do the same.

Letters from GG Allin 10

It's time for more GG Allin letter fun.  I keep finding these, and people seem to like them, so I'll continue until I run out of them.


Doug,

I got issue #6 and the m.o..  I'll be getting in touch w/my people on the outside to take of it.  Send #7 as soon as it's out.  Enclosed is a missing flyer for you to include in the next issue also.  Make copies and post the motherfuckers everywhere.  Fuck these pig bastards.

GG Allin 206045

I couldn't find the flyer online, and I don't feel ambitious enough to scan it here, but I did hang them up in various places, including at my factory job that I had at the time.  It prompted plenty of questions and helped solidify my insanity in management's eyes.

Be Ready to Fucking Burn -- The GG Allin Interview

"I kill everything I fuck" -- "I Kill Everything I Fuck"

This interview was originally published in one of my 'zines and then was stolen by a glossy magazine, which no longer exists.  It is not my favorite interview I have ever done for several reasons.  First and foremost is because it was done through the mail.  At the time of this interview (1992), Allin was in prison, and all my phone calls with him were repeatedly cut short.  He and I both agreed that rather than break up an interview over several weeks (and possibly having to recap everything), it would be best to do it via the mail.  The second reason was because of his answers.  Granted, my questions are not the best.  It is far easier to interview someone when you are working off an actual conversation (and our conversations, as one could imagine, were pretty varied in topic).  Instead, I had to think of questions that I hoped he would give interesting answers to.  If you ever listened to Allin speak, a lot of what he said was the same thing over and over.  His usual cliches came out with almost every question, and that is the case here as well.  I think we are both to blame for that one.

You'll notice that one of the questions I asked was about Allin's feelings toward Nazi skinheads.  There was a reason for this.  When I first heard of Allin it was through some white power skinheads I knew.  They hated him, and they were planning a mission to kill him at a show in New York.  I figured anyone who got them that riled up had to be worth looking into.  I was right.  Enjoy a decidedly lame interview, conducted via mail while Allin was in prison in 1992.  (If you've never read or listened to one of his interviews, you may actually find this interesting as an examination of danger personified.)

Doug:  What are you in prison for?

"Watch me kill the Boston Girl" -- "Watch Me Kill"

GG:  Because of the war I have waged against society through my rock 'n' roll mission.  Because I can generate my own visions and live by my own fucking laws.  They fear the realities in which I live because I am in touch with my inner demons and run wild with them without fear.  They know I'm the real motherfucking nonconformist that cannot be bought and sold.  Not a puppet of the industry.  I'm the real one man army warrior.  That's the bottom line as to why I am in prison.

Doug:  Why did you go on Geraldo?

GG:  Geraldo's producer called for us to be on the show.  I went on to say what I had to fucking say.  I don't change for anybody.  But I knew my appearance would piss off a lot of people, so that's why I went on.  When you see the show, you'll know what I mean.

Doug:  What do you think of Nazi skins?

GG:  I believe in the alliance of violence.  I take from the left and of the right and use whoever I have to use to get where I have to go.  My only concern is w/myself and my own mission.  Your [sic] either part of it, or your [sic] the fucking enemy.

Doug:  What gave you your ideas?  What made you you?

GG:  My fucking chaotic life and desires of lawlessness.

Doug:  Why hasn't anyone killed you yet?  Enough people hate you.

GG:  I have had threats on my life for the past 10-15 years.  But I'm still out there in the battle zone.  Most people are all fucking talk.  So if anyone tells you they plan on killing me tell them I'll see them on the road in '93.  I'll fucking be ready.  Will they?

"My demons lay beside me as I kiss them one by one" -- "Son of Evil"

Doug:  Whatever happened to that girl you set fire to?  Was that true?

GG:  Yes and who gives a fuck what happened to that useless cunt?  You play with GG Allin and put yourself on the GG Allin altar, then you better be ready to fucking burn with the master of diabolical deeds.

Doug:  Explain your mission.

GG:  Revolution.  Destroy those in the power seats.  Destroy those who are trying to institutionalize rock 'n' roll.  I want to return the rock 'n' roll underground to its original purpose: to be a dangerous threat to society and [illegible] and a terrorism towards morals and values that are forced upon us by our legal system and those who try and brainwash us from birth.  Destroy r 'n' r as it now stands and rebuild it in the name of GG Allin.

Doug:  What are your plans once you are released?

GG:  Revenge.  To take the GG Allin mission back on the road and to the streets.  To create havok [sic], chaos, violence, destruction.  A war if you will.  The blood must be spilled in the name of the GG All R 'n' R Revolution.  It has to be fucking real.

Doug:  Explain some of your sexual adventures.

GG:  There are way to [sic] many to get into.

"I'm here to wipe you out" -- "Fuck Off, We Murder"

Doug:  Who will be the next band you perform with?

GG:  The Murder Junkies.

Doug:  Are you still planning the suicide?

GG:  When I am released [the] final date will be set up.  But first I have to create my alliance.  All battles must be fought.  When the time is right, then I will take my life my own way.

Doug:  Most fucked up incident to happen to you?

GG:  Nothing to me is a fucked up incident.  Everything that happens to me just makes me stronger.  I seek tragic situations.  I accelerate danger.  I put myself through torture every fucking day.  That's why I can face any situation I am confronted with.

Doug:  Last words ...

GG:  It's time to fucking wake up and realize that my mission is the only fucking real rock 'n' roll mission that really does matter.  If we are to remain the true nonconformists rebels that our government seeks to destroy, we must be willing to stand up and fight.  It's better to die standing up than to live on your knees. -- GG Allin 206045

Letters from GG Allin 9

Another letter from the rock 'n' roll terrorist, GG Allin.  You may notice that in the opening of the letter he asks for some money for "Geraldo."  The "Geraldo" in question was the one who now has a show on Fox.  I had wanted a copy of the show Allin appeared on.  I did actually send money while Allin was in prison, and I never got the tape.  When Allin got out I asked him about it, and he told me that his brother, Merle, had probably just took the money.  Then he told me he would make a copy of it that weekend.  Unfortunately, death took him before that happened.  No matter.  He would've forgot anyway.

Doug,

If you want Geraldo, send some money ... if you want to do the interview -- send the questions ... but only if you are serious about putting it out.

Your friend sounds like one stupid fuck who has lived a very shallow life.  Ozzy is nothing but a fucking pussy assed family man dork phoney.  What a fucking moron.

Also-don't send a tape.  They won't let it in.  No tapes allowed in prison.  Wait until I get out.  I do like what you represent.  Sex, violence, political assassination.

Legalize Murder,

GG Allin

The friend in question had sad Ozzy was far more outrageous and that Allin was a "pussy."  I tried to point out dozens of ways Allin had Ozzy beat, but Allin's antics were so outrageous that my friend couldn't comprehend it.  As for the Geraldo bit ... it's on YouTube.

Letters from GG Allin 8

More letters from the man, the myth, the guy who bled everywhere ... GG "I Will Not Act Civilized" Allin.  Always fun.



Doug,

Got the article.

Mykel may or may not respond to you, but your best bet is to include a SASE.  I do still correspond with him occassionally, but not as often as I had in the past.  But we are still both very much in contact when we are in the same area.

The comp. idea sounds cool.  No objections on this end as long as it's put together right.  Try and find as many diff styles of torturous individuals + bands, etc..  Like maybe a fucking violin version of of "Drink Fight + Fuck" etc..  You get the picture.  Instead of bands trying to copy it the way it is on the records.  Let me know how it comes about.  Send #7 as soon as it's out.

GG Allin 206045


As you readers know, the compilation never came out.  We did get a few bands sending us stuff, and some of it was quite interesting.  Allin's death derailed the project, however.  I was not into the idea of looking like I was exploiting his death.

Letters from GG Allin 7

Here's a long letter from rock 'n' roll terrorist GG Allin, which came on stationary reading, "GG Allin From His Cell At Jackson State Prison."  At the bottom of the page it read, "Murder Junkies The World's Most Out-Ragious R&R Band."  I have edited out the name of the 'zine Allin tells me to send my 'zine to simply because I did send it, and they ripped off some of my interview without giving me credit.  (In the 'zine's defense, it also published a piece of mine, but not giving me credit kind of pissed me off.)  Enjoy the letter.


Doug,

Send a copy of the 'zine to [not worth mentioning].  It's a very well distr. mag. that reviews 'zines etc...

Also-- I am not sending you the address to performance just yet.  It is much to soon to approach them on this project.  You should not approach them until the project is almost finished.  Because they will want some proof of your seriousness.  The time must be right.  They are also in the process of releasing 2 CD's of mine in the next couple of months .. so the best time to get with them would be summer or fall.. It will more than likely take that much time to compile all of the material.  Let me know how it goes..

GG Allin 206045

[Addresses to reach him at after his release.]

The zine was fucking cool.. I just got it..


The project he was referring to was a music project we were working on.  His death ended the project as far as I was concerned, as I feared putting it out would make it look like I was exploiting him, and that was definitely not part of the plan.  I'm sure it would've made money, but I'm no vulture.

Letters from GG Allin 6

This letter came with a bunch of photocopied pictures, many of them signed by Allin.  One in particular, which I am too lazy to scan or I would, featured him sans pants standing on a Nazi flag and humping a statue of Jesus.  I think Disney is using that for a DVD cover or something.  Here's the letter, where Allin continues to rant against those who would dare question his loyalty to the rock 'n' roll mission.


Doug,

You tell those motherfucking non-believers to come to one of my shows.. Then they will understand just how fucking brutal of a reality I live in..  They live in a very 
[word is inked out] tight shell.. When they get close to me I'll break that fucking shell wide open.. So keep pissing them off.. Support the only real rock n roll mission that really does matter..  I'm in prison because our society cannot control my non-conformist R+R revolution... They never fucking will..  I'll be out in early 93..  Then I'll get my revenge.. Im [sic] unstoppable..

GG Allin 206045

PS. They don't let tapes in.. I can only receive money orders in any amount.. M.O. must include both my name and prison # Allin-206045.. If you want a copy of the Geraldo tape I can get it for you...


I did actually want a copy of that tape, and sent Allin some money for it.  He forwarded the money to Merle, his brother, and I never saw the tape.  Do I care?  Hell no!  I got a pic of Allin humping a Jesus statue while standing on a swastika.  Duh.  Who is the winner there?

Great Quotes from a GG Allin Press Release

As I was going through my papers, I found this three page press release for his next album.  (According to the end of the release, "GG Allin's new LP recorded in New York City, NY with the Murder Junkies to be announced soon [handwritten] is his first studio recording of all new material released in America since 1989.  Available on TBA soon [handwritten] Records. 

Here are some of the great quotes, which I think summed up GG Allin and his music pretty damn well.

"There is nothing anybody can do to shake up the underground anymore ... unless you are GG Allin who shits on stage and attacks women."  - Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth

"Allin says he leads the most violent rock 'n' roll band in the country.  We both agree that Allin's actions and lifestyle are among the most bizarre we have come across in decades of police work."  - Frank Hoy and Mary Smith, police detectives

"When it was too late, I realized my fate could have well been death." - GG Allin assault victim

"I've worked many murder cases, but this kind of behavior really sickens me." - anonymous New York City police officer

"Fights broke out, three people arrested and a near riot.  I blame GG Allin." - Lt. Bill Crook

"Mr. Allin's performance is a crime and the Constitution in this country does not save him.  Mr. Allin crossed the line in this performance." - Attorney Michael Steinhafel, prosecutor

"Failure to abide by the conditions of his parole and in lieu of the nature of his arrests in Florida and Texas (on stage) the parole board concluded that Mr. Allin is a risk to society at this time.  Maximum penalty suggested." -Michigan Department of Corrections

Who has picked up the mantle these days?  Nobody that I can think of.  Ah, the good ol' days ...

Letters from GG Allin 5

Once again, I present more letters from the late, great GG Allin.  This one came on the back of his Michigan Department of Correction Certificate of Discharge/Termination of Sentence paper.  Signed by the warden on 2/13/93.  This was an actual discharge and not a termination of sentence. 

Allin's letter references "Brad."  Brad was a co-worker who told me he didn't think Allin was that tough or that extreme.  In fact, Brad thought Ozzy Osbourne was far more extreme.  Obviously Brad never came face-to-face with Allin.  When I showed Brad Allin's response (below), the universal reaction around work was that of fear.  They were afraid GG was a-comin' and wanted to know why I would do such a thing to Brad.  Brad was a bit scared, too, despite the fact that he had previously said Allin wasn't a bad ass.  Enjoy.  It's short, but sweet.


Doug

Tell Brad I'll take him on any place any fucking time..  I'll fip his fucking face off the spineless pussy.. I'll be at Merle's after April 10th.

GG Allin


Merle, as many people know, is Allin's brother.  I was going to scan the letter here to show Allin's scrawl is even more outrageous than usual, but I figured the words would get the point across.  Allin never showed up at my job (I would've been fired on the spot), but I have no doubt that had he met Brad he would have knocked him the hell out.  Good times, good times.

Letters from GG Allin 4

Ironic.  I decided to listen to A Tribute to the Exploited: Punk's Not Dead while another reprint of a letter from GG Allin, who is very much dead.  The letter, long by Allin's standards, came to me from prison on the back of flier for the upcoming (at the time) film Hated.  If you haven't seen Hated I highly recommend it.  It may offend, but it is a fascinating look into a mind such as Allin's.  Without further rambling ...


Doug,

Can't think of any bands to recommend for the comp.. Most of the bands I know have already done versions of my material.. I want bands that nobody has heard of or at least very unpopular bands.  I want it to be fucking brutal noisy and hate filled mutilation of the senses.. If you run the ad in MRR, you should run it more than once.

Hated is due for its premier showing in Jan in NYC..

It will not be available to the public for quite a while.. Todd plans in possibly taking it on the road to film festivals, etc..

Send #7 when its printed. Put-from publisher on the envelope.  I'll see what I can come up w/for #8. 

GG Allin
206145

Tell those simp [?] people to fuck themselves.  Real R+R is suppose to leave a bad taste and a dagger in your fucking gut...


I couldn't agree more with Allin on what real rock 'n' roll should do.  If he could see what was being presented as rebellion these days he would go on the attack instantly.  If anything, the present music scene is even more watered down and has very little to offer someone looking for something truly thought provoking. 

I Was a Murder Junkie: Waking Up With GG Allin

I like to fall asleep listening to music.  I put the Bose on low, set the sleep timer and then try to drift off.  The other day I was listening to the CD that came with the book I Was a Murder Junkie: The Last Days of GG Allin.  It had been a long time since I had listened to it.  I had forgotten what it had.

The first song is an acoustic ode to the love of the weed Humboldt is famous for.  That is when I started to fall asleep.  A short while later I was awakened in a state of terror, reaching for my knife ...

If you've never heard the CD, it's a few acoustic songs and some interviews with Allin, the Murder Junkies and the author of the book.  Well, not interviews by the normal definition of the word, but radio appearances and whatnot.  If you've never heard Allin speak, imagine a voice turned gravel by years of hard living, alcohol and guttural screams for the audiences throughout the country. 

What I woke up to was the radio show appearance where Allin and crew were being their charming best ... just inches from my ear.  Yeah, I freaked.  My hand went right under my bed and pulled out my knife, which I got from a since-deceased biker whom I'm sure put it in at least one person.  The blade is long enough that if I stuck it in your neck it would come out the other side with plenty of metal to spare.  It is intimidating, which is what I wanted because I was convinced psychopaths had made their way into my room.

The moral of this story is: Don't listen to GG Allin talk while you are trying to sleep.  You'll wake up paranoid and ready for violence ... which is just how he would have wanted it.

Letters from GG Allin 3

This letter came on a standard piece of notebook paper.  GG didn't seem to care too much about keeping on the lines.  I don't know what set him off this time, but here is what he wrote.


Doug,

No you didn't piss me off, and it's no fucking rock star trip ... Come on motherfucker you ought to know me a bit better than that.  I've been busy with the book, the tour, the LP, the film, but I'm down to my final days of this prison time so I just keep getting more and more fucking busy planning the Terror in America tour w/ the Murder Junkies and everything else.  I'm walking out into a fucking whirlwind of fire.  But I'm ready ... More than ready.  Call me at Merle's [I'm not reprinting the number here] after April 1st ... I'll fill you in on what's going down ...

GG Allin
206045

Letters From GG Allin 2

This postcard from GG Allin came to me while I lived in Quakertown, PA.  True to form, Allin forgot to put a stamp on it, so I had to pay for postage.  Oh, that scamp!


D -

Just got off the road... Lots of blood, violence + warrants' [sic] added to the list ... My new address is [xxxxxxx] Chicago, IL 60614

GG


Why the hell he picked this postcard I shall never know.

Letters From GG Allin 1

If you've been reading my other blogs you know that I've been publishing some interesting letters I've received over the years.  This is the first of many from GG Allin, the last dangerous musician.

Few of you immersed in the world of what passes as "rebellious" music these days have probably heard of Allin.  His on-stage antics were legendary back in the day, landing him AP stories, multiple arrests and appearances on a variety of shows, including one with Geraldo Rivera before he became a Fox stooge.  He billed himself as a rock 'n' roll terrorist, and he was.  Love him or hate him, he left an impression.

The letters I'll reprint are out of chronological order.  I apologize for that.  I don't have all the envelopes with the postmark dates on them.  This one came in 12/92.  Allin is either responding to a previous letter or a phone conversation we had ...


Doug,

Hated [sic] will have it's [sic] first showing in NYC in late Jan..

As far as a show in PA ... I did a show somewhere in Bethlehem PA [sic] back in 89 [sic], but I can't fucking remember where ... I know the cops showed up but I got away before they arrived.  It was a very chaotic event.  I remember the crowd chanting fuck the pigs [sic] at my demand -- and locking the doorway to the club so I could escape out the back door ... they bought me some time while holding the cops off ... I passed out in a bloody heap with some bitch named Linda in an alley until my band found me ...

Send #7 [of my 'zine] when its [sic] out -- one to me + one to Shrinkwrap.

GG Allin 206045 [Allin's prison ID number]


I believe Allin's brother, Merle, was trying to get me to book a PA show once Allin was released from prison.  I remember calling a few places and being flatly turned down (not surprising).  Good times.  Good times.

You Are Missed

Sixteen years ago. Right around this time. Got word of his death while in New Orleans. And while I don't agree with everything he's said, this is why I respect him.





How many of you could face a crowd and say the things he did without your voice trembling? He would have fought them all, too.

Long live, GG.

He's Still Dead!

With the amount of coverage given to it, you would think Mr. Jackson's death was another 9/11. Obviously it's not. It's just another dead musician with the stench of little boys' fear lingering over it ... something a lot of media have glossed over.

Granted, the Gloved One (shades of a proctologist ready to probe) was never convicted of placing pre-pubescent penises into his mouth or any other orifice. He reached a rather large settlement with one accuser in order to avoid a media fiasco like "O.J.," his words. For a man who has thrived on creating media spectacles, I guess that one was too much to take.

There could be truth to his assertions that he didn't want to be dragged through the mud like O.J.. There could be some truth to the fact that since he was a celebrity people would accuse him of anything. There could be some truth that his decidedly odd behavior and words about children could be misinterpreted. But it could also be true, and is in fact far more likely (a duck is a duck, after all), that he molested young boys. Fans of Jackson can ignore that, the media can ignore that (perhaps waiting for the inevitable backlash to examine further), but the man had been accused of it for so long by so many that one has to wonder.

Some of you are saying I'm a hypocrite. I've written positive words about GG Allin and mourned his death. There's a difference, though. GG Allin was open about who he was and what he did. The man who slept in the same bed as non-related children was not ... maybe.

I can't say for sure what went on in Neverland (strangely named as it is). But I'm sure somebody knows. If he is proven innocent, I'll be the first to apologize. He won't be, though, because it's impossible at this point. Just as some people wouldn't believe he molested boys even if they saw a video of it.

If you look at the psychology of a lot of male molesters of boys, you will see some of the same behaviors in Jackson. Surrounded himself with boys. Never seemed to grow up. Related better to children. The list goes on.

And the parents who let their children stay over at his mansion are just as guilty.

Jackson is still dead, and the heartfelt (if talentless) tributes continue ... and will for some time. I personally don't care one way or another. Jackson had zero effect on my life. For several million people, however, those with surprising absences of memory, they are spending their days moonwalking and reminiscing about how they lost their virginity to "Billie Jean."

I'm sure their not the only ones. They were probably of legal age, however.

A Dark Side

My friends know I'm a GG Allin fan. When he was alive we used to write and talk on the phone when time permitted. He even asked my joke of a band, JFK's Head, to open for him and the Murder Junkies. We turned him down.

GG, despite his many faults, always appealed to me because he represented the dark side that is present in us all. The ego out of control. The reptile. What you saw is what you got. He was violence personified, and I can respect that.

Many think Ozzy or Marilyn Manson are the top of the outrageous chain, but GG had them beat. No comparison really. Ozzy and Manson scare parents. GG scared everyone else. There's something very appealing about that.

A few months ago at my job there was a noise that sounded like a pistol being fired. People wondered what it was. A unit over someone said, not knowing that I was listening, that they thought I was shooting someone. To that, another worker replied, "No, Doug would bring in an AK 47."

That unpredictable nature, that sense of violence, the never knowing when things can go south is what makes us feel alive. It's what makes us get in touch with our primal nature. I've never heard another artist that even comes close to that. GG, backed by any one of his numerous bands, does that for me. "I will not act civilized," he once sang.

Thank God for that, because civilization is nothing more than a bunch of brainless sheep, and we all know what happens to them.　

4/20 Is Coming

4/20 is tomorrow, and while potheads take to various parks around the county, the sounds of reggae will once again become prevalent in this great county. As if Reggae on the River wasn't enough.

I have no problem with drugs or music to do drugs to. I don't take drugs myself, but I have no doubt that techno is easier to tolerate if you've got Ecstasy coursing through your system. Reggae, however, just irritates me to no end. I must admit, though, its inherent musical laziness fits the whole pot vibe perfectly.

There's an old punk song by a band whose name I can't remember this late on a Sunday called "Reggae Gets Us Laid." The song can be found on the "Get the Hell Out" CD, which is a compilation of Leigh Valley, PA punk bands. The song is pretty accurate. Reggae bands get laid because pothead females are easy if they think pot will be involved at some point.

Of all the different musical genres, reggae, contemporary country and opera are the ones I dislike the most. Reggae, however, is the only one out of the bunch that I dislike mostly because of its fans. They are just so damn annoying (almost as bad as Phish fans) that I can't help but hate the music.

Give me some GG Allin, Skinny Puppy, Pantera or Jane's Addiction any day. All of those acts had performers on drugs, many of whom even wrote songs about drugs ... drugs much harder than pot, too. But they were proactive. They didn't sit back, smoke a joint and watch the sun go down. They got angry, violent, crazy. They are everything reggae is not and never could be.

Yeah, 4/20 is coming. I think I'll blare Nashville Pussy's "High As Hell" and know that even if you like your drugs, you're still a musical loser if you listen to reggae.