BUY IGGY and THE STOOGES, BE HAPPY

 Photographs (C) 2011 Heather Harris. All Rights Reserved.

Iggy and The Stooges' Tribute to Ron Asheton at the Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor show is now a DVD due out in April. You will never see Iggy and The Stooges more intimately, performance-wise. Above pic, Iggy Pop sings an emotional ballad to the late Stooge with gorgeous steel guitar work from James Williamson... Cough up that filthy lucre, everyone needs this!

 

ALSO willingly cough up filthy lucre for new Ready To Die by Iggy and The Stooges release circa this April as well, 40 years' tardy followup to Raw Power by the same mighty Ig/James/Scott Asheton troika plus Mike Watt and Steve MacKay. Sure to be loud, brutal, timely fun, available from Fat Possum.com. In my pic, note Iggy's crazy hand jive!

DEATHMETAL with DARKRISE!

Feb. 16th in East L.A., brutal 
deathmetal from DARKRISE,
all the way from Switzerland 
to the From Darkness Arose 
Immortality 2013 tour across
the USA with a passel of other
like-minded bands including
noteworthy Chemical Warfare. 

Darkrise easily led the pack
with their inventive rhythms 
amidst the genre's well known
growling, sonic assault, led 
by a singer with the accurate  assessment, according to one viewer, "he brings it." 

This proved rather crucial as the venue featured absolutely no stage lighting whatsoever. Zilch, rien, nada, none. No atmospheric shadows, no nuttin': a trifle rough for those of us who prefer to photograph live shows with natural light. The war dancers rammed their way through in the inky blackness, however, to mosh deserved appreciation of DARKRISE.

PHOTO OPS:

Above, Darkrise drummer Axel Vuille, proud papa Olivier Vuille and my better half Mr. Twister in the later house lights. Below light meter readings of less than zero...

GOOD DAY SUNSHINE

Snow on the mountains, brilliant cerulean blue sky, the view from third floor of the the physical therapy building parking structure; back home, tweeters on the roof; a deerhound on alert: a nice balance for a sunny winter morning in SoCal...

Now that we have nice weather, we take an armchair adventure gliding in Switzerland-- serene, beautiful and exciting all at once (with inoffensive music...) click LINK

THAT MOUNTAIN, THAT MAN, THAT DOG

We just enjoyed this 1999 film from China, Postmen in the Mountains. Although primarily a father-son emotional journey, it unexpectedly featured a pet German Shepherd Dog that portrays a well-loved, true partner to his master. A sweet plus great looking film by first time director Jianqi Huo, its title 那山那人那狗 in its native pinyin translates as the headline above.

INTRUSION

Now here's a scary tweet. We had an intruder break into our back yard last night whom I spotted as he reached the back door. Mr. Twister's threats were enough to roust him to leave. We think it was a drunk rather than determined burglar, and resolved to call the police first for any future incursions.

Further conclusions: it wasn't Robert Downey Jr., once known for breaking into the wrong houses, since thankfully he's cleaned up. Plus this isn't Malibu. Far from it. Actually, had we called the police and, truthfully, claimed the intruder was lunging at our back door right now and we didn't know whether or not he was armed, that merely would have increased chances for a dispatch, not secured them. Our megalopolis is not exactly generous with the civic services.

Overall scenario: the dogs remained upstairs fast asleep with Mr. Twister. I, with my usual insomnia, was downstairs reading pg. 703 of "Winston Churchill, the Last Lion, Vol.3, Defender of the Realm" (shout out to Niagara, fellow William Manchester/Winnie enthusiast) when I heard noise, spied the intruder with his hands against the window adjacent the door, and as hurriedly as a recovering broken patella could take me, ran upstairs to inform Mr. Twister. After it was all over we both had insomnia...

photos: at top, our now 100-year-old farmhouse in the city during the 1990s, at night. The city since removed the flowering cherry in front, and we planted a Norfolk Pine in its stead; directly above, the smudged palm and thumbprint of the intruder, photographed at night for authenticity of dread...

THE DOGS, rocker division, LIVE 2.2.13 with SHOCK

THE DOGS just headlined The Redwood Bar, downtown L.A. 2/2/13 in preparation for their Feb.2013 tour of Japan. Clambering onstage as well as backstage were a passel of pals from L.A.'s nascent punk scene of the mid-1970s and beyond.  

Above two photos, Paul L'Esperance of SHOCK joins singer/guitarist Loren Molinare, bassist Mary Kay and drummer Tony Matteucci for a singalong of The Dogs' classic '70s EP single cover of "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" (which along with "Slash Your Face" and "Fed Up" was deemed by SPIN magazine one of the Top Ten Punk Singles of all time. Yes, they're that good.)
 
Former Dog Danny DeMuff crooned as well, seen below onstage 
and in my 1988 studio portrait.  

  THE DOGS remain ideal clients: they were informed I couldn't photograph their show at all unless I had a driver, an equipment roadie to lug my gear, and reserved table next to the stage. They delivered on all three (thanks Apache!) so that I could deliver as well. In one photo below, they express surprise at my hoisting my heavy camera at all.

What was the problem, those unaware of my cyborg issues inquire? Onetime only explanation, since I believe in factors, not excuses. Recent major bone breakage, elbow + knee; major surgery and permanent interior metals to correct; major, long term physical therapy to regain usage. It feels as if someone is sawing through my arm pretty much all the time while I limp along. There's always a whole conga line of pain anyway that the new sawyer of my arm joined in on so I thought why not just go for it at the gig. Some vestigial arrogance also sought while temporarily disabled, to take superior photos to all other photographers there with their full faculties intact.

SHOCK remained chums with THE DOGS ever since the days of Radio Free Hollywood (Dogs, Motels, Pop. See LINK for RFH's innovations.) Band member flying in from all parts of the U.S. spawned one gala punk reunion.

PHOTO OPS:

Below, back on the street after the gig, L-R: Loren Molinare, his brother-in-law writer Mike Hudson (also lead singer of The Pagans,) rock 'n'roll couturier Evita Corby, Joel Richardson of Blackstar Amplifiers (Korg)

 

Left, Loren, Willie 

Basse and Mary

 Right, Evita, Lauren Wong

Interconnected: Above, Krista Wood (once wed to ex-Dogs' drummer Ron Wood and jam singer at the last Dogs' gig of the 1980s;) Tom Morris, drummer of Little Caesar, Loren Dog's other band; Dave Wise II (Little Caesar tech;) Apache, guitarist with Tony Dog's other band 3Hab [truncated variant of Ahab/Rehab] and ex-guitarist of Little Caesar.)  
          

Below, Tom, Tony and Apache

THE DOGS, canine division

Action photography for the temporarily disabled, canine division. Playdate for Karis and Sarahbelle with their pal Callahan. Snapshots by yours truly and happy to do so.

GROUNDHOG DAY WITH WODEHOUSE

The faux groundhog indeed sees his or her shadow while eating a French Fry on this festive Groundhog Day. No shame in recycling my photo from two years ago as same mimics the theme of the celebrated Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.

For newfound timely material I'll quote an excerpt of the Allan Massie piece in today's (2.2.13) Wall Street Journal with two delightful sentences that struck home: "...In 1961, age 80, he (P.G. Wodehouse) noticed 'a certain stiffness in the limbs which causes me, when rising from my chair, to remind the beholder, if a man who has traveled in Equatorial Africa, of a hippopotamus heaving itself up from the mud of a riverbank.' It's the conditional clause that gives the sentence its perfect balance and the authentic Wodehouse touch."