Regi Mentle was an
active participant in the LA/SF punk scene from 1976-1981. Recently released
from the California penal system after serving a 32 year sentence for 2nd
degree murder, he's an artist, activist, agitator, poet and songwriter. The
following interview was conducted by his longtime friend and collaborator Eden
Felt on October 20, 2013 in San Francisco.
Eden Felt: Regi Mentle! As
this is your very first interview since gaining freedom I want to start off
with an unofficial public welcoming of sorts – everyone obviously missed you
tons and are thrilled to have you back. Can you possibly describe for us your
feelings on the day you were released?
Regi Mentle: Well I thought
it would never happen but it DID happen....in one word, unbelievable. All the
way, while I was walking out the front gates (of the prison) when I was leaving
the facility I was thinking “This isn't really happening”..but when I walked
outside the front gate I remember kicking the dust off my boots, you know what
I mean..to leave that shit behind..and I'm like 'God, am I really getting out
after all this fuckin' time??' I finally have my life back!
EF: Absolutely..Let's start
off by talking about your introduction to punk rock a bit. Obviously 1976 was a
long time ago and the world has changed immeasurably since then. At the time
you were a teen living in San Bruno, right?
RM: Correct. I grew up in
San Bruno and was lucky enough to be close enough to San Francisco when I was
growing up to be able to get into the city.
EF: Was there BART back
then or how'd you manage that?
RM: By bus and BART. There
was BART but a more limited version, it didn't go to San Bruno..the last stop
was Daly City. So we'd take BART to Daly City and then hop the bus to San Bruno
to return. But about to my introduction to punk, it happened on the streets of
San Francisco. The first punk rocker I ever met was Johnny Genocide, and I can
never forget 'til this day because I thought, if I looked like him, nobody
would fuck with me, you know what I mean?? Cause being pretty young I still had
the impression there were parts of the city you should be afraid of and all
that...
EF: So Mr. Genocide was
looking stylish...
RM: REALLY stylish..the way
he was dressed. He had on a pair kung fu shoes held together with fuckin' duct
tape wrapped around them..wearing spikes and shit..
EF:
Decked out..
RM: He was decked the fuck
out...and basically we just bumped into each other and I started talking to him
and we hit it off...and since day one, he was an incredible guy.
EF: I
remember when we first started corresponding back in the late 80's, you
mentioned his name and it registered cause I'd read about No Alternative years
before in Flipside but perhaps cause I grew up on the east coast I'd never got
the chance to really hear them.
RM: Well what do you think
now?
EF: Well you know, soon
after we started communicating, they became one of my top 10 bands, and still
are actually...so I give you credit for that one!
RM: Yup!
EF: So I guess you knew him
during the KGB-era of No Alternative...before they changed their name right?
RM: Yeah, as I recall I met
him before he got the band together..I remember one night specifically when I
was going to the Mab [Mabhuay Gardens on Broadway, SF], I was just getting
there and he was leaving and we crossed paths at the tunnel and he had a KGB
badge on and I said “What's that?” and that's when he first told me about his
band...
EF: Cool. Do you you
remember the very first punk show you went to??
RM: The first show I went
to in '77 was when the Germs played at the Whisky, what later became known as
the “Germicide” show, their first gig ever...and I didn't have any money to get
in! So I hung out front of the club and listened to the show and that's where I
first met Hellen Killer who gave me my “Germs burn” that night..
EF: Your initiation into
the cult...
RM: Yeah! And there were
these Valley kids who came in – who I guess heard about punk rock somehow –
there was this one who dressed in a trash bag leaning against a pole facing the
traffic and there were these kids who had like, aluminum foil on their glasses
which struck me as kinda dorky at the time..but the first gig I got to go
inside and actually visually witness was the Screamers.
(Regi Mentle at Germs show, photo by Jenny Lens)
EF: It's interesting how
that first Germs gig became legendary, especially when ROIR released it on
cassette a few years later..I remember it actually gave me a lot of
encouragement early on learning guitar just hearing where they started from,
from scratch basically.
RM: I know, I like that
album a lot, the part when Darby's going “Whhaaaaat??” - I wanna use
that as my ring tone! [laughter] “Whhhhaaat??”
(photo by Jenny Lens)
EF: So previous to meeting
Mr. Genocide you hadn't heard punk music yet, right?
RM: Not much, I'd only
heard the Ramones. “Beat on the Brat” on the radio like once before I met him,
but it made a lasting impression...besides Genocide, one of the other first
punks I met in SF was Dee Detroit..
EF:..of UXA
RM: Right, UXA was a San
Francisco band in the beginning..she, me and Timmy use to hang out in SF before
they moved to Hollywood..and they use to practice at me and what's-her-name's
place when I was living in Hollywood..I use to constantly go back and forth
from SF to LA...another early friend in SF – my best friend at the time - was
Susie Creamcheese
EF: I remember you telling
me about her..great name!
RM: Ya, and I wonder if
anyone out there knows what happened to her. She and I use to steal plum nail
polish from the Walgreens on Polk Street and paint our fingernails black...I
remember she was going steady with Johnny from the Silvertones at the time...
EF: Let's get back to the
issue of punk as not just a music genre but as a movement. Looking back, what
effect did it have on your life?
RM: When I first got into
it and then going to Hollywood and getting even deeper into it, I came back
that summer with the Germs single and the Randoms and X and all these singles,
I was like, “This is what's gonna fuckin' change the world” and I'd play the
singles for everyone basically thinking, “Fuckin' finally, something's really
gonna break through in this world right?” And then over time...I guess a
lot of us got too involved in drugs and stuff. It came to a point where I got
sick of everybody just talking shit about the change they wanna do but not
doing anything about it..they're just fuckin' doing drugs. So by the time Darby
died, I was already getting disillusioned pretty much anyway but at the same
time, it's been so much a part of me that I can't let it go, you know what I
mean?
EF: Definitely
RM: Years later after being
in prison a while I'd meet these young guys in there that were quote/unquote
punk rockers, and they'd make me sick, they were completely clueless to what it
originally was about from the beginning – no matter how much I tried to explain
it to them...I remember living in Hollywood when finally the media started
really noticing the scene and began putting out these really sensationalized
stories about slam dancing and shit...around '79 I think, and all these
fuckin' jockos from the Valley and the beaches came into and started ruining
the scene. It was mock violence amongst us at best, but it was reported [by the
media] as legitimate violence which I think fueled a lot of the later problems...the
unity had dissolved which had been so important to me because I really believed
in it as a movement..
EF: You recognized it's
revolutionary potential..
RM: Definitely. While
growing up, I was probably about 11 or 12, this being the 1970s, an early heroine
of mine was Angela Davis I remember and for a brief stint I even volunteered
for Cesar Chavez's United Farm Workers of America union, joining their picket
lines against people buying grapes at Safeway and that was just the way I grew
up...so all stuff that fuckin' scared society because it was about being
truthful, that's what I lived for.
EF: Fast forward to 2013.
Tell us what your impressions of the Punk Rock Homecoming weekend in SF last
month, your essentially just getting released from prison after 32 years and
walking into an event like that with so many awesome old school California punk
bands and friends...
RM: It was the best
weekend, it was fucking incredible...every weekend should be like that
one..actually I think I'd be ok with it every day [laughter]..seeing all my old
friends and shit, it was like being in punk rock heaven...that's my family..
EF: So that sense of
community wasn't lost...
RM: Not at all. One intense
part of the show for me - after being in prison so long – was when this one
guy, the singer of the Job
[Marc Olmsted], well his music actually made me cry. He was sitting down with
his keyboard and did this type of spiritual love song and I felt this heavy
connection of kinda releasing all the inner-fuckin' things that I had to bury
in my heart for years to survive being in prison...being in there, there's so
much that you can't fuckin' share with people..you gotta put up a wall and you
feel alone and it constantly stresses you out, you have to be “on point” all
the time for violence and shit...so up until the day I left I was on point, so
you're fuckin' stressed inside holding it all it all it all in...and finally
when I got out, I did feel better, but at Homecoming weekend [those feelings]
just went BOOM..they exploded.
EF: What about some other
bands that weekend, what were some other faves?
RM: Fuck, I saw this new
band, well they were new to me, Thrill of the Pull..
EF: Yeah I think they
formed in '85 or '86..maybe the “newest” band that performed that weekend! I
read they were influenced a lot by the Chameleons, which makes sense..
RM: And that's another band
I don't know...
EF: Post-punk Brit band
that formed around '81 I think, one of the finest.
RM: It was also fucking
awesome to see Nervous Gender again
EF: Yes!
RM: ..and I really liked
Silke Berlinn and umm, Frightwig, they were fucking incredible...
EF: For me it was
interesting cause I hadn't seen Frightwig play live since 1990 – I think I last
saw them at the Stone when they were a three-piece and L7 opened. So it was a
big surprise for me cause watching their show I thought, “Sheesh, this band
actually got BETTER.” Unexpected.
RM: What about when Johnny
[Genocide] fronting for the Offs?? That was fuckin' GREAT!
EF: That was too
good..sensational saxophone work especially...
RM:..and seeing Jack
Grisham was a lot of fun, I took a good picture of him..also [earlier that
weekend at the Kitty Litter Benefit] I got the whole Blowdryers fuckin' show
filmed on my phone..plus I was so happy to see The Blowdryers perform the song
that Jennifer and I co-wrote too but I was bummed out that I had to leave early
and couldn't watch No Alternative..really sucked, but I'm sure they'll be doing
more shows..
(From l to r) John E. Valium and Regi Mentle, New Years Eve '77/'78
EF: Ok Regi, as this is for
Marks in Time, we've got ask some punk-related Go Go's questions...
RM: Yay Marks in Time..
EF: You remember seeing the
Go Go's in their earliest incarnation. Where was their first show you recall
seeing – was it in LA or SF?
RM: First time I remember
seeing them was at the Masque cause I was crashing there with Donny Rose - who
later played bass in Death Patrol - me, Donny and Rover were actually living
there at the time..this was the early, early days. We'd go out during the day
and chase down the Hari Krishnas on Hollywood Blvd [laughs]..it was fuckin' fun.
EF: And how about the
Scientologists, I remember their big Dianetics headquarters was right on
Hollywood Blvd too..
RM: Ya, I remember sitting
down for a recruitment interview with them once which of course just went
smashing..
EF: ..mid-way through the
interview they're probably freaked that you were one of those types who'd wanna
take over and start your own cult
RM: That's right..
EF: So you were living at
the Masque...sleeping in their luxurious basement accommodation, and of course
a lot of different bands practiced there at the time.
RM: Right, they had all
these individual practice rooms there so I got to know all these fuckin' bands,
a lot of them nobody's ever heard of almost like the Snotpuppies who I became
best friends with their drummer...that was what was so cool about it because
all your friends were in a band and there wasn't any rock star shit at
all..everyone I knew was a band..why didn't I get into a band?!! [laughs]
EF: Well that's a
interesting question, maybe we'll come to that one later...so that's where you
became aware of the Go Go's because they had a practice space there with
X.....and you became good friends with Exene and John Doe of course
too..so what were your first impressions of them?
RM: They were the coolest
people in general, we hung out a lot. I remember me and Johnny Valium going
over to Exene and John's place and smoking angel dust – for no particular
reason that non-event sticks out in my mind including me starring at Exene's
tattoo on her wrist with the letters inscribed “Temptation.”
EF: Ok, and your impressions of the early Go Go's, what'd you think of them, did you see them
live first or was it just through their rehearsals at the Masque?
RM: Actually, the main
problem I always had with that band, was that they're too dirty for me and
they're sluts...[laughter] Seriously, I met them before I ever saw them play,
and the one I became friends with was Margo..but they were all cool people.
EF: What are your
recollections of Margo?
RM: Margo was awesome man,
I still love her...the her that I remember at least! I mean I haven't seen her
since 1980 but I doubt she's changed THAT much. If you're that incredible as a
person then you probably still are now...I remember me, her and Johnny Valium
use to hang out a lot.
EF: Have you had a chance
to check out her later band Brian Brain yet?
RM: Well when I was in
prison I use to go through Goldmine magazine and I actually sent away for the
Brian Brain album but it's in storage right now and I STILL haven't gotten to
listen to it yet.
EF: Martin Atkins (ex
drummer of PIL) was actually in the band too along with Geoff Smyth and they
did a national tour I recall and had a few different releases.
RM: What she doing now,
anybody know?
EF: I think Elissa's still
in touch with her, you could ask her...So returning to the Go Go's, what were
your impressions of them sonically?
RM: They were fukin' punk
rock, they were raw..and the thing was, back then I loved bands who had their
own original sound, their own style. What turned me off to punk rock in prison
to a degree was how many bands tried to sound like Bad Religion or whatever.
EF: Fat Wreckords bands,
Epitaph bands..
RM: Right, and that's not
what it's about but the Go Go's had their own sound and they fuckin' knew how
to write songs..at first some people said they couldn't play well, well so
what, the Germs couldn't either.
EF: Totally...what early
songs of theirs do remember that you most liked..
RM: I liked Fashion Seekers
a lot, Blades, B-Movie..
EF: Screaming was another
fave of yours right...
RM: Yup, and that song they
were doing in that Bugle Boy commercial, that's my all-time favorite
[laughter]..just joking!
EF: You had me for a second
there!
RM: I loved their early
version of Walking in the Sand..which incidentally was always one of my
favorite songs when I was a little kid
EF: Not many people know
this but the band recorded that track in the studio actually, I think it was
either in late '78 or early '79.
RM: Wow
EF: Elissa Bello [original
Go Go's drummer] mentioned it to me that the band recorded it in the same
studio, using the same sound equipment the Doors had used..which I'm guessing
was about one decade prior. And it was that recording that initially
exposed me to the band. When I was 12 or 13 and I use to record these late
night underground radio shows on WMNF in Tampa – and someway – I don't know how
– the DJ had a copy of that studio version of Walking in the Sand and he played
it. The only bummer is that years later I had a briefcase stolen which
contained a lot of my punk cassette compilations including that track.
Recently, I was checking around to see if anyone else had that song but came up
empty. Elissa even messaged the Go Go's original manager Kittra for me who'd
stated that the master copy of those sessions had been destroyed – with no
explanation given. Anyway, maybe there's a copy floating around somewhere...
RM: Someone's gotta have
it..
EF: Let's hope! So anyway,
back to their early music, it was always feel and imagination over wild
technique..
RM: Right, and that's what
punk's about. Another song I liked a lot by them in the early days was
Skidmarks on My Heart...
EF: Margo's bass-lines on
the original version were great. Another early track by the band which to me
sounded so much better in original form was “This Town” - in the early version,
Belinda's vocal inflections convey irony and breed tension, which build until
her final closing snarl at song's end..
RM: That's cool as shit..
EF: You gotta hear it..it's
too good. And again, Margo's walking bass-lines really added a whole other
dimension to the original arrangement..it just sounds fuller, more complete.
RM: And that was one if
their songs that I liked the most too because it really reflected the Hollywood
scene..it wasn't all glittery at all, there was a dark side to it..walking not
just down the boulevards but through the back alleys
EF: Lurking in the
shadows...
RM: There's a few Go Go's
songs I actually wouldn't mind covering..Did you ever see any photos of Belinda
in her day-glo phase?
EF: Yeah a bit..and what do
you attribute that influence to?
RM: I always thought it
came from X-Ray Spex actually..Ohh, I gotta tell ya about this dream I had the
other night! It was about X-Ray Spex and it was fuckin' incredible. For
whatever reason Poly Styrine was actually rising above the stage - she was
sitting on an armature in the air, radiating in day-glo colors..it fuckin'
crazy!...Anyway, back to Belinda, Darby use to call her the day-glo blimp, that
was his nickname for her. My friend Tony Alva [early skateboard punk] went
through a day-glo phase too I remember...[10 minute interview break taken]
EF: Ok, we're back..
RM: Alright, again about
the Go Go's, there was a point where they moved to an apartment house on..
EF: The Canterbury?
RM: Nope after the
Canterbury, they moved to a place on Sunset Blvd..and me and Johnny Valium
lived around the corner..just can't recall the name of the complex
[Disgraceland?]
EF: The whole band lived
there?
RM: I think most of
them..and at that point I started getting the feeling that they were giving punks
the cold shoulder. In fact the last time I went to see them play, it was at the
California Hall on Polk St..
EF: In SF..we actually
featured the flyer for that show in our zine..I think the Alley Cats and The
Plugz played that night too
RM: That's right!..So I
went backstage to say hi before the girls went on stage as we were all from the
same original scene. I recall the narrow backstage room was about 5 x 30
and they were all just standing there with their instruments. And I went up to
them and......they were basically fuckin' ignoring me!
EF: Did they seem more
serious to you or what exactly was it?
RM: Yeah, it seemed by that
time they'd decided that they wanted to become huge...but I didn't
understand what was going
on. I mean I was recognizable to them as we were from the same scene, they just
fuckin' ignored me! And I thought to myself, “Who the fuck do you think you
are, wtf's going on with you man, what have I done to you?” And from that point
on I started not even paying attention to them..and they did do some incredible
music even after that point but their gradual separation from the core unit of
the punks I just didn't understand at all at the time.
EF: Yup. By that point
Elissa was out of the band...and maybe a year later, Margo was too.
RM: I don't even remember
Margo being back stage at that moment..
EF: Maybe she stepped out
for a moment but she was still in the band. I recall Elissa discussing in an
interview how the Go Go's had gotten really serious..Clearly there were lofty
aspirations and ambitions to go way beyond the local LA-SF punk scene...
RM: To be rock stars
EF: And you felt it at that
moment..
RM: Exactly...Joan Jett was
never like that. She was always part of the scene..
EF: Ok, tell us about Joan
Jett..
RM: We used to shoot heroin
at her place that was right by the Whisky, and somewhere, I forget who the
photographer was, but afterward we were at a Germs gig sipping cold beer, and
Joan had passed out as usual [laughing] and me and Johnny Valium drew a big
cardboard sign with an arrow that read “I'm having a very good time” and held
it over her head, as the guy snapped the picture...and I've been looking for
that shot ever since!
EF: I want that photo!
RM: There's another
snapshot of me pulling Dee Detroit's dress up while she was wearing a blindfold
onstage...someone's gotta have it
EF: Well if anyone still
owns that snapshot, do get in touch! Btw, back to Joan Jett, she's just put a
new album out..
RM: I wanna hear it..I
still haven't heard the album she did with the Gits either..
EF: Evil Stig, that one's a
classic..
RM: Do you have that
EF: Why certainly, remind
me to get it to you...
Some people may not be
aware that you're actually a great songwriter and brilliant lyricist
yourself..in fact recently a 7” EP was released of material you co-wrote,
right?
RM: Well I wrote the lyrics
before I got out of prison and the band wrote the music and I have to say they
did an incredible job..
EF: And the name of the EP
and band is?
RM: “Regi Mentle Rides
Again” by The Rogue Nation
EF: Appropriate title!
RM: Definitely [laughs]. .
EF: Where's the band based?
RM: They're way out in
Charlotte, North Carolina actually
EF: And you connected with
them how?
RM: Just pen paling..when I
was in prison I did a lot of that..so they recorded six of my songs and you can
order it by contacting foodfortunata@hotmail.com..like I said they did a really good
job dude, I listen to it all of the time cause I got it on CD now..
EF: Well you've been
writing lyrics and poetry for ages and you're a pro by now. Good to see some
stuff get on record..
RM: Well yeah I have..YOU
know that 'cause I've written a bunch of songs with you..
EF: Yes sir. Ok, so let's
merge into that for a moment..there's a rumor that you'd written an unreleased
song in the late 80's entitled “Belinda's Bra”..How bout some background about
that one..
RM: Well it's a song about
stealing Belinda [Carlisle's] black leather bra from the Frederick's of
Hollywood Museum. But the quirky thing about it was that during the LA riots a
few years after we wrote the song, someone actually DID steal it as it turned
out...
Artwork/lyrics by Regi Mentle/Eden Felt. Image above's taken from Eden Felt's poetry booklet The Eyeing of my Scars (1995)
EF: A small detail you
never mentioned to me 'til last month..
RM: Some lame ass always
has to steal my ideas!
EF: Yeah really, at least
wait til the song gets released right??
RM: Right!
EF: So explain the catalyst
of that song, where'd the idea come from?
RM: The catalyst for every
song I write is that a couple of lines will come into my head and I'll quickly
write them down..
EF: But how'd you know
about that bra being in that museum?
RM: I don't remember!
EF: I remember! You'd
originally seen it on tv, on Entertainment Tonight I think it was..all this
useless trivia from many years cluttered inside my head..
RM: That's right..and the
idea of her donating her leather bra just melded the song for me..I mean I
don't care if she has a bra in a museum, so what, who gives a fuck, but the
idea is, I gotta write a song about it...Belinda had a leather bra from back in
the day and they put it in a museum so now I steal and ''It fits me perfect,
hahaha”
EF: I remember you saying
if we ever got a band together you wanted to snatch it and wear it onstage...
RM: Right!
EF: But hey, you gotta give
me credit, I pitched in lines for it too now [laughs]
RM: It was you and me both,
of course!
Regi with his cellie Buffalo (1993)
EF: Btw, I think I
neglected to mention this to you before, but in 1990 when I was living in LA
and I remember showing those lyrics and the artwork you did for it to the guy
from the Extremes, Maical Sinatra Lord [Extremes were kind of a pre-Youth
Brigade type band], who was also one of Jane Wiedlin's songwriting partners.
Anyway, I think he'd responded to a music ad I did in Flipside or something.
So I showed him the words and he was immediately like “Hey the Go Go's would
love this!” Which I wasn't completely certain about at the time as it's a bit
irreverent..though in a fun sort of way.
RM: Yeah, it wasn't meant
to piss anyone off at all....
One thing I wanna say
before we move on is that, the years that I spent pen paling with you and
writing songs really got me through some hard times..
EF: I know it helped me a
lot..
RM: ..cause like, when I
went to prison, and all these bands of my friends were really happening, I was
like, “Ok, where the fuck's my Regi Mentle benefit?” ya know..some of them
didn't even try to stay in touch..and that was the one thing that meant more
than anything to me, was the scene, was my punk rock family...
….and I can tell you that
once I got to prison they did NOT get my sense of humor at all..
EF: ...you mean it wasn't
always appreciated? [laughs]
RM: NO!!
EF: Ha, well that's too bad
for them...
("Justice is" postcard art by Regi Mentle)
EF: Let's discuss the Germs a bit...regarding the band
and their legacy, the 2007 film “What We Do is Secret” that was directed
by Rodger Grossman had a slew of inaccuracies I recall you mentioning
at the time. I never bothered watching it but maybe you can detail a few
examples of the misrepresentation of details or events..
RM: There was definitely a fair amount that got portrayed inaccurately.
My main issue was that the actor who portrayed Darby didn't capture the
fire or intensity of who Darby actually was...his aura and dynamism was
lacking. There were a lot a things actually, some lines that I actually
said that were given to other characters, how they dressed us
(especially me and Darby), just different things like that. One example
of fictionalization was a scene where I burglarized a drug dealers house
and stole $10,000, a pound of MDA, an ounce of crystal meth and an
unmarked vial of liquid that I snatched. That part is all accurate. But
in the film they have me show up at some party with three unmarked vials
(though there was only one) where Darby and the others were, yet in
reality there was no party scene..I simply brought it to Darby's place.
Me, Johnny Valium, Donnie Rose and Darby went to his bedroom where I
showed them my pirated spoils. We kept saying “Who's gonna do the
mystery drug??” Finally Darby stood up and said “I'll do it.” I remember
when he shot it up he immediately fell back on his bed and yelled “It's
angel dust, it's angel dust!” Only later did we find out it was
actually ketamine, a little-known surgical anesthetic used in hospitals!
EF: So it's good to be a little skeptical about some of these
depictions..
RM: Oh yeah!
EF: You mentioned way back, many years ago in our
correspondence of an incident that seemed to stick out in my mind and I just
wanted you to elaborate on it for a moment. In 1980, you were on the run from
the authorities, in hiding, and you'd intentionally changed your appearance
which oddly enough actually affected your ability to attend Darby's funeral...I
mean here was someone you were close with who you couldn't even say goodbye
to...
RM: Yep, precisely. Malissa
wouldn't let me go because she said “Punks don't have beards!” I mean how petty
is that? I'd changed my appearance because there was an APB out for Regi
Mentle, for my arrest, that's why I'd changed my name in the scene to James
Bondage too...but back to Malissa, I lived in Darby's fuckin' bedroom at his
mom's house – I was closer to him than she could ever hope to be, but evidently
I wasn't looking fashionably punk rock enough for her grand production of
Darby's funeral....
EF: Unbelievable. Someone
important to you tragically dies and she's worried abt keeping up an image
RM: Exactly
EF: But hasn't that superficial
element always existed within the scene...that sense of high school
cliquishness, the hierarchies, the elitist attitudes, the need to keep up
appearances?
RM: Oh yeah, well in '77,
'78, '79, those attitudes were definitely prevalent. I remember younger kids
coming to clubs like the Mabuhay, trying to get into the scene and I remember
friends of mine mouthing off to them “Hey get out of here, you're not part of
the scene” And I'd tell them “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, how do expect
the scene to continue without fresh blood??” You know what I mean? I was always
for the kids to come fuckin' join us..I don't care how young..in fact I
remember seeing a fuckin' punk rock girl bring her 3yr old kid to shows and I
thought it was incredible..the kid was running around kicking people in the
shins, BAM! [laughter]
EF: Early training
right?..that's awesome...Yeah I noticed that you were never snotty about the
latter generation bands either..if it was quality music you still liked it
regardless of what era it took place in..there wasn't any of this
“Hey you weren't around in '77 like me!!”
RM: Age-defying pissing
contests, that's all they are..On a related note, that's what I didn't
understand about the skinheads infiltrating the LA scene either. Oi was working
class, it was never about racial hatred, it came out of an inter-racial labor
movement in England. I fought too hard against Nazis to ever fuckin' join them
but that's what I had to deal with when I went to prison. You know I'm a big
white dude and they expected me to be a Nazi and I'm like “Whatt?! You don't
know the first thing about me motherfucker.” Thing is, when they expect you to
be a Nazi and you join, they send you out there to the yard right away to kill
someone, and as soon as you're done, they kill you. What kinda life is that??
EF: A short one?
RM: Yeah..but back to the
issue of elitism though, when I was in prison I use to listen to the local
radio show [in San Luis Obispo] called “Punk is Dead” and I remember requesting
the DJ to play the Slits and he goes “Umm, they're not punk enough” And I'm
like “What?? They are so punk” And he's like “I've been doing this radio show
for 10 years.” And I'm like “Wow, suck my dick asshole I'm not impressed..”
EF: Well maybe he didn't
think you knew what *real* punk was right?
RM: Well my message to that
is, go for the truth in whatever you're into..don't just listen to some asshole
DJ who thinks he's knows...
EF: Ok, my next topic is
just sort of a multiple choice-type question for you..In 1979, who was the
biggest attention-whore in the Californian punk scene...there're a lot to chose
from but I'll mention three:
A.)Darby Crash B.)Tomata
DuPlenty C.)Belinda Carlisle
RM: I'm going with Jello
Biafra actually...
EF: Interesting choice, and
he did enjoy the spotlight huh, the quintessential showman..and of course
running for mayor [of SF] certainly gave him even more attention..
RM: Well I do like Jello
but talk about elitism, whenever I went to a Dead Kennedy's gig, the crowd was
uber-cliquish and acted like elitist swine. Since I've been outta prison I've
been trying to get in touch with him though..
EF: So Jello if you're out
there...
RM: ..stop being such a
doodle-doo [laughs]
EF: Ok, well steering away
from punk rock for a moment, you done a ton of different kinds of creative
projects in the past, what's next on your horizon? Any specific aims?
RM: I think the best thing
for me that I wanna start doing is painting again...at this point I think I'm
too old to be in a band..
EF: Oh c'mon..
RM: Well it's not
completely off the table..it could happen if I got with the right people...but
painting for sure, I could sit down and paint ten paintings right now if I had
the supplies
EF: You had an exhibition
of your work not too long ago I think Jane Weems helped organize right?
RM: Yeah, that was an art
show in Burbank to help cover some of my legal fees...and I've done a ton of
artwork for Sockeye, a few record covers for them and I did the logo for the
band Breathalyzer as well as the logo for their record label
EF: And also you did
artwork for Turkey Baster Records in Texas...
RM: Oh yeah, right
EF: Speaking of record
covers, I always thought it was too cool how Pat Smear had a tribute to you of
sorts by putting your photo on the back cover of his first solo album
[Ruthensmear 1987].
RM: It's a good album too
and he's got a 2nd solo release also, but have you heard the stuff
he did Death Folk?
EF: Not yet, but I liked
his solo work..
RM: About the Death Folk
I'd like to have their song “Frostina” played at my funeral actually..it's a
fuckin' awesome song.
EF: Ok Regi on that heavy
note let's try something lighter and do some word association stuff now...one
word for each topic, cool?
RM: Ok, let's go..
Lydia Lunch:
Lovely....Orphans
EF: Hey that's two words,
haha, now I feel like the word police..ok, we'll make it 1-2 words then..
Lorna: Love her
Exene: Love her
Johnny Genocide: Love him
Jane Weems: Love her
Carla Maddog: OMG, awesome
Gerber: Incredible
Alice Bag: Spontaneous
Craig Lee: Beautiful
Oki Dogs: Zippers
Crime: Stylish
Darby: Birthday Party
Donny Rose: Friend
Jane Drano: Songwriter
Robert Gordon: Best
[rockabilly] guitarist
The Masque: Home
The Mab: Home
The Whisky: Home
Deaf Club: Love it
The Starwood: Kool
Margo: Awesome
Black Randy:
Politically-incorrect..hysterical!
Disco: Sucks!
EF: Ok we had some light
stuff now lets close with something deep
RM: Deep?
EF: Deep & profound
RM: Lost & found in the
underground...
EF: So what's the meaning
of life?
RM: Figure it out for
yourself by sharing with friends you trust...
EF: Genuine DIY spirit! And
now for some last, parting words Mr. Mentle...
RM: …......Nihilism is out.
EF: It is? Since when??
RM: Since Darby died..
EF: Well that song “Blades”
you mentioned is a bit nihilistic..
RM: I know and I still love
it too but I mean nihilism’s out in as much as don't let it fuckin' kill you...
Master it – don't let it
master you.
[THE END]
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Regi Alsin's top 20 1st Generation California Punk bands (no particular order):
Blowdryers
Runaways
Bags
UXA
X
Germs
Weirdos
Flipper
No
Alternative
Avengers
Offs
Mutants
Suburban
Lawns
TSOL
Randoms
Belfast
Cowboys
Nervous
Gender
Code of
Honor
F.U.'s
Negative
Trend
+++++++++++++++++++++++
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