My Dad Was In A Band

http://s5775.p9.sites.pressdns.com/

:(

"I’ve been hearing my dad’s music my entire life. As far back as I can remember, on my family’s VCR sat 3 VHS’s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the movie, ET and Twisted Sister’s music video compilation. I’d watch my father drag Mark Metcalf down the stairs and snarl at the camera without batting an eyelash over and over and over again. It’s weird to think of all the questions I didn’t ask.

I never wondered why he was dressed so funny or why he was beating up this father character. I didn’t even realize the band was wearing anything out of the ordinary. To me, bands were like super-heroes or cartoons, they had outfits they wore all the time, that’s how people knew they were one of the good guys… or bad guys… or group of screaming war-ready up-rising transvestites.

Fun fact: I once was wearing women’s clothing in middle school and when my friend said “Isn’t that a girls shirt?” I said “Maybe… why?” thinking that this was something perfectly normal to be doing. But I was born into my father’s dark years. Twisted Sister was long gone and so was all of his money. My mother did all the make-up, logo and costume design for the band so when it went under, she lost her job too.

My father road his mountain bike to his job working as my uncle’s secretary making just over minimum wage while my mother took care of me and my 2 brothers. Apparently, “rock star” isn’t enough experience to have on a resume to get a decent job. Sometimes my father would would perform with a group called the SMF’s at small bars with maybe 20 people in attendance. Many of which were not there for the show.

I’d watch these shows and wonder what happened. Why wasn’t he dressed like a silly monster anymore? Why isn’t it like the way it used to be? I wonder if my and my brothers’ obsession with the music videos hurt him. A lot of the footage in the videos would be of Twisted Sister performing in packed out houses and coliseums, jamming out on beautiful cars and being rock stars. But under a leaky roof, with a lawn made of dirt and nothing but a station wagon to wash, it was clear there was a large part of my father’s life I just wasn’t around for…. and whatever part that was, it was important.

Part of me wishes I could have seen him in his heyday mostly because I know in that small time span where he was at his peak was always what he had been striving for. Of course he’s better now. He’s making more money, more steadily and he knows how to handle himself in the industry. But I’ll still always wonder what it would have been like to be his son, way back when. –Shane Snider"

:)

"I have grown up connected with, and drawn to, a particular type of music because of my father. Years ago he was a young musician living in Minneapolis who happened to befriend a talented kid by the name of Prince. The two of them blossomed their friendship into a close work relationship, as my father became Prince’s drummer in 1977, under the name, Bobby Z. The Revolution reigned until 1987. Their music is embedded in who I am, and I’m not sure I’d been on this earth without it. –Joey Rivkin, son of drummer Bobby Z."

wow

I came across this one a while ago. It kind of blew my mind:

http://mydadwasinaband.com/my-dad-is-daevid-allen-from-gong/

The first time I heard him play? I went on tour overseas with him and my mother when I was around 9 months olddoes that count? I suppose I’ve heard his music a lot over the years. But when your dads recording studio is situated in the non-soundproofed room right next door to your bedroom, I guess you kinda learn to drown it out.

Since he still currently plays I guess he’s not really applicable to the ‘was’, but because he has been around since before Jimi Hendrix was cool and he’s like mid 70′s now, I thought I’d just submit him anyway. He’s been at the core of a whole bunch of bands, Soft Machine and Gong being the most notable.

Growing up with him is probably the reason why I don’t find anything weird in life. Dad has all these crazy drawings he’d done on commission plastered on the walls, he loves all weird things and has the craziest costumes and he’d dress up in them and dance around the living room. It’s been a running joke in my family that he’s 70 going on 17.

Hilariously enough I’m not the musical type at all, my mother is a professional artist and my father a professional musician and I entered university to do a degree in Computer Science. I’ve never really listened to my dad’s music recreationally, I didn’t even really listen to music in my early and mid-teens either, nor am I especially an avid music-fan now. Not that my dad minds all that much really- he’s already got one son in the band. –Ynys Allen, son of Daevid Allen

I'm hearing things on FB today that Allen is quite ill at the moment but can't find anything on teh googles, but I stumbled across this site.

Haven't looked for quotes, but kids have Moms who were in bands too. Patti Smith has a son and daughter who have performed with her onstage

http://littlepatuxentreview.org/2013/05/14/multigenerational-music-jesse-paris-smith-and-patti-smith/

Jon Glaser: My Dead Dad Was in ZZ Top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9pEB2O_fnM

I remember seeing either an article by or interview with one of the members of Chavez (Scott Marshall?) where he talked about how he just didn't tell his kids much about the band until there was a reunion show, and he was like "So kids, your father was in a band, and..." and they were like "Yeah, duh, we know, Chavez."

the chavez dad was clay tarver:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/the-secret-life-of-a-rock-dad.html?_r=0

Yes!

That’s when I realized I’m an idiot. Yes, the band was really important to me. Yes, I’m still a conflicted mess about it. And that’s what I didn’t want my kids to see. But enough. It was time to come clean.

A few days later, I was back home at a stoplight with my 7-year-olds, Lewis and Augie. They asked the question every father has to answer sooner or later: “Dad, did you know there’s a band called the Butthole Surfers?”

As they laughed, I got all serious: “Believe it or not, your dad played with the Butthole Surfers. Back in 1989. I — ”

Twins: “You were a Butthole Surfer?!”

Me: “No. I was in a band that opened for — ”

Twins: “Were you famous?”

Me: “No. We were not famous. We were good, though. I — ”

Twins: “Are the Butthole Surfers good?”

Me: “Eh, overrated. I mean, ‘Another Man’s Sac’ has a few moments, but — ”

Twins: “Wait, what?”

Me: “Never mind. Just listen. That band was Bullet LaVolta. But you know last weekend? When Mom and I went to Las Vegas? I went to play with another band. It’s called — ”

Twins: “Yeah, yeah. Chavez.”

As the light went green, I turned around in my seat: “How’d you know about Chavez?”

Twins: “We’re 7. Not stupid.”

from the my-dad-was-in-a-band-and-was-also-an-alcoholic department:

"When I was six ... my dad disappeared from my life. I remember that I'd sit in a corner of my room, listening to his record and hugging the LP jacket and crying. Then, at school, I told tales in the schoolyard about how wonderful my father was." - Ariel Zevon

"Dad was trying to develop a father/son thing when he got sober But see ... the father/son conversations we would have were not about baseball or the weather, but DLWs. 'You know, son, there may be a few Dirty Little Whores hanging around the studio.' He was a rock and roll dad. I watch the Osbournes and think, oh well, they love each other and they curse a lot. What's so exciting about this?" - Jordan Zevon

Damn, that first quote is about as sad as it gets.

warren zevon, unfortunately, left a shitload of sadness -- and anger -- in his wake. but his relationship with his kids did get better later in life. both of those quotes are from the great zevon bio "i'll sleep when i'm dead."