That title is untrue. I finished the Punishment for Decadence section, where I cover the lyrics, the music, the production, the promo, and the shows/tours. I can say this — it does not lack for detail. I can also say this: Working on this is mentally exhausting, but I’m not complaining — my overall word count is at over 79,000. That’s more than double than it was just a month or so ago. (Yes, word counts are important to writers, mostly to feel like we’re getting somewhere.)
I also transcribed the Phil Rind (Sacred Reich) interview I did — checks video — May 17, 2022. Geez…anyway… These interviews are kinda funny — you have your list of questions, because you know what you need. I don’t know how other people do it, but I like to let the conversation kind of go where it goes. It’s not my life and experience, so knowing exactly what I need is impossible. Letting the dialog travel around the matter at hand does tend to prompt more memories than they would have otherwise — these events are from more than thirty years ago. I can’t remember thirty years ago — or, at best, it can be spotty. This did not work with Phil, bless him, but we did talk about lost sunglasses, the nightmare of travel these days, the trials and tribulations of almost single-handedly managing the band, and politics. Now, I must say, to be able to sit and talk politics with Phil Rind of Sacred Reich, feels like a special reward given for my faltering perseverance.
What we talked about mostly was the 1988 Christmas shows in Germany, where Coroner, Sacred Reich, Candlemas, and Destruction opened for Motörhead. It was their first European show, and the first night they played, the British contingent was an hour and a half late, causing the show to be equally late, so to avoid Motörhead having to go on in the wee hours, the played before Sacred Reich played last — following Motörhead, which no band wants to do. It was, in a word, harrowing. That said, they were given the penultimate slot before Motörhead the next night to make up for the previous night.
To find out how Coroner fared — you’ll have to read this dang book.
Non-Coroner related, I am reading both David E Gehlke’s biography: The Life and Music of Chuck Schuldiner: Born Human, and Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn. I used to read almost exclusively fiction — many years ago. But for a long time now, I’ve read mostly nonfiction (hence why I thought I’d try my hand at it). Back when I was reading a lot of fiction, I read Motherless Brooklyn, so I know I liked it, but it was so long ago, I hardly remember it. My New Year’s “resolution,” which is really just saying “I should do that,” is to read more fiction, so I’m going with something familiar. Obviously unable to not also be reading nonfiction, Gehlke’s book is…Gehlke needs to stop making me look bad while he cranks out, like, two, three books while I slough through my one. I’m just kidding; he’s a lovely person who’s been very encouraging and he writes excellent, well-told stories of the bands and figures we admire.
I know I don’t get a lot of engagement here…none, really. But, in case you feel like it, tell me what you’re reading…? *echoes into the void*
Lee Harper Oswald 