Life is short, filled with stuff
The Cramps were Lux and his wife Poison Ivy, with various folk appearing in bit-part roles. The story went that they met when he picked her up while she was hitch-hiking, and that she was wearing odd-coloured contact lenses (a great story, but lord knows how embellished). And what a fierce couple they made too: the man was literally a colossus, towering over the mikestand, about 6'7" in spike heels, and Ivy cool as hell with flame red hair.
Their songs mainly covered drugs, sex, serial killers, sex, werewolves, sex, wigs, oral sex and surfing. A large proportion were old garage punk classics that they dusted off and claimed as their own.
Shows frequently descended into anarchy. The Cramps kicked ass in a way that bands half their age were afraid to do: Lux chugging wine from a bottle that he'd put between his teeth, smashing the bottle, then shredding his spandex trousers with it; Lux wearing one of Ivy's boots on his face; Lux singing while lying on the floor, looking up Ivy's mini-skirt.
The Cramps saved me. I was listening to goth nonsense in the late 1980s and was *this close* to losing my sense of humour for good. Luckily, I had a friend who made me a tape of the best of their output and...boom...that was it. They were trashy, dumb, weird, funny, clever and goddamn catchy. All of the things I have ever wanted from music, in essence. Hundreds of imitators have come and gone, of varying quality (The Birthday Party; The Horrors), but nothing really came close to the real thing.
I am heartbroken, but I can't imagine how terrible Ivy must be feeling, and I'd like to extend my sympathy.
The world is going to be a much less weird and sleazy place without Lux: more's the pity.
Labels: lux interior
posted by deafdisco @ 1:49 pm
2 Comments:
Thanks for your text about this. How sad - he had more life in him than most people a third his age.
(Selfishly) I am glad we got to see them live - they were so good!
Ironic, really - I was thinking a few days back that I should check to see if they were playing any dates in while we were out in the US.
They were honestly the best all-round live band that I think I've ever seen...the only thing that really came close to it was the Earl Brutus experience, which I am also very happy to have shared with you! x
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