by Jenny Lens | Jul 27, 2016 | Bands, Blondie, Clash, Damned, Darby Crash, England June 1980, Germs, Iggy, Jam, Joan Jett, Joe Strummer, Lita Ford, Masque, Queen, Ramones, Runaways, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Screamers, Starwood, Whisky, Writers |
Creem Magazine was THE ROCK magazine. The best of the best was, without a doubt, Creem. Forget Rolling Stone. Corporate and usually dismissive of Punk. Yes, Creem magazine was the BEST ROCK MAG. Ever. Read on to see they didn’t treat me that well, lost slides, but hey, THEY WERE IT. And Creem, of all the mags, deserves to be honored, remembered and most of all, CELEBRATED. Contribute to the documentary fund-raiser, til August 5, 2016! Creem was one of the few magazines who actually put photographer’s names on their masthead. This is a major list of who’s who of rock photography. Note the author of the Creem book is not listed. Yeah. Ok, so why we MUST have THIS version? The TRUTH. Creem magazine and I started our relationship in early 1976. Let’s start at the beginning. Late 1975, while waiting in line at the grocery store, I glanced at a new magazine called “People.” I lived in the northeast corner of the Valley, in Granada Hills. I stopped when seeing a photo of a rather androgynous looking woman. Quoting Rimbaud. I figured any rock n roller who knows the Symbolist poets is someone I want to know. I will never forget first listening to Patti’s “Horses.” My life was totally and irreversibly changed. I wanted to read everything I could about this new thing called “Punk music.” But mainstream media wasn’t having it. They were not fans. Only a handful of magazines and fanzines were covering punk in late 75 and early 76. I also had a disadvantage because I was out in the Valley. We didn’t get a...
by Jenny Lens | Apr 8, 2015 | Belinda, Blog, Fashion, Germs, Punk Fashions and Parties, Punk History, Whisky |
My rebuttal to article claiming Punk saved the Whisky but then talked more about non-punk bands. Minimal about LA Punk bands. I could write a book. Read what I wrote (below or use link) after reading his long article. Why the fashion photo above? Author included photos of English punks with swastikas on their faces. Not in LA! Plus most everyone in the above photo played a VITAL part in bringing punk to life. At the Whisky and elsewhere. Left to right: Terry Graham (Bags drummer and much more), Lorna Doom, Germs bassist, Belinda, future Go-Go and solo performer, ?, Hellin Killer, ?, Pleasant Gehman (who was quoted, as was I). Photographed near the Whisky, on the Sunset Strip, August, 1977. Just another night on the town. LOVELY compliment: “Photographer Jenny Lens, whose work vividly documented the LA scene, wrote in Punk Pioneers…” Yes, I did vividly document and helped create the LA scene. Lots of colorful and vibrant photos. My responses: Where do I start? First, yes, I always said punk brought the Whisky back to life. No argument there. But the stories and photos veer off to include Van Halen (the better to promote his book), Johnny Cougar and Tom Petty. But exclude vital LA Bands? LA PUNKS built and kept the scene alive. Not just the Whisky. The many fanzines and flyers. We promoted and publicized and produced our own shows and good times at the Whisky. No mention. The photos of the punk fans with swastikas on their faces: England. I went out nearly every night and many days, photographing parties, backstage, on the street and shows. Starting August 1976 and ending nearly...
by Jenny Lens | Mar 25, 2015 | Blog, Fashion, Screamers, Whisky |
Screamers, Whisky, 1977. NEVER SEEN!! Have YOU ever seen Screamers negs like these? LIKE BEING AT THE SHOW. Imagine these LARGE! Tommy Gear is lit so dramatically. Singing. You don’t see that often!! I also have color slides. Tommy is in my first LA Punk Mini-Print, Maxi-Collection set. YOU wanna SEE MORE? Pledge to our Fund Raiser and/or Buy Prints and/or Mini-Print, Maxi-Collections. TODAY. My LAST Hurrah. Moving on, unless you put your Money Where Your Mouth Is. Too rude? Well, YOU try doing this mostly alone and NOT FUNDED for decades. Then get back to me. I have other options. Don’t delay. Or they are gone. Read from right to left. I hand-rolled film (cheaper) and negs didn’t start with #1. Yeah, start with Tommy on the right. Have fun. Have fun. Open your wallets. Lip service won’t put these and more images into YOUR LIFE. Pledge to our Fund Raiser and/or Buy Prints and/or Mini-Print, Maxi-Collections. TODAY. Thank you! Pledge to our Fund Raiser and/or Buy Prints and/or Mini-Print, Maxi-Collections. TODAY. Thank...
by Jenny Lens | Nov 5, 2014 | Blog, Fashion, Jenny Lens, Press, Punk Fashions and Parties, Ramones, Screamers, Screamers Parties, Whisky |
by Richard Schaefer in Lisa Fancher’s “Street Life” fanzine. Proof I was the Ramones “numero uno fan and famous paparazzi in her own right.” In EARLY 1977!! Tantalizing sounds of the skirmishes of desire, of lips surrendering cheap kissed in the other room, brought torture to anyone who listened. We stood between the jungle and the stars, both of us trying to keep our balance as we fought. DEE DEE was a madman at my throat an my eyes, trying to gouge them out. At last he got me right in the eyes, his fingers sinking in . . . My brain seemed to burst and I saw “Carbona Not Glue.” He was still in my eye sockets, still digging in! My brain felt ripped open. Then I saw a little out of my left eye. It was BLONDIE! She cursed and panted in frenzy trying to come in for the kill. My hand went for that sensuous mouth. I wanted her kiss-print. She clenched her teeth and sun keep “In the Flesh” on my hand. I had never seen a more beautiful, ravaging animal. She bellowed with laughter and staggered back toward the punch-bowl. Rock and Roll was re-born at the SCREAMERS house in Hollywood. It was 2 in the morning as the party was just starting. Up the winding, vinyl staircase they came, NEW YORK, TOKYO, ROME, SEATTLE, PARIS and AZUZA, dueling with EL LAY’S punk elite to honor the RAMONES and BLONDIE on their successful Whiskey A Go Go gig. The boppers were bopping. JIMMY DESTRI, keyboards for BLONDIE, was the first to make an entrance,...
