| MADDOG DRUNK IN LONDON 1984 |
MADDOG ARRIVED IN LONDON IN JUNE 1980 WITH HER DRUMS, CLOTHES AND PUNK ATTITUDE. AFTER A WEEK SHE WAS LIVING ON THE STREET PRETTY MUCH. OF COURSE IT DIDN'T BOTHER HER AS LONG AS HER DRUMS HAD A PLACE TO STAY. BY JULY MADDOG HAD STARTED A BAND(PRECIOUS FEW) AND WAS CRASHING AT THE GUITAR PLAYER'S FLAT. SHE MADE FRIENDS WITH THE OWNER OF A PUB IN EAST LONDON AND THE AND PLAYED THERE SEVERAL TIMES. ONE NIGHT HER SINGER, LINDA FOXX TOOK THE DOG TO A BAR IN THE WEST END AND MADDOG MET DEREK DUNBAR AND SIMON BARKER WHO WOULD GRAB MADDOG TO JOIN THEIR BAND. PRECIOUS FEW FELL APART BY NOV 80 AND MADDOG MOVED IN WITH A GUY WHO LOOKED JUST LIKE LOU REED(FORGOT HIS NAME). HE WAS A BASS PLAYER AND A SPEED FREAK WHO STOLE CARS, REMOVED THE ENGINES THEN SOLD THE ENGINES. MADDOG ASSISTED IN THE CAR THEFT RING FOR 5 MONTHS. IT WAS FUN EVEN THO MADDOG BROKE THE LAW(LIKE SHE CARES ABOUT THE LAW). EVENTUALLY SHE MOVED INTO THE BUILDING WHERE DEREK AND SIMON LIVED. IT WAS IN A "SQUAT" WHICH WAS AN EMEGAN THEN. MADDOGPTY FLAT YOU BROKE INTO YOU OUT(MADDOG STAYED IN SEVERAL SQUATS OVER THE YEARS-HEY FREE RENT?). THE BAND THAT BECAME JIMMY THE HOOVER . MADDOG SHARED THE 2 BDRM FLAT WITH A MARRIED COUPLE WHO WERE FRIENDS OF DEREK. BUT ONE DAY THEY STARTED AN ARGUEMENT WITH MADDOG AND LOCKED HER OUT. OF COURSE MADDOG BROKE BACK IN AND THE FIGHT ESCALATED , TEETERING ON SERIOUS VIOLENCE. THEN THE POLICE ARRIVED AND UPON HEARING MADDOG'S YANKEE ACCENT ASKED FOR ID. WELL THE MADDOG'S PASSPORT STAMP WAS EXPIRED SO SHE WAS ARRESTED AND PUT IN JAIL. BRITISH JAIL WAS COOL THEY YOU SMOKE BUT THE FOOD WAS SHIT!!! MADDOG WAS IN FOR 4 DAYS BEFORE SEEING THE JUDGE. DEREK HIRED A "SOLICITOR" A BLACK BRITISH GUY WHO WAS RISING UP IN THE RANKS. HE WAS A HIGHLY EDUCATED GUY WITH A SNOTTY BRIT ACCENT BUT HE WAS LIKE A SHARP NEW YORK JEWISH LAWYER WHO TOOK MY STORY AND MADE ME SOUND LIKE A RICH COLLEGE KID IN THE UK TO ABSORB THE CULTURE. THE JUDGE LIKED MADDOG AND GAVE HER 30 DAYS TO LEAVE ENGLAND AND NO CHARGES WOULD BE LEVELED(MADDOG COULD HAVE BEEN DEPORTED). BEFORE SHE LEFT SHE DID A SESSION WITH A GUITARIST NAMED STEVE(IT WASS BRITFUNK) AND MADDOG MADE ENOUGH MONEY FOR A PLANE TICKET HOME. DEREK SAID HE WOULD HAVE SOME MONEY IN 2 MONTHS AND THEY WANTED MADDOG TO RETURN....TIME OUT, NO MORE THIRD PERSON. I RETURNED TO LA AND STAYED WITH MY AUNT DORIS WORKED AT A CINEMA IN WESTWOOD AND HOOKED UP WITH MY PUNK BUDDIES(GEORGE WALKER OF THE CHEIFS BEING MY MAIN GUY TO HANG WITH). WHILE IN LA I WITNESSED THE ORANGE COUNTY INVASION AND KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY IN LA ANYMORE(TOOMUCH MACHO BULLSHIT AND VIOLENCE-THAT'S NOT WHAT PUNK WAS ALL ABOUT). MADDOG RETURNED TO ENGLAND WITH A NEW PASSPORT AND BEGAN REHEARSING. DEREK HAD ARRANGED FOR ME TO STAY WITH A WEST INDIAN FAMILY IN CLAPHAM COMMON A GIRL NAMED BARBARA AND HER 3 KIDS. I BABYSAT IN EXCHANGE FOR RENT AND LIVED THERE FOR 11 MONTHS. THEY WERE COOL PEOPLE AND I LOVED THE KIDS(SIMONE MICHAEL AND I FORGOT THE MIDDLE BOYS NAME..HEY IT WAS 18 YRS AGO. IT WAS IN 1982 THAT ME AND DEREK AND SIMON WERE BLANK ON A NAME FOR THE BAND. SIMON USED TO WORK I VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN(YES THE SEX PISTOLS GUY) AND KNEW MALCOLM PRETTY GOOD. HE SAID MALCOLM ALWAYS CAME UP WITH GOOD NAMES(PISTOLS WAS HIS, BOW WOW WOW) SO WE SHOULD ASK HIM. WE MET UP WITH MALCOLM LATE AFTERNOON AND HE LOOKED AT ME WITH A HOW CAN I MAKE MONEY OFF HER LOOK IN HIS EYES And I GAVE HIM A MAD MADDOG LOOK IN RETURN. HE SAID LET'S GO EAT IT'S ON ME AND WE ATE DINNER WHILE LISTENING TO MALCOLM BRAINSTORM. WHEN SIMON ASKED ABOUT A NAME MALCOLM PAUSED FOR A WHILE THEN SAID JIMMY THE HOOVER. ME AND SIMON LOOKED AT EACH OTHER LIKE WHAT THE HELL. BUT MALCOLM LAUNCHED INTO A SPIEL ABOUT HOW COOL THE NAME COULD BE USED AND BY THE TIME WE LEFT WE LIKED IT. SIMON ALSO TOLD ME MALCOLM NEVER BOUGHT ANYBODY DINNER AND HE WAS SURPRISED. I SAID WELL HE'D NEVER BEEN IN THE PRESCENCE OF GREATNESS. SIMON SAID MALCOLM CALLED HIM A WEEK LATER AND WAS RAVING ABOUT ME, MY HAIR MY CONFIDENT AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE. I SHRUGGED. SO JTH WAS OFFICIALLY BORN. IN JULY MALCOLM GAVE US THE OPENING SPOT ON A MONTH LONG BOW WOW WOW TOUR WHICH WE JUMPED ON CUZ THE WOWSERS HAD HIT RECORDS ON THE CHARTS. I MET ANNABELLA WHO WAS A SHY NERVOUS 16 YR OLD GIRL. BUT SHE COULD DANCE HER ASS OFF!!! ALL THE KIDS IN THE BAND COULD ROCKP THE BASS PLAYER LEROY GORMAN KICKED ASS!! DAVE BARBAROSSA THE DRUMMER ROCKED AS DID GUITARIST MATTHEW ASHMAN(ALL 3 LADS WERE STOLEN BY MALCOLM FROM ADAM ANT). MATTHEW WAS AN ORIGINAL 100 CLUB PUNK(SO WAS SIMON) AND WAS DELIGHTED TO HEAR I'D BEEN A PUNKER. ONE NIGHT I NOTICED HIM STARING AT ME DURING THE HOOVERS SET. WHEN I CAME OFF HE SAID YOU'RE A FUCKING GOOD DRUMMER!! I SMILED AND SAID WELL YOU'RE A FUCKING GOOD BULLSHITTER!! HE CRACKED UP. THEY HAD DANCERS TO AUGMENT THE SHOW AND IT WAS ENTERTAINMENT WORLD!! WE HAD FUN ON THE TOUR. I SPENT MY 25TH B-DAY IN LIVERPOOL. THE BOWSERS WERE SHOCKED TO FIND I WAS 25 AND SAOD I LOOKED YOUNGER WHICH I DID BUT I DON'T CARE ABOUT AGE SHIT LIKE MOST WOMEN. I EXPERIENCED "THE BUMPS" A LIMEY BDAY TRADITION(WITH COCKNEYS ANYWAY). THEY ALL GRABBED ME BY MY ARMS AND LEGS THREW ME UP AND BANGED MY BUTT ON THE GROUND FOR EACH YEAR(I HAD A SORE ASS FOR 24 HOURS). EVERYONE TRIPPED WHEN I FREAKED ON 2 BLACK GIRLS IN EDINBURGH CUZ THEY HAD SCOTTISH ACCENTS!! IT BLEW ME AWAY AND THEY WERE FAWNING ALL OVER ME. AFTER THE TOUR WE PLAYED A FEW GIGS AROUND LONDON(JIMMY THE HOOVER WAS ME ON DRUMS DEREK SINGING SIMON ON KEYBOARD AND LYRICS FLINTO A GUY FROM ZAMBIA ON BASS AND MARK ON GUITAR. IN 1984 A GUY FROM INNERVISION RECORDS(WHO SIGNED WHAM ALSO) CAME TO A REHEARSAL. 2 WEEKS LATER WE SIGNED A RECORD DEAL AND RECORDED A FLINTO/BARKER SONG CALLED TANTALISE. IT WAS IN A CENTRAL AFRICAN MUSIC STYLE THAT EVENTUALLY OTHER UK BANDS MADE SONGS IN(TEARS FOR FEARS). THE GUY WHO PRODUCED IT WAS STEVE LEVINE WHO WAS CULTURE CLUBS PRODUCER. WELL IT WAS RELEASED LAST WEEK OF MAY 84 AND BEGAN RAPIDLY CLIMBING THE CHARTS. BY JULY IT WAS ON THE RADIO EVERYWHERE. IT MADE THE TOP 30 AND WE WERE CALLED TO PERFORM ON TOP OF THE POPS THE TOP 40 TV SHOW IN THE UK WHERE BIG NAMES LIKE T-REX ELTON JOHN AND BOWIE HAD PERFORMED ON. I WATCHED THE SHOW EVERY WEEK AND WAS SHOCKED AT HOW SMALL THE STUDIO WAS. WE HAD TO ARRIVE AT 10AM. THEN 2 HOURS LATER WE DID A DRY REHEARSAL SO THE CAMERAS COULD BE SETUP. WE WERE TRAPPED IN THE BBC ALL DAY. THE SHOW WENT OUT"LIVE" AT 730PM(WE MIMED TO THE RECORD). THE KIDS WERE BEING HERDED AROUND THE STUDIO LIKE CATTLE SO THE CAMERAS COULD SWING ALL OVER. ANYWAY IT WAS COOL(THE CURE WERE ON THE SAME SHOW). I WAS A BAR MANAGER AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF PUNK IN ENGLAND THE 100 CLUB. WHEN IRETURNED TO WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER MY TV APPEARANCE AND THE KIDS WERE YELLING WE SAW YOU ON TOP OF THE POPS!! THEN THEY ASKED WHY YOU STILL WORKING HERE? I SAID I AIN'T RICH. WE GOT A WEEKLY RETAINER OF 55 POUNDS(130 DOLLARS). A WEEK LATER THE RECORD HIT 18 IN THE CHART AND WE DID TOP OF THE POPS AGAIN(THE MARY JANE GIRLS WERE ON THE SAME SHOW-THEY'RE A RICK JAMES SIDE GROUP). WE CONTINUED TO RECORD SONGS FOR AN ALBUM AND A BIG MANAGEMENT FIRM PICKED US UP. BUT A MISTAKE WAS MADE IN CHOOSING THE 2ND SINGLE(IT DIED) AND INNERVISION DROPPED US. IT WAS THE 80'S IN LONDON AND CULTURE CLUB DURAN DURAN SPANDAU BALLET WHAM AND THE HUMAN LEAGUE EURYTHMICS BRONSKI BEAT...........THE BRITISH INVASION. THE HOOVERS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT WAVE BUT THOSE GUYS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE AUDIENCE NEEDS TO HEAR SOMETHING FAMILIAR BEFORE YOU SPRING A BIG CHANGE ON THEM. WE HAD A SONG CALLED YO JIMBO THAT WAS IN A SIMILAR STYLE TO TANTALISE AND THE RECORD COMPANY WANTED THAT TO BE SINGLE NUMBER 2. BUT WE HAD AN ELECTRO FUNK SONG CALLED BANDANNA STREET AND THAT'S WHAT DEREK AND SIMON WANTED. THE MANAGER TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE STRATEGY TO THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. FINALLY OUR MANAGER TOOK A POLL AMONGST HIS STAFF:B-STREET OR YO JIMBO? UNFORTUNATELY THEY PICKED BANDANNA STREET, SO OUR MANAGER PUSHED IT WITH THE COMPANY WHO GAVE IN. IT DIED A QUIET DEATH AND WE WERE DROPPED FROM THE LABEL, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE AWFUL CBS RECORD COMPANY. BOY GEORGE CULTURE CLUB AND JIMMY THE HOOVER SHARED THE SAME PRODUCER, STEVE LEVINE. HE WORKED OUT OF RED BUS STUDIOS. I HEARD GEORGE WANTED TO MEET ME SO HIS BACK UP SINGER HELEN ARRANGED FOR ME TO BE AT THE STUDIO WHEN GEORGE WAS THERE WORKING ON VOCALS. I DIDN'T EXPECT HIM TO BE SO BIG!!! HE WAS VERY NICE. ONE DAY I WAS ON MY WAY TO VIVIENNE WESTWOOD'S SHOP TO HANG AROUND A GIRL WHO WORKED THERE THAT I LIKED AND I SAW A GUY COMING TOWARDS WHO LOOKED LIKE GEORGE. THERE WERE ALOT OF BOY GEORGE LOOKALIKES THEN SO I THOUIGHT IT WAS ONE OF THEM. AS HE GOT CLOSER HE STARTED SMILING AT ME AND I THOUGHT HE SAW ME ON TOP OF THE POPS. THEN I REALIZED IT WAS BOY GEORGE HIMSELF!!! HE ASKED ME TO GO TO VIV'S SHOP WITH HIM AND I SAID OK. HE WANTED TO BUY A COAT BUT WAS TOO SHY TO TRY IT ON HIMSELF. THERE WAS A GUY IN THE SHOP ABOUT HIS SIZE AND GEORGE ASKED HIM TO TRY IT ON FOR HIM. THE GUY DID(HEY IT WAS BOY GEORGE FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!!) AND GEORGE SAID HE WANTED IT. HE PULLED OUT A STACK OF BILLS AND I SAID"DAMN GEORGE AINT U GOT A CREDIT CARD? YOU COULD GET ROBBED!! HE JUST GRINNED AND SHRUGGED. THE NEXT TIME I ENCOUNTERED HIMK WAS IN IPSWICH WHERE CULTURE CLUB HAD A CONCERT. I WENT WITH HIS BACKING SINGER HELEN AND HUNG OUT FOR 45 MINS IN HIS HOTEL ROOM WHERE HE BITCHED ABOIUT HIS BAND. HE SAID HE LIKED JIMMY THE HOOVER'S RECORD(TANTALISE) AND THOUGHT I LOOKED GREAT ON TOP OF THE POPS)I WAS FLATTERED). THIS WAS BEFORE HE GOT INTO DRUGS-YOU COULDN'T EVEN SMOKE AROUND HIM THEN!!! I FOUND HIM TO BE A COOL GUY, SENSITIVE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS VIEWS. IF I MET HIM NOW I'D TELL HIM"FUCK JON MOSS!!!!" LOVE CAN EAT YOU ALIVE. THE DEAD HOOVER YEARS YEARS DRAGGED BY. IN 1988 STEVE LEVINE WHO LIKED THE HOOVERS PUT US IN HIS STUDIO AND WE RECORDED SOME STUFF BUT NO LABEL WOULD TOUCH IT. SIMON HAD STARTED A PROJECT WITH VIVIENNE WESTWOOD WHO HAD A SONG SHE WANTED US TO WORK ON SO THE MADDOG CREATED A HYBRID STYLE OF MUSIC NO ONE ELSE WAS DOING USING TYMPANI ROCK GUITAR HIP HOP RHYTHMS AND AFRICAN RHYTHMS. A MODEL VIVIENNE USED SARA STOCKBRIDGE BECAME THE SINGER OF THE SONGS AND CHOICE WAS BORN. WE RECORDED SOME DEMOS IN THE STUDIO BUT NOTHING EVER HAPPENED WITH IT. I'D JUST BROKEN UP WITH MY GIRLFRIEND OF 3 YRS AND WAS ALL PUNKED OUT FROM BETRAYAL. SUDDENLY LONDON WAS SUFFOCATING ME AND EVEN THOUGH I'D MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS OVER THERE, I WAS HOMESICK AND DECIDED TO COME HOME. I PLAYED DRUMS FOR ONE SHOW IN 1980 WITH THE BODYSNATCHERS (WHO LATER BECAME THE BELLE STARS) AND PEOPLE BACK HOME THOUGHT I WAS IN THE SKA SCENE. BUT THE MUSIC WAS TOO WEIRD FOR ME, I'M A ROCK AND ROLLER 150% AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THAT WAY. BUT I'M GLAD I GOT TO GET A LITTLE TASTE OF SUCCESS. I KNEW I COULD HANDLE IT AND THAT IT WOULDN'T CHANGE ME THE WAY IT'S CHANGED SOME NOT NAMING ANY NAMES BUT SOME OF THEM USED TO BE PUNKERS). IT'S 2000 NOW I'M TURNING 44 IN A WEEK OR SO, AND I'VE BEEN WRITING SONGS SINCE I CAME BACK. I'VE DECIDED I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY MY SONGS TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT GOOD SONGS CAN BE WRITTEN AND BE ROCK AND ROLL. I HEAR MUSIC ON THE RADIO AND I'M PERPLEXED BUT CUZ I'M WAITING TO HEAR A SONG AND ALL I HEAR IS A FEEBLE ATTEMPT AT MELODY AND HARMONY. THEY COVER UP THE LACK OF SONG WITH LOUD UNRHYTHMIC GUITAR RIFFS. SO THE MADDOG IS HANGING UP HER DRUMSTICKS PUTTING ON A GUITAR AND SINGING INTO A MICROPHONE. YOU'VE BEEN HAVING IT MADE JUST DANCING TO MY BEAT WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT. I'VE BEEN BACKING UP OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES ALL THESE YEARS. WELL I HAVE SOME STORIES TO TELL AND I'M GONNA START TELLING THEM, WHETHER ANYONE LIKES IT OR NOT. IN A MONTH OR SO THE MADDOG IS GONNA BE PLAYING OUT SO GET READY FOR PHASE TWO OF THE MADDOG INVASION.........................10-12-00
BOY GEORGE:A SELF-MADE POP ICON
ANNABELLA, BOW WOW WOW'S SINGER:LAST TIME I SAW HER SHE WAS A NERVOUS 16 YR OLD. SHE'S A WOMAN OF 30 AND STILL OUT THERE DOING HER THING. THIS GIRL CAN DANCE YOU INTO AN EARLY GRAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BOW WOW WOW (FROM LEFTTORIGHT):MATTHEW ASHMAN, GUITAR, LEROY GORMAN, BASS, DAVE BARBE, DRUMS AND ANNABELLA...SEE JUNGLE SEE JUNGLE
ANNABELLA ON THE 96 BOWWOWWOW TOUR
BOWWOWWOW LP COVER
MALCOLM MCLAREN:HE GAVE US SEX PISTOLS, BOW WOW WOW AND VIVIENNE WESTWOOD..HE'S CURRENTLY RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF LONDON
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD: THE ULTIMATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-FROM THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND...SHE IS THE MOST ORIGINAL FASHION DESIGNER IN THE WORLD........
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