Phill Calvert

Behind The Beat

170 Farrell St

Port Melbourne

VIC 3207

‘The record industry as it was in the past tore down teenage culture in a “rock’n’roll” sense and it no longer exists. The only place it does exist is in magazines, or on reissues, or in documentaries.

Here’s the tragedy and here’s the hope. There are still rock’n’roll bands and there are still rock’n’roll dreamers and there are still rock’n’roll stars and heroes – they’re harder to find than ever before, but they’re still out there. But the people reading this article and going to revival shows and reissuing this and that don’t think it’s there anymore, so they don’t support it and they don’t look for it. Granted some of the rock’n’roll has changed. It’s a different attitude. Maybe the amps are different. Maybe the recording studios are different. Maybe the haircuts are different — but it’s still rock’n’roll.

People might say, “Well, there’s no more Elvis, there’s no more Doors and there’s no more Faces and there’s no more Clash out there.”

Yeah! But there may be a bunch of people who can give you the same emotional feeling. If you spend the time on a Tuesday night to go to the clubs and hear music, you’ll see. It’s still there. You have to find it again, because you can only recycle these stories so many times; you can only reissue these songs so many times and eventually everybody’s gonna have these records in their homes. You’re going to have all the versions of all this stuff on bootlegs and tape and vinyl. After a while though, you’re kid’s gonna eat them, you’re dog’s gonna shit on them and your second wife will throw them out. So why don’t you guys go and form your own bands, or why don’t you go find some?  Then you’ll find some hot girls and get laid and you’ll have a good time.

It’s still there. It’s not in fashion. It’s very different from my time, but it’s still out there. It may not be what you think rock’n’roll is, but it tells you things about what it’s like, and it’s a natural extension of the past.’

-Kim Fowley