Chris has been a good friend the last few years and he designed the OFMF logo for me. Here is an interview we did a few years back.
Jesse: Can you talk about your history in the Jabbers?
Chris: I played in a local band called Kedz (named after the sneakers). We were opening for GG Allin and the Jabbers while I was in high school. Unbeknownst to me, Kev had started to groom me as a new Jabber as there had been a revolving door of guitarists and drummers from 79 on (Kevin Durant, John Fortin, Bob MacKenzie, Randy Martin, Roland and Warren Spencer and Rick P). Kev would give us shit and started calling us the Kidz and billing us as the Kidz on bills (as he made the show flyers or placed the ads). Rob said don’t take offense, the Real Kids used to be called the Kidz. It WAS to put us down. Anyway, we opened a bunch of shows and if we opened I would fill in for Randy who had temporarily come back until Kev landed someone. At one Channel Show in 81 the Kidz opened and I also played with the Jabbers. Afterwards during load out I was hanging with Kev and Alan and two people from Pretty Polly Productions approached us and asked me if we could talk. I thought they meant talk to me, Kev and Alan but they wanted to talk only to me. We moved aside and they said they wanted to represent us. They represented the Neighborhoods, Young Snakes, Someone and the Somebody’s, and other Boston acts. They had no interest in the Jabbers and wanted “Marketable Punk/New Wave” like the bands mentioned. Kev decided it was time to get me in the band and break up my band. A short time later Alan told me it was because Kev felt we were getting too good and were a local threat. This was mid 81 (when I officially joined). I played the rest of 81 and 82, then got sick with mono, (the band only played a few shows in 83) and I rejoined after the bands first show of 84 (which was February) and we rehearsed until the second show of 84, which was the last GG Allin & The Jabbers show (April 84). The minuscule number of shows in 83 and 84 was due to the lack of enthusiasm to book us (we had been banned everywhere) and because Kev was working on his new project, the Scumfucs (Mike was also playing with them).
Jesse: Can you tell us about Michael O’Donnell?
Chris: Mike played the last two Jabbers shows; February 84 and April 84. I am not sure how Mike came to join in the band. Alan seems to think that Kev met Mike at the Casbah. When the Jabbers reformed in early 2000’s I reached out to Bob MacKenzie (his was the only drummer contact I had) asking if he wanted to do some recording but he was busy juggling both going thru a divorce and coaching his kid’s little league team. I located Mike through a fan in Sweden and gave him a call and he jumped at it.
Jesse: Can you tell us about Rob Basso?
Chris: The best lead guitarist I ever played with. Absolutely beautiful leads. He has always been an incredible guitarist and is still like an older brother to me. He joined by answering and ad in Sweet Potato.
Jesse: And what about Alan Chapple?
Chris: He’s not a typical punk bassist and plays more like Paul McCartney. Almost like his bass lines are played on piano. Another brilliant musician. And like Rob, Alan still feels like he is an an older brother. Alan was a childhood friend of the Allin’s .
Jesse: What can you tell us the Kevin/the GG you knew?
Chris: It has all been said in interviews and stuff. Anything not said, well… Do you know the gardening glove scene towards the end of “Saving Private Ryan” between Tom Hanks and. Matt Damon before the Germans launch an offensive against the town? It is kind of like that. Anything not out there are my memories.
Jesse: What are some upcoming releases from Blood Orange Records?
Chris: Live at the Rat E.P 80, Emily XYZ e.p. with Kev on drums, Live at the Channel 81, the original set and not the butchered version Black & Blue put out along with a second disc of interviews conducted at the club (as a double LP), the Original never released version of AWIAASB (with original songs and title; if we can agree on it, there is some confusion as to original title) Live at the Club Merri-Mac 81 (Manchester NH; Spenard’s friend recorded it and he is working on getting the tape but I am not holding my breath) Live in Providence 82 Live in New Haven 82 Live at the A7 83 (NYC another “maybe”) Live at the Casbah 84 (Manchester NH) A couple singles (for instance we only have couple songs from a show at Jumbo’s in Sommerville and a couple other misc live songs) American Standard double LP remix with alternate versions and scratch tracks. And maybe some unreleased tracks. Then ideally stuff we have done something solo like Rat Fink and Robs stuff, etc. Oh, and hopefully a prison tattoo book.
Jesse: Tell us about the live music scene just before the Jabbers started up?
Chris: Cover bands only in Manchester. Very predictable and safe cover bands. Manchester still seems that way to me. After the Jabbers another band called the Nubs sprung up in the late 70’s (I think their 45 was called Dogs/I Love my German Luger. I may have the songs wrong but it was okay and listenable). They may have been around before the Jabbers. I do not remember them being very punk but I think they got lumped in. One or two of the guys may have had mustaches which to us was not punk. Then I remember Jonee Earthquake appeared. Again, he was not really punk and may have already been playing. I guess about a year later the high school bands the Kedz, the Fizical Fits, Violet and the Videos and the By-Produx were out and playing and all at one time shared a bill with the Jabbers. There really was no scene other than that in Manchester. On the coast a band called the Falling Spikes came to a Jabbers show. They may have been opening. Anyway, the Falling Spikes were Wimpy, Joe and Tulu and they became the Queers. In Nashua there was a band called Body Count. Around about 83-84 I lost track of who was who and punk in town was pretty much dead and anyone original was what I call “Safe Wave” for lack of a better term to describe the music.
Jesse: How did the Ramones influence or advise you on the Jabbers?
Chris: I was friends with John. When YHM&IHY came out and I gave him the 45 he asked me why the band was called “GG Allin” and never to play on another recording if the band was not going to be credited. He said that he did not play in a band called “Joey Ramone,” so, I never recorded in the studio with the band other than that track. John told me to continue to play with the band live if I was getting paid and for the experience, but to never artistically contribute to a releases as part of a group as a member of a backing band. So, I just played with the band and sat out whatever the next single was. Kev understood.
Jesse: Can tell us about how you see Kevin’s legacy today?
Chris: Misunderstood. It is like a light switch on a wall except for reading “on and off” it reads “Kevin and GG.”
Jesse: Any misconceptions to clear up?
Chris: No, other than my memories of Kev do not align with the fans perception of him, and that pisses off some fans. They are my memories of Kev tho and not the fans. They will believe what they want to believe or would prefer to believe.
Jesse: How did it come about the GG Allin & The Jabbers were banned from playing in NH in the early days?
Chris: NH had strict liquor laws. We ain’t NY or LA. There was no drinking on stage, no standing in front of a stage holding a beer (you had to sit with your drinks) and clubs were a lot less tolerant of swearing. Plus, I was underage when I played in the band and Fortin was before me and that always added a level of stress to playing in a 21 plus place, you know, the fear they were going to card me and toss me out. The clubs were afraid of the liquor commissioner shutting them down. Remember, they were used to very predictable cover bands. So, it was easier to get banned than rebooked. If someone gave us a beer onstage or some fans were standing in front of the stage with beer, that was it, NH liquor laws were broken and we would get shut off and banned. The clubs also owned the PAs and microphones and mics would inevitable get broken by GG or monitors knocked over by rowdy fans and that was destruction of property and we would get banned. It really didn’t matter that we were banned as there was not one good place to play in NH until the Casbah. And then we got banned there when we played our only show there in 84!
Jesse: Were there groupies?
Chris: Never.
Jesse: Who were the easiest Jabbers to get along with?
Chris: Me.
Jesse: If there were ever to be a GG Allin & the Jabbers movie, who would you want to play you?
Chris: A young Lee Marvin or Steve Buscemi.