Utter Trash--Rubber City Rebels

Return of the Rebels

An interview with The Rubber City Rebels

By Bob Ignizio

The Rubber City Rebels l to r: Buzz Clic, Mike Hammer, Rod Firestone, and Bob Clic

The Rubber City Rebels were among the first crop of bands to play punk rock music before it even had a name. The original line-up was Rod Firestone on vocals, Buzz Clic on guitar, Donny Damage on bass, Stix Pelton on drums, and Pete Sake on keyboards. Along with The Dictators, Rocket From the Tombs, The Ramones, Television, and others they wrote the book that Malcolm MacLaren carefully studied before putting together his own UK model, The Sex Pistols. Like most of their fellow pioneers, The Rubber City Rebels never really achieved a great deal of commercial success. They appeared on the Stiff records ‘Akron Compilation’ in 1976 and shared a split LP with The Bizarros on Clone Records called ‘From Akron’ in 1977. Buzz and Rod were also running Akron’s answer to CBGB’s, The Crypt, during this time. After fellow Akronites Devo moved to LA and got signed by A&M Records, The Rebels (minus Stix and Pete and with the addition of Mike Hammer on drums) followed suit. Eventually the band was signed by Capitol records, but by the time they recorded their self titled debut Mike and Donny had moved back to Akron and were replaced by Brandon Matheson (drums) and Johnny Bethesda (bass). Although the 1980 release got good reviews, fame and fortune continued to elude the band. Eventually the group just sort of ceased to exist with the exception of the occasional reunion show.

But like all good cult bands their reputation continued to grow. Other bands covered their songs and cited them as an influence. In 2001 the Mind Control Laboratories label re-released the band’s self titled album and the White Noise label released ‘Re-Tired’, a collection of live songs and their side of the ‘From Akron’ LP. The band reunited for a tour to support the releases with Rod and Buzz joined by old bandmates Mike Hammer and Donny Damage. Now, 23 years after their debut LP was first released, the band has released a follow up: ‘Pierce My Brain’, one of the best punk albums of the year in my opinion. They’ve also embarked on a tour that will see them playing The Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on May 23^rd along with The Dictators. Although Donny Damage decided not to carry on his shoes have been capably filled by Buzz Clic’s brother Bob (also guitarist for The Lewd). I recently had the opportunity to question the band via email on their status as punk rock pioneers and what they’re up to these days, and this is what they had to say.

Utter Trash: You said in your last email no one lives in Ohio anymore. Where is the band based out of now?

Rod: Although we are named geographically we are now truly America's Band. We’re all over the place; LA, SF, Atlanta and NC. The next question is usually how do we rehearse? We have found rehearsal to be over-rated. We've tried with and without and it actually sounds better without.

UT: I'm just barely old enough to remember when Akron was the rubber capital. Do most people still know what your name means, or do they think it has something to do with prophylactics?

Rod: The Name, oh yeah, first of all they can't pronounce it. Then they have no idea where the hell it is or why. Or maybe they think we're the River City Rebels or the Murder City Devils or the Dead City Manglers or some other bastardization. That's pretty fucked up, a bastardization of something WE came up with.

UT: After your initial stint as punk legends, the Rebels were out of the scene for a while. What led you to reform the band, and what were you doing in the meantime?

Rod: You know that's what we thought we were doing too. Being punk legends. Funny isn't it? A band that just goes about being legendary every day. Good plan. Glad I thought of it. What were we doing? Fuck, who cares. I think you have to go dormant to incubate the legend. Then you come back. It's like we faked our death.

Bob: I think I had a little to do with the reanimation, or at least I'm gonna try to claim some responsibility. Back when the Rebels were living in LA, from 78 to whenever, I was the guitarist for The Lewd in San Francisco, and also a big RCR fan. In 1998 as I found out that my band was considered "legendary" and that bands like Turbonegro were covering our songs I kinda kept Buzz updated with what was happening. As I started meeting these younger punk rockers and the record collectors I saw that the Rebels were still really well respected and that if they wanted it, they could play again. I think I made the first contact with Pete Sake and Donny Damage for them. I knew the folks at White Noise Records who wanted to re-release the older Akron era songs as the Re-Tired CD. But mainly I wanted the chance to see the band play live again. The way things worked they unexpectedly needed me to play bass. In fact, that's my only bitch about what's happened. I don't get to see the band play live anymore.

UT: On the new album, you have a song called "I Don't Wanna be a Punk no More". How serious are those sentiments? Would you really like to do your version of Spinal Tap's jazz odyssey?

Rod: You got it all wrong. The song is not about me or us it's about guys who came and went from the rebels. We are obviously all lifers. It ain't about us.

Bob: Ha, I think every band that takes itself seriously is living Spinal Tap's nightmare, or will eventually. We're just having fun playing, and Rod and Buzz are writing Rebels songs like they always did. You're never gonna hear the space-jam in D from this band. In fact this new record is harder and faster than the old stuff.

Buzz: Hey, music is my life. I have found true happiness with this Mantra - "Fast Loud & Stupid!"

UT: I've noticed that older punks like yourselves seem to have more of a rebellious streak than ninety percent of the young kids who claim to be playing the style today. What the hell is up with that?

Rod: Think about it. When we started, it was rebellious to be punks. But today it's just another little market niche. Is it risky or extreme to be a punk today? Not really unless you're so fucking old people can't believe you can possibly do it well and with integrity. That shocks them a little. Plus we're out there touring the shit holes just like everybody else, so we have to deal with the attitude, which mostly goes away once they see us play.

UT: A goofier song like “Pierce my Brain” aside, your new album is, dare I say, "mature" sounding. Do you think age and experience makes for a better song writer?

Rod: If you mean we sound like the best fucking band you ever heard well we were always great, young, old, whatever. That's just us.

Buzz: If you go back to the early Rebels stuff you'll see we could always write good songs. We just never found an audience willing to commit to blind obedience.

UT: While I wouldn't say you guys are a political band, you do cover the issue of people more or less being brainwashed by the media and government on "Your Television Lies" and "Grip of Fear". I'm guessing you're not a big John Ashcroft fan. But do you think mind control can really work on it's own, or does it require a certain amount of willingness to be led on the part of the masses?

Rod: Well did you ever notice that CNN used to have a news anchor named "Willow Bay". Think about it.

UT: When the big rock 'n' roll authorities tell the history of punk, they almost always start with Detroit and New York, hop a plane to England, and then jet back to L.A. Does it piss you off that Akron and Cleveland, which were every bit as vital to the development of the genre, often get overlooked? Why do you think that is?

Rod: Well, they don't overlook it completely, or I wouldn't be talking to you. Other than that I know a lot of shit that rock "historians" get all screwed up, 'cause I was there. But hey, I'm a legend so I'll shut the fuck up. Besides I'm in talks with Oliver Stone and negotiations are in a very exciting stage right now.

UT: First off, I loved the lyrics to "Pierce my Brain" and pretty much agree that body modification was a ripe target for lampooning. That said, punk and other underground music styles have always been accompanied by some outrageous fashion statements (safety pins, mohawks and spiked hair, etc). Aren't you maybe being a grumpy old man a little bit?

Rod: You got it wrong again. You never saw us back when, so you don't know if age has affected us one way or another. When we first showed up in LA, all the trendy folks with mohawks and safety pins figured us for some kind of hayseed farm boys, cause we didn't have a lick of fashion sense. But,when they heard us play they fucking thought again and said, yeah these guys ARE punk. So don't give me that grumpy old man shit. Now get off my property or I'll call the police!

UT: As long as people seem to be interested, record sales are good, and the tour goes well, do you think you'll keep the band going for a while at least?

Rod: We're under contract to Smog Veil for 5 years. Frank "Sonny" Mauceri don't let his bands sit around and do nothing. So we're gonna be out there for a while whether we like it or not. It's just business.

UT: So far, would you say you're having more fun playing now than when the band first started?

Rod: I would say that if I was one of those happy, shiny guys that likes to spin shit that way but I'm not, so I won't. But, let me put it this way; we don't make any money doing this shit, never did. So we're either torturing ourselves or we like doing it.

Bob: well anytime you give cigars and whiskey to monkeys there's probably gonna be some happy monkeys.

UT: I mentioned the current crop of so-called punk bands earlier in this interview. What are your feelings on Blink 182, Green Day, and the like? Has punk pretty much lost all significance as a form of rebellion, or does it have some life left in it still?

Rod: I sort of answered this one already but, as for Green Day, they're old school, sort of OK. Good sounding records. I don't hate them for selling albums. I envy them. Same for Blink and the rest. Simple Plan and Good Charlotte are kind of sappy with their love songs. I like the Donnas a lot. I am just glad to see guitars, bass and drums not go extinct.

Bob: In 1977 punk rock was new, there were no heroes, and only a few role models. Today your little brother can follow a blueprint of how to be punk, how to look and how to act and sound. That said, there are some good punk bands still, but certainly not the ones you mentioned. Those modern rock bands, like most of what is popular, are industry shills so the parent corporations know what style sneaker to sell you.

UT: That's about it, but if there's anything I haven't touched on that you wish one of these damn journalists would ask about one of these days feel free to add it here. (The following questions the band asked themselves. Hey, I should have this sooner. Saves some work).

Rod: It was terrific. We killed them, especially in the former Eastern Bloc. They had mostly never heard of us since Capitol never released our album behind the Iron Curtain. They didn't release it in front of the Iron Curtain either come to think of it. Anyway, we were getting two and three encores each night. The old ex-commie towns reminded us a little of Akron/Cleveland; kind grungy you know. But the fuckers like to rock and roll.

Bob: We also went to Stockholm and found a whole cult of musicians that worship us like gods. Turbo Negro is so huge up there and they pay tribute to us in some of their songs. So we were surprised to get such a big "we're not worthy" thing up there.

Mike: Touring Europe is much cooler because the population is denser so you don¹t have to travel as far. They are not as heavily marketed to (yet) so they like more kinds of music. They actually pay you to play, feed you and give you a place to stay. It's easier than a tour in the states. I was surprised.

>Is it true that your are being sued by the parents of someone who actually tried to pierce his brain after buying you new CD? Do you feel responsible?

Rod: The legal team has told us not to comment one way or the other on that rumor.

>There is a track on the new album called "Your Warlord Is A Pussy". It was co-written by some guy named Commander Omar. What's up with that?

Rod: There was this punk kid who lived in Buffalo named Omar. He worked at MacDonald's and played drums in some heavy rock bands. His favorite two bands are AC/DC and The Rubber City Rebels. Well, it turns out he is the son of an Afghan warlord and when the Russians invade, daddy sends for him. He goes back to Afghanistan and takes over the family business. So now he commands 50,000 Afghan warriors. But he still digs rawk. So he writes this wacked out song and sends me the demo. It's like a taunt to the other warlords. His lyrics, not mine. I say, hey, if only half of his troops buy a CD, I can't loose. Man, I hope they don't all just download it off the web.

Concert review and pictures: With The Dictators and Amps II Eleven at The Beachland Ballroom 05-23-03