Daniel Robert Epstein: The Cramps

Yep, the Cramps are still the best.

The Cramps hold a special place in my heart. They were one of the first "punk" shows I travelled into the city (NYC) for. I remember being unable to get any of my friends to come with me so I went it alone. I wanted to make sure I was up on the front - not to miss all the action - at the old Ritz. *sigh* I miss that venue... Anyway, I wear glasses so I made sure to remove them and leve them with my coat I had checked so they wouldn't get smashed in the pit. the pit happened to be a little too crazy for my tatses that night so I ended up standing off to the side. Gave myself a headache from straining so hard to see the show. Heh.

Here we are 15 or so years later and I had the pleasure of working with them on the current album. Super-nice folks. Seriously. They even ended up doing a photoshoot for Propaganda magazine in my apartment. What a blast!

Ooh, ooh! That was my first real show. When they were touring for Big Beat from Badsville. I had such a great time.

I played "Oo-wee" off the new album on my show recently. Yay! Send me free stuff.

I've been playing a lot of the Cramps on my show recently. Sooo good.

There was an excellent piece on them in the Wire a few issues ago too.

Nice to see them here as well.

Really, really cool. I saw The Cramps when I was working at HOB in LA about 4 years ago. They were AMAZING. I'll never forget, Ivy was wearing a sheer, full length body stocking and NOTHING else. This woman must be close to 50 and she looked white hot. So amazingly attractive. It was frustrating show because she has this hige guitar and it covered her "part" perfectly.

Fieds of Dope Island rocks too.......Thanks Daniel!

Great interview. I was at the HOB show in Chicago Ivy was talking about. It was kind of a nightmare, and I'm sorry the Cramps had a bad experience, but damn if they didn't put on a great show anyway! Actually, the whole thing seemed to have an extra edgy energy because of all the mayhem. I remember after the roadie got dragged into the audience, Lux leaning over the stage and saying: "Please don't kill our roadie, he's the only one we've got. But you can torture him a litte--we do it every day..." Heh, heh.

The Cramps were just about the first "alternative" music I started listening to in my early teens. I've wanted to see these guys for almost 20 years, and they did not dissapoint. I can only hope I can rock that hard (or look that good in vinyl) at their age.

Great interview, I agree it has been on the top ones here.



cheers.

I would have killed to have seen the show they did in the mental institution. Talk about entertainment!

The Cramps are truly legendary. Bad Music For Bad People was a defining record for me growing up. I initially heard them around the same time that I discovered The Misfits and Dead Kennedys. They've been a bad influence on me ever since!

Excellent interview.

Long Live Lux

Lux will always be a huge hero to me. Farewell, ghoul daddy.

Word.

LONG LIVE THE CRAMPS!

i miss Lux

I went to the museum, stood on a chair
Some girl drew a crowd by what she didn't wear
She made everybody look up there
It was a naked girl fallin' down the stairs!

It was a naked girl....right in my FACE!
High class culture all over the place!
My watch stopped tickin', shoes came unlaced,
When someone gave her a shove down a stair case.

Naked girl fallin' down the stairs
Naked girl fallin' down the stairs
all the way down, she was up in the air
It was a naked girl fallin' down the stairs