This One’s For Dirk!!!

I can’t imagine Dirk’s gone. I thought he was recovering. He was so young. I’m so stomped. I don’t know what to say, except that he’s a loss to the blogging community. I’ve been dealing with “deaths” the last couple of posts, and now this one. You’ll definitely be missed.

I can’t fucking segue to my post with Dirk's death lingering on my mind. Fuck it, here it is. Proto Punks, bands and artists that in one way or another inspired punk rock.


There’s one artist/band that always comes to mind as the progenitors of punk, Iggy & the Stooges. The Ramones idolized them, Pistols and The Damned covered them. They’re live performances are way out there and Iggy’s the consummate frontman.


After recieving a beating from a Michigan gang member, Iggy went on air in a local radio station the next day and challenged the whole gang to watch their gig that evening and do they’re worst. The result was the legendary Live Album Metallic KO. The recording was lo-fi, but you can clearly here bottles crashing in the background and the constant taunting of Iggy. This is actually a cross between a concert and a riot! Totally awesome! And this one’s for you Dirk!!!

Iggy & the Stooges - Metallic KO

Next up is the Dictators. Steven Van Zandt called them "The connective tissue between the eras of The MC5, Stooges, NY Dolls, and the punk explosion of the mid to late 70's. They played pop/surf/punk/metal music, led by Pro Wrestler Handsome Dick Manitoba, guitarists Ross the Boss (who later founded Manowar). This still hold some occasional reunion shows up to this date.

The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy


New York Dolls was formed in 1971. They were lumped in the then glitter rock scene though their sound can be traced to Rolling Stones than T.Rex. It’s hard rock and some semblance of proto punk. They were cited along with Iggy and MC5 as progenitors of punk.




New York Dolls - Rock n Roll

Television started a tad earlier than the Ramones and their sound is not punk as we know it, though very creative. Television started out with Tom Verlain on guitars and vocals and Richard Hell (bass and vocals). Richard Hell went on to form the Heartbreakers with Johnny Thunders and the Voidoids. It also featured Richard Lloyd on guitars and Fred “Sonic’ Smith, formerly of MC5 replaced Hell.



Television - Marquee Moon





Television - Adventure



Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, were also cited as one of the Proto Punks. Though most of the bands they've influenced are more in the indie way, like Jesus and Marychain, Psychedelic Furs (they actually got their name from Venus in Furs) and so on. Here are some of the memorable solo efforts of Lou Reed:

Lou Reed - Rock n Roll Animal




Lou Reed - Transformer

I should have posted MC5, though most of their albums we’re already featured on other blogs. Likewise, the Stooges’ studio albums were already posted in Suburban Terror, and some Iggy’s live stuff in Punk not Profit. Check it out. By the way, special thanks to Terrorizer for helping me rip the Metallic KO album.