From his humble beginnings on vinyl backing up Reggae singer Mataya Clifford (a.k.a. Mat Stagger) to his career-defining work with the incendiary Killing Joke, Big Paul Ferguson has always brought a unique vision to the world of drumming. His tom-centric performances on classic Joke albums (particularly 1981’s What’s THIS For...! and 1983’s Fire Dances) introduced a new standard for percussive expression that has since been regularly emulated but never surpassed. (Master skin basher Martin Atkins, who served as Ferguson’s replacement in Killing Joke in the late ’80s/early ’90s, has quipped on more than one occasion that copying Big Paul’s patterns nearly killed him.) In addition to various releases by the mighty Joke, Ferguson’s magic can be heard and felt on recordings by a slew of acts including Warrior Soul, Crush, The Ancients, Pigface, Transmission (with Killing Joke bassist Youth) and the early-’90s Killing Joke offshoot Murder Inc. Now, he has released his first music on his own (under the abbreviated moniker BPF) in the form of the stellar Remote Viewing, a seven-song EP featuring instantly identifiable cover art by longtime Killing Joke collaborator Mike Coles.
High expectations? Absolutely. Exceeded expectations? Without question.
Naturally, it takes mere seconds into the opening “Hungry Gods” to know exactly who’s supplying the beat. Bolstered by the addition of hand percussion to his usual sonic arsenal, Ferguson flavors the track with a spoken word piece delivered in a fashion not unlike his one-time Murder Inc. collaborator Chris Connelly. Seventy-five seconds in, the drums rise to meet the fiery guitars of underground veteran Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission/Peter Murphy/Tricky), whose presence is felt throughout the EP. The track fulfills everything the words Big Paul solo release promise.
With Thwaite adding dark menace behind the curtain, the drums unsurprisingly take center stage on the Techno-tinged “Reboot,” a song that demonstrates the trance-like power that can be accomplished when a simple, bulletproof groove and a relatively mellow vocal track are placed in the right hands. (You can practically feel the osmosis effect of longtime associates Youth and Alex Paterson [The Orb] flow out of Ferguson’s pores on this one.) A similarly simple (but equally effective) beat drives the EP’s greatest moment, “Fear The Great Motivator.” While Ferguson is best known for his tribal drive, sometimes his strongest statements come when he sits back and lets a minimalistic vibe take over. (For another prime example, check out “The Rain” off Crush’s criminally overlooked eponymous album from ’93.) The drums here (and throughout the EP, for that matter) are powerful but never gratuitous, thus brilliantly showcasing the skills of a player devoted to serving the songs and establishing a mood through rhythm instead of resorting to histrionics.
Lyrically, Ferguson has plenty to say. Perhaps the most pointed sonic criticism of modern culture since Nicole Blackman gave the world a vitriolic verbal smackdown on KMFDM’s “Dogma,” “XBOX” (featuring electric violin courtesy of Niklas Rundquist [The Leather Nun/Brainshadow]) hurls plenty of savage chestnuts at the deserving masses. Here’s one of them:
Ayn Rand was an evil bitch with a bad idea
But she is the prophet of the West
And they won’t stop until her dreams become a reality.
There’s plenty more about Remote Viewing that could be discussed here, but this EP – much like the band Ferguson calls home – is something you need to feel to fully appreciate. At 60, he has just unveiled one of his most fascinating works. Like the brightest moments in his musical past, Remote Viewing will provide new treasures to listeners years after their introduction to it. An essential addition to the discography of one of underground music’s most innovative minds.
“Let’s hope Killing Joke is locked away in a bunker somewhere writing an album about all of this.”
I posted the above words on my personal Facebook page last year during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I could not think of a more suitable band to express the anger, fear, isolation, confusion and grasps at hope that millions suddenly had to experience in the blink of an eye. Although a new Killing Joke studio album has yet to materialize (perhaps with the wildly disparate locations of the band’s members serving as the greatest culprit), listeners will soon have Virtual Control, the upcoming first full-length solo album by the group’s co-founder and drummer, Big Paul Ferguson.
Ferguson the man is soft-spoken, warm and welcoming – the kind of person who’d sooner greet a fan (or “Gatherer,” to use Killing Joke parlance) with a hug than with a handshake. Ferguson the drummer, however, is as terrifying as he is inspiring – the primal emotional engine fueling Killing Joke’s sonic storm through precise tom-heavy beats and a piercing, laser-focused onstage gaze that could cut through glass.
This duality is on full display throughout Virtual Control, which unpacks a hell of a lot in regard to our current state of world affairs through the juxtaposition of thunderous instrumentation and even-keeled, half-sung/half-spoken vocals. The album’s title alone should give you an idea of Ferguson’s present worldview as he comments on what has largely become a society manipulated into devolving into the human equivalent of rattled canines barking at one another in a circle. (As he sings on the album’s opening track, “Lapdogs of discontent never agree.”) Visually speaking, he addresses the pandemic in blunt fashion in the new video for the album’s first single, “Extrapolate.”
Lyrically, Ferguson’s primary interest on Virtual Control seems less focused on the pandemic itself and more targeted toward the societal and global implications of the cultural shifts it has produced, as demonstrated in these words heard underneath the loudly mixed musical blast of “Data Lama:”
Hard to imagine what the future’s gonna look like
When the structures we’ve been used to
Have all been swept aside
Barriers of normalcy
Barriers of trade
Have all been blown to pieces
By this fundamental change.
Of course, America (where Ferguson currently resides) recently faced racial unrest and a deeply polarizing Presidential election in addition to the lockdown conditions that shuttered the planet. This already combustible combination was made even worse by the proliferation of dubious information by sources driven more by the desire for clicks than the commitment to presenting anything resembling reality. These developments drive the slow burn of “The Unraveling,” a melancholic meditation on a citizenry rapidly succumbing to the seductive glare of portable screens:
Swipe left, swipe right
Scroll up, scroll down
Click here, click there
Watch the little wheel spin round
And round and round and round
Shopping online
Swallowing lies
Victims of circumstance
Telling porky pies
The world’s gone crazy
There’s so much wealth
Flushed down the drain
But so’s my mental health
It really doesn’t matter
There’s so much chatter
When the face on the screen
Says it’s safe, not safe.
Album co-producer/co-writer and veteran journeyman guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite, who’s spent the past several years collaborating with a staggering array of artists (The Mission, Peter Murphy, Tricky, Julianne Regan and late Killing Joke bassist Paul Raven [in the band Mob Research], to name but a few), returns to deliver the same high-caliber musicality that he brought to Ferguson’s 2018 debut solo EP, Remote Viewing. (His playing on “Extrapolate” and “Plausible Deniability,” which both give more than a passing nod to the stylings of Killing Joke’s Geordie Walker, is particularly blistering.) Additionally, Tim Skold (best known for his stints with Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, ohGr and – if you’re of a certain age like me – Shotgun Messiah) bolsters the album’s impact through a guest appearance on “Seeping Through The Cracks,” while Die Krupps mastermind Jürgen Engler appears on album closer “Dystopian Vibe.”
(Speaking of Die Krupps, Ferguson contributes drums to the group’s stellar rendition of Gang of Four’s “To Hell With Poverty” from its upcoming covers collection, Songs From The Dark Side Of Heaven.)
As for the drumming…well, this album has the name Big Paul Ferguson on the cover. If you’re a Killing Joke fan, get ready to groove. If you’re in the unfortunate position of also being a drummer, prepare to be horrified and humbled. Again. (Take a listen to his playing on “Glass Houses” – another dose of game over for most of us, I’m afraid.) Massive respect to him for keeping his skills consistently sharp and evolving through nearly 45 years of recorded output.
Ferguson once famously described the music of Killing Joke as “the sound of the earth vomiting.” Virtual Control is the sound of the world recoiling from the horrors it has created for itself under the guises of security and progress, delivered through thoughts and music that straddle the line between rage and resignation. This is more than an album; it is an essential statement on this critical moment in human history.
It typically takes nine months to birth a human being, but it’s not so common to see a fresh musical idea grow into a fully formed band and a debut EP in the same period. Desiring an opportunity to explore new sonic adventures, veteran Killing Joke drummer and occasional solo artist Big Paul Ferguson began sowing the seeds for what quickly became his latest venture, Light of Eternity (L.O.E.), last August. Enlisting Nashville-based singer/bassist Fred Schreck (The Ancients/Crush/The Billygoats/Satellite Paradiso) and Thailand-based guitarist Pauly Williams (Chaos 8), Ferguson took full advantage of technology to prompt a transatlantic collaboration that will unleash its eponymous four-song EP on June 1.
Naturally, this EP absolutely kills—just not in the ways you may expect.
First off, anyone expecting a continuation of Schreck and Ferguson’s past work together in Crush or The Ancients will find nothing of the sort on this release. As exceptional as that work is, this EP is not a Killing Joke-meets-Crush run through past magic—this is an entirely new aural aesthetic created by two longtime friends who were meant to make music together. While giving the metallic opening track “Edge of Fate” a first listen, I immediately thought that at least two vocalists were belting out the lyrics. Nope, that’s all Schreck—always fantastic but now showcasing a new level of versatility after already spending decades fronting some of the most consistently great outfits in Alternative music. (In my never-humble opinion, The Ancients is one of the best and most underrated bands of all time—and I’m not just saying that because Fred’s a fellow New Jersey native.) Few vocalists get better with age, but few vocalists have stood the test of time with as much grace and unwavering skill as Fred Schreck.
Ferguson also hits a stunning peak on the EP, prompting me to hit the guy’s Messenger to find out how many of the beats may have been programmed. The answer? Fucking none. Big Paul’s drumming has always struck a rock-solid balance between the soulful and the savage, but he drives Light of Eternity with some of his finest work in decades. (Bloody Fire Dances is 41 years old, folks. I don’t know how the man does it. As a fellow drummer, I simultaneously want to worship at his feet and punch him in the mouth.)
The EP’s finest moment, “Lament,” showcases both men’s greatest strengths. Schreck ranges from baritone balladeer to Goth Metal groaner, while Ferguson alternates between crisp tom/hi-hat work and full-on bombast.
While the EP charts new waters with great aplomb, hints of the mighty Killing Joke are still felt throughout the proceedings. Moments on the aptly named “Explode” would have felt perfectly at home on the band’s most recent singles, while the closing “Tipping Point” delivers an awe-inspiring Pandemonium/Pylon mash-up.
Anyone who straps on a guitar in a project with Big Paul in 2024 has some unrealistically high expectations to meet. I’ll address that matter by saying this: Full marks to Williams for honoring the familiar spirit of the past while leaving an undeniably unique mark on Light of Eternity. A rare feat—and a truly stellar performance from start to finish.
Supergroups are funny things. At their worst, they fail to live up to the hype (and often flat-out suck). At their best, they remind listeners of what made their respective source groups so fantastic but rarely offer something meaningful and lasting as a unit. This EP provides the elusive third option: A supergroup that exceeds expectations and showcases individual participants still committed to reaching and growing as creative forces.
Light of Eternity is a high-water mark in the personal discographies of three musicians who’ve succeeded in embracing the strengths of their individual pasts while setting the foundation for an intriguing collective future.
It's impossible to review Mind, the first release from The Ancients in nearly 25 years, without diving into how this album got here in the first place.
Anyone who was a part of (or – like yours truly at the time – too young to do more than just read about) the late '80s/very early '90s underground music scene in New York/New Jersey surely remembers what a glorious hodgepodge the whole thing was. Grab an old EC Rocker from the time period, and you'll see shots of poofy-haired Glam bands sharing space with Goth groups in the paper's “Banding Together” section, ads for Punk and Metal bands (or, as the case often was, Metal bands comprised of old Punks) sharing the stage at The Pipeline or Studio One... and sporadic mentions of a small number of bands that were starting to make some interesting noise way out in Seattle. It was a beautiful time when everything seemed to blend together, resulting in bands that looked like Sonic Temple-era Cult but sounded like The Sisters Of Mercy (or Hardcore Punk guys who suddenly started looking and sounding like Circus Of Power).
One of the more intriguing characters to come out of this era was Fred Schreck, whose strong, Peter Murphy-esque voice first won over listeners during his stint as leader of Shoot The Doctor, a criminally underrated New York band best remembered for their appearances on the TV talent show Star Search in 1990. (Videos of these impressive performances are available on YouTube courtesy of keyboardist John Foster.) Despite this national attention, Shoot The Doctor dissolved after failing to secure a record deal, leaving Schreck to forge ahead with a solo project called “The Ancients.” Championed by major fan Joey Ramone, The Ancients quickly built a strong reputation in New York City's Lower East Side. With assistance from NYC club impresario Rob Sacher (Sanctuary, The Mission, Luna Lounge), Schreck brought The Ancients to the studio, resulting in a brilliant 1991 eponymous CD. The record's greatest track, “Release Me,” stands alongside Peter Murphy's “Cuts You Up,” The Mission's “Deliverance” and The Sisters Of Mercy's “More” as one of the strongest songs of the time period.
The album boasted guest appearances by then-Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Joe McGinty (who went on to front the incredible Loser's Lounge project), Psychedelic Furs/Siouxsie And The Banshees collaborator Knox Chandler, former Clock DVA/Siouxsie And The Banshees guitarist John Valentine Carruthers and then-former Killing Joke drummer Big Paul Ferguson (fresh from an often-overlooked stint with Warrior Soul).
Schreck's working relationship with Carruthers and Ferguson would grow in significance two years later, when the singer was invited by the two to front their East West Records-signed act, Crush, after the band (originally known as Pleasurehead and signed to Island Records) saw the departure of original singer Michael Bramon. With Schreck completely re-recording the lead vocals at the last minute with great aplomb, Crush (completed by exceptional Lloyd Cole/Cats On A Smooth Surface bassist John Micco) released their fantastic self-titled album in 1993 – and nothing happened. Despite being a solid release (and boasting a should-have-been-hit with “The Rain”), the album – and the band – swiftly fell victim to the weight of the Grunge era, leaving Crush to sit in various cutout bins ever since. (A hunt for the album is highly recommended, as tracks like “The Rain,” “Mary [Sing],” “She Came Down,” “Days Of Joy” and “We- The Love Child” are absolutely essential listens.)
Shortly after the release of Crush, Schreck found himself in the studio working on a second Ancients album with a new co-pilot. Initially involved with The Ancients when he mixed “Release Me” on the first album, British multi-instrumentalist and producer Morgan Visconti became a crucial part of The Ancients' second chapter, co-writing songs with Schreck and contributing keyboards, strings, backing vocals and drum programming. Others who contributed to the recordings included Ferguson, drummer John Socha, guitarist Chris Sokolewicz, backing vocalists Diva Gray and Robin Clark (best known for their work on David Bowie's Young Americans) and Schreck's former Shoot The Doctor bandmates Albert Zampino and Dave Tsien. Over the next four years, Schreck and Visconti worked to piece together the sessions into a full-length album.
And then... silence. By the time the 14 songs were completed, Schreck and Visconti found their personal and professional lives being pulled in different directions. For Schreck, this meant starting a new life in Nashville, where he raised a family and launched the popular Alternative Country group, The Billygoats, with old cohort Zampino. Visconti stayed in New York, building a career as a composer of ad music and releasing a solo album, Ride, in 2014.
With the duo splintering off into successful-but-separate lives, it appeared that The Ancients' lost second album would remain one of a long list of promising music projects that never left the ground. However, the surprise digital release of the collection, christened Mind, comes as the latest chapter in Schreck's unexpected second life in the Rock world. In 2012, Schreck resurfaced (at old friend Rob Sacher's suggestion) in familiar musical territory as a member of Satellite Paradiso, an all-star project helmed by former Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton and featuring (among others) Sara Lee (Gang of Four/ The League of Gentlemen), Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev/The Flaming Lips), Cheetah Chrome (The Dead Boys/Rocket From The Tombs) and – interestingly enough – Big Paul Ferguson. With Satellite Paradiso's stellar 2014 debut album gaining well-earned attention, the timing was perfect for Schreck and Visconti to finally unleash Mind to the masses.
Not surprisingly, Mind boasts numerous highlights. As soon as an acoustic guitar kicks off album opener “Dope,” it is clear that Mind is an infinitely more organic affair than its drum machine-driven predecessor. (For those familiar with the first Ancients album, the groove found on the track “Rain” - not to be confused with the similarly titled Crush song - is indicative of what to expect on Mind.) Highlighted by Schreck's soaring vocals (comparable to his unforgettable highs on “The Promise” off the first album), “Dope” gives way to Big Paul's driving pulse on the mid-tempo “Things Fall Apart.” The irresistible “Circa 1977” mixes Low-era Bowie and “Fade To Grey”- era Visage with amazing results, while the chest-hitting drumming on “Shovel” finds timekeeper John Socha delivering a potent beat originally conceived by Ferguson in the Crush days. (Socha's performance on “Divine” is equally impressive).
“Wonder Element” is perhaps the track on Mind that most resembles the Crush days, with Schreck, Ferguson, Visconti and Tsien offering strong performances that could have easily found a comfortable place on the East West album. With Visconti putting down impressive drum programming, the stellar “Nowhere Bound” finds Schreck and Zampino joining forces to produce a driving Rock number reminiscent of The Mission's better moments. Anchored by Schreck's tasteful bass playing and Ferguson's solid groove, the gorgeous title track alone is enough proof that this album's release is an overdue gift to the world.
Mind is one of those truly special albums that gets better with each passing song - a collection of music clearly made by passionate people committed to producing genuine art. The greatest star of the show is Schreck's ever-versatile voice, an instrument that reaches its zenith when the man sings his heart out on “Free.”
Brimming with brilliant ideas that are far from dated, Mind truly sounds like an album recorded in the here and now. The album's release is even more important considering that many of the places (and at least one very special Punk singer) that helped shape The Ancients' original era are no longer with us. It would be a shame if the Schreck/Visconti partnership doesn't take advantage of Mind's arrival to create new sounds in the future. The world needs more music as perfect as this. Purchase Mind on iTunes
The music industry has been an interesting ride for Fred Schreck.
Although the singer has called Nashville home for the past several years, music fans who came of age in New Jersey in the late '80s/early '90s remember him as the leader of The Ancients, a Goth-leaning ensemble that made a huge mark on the NYC underground scene thanks to a now-classic 1991 eponymous album and a series of memorable shows. Twenty-five years later (and after a lengthy run in Country music), Schreck has returned to Rock as the voice of Satellite Paradiso, the band founded by former Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton.
Originally released in 2014 and funded thanks to a successful PledgeMusic campaign, Satellite Paradiso’s self-titled debut was recently reissued by Mi5/Universal. In addition to Schreck and Ashton, the album's jaw-dropping list of performers includes Big Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke), Sara Lee and Gail Ann Dorsey (Gang of Four), Amanda Kramer (Psychedelic Furs/Information Society/Golden Palominos), Cheetah Chrome (Dead Boys/Rocket From The Tombs), sax hero Mars Williams and Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue and Anthony Molina, among others.
To celebrate the re-release, the band will kick off an east coast mini-tour Saturday with a show at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston. (They’ll hit BSP in Kinston, NY on June 8 and the Mercury Lounge in NYC on June 10.)
Schreck’s involvement in the Satellite Paradiso project was an opportunity for the singer to collaborate with one of his oldest musical influences. After spending his formative years as a Prog fan in the '70s, he got into Punk and New Wave in time to catch the early Furs (and opening act Our Daughter’s Wedding) perform at the famed Hitsville in Passaic, NJ.
“It looked like 10 guys hit the stage; I was like, ‘What is this?’” he recalls. “I saw this guy with a big baritone saxophone with a mic taped in it. I chuckled a little when they hit the stage, but when they hit that first note and started doing ‘India’ [off their 1980 debut album], I was mesmerized. I just thought to myself, ‘Wow, I’m going to stop doing what I'm doing right now because this is like the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.’ That was a moment that was very significant in my musical maturation.”
The Furs connection would follow Schreck throughout his career. In 1991, Furs contributors Knox Chandler (guitar) and Joe McGinty (keyboards) both made appearances on The Ancients' album. These guest turns were made possible by Ancients manager Rob Sacher, a mainstay of the NYC club scene who later recommended Schreck to Ashton when the latter first started putting Satellite Paradiso together.
“I would put John up there with all of the great Alternative Rock guitarists of the era and beyond,” Schreck says. “His sound is a signature as someone like The Edge. I’ve always felt that way about him, even before I met him… He was someone I always looked to as, ‘God, this is the sound I want in my music.’ I’ve always used him as a reference, even when I was playing in different bands.”
Satellite Paradiso first hit the road in 2014 as an opening act for The Psychedelic Furs. The lineup at the time included Schreck, Ashton, Lee and most of Mercury Rev. The jaunt was quite an experience for the lifetime Furs fan.
“Talk about trail by fire!” Schreck laughs. “That was very interesting and very intimidating. That was just when we were wrapping up the Pledge campaign and getting the funds together to finish the record.”
Now gearing up for their first-ever headlining run, the current live incarnation of the band includes Schreck, Ashton, drummer Frank Coleman (known around these parts for his work with Boston cult legends The Bentmen) and former Fleshtones bassist Robert Burke Warren.
Although Big Paul Ferguson is not keeping the beat at the upcoming shows, his work on the Satellite Paradiso album represents the first time he and Schreck have appeared together on record in more than 20 years. Another Sacher connection, Ferguson played on two tracks on the first Ancients album alongside former Siouxsie And The Banshees/Clock DVA guitarist John Valentine Carruthers. Schreck's working relationship with Ferguson and Carruthers would grow in significance two years later, when the singer was invited by the two to front their East West Records-signed act, Crush, after the band (originally known as Pleasurehead and signed to Island Records) saw the departure of original singer Michael Bramon. (In an interesting twist, Robert Burke Warren served as Pleasurehead’s bassist in the band’s early days.)
With Schreck completely re-recording the lead vocals at the last minute with great aplomb, Crush (completed at this point by Lloyd Cole/Cats On A Smooth Surface bassist John Micco) released their fantastic self-titled album in 1993. Despite being a solid release (and boasting a should-have-been-hit with “The Rain”), the album – and the band – never truly got off the ground.
“That situation was troubled from the start,” Schreck admits. “I was in a band with a couple of guys who had been in successful acts before, and I think that their expectations were crushed – no pun intended – with how things were working out. For the time, it was a pretty big record deal; it was one of those deals that everybody coveted. It was just that by the time I got there, I think things had gotten so dysfunctional that there really was no saving it.
“At the time that record came out, we were competing with some of the acts that would go on to be the biggest acts of that era,” he continues. “When we put that record out, I think Radiohead had just put out their first record, and we were competing with Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and all these other acts that were just kind of sucking up all the oxygen – and rightfully so; they were great acts and they went on to be iconic. We just kind of got buried in there… Maybe it was not the best time to release that record, but I still think we had the best video out of all of them!”
“The clip he’s referring to, “The Rain,” found the foursome drenched in “rain” that was actually chocolate syrup mixed with glycerin. Look at the video below and wonder if Schreck’s leather jacket survived.
“I couldn’t eat chocolate for about a year after that!” he says with a laugh. “It was dreadful.”
By the late ‘90s, Schreck was considering a life away from music.
“I needed to step away from it because it got frustrating,” he admits. “I had gone from bad record deals to bad management deals without any real significant success. I just thought that instead of knocking myself out with this crap, I’d just focus on what’s important… As a younger man, [music] was my primary focus, but I entered a stage of my life where my family was more important than anything else, and that stage has lasted and is still number one with me.”
Focusing his energies on being a good father and husband, Schreck limited his musical activities to regional gigs with the Nashville-based Alternative Country act The Billygoats before he received that fateful online message from Sacher regarding Ashton.
Schreck’s return to the Rock world continued with the 2015 digital release of The Ancients’ Mind, a collection of previously unreleased recordings made by Schreck, multi-instrumentalist/producer Morgan Visconti, Ferguson and a host of others in the mid ‘90s. (A review of the album – and a lot more history on The Ancients – can be read HERE.)
“That project is very personal to me, and those songs are very personal to me,” he says. “My collaboration with Morgan has been one of the most important I’ve ever had, and that collection of songs is very, very special to me. I’ve carried those songs with me for years, and I’m so thankful that they finally got out there.”
In an interesting case of synchronicity, the day of my chat with Schreck (May 19) coincided with the posthumous birthday of one of The Ancients’ biggest fans – Joey Ramone. A vocal supporter of the band, Ramone would often introduce them at performances in NYC.
“I had to get over the haze that I felt that he was actually taking an interest in what I was doing,” Schreck reveals. “That was so mind-blowing to me, but once I got over that, he was really just like one of the guys I used to hang out in the schoolyard with. He was just this guy from the neighborhood…When he was in your corner, he was in your corner.”
One evening, the Punk legend accompanied The Ancients to a gig at the infamous Limelight – and was immediately surprised by what he saw in the crowd.
“At the time, the big drug craze was Ecstasy,” Schreck recalls. “All these kids were tripping out on it; he couldn’t understand why everybody was acting so weird. I said, ‘Joey, they’re taking Ecstasy, man!’ He was blown away by that. When he went up to the microphone, the first thing he said was, ‘Are you all fuckin’ trippin’ or what?’ He was just such a character. There was nobody like him. He could be that guy from the neighborhood, but then you look at him and he’s Joey Ramone – six-foot-six and a really imposing character.
“When he introduced us at CBGB for the first time, everybody just shut up; they were completely silent,” he adds. “An iconic figure for sure, but also a sweetheart of a guy once you got to know him.”
Beyond the upcoming Satellite Paradiso dates, Schreck says there is a strong possibility of a new Billygoats album, while there’s also talk of The Ancients making a return to the stage. As far as the Nashville-based Schreck and the Woodstock, NY-based Ashton moving forward with Satellite Paradiso beyond this mini-tour, the singer says he takes things one day at a time.
“I really don’t look that far into the future,” he shares. “I just kind of say, ‘We’re doing this, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and hope we get to do it again.’ I just cherish every moment that we get to do it, even if it’s just a handful of gigs like we’re doing.”
Decades after walking into a club in New Jersey and seeing his future bandmate live for the first time, Schreck is thrilled – and incredibly humbled – to have the opportunity to create music in the here and now.
“I have to sit back and be thankful for the fact that I can do it,” he says. “Even though the audience I had hoped to have when I was a younger musician hasn’t grow to the point I had hoped it would, I still really appreciate that people connect with it. If somebody connects with what you’re doing, especially when it’s really personal…There’s no other magic like that at all.”
Satellite Paradiso performs this Saturday at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston with Casey Desmond, Bird Language and Best Not Broken. Go HERE for tickets.
