Los Angeles, California: Hallowe’en is less than six weeks away and you know what that means! It’s time for the stores to start putting up their Christmas decorations, and that bloody Paul McCartney song is already playing on repeat in the local drug store.
But do not despair, for The Dead Boys are here with some festive cheer of their own, a seething cover of The Ravers’ 1977 classic “(It’s Gonna Be A) Punk Rock Christmas.”
The Ravers themselves were intended as a joke, a parody punk band dreamed up by members of Daddy Maxwell, an American group best remembered today for their sterling contribution to the UK’s Junkshop Glam obsession, 1973’s “Rave’N’Rock.” And the song’s lyrics did not disguise its intentions.
Even Santa's gonna be
A Sex Pistol for a day
All those Christmas trees swinging safety pins from their leaves
A few of the original’s lines do feel dated today… so Cleveland’s finest have changed them. Now it’s the King, not the late Queen, who will sing “Anarchy in the UK,” and the little boy’s Christmas list includes a subscription to Vive Le Rock, and the new single by the Dead Boys. Sensible lad.
And let’s not forget the most alarming vision of them all: “Johnny Rotten will sing ‘Jingle Bells’ out of his bottom.”
"It's rare for Christmas to arrive in September any year," says Cheetah Chrome, "but the way this year has been going, all is out the window, up is down and honesty is no longer respected. Not in this case, though. Dead Boys are truly proud to have Mark Thorn as our new singer and this is yer first chance to hear him on record doing a Christmas song in Sept, with myself, Clem Burke [Blondie - RIP] and Glen Matlock [Sex Pistols, Rich Kids] backing him!"
For many of us, this will be our first opportunity to hear this new line-up in action, and it doesn't let us down. Above an archetypal Dead Boys roar, Thorn unleashes his most perfect mock-Cockney yowl, while Cheetah sounds as young, loud and snotty as he ever has.
Thorn admits, "I hadn't heard this buried treasure before, and it's such a great fun and cool song... 'cool' not being an adjective usually associated with a Christmas record! But ultimately, it's just a great Punk Rock number that just happens to have a Christmas theme.
"I had a whole lotta fun getting to grips with it and putting my own twist on it, taking the liberty of adding a few lyrics of my own for good measure, to the point of making my own Christmas wish list for Santa! There's a cool humour to it and I can't wait to road test it. It's gonna be a whole lotta fun to play live and yeah, Christmas definitely came early this year and with bells on!"
Indeed, on this evidence, the band’s 50 year legend remains in the very best hands it could hope for. And there’s plenty more to come, not only in the form of the Dead Boys now-swiftly gestating new album, but also their upcoming West Ghost west coast tour... our chance, at last, to truly welcome Mark to the fold, alongside the present line up of Cheetah, Tony Garza, Chris Alaniz (The Turkish Elvis!) and Monk Burris.
So yes, maybe it does feel a little early to be jingling bells and saying “ho ho ho,” But someone’s got to start the ball rolling, and who would you prefer? The Dead Boys sounding as ferocious as ever? Or… [exit stage left, singing “simply having a wonderful Christmas time.”]
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/yje9km4
The Dead Boys on the road
September 14: The Glass House, Pomona, CA
September 17: Voodoo Room at House of Blues, San Diego, CA
September 18: Alex's Bar, Long Beach, CA
September 19: The Ritz, San Jose, CA
September 20: DNA Lounge, San Francisco, CA
September 22: Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
September 23: The Funhouse, Seattle, WA
September 25: Strummer's, Fresno, CA
September 26: Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, CA
September 27: The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife, Glendale, AZ
