Forbidden Beat - Perspectives on Punk Drumming - Edited by SW Lauden

 

I picked this one up due to my old pal Bon Von Wheelie, the beat keeper for Girl Trouble, being featured within. This is a collection of essays and interviews about the time keepers of garage/rock'n'roll/punk/ hardcore combos, from various perspectives. Interesting concept, so thought I'd see how they handled it.

One minor complaint right off the top is that the bio of each essay's author is listed at the end of the essay, instead of the beginning. Maybe it's just me, but I'm interested in knowing the author's resume before reading their story, just to give it some context. Some of the tales have a bit more punk rock history than I feel is necessary but then, I lived through it. Of course, I dig Bon's all-too-short story of loving rock'n'roll and learning drums in her late 20's in order to play with her brother, Kahuna, and forming the fab Girl Trouble. I always knew that she was a fine writer from the GT fanzine Wig Out, and I hope that she continues to do more.

I had no idea, until reading Matt Diehl's essay, that "forbidden beat" isn't just a hip title for a book on drumming, it is actually the name of a style of punk drumming. There is also "D-Beat", taken from the band Discharge, apparently, that describes the hardcore drum beat that is used innumerable times - for me, to the point of extreme boredom, despite the intended intensity. Mike Watt, who is about my age, comes off as musically well-rounded while talking about his drummer, Lynn Perko-Truell gives a great accounting of being a female drummer in the early punk scene (she was a monster with Sister Double Happiness), Laura Neptuna describes the influence of the Go-Gos on upstart young women and Pete Finestone (Bad Religion) gives his top five - Chuck Biscuits, who gets well-deserved raves from numerous folks, comes in at number one. 

A lot of the writing and references are a little too punkity-punkity/hardcore for me, but the writing is pretty solid throughout, even if I, at best, have only heard the band's name in passing and couldn't name a single song that any of them did if you put a gun to my head - even if I could tell them apart. But, that's just me being a grumpy old man!

Of course, I dug the interview with Steve McDonald, as I've watched him literally grow up in public with Redd Kross and Rat Scabies is an punk rock icon, so it's fitting that he gets the last word, and speaks intelligently about drums and punk in general.

Great concept and the book turned out well - they should make this a series! I'm glad that they did include people from pretty much every era, as punk rock has certainly evolved over the last 50-ish years, so there's pretty much something for everyone!