The Last Pogo Jumps Again

November 4, 2006 Things slowly chug along, but what with one-third of
the main Chacha Cha Cha crew heavy into the new TV series The Little
Mosque on the Prairie, and the other third toughing out high-school,
shooting is now in fits and starts. But we’ve been able to pump up the
Deputy Directors, and our first bit of footage from Suzanne Naughton was
gold. When she told us she was going to shoot in a “German
Expressionist” style, we nodded dumbly, not really having a clue what she
meant, but the end results seem to indicate that that phrase means: looks
really cool. Suzanne interviewed her pal Bruce Pirrie, ex of The Dead
Bunnies, and it seems as though Bruce (who’s taught at Second City,
acted, written for TV) can’t seem to open his mouth without being funny.
The illustrious Mr. Pirrie is bound to command oodles of screen time on
the epic. Meanwhile, our other Deputy Directors (Kire Paputts, Tristan
Orchard and Aldo Erdic) and gnawing over what the heck to shoot, and
how to shoot it. But Aldo and his crew at To Be Scene Productions are
becoming more rabid in their enthusiasm each day: three camera shoots
of The Viletones, and hopefully helping out at Teenage Head at Healey’s
in a couple of weeks. Our manufacturing division is currently making up
the official Deputy Director badges, which will be handed out in a
ceremony to our trusty pals in a week or so.
Besides giving us the footage of Bruce Pirrie talking about Blake Street
Boys, Viletones, raising baby punks, watching a Dead Boy get slit from
top to bottom, and doing a mean imitation of The Mods (amongst a
bazillion other things), Deputy Naughton also gifted us with footage of
the Viletones at Lee’s Palace, and pristine DVD’s of her seminal punk rock
experimentally unbalanced docs AN AFTERNOON AT NEW ROSE and
MONDO PUNK. And if THAT ain’t enough, local photographer Denis Smith
is going to email us a ton of photos new and old of practically anyone
you’ve ever heard of. And while our focus on this project is less archival,
and leaning more towards new stuff, at this rate the DVD release will be
about five hours long.
Now here’s a plug: besides pounding through this epic docu detective
thingy called THE LAST POGO JUMPS AGAIN, CHACHA CHA CHA, the core
crew, soon to be known as Easy Film & TV have latched onto a couple of
other projects: the one most ready for camera is a sketch-comedy show
called T-BAG & BONKERS’ HALF-HOUR OF POWER. If you go here you’ll see
why a lot of people think they could be the heir to the throne of such
stalwart jokesters as Kids in the Hall and Monty Python. Plus, they’re
really nice! (BTW: Easy Film & TV’s philosophy? Work with nice people on
cool projects that we’d like to see. Easy). We’re also in talks with a couple
of people to produce what will be, by far, the darkest, most twisted reality
TV series ever. Can’t say anymore right now. Kinda scary. Kinda freaky.
What else is going on? Andy Meyers of The Scenics is prepping the
Scenics Myspace, and getting ready to complete his book on the 1977/78
scene, AND getting ready to spring his comic strip about the
Scenics…going to shoot a couple of gravesites of ex-Pogoers…Ryan Noth
is holed up in Montreal finishing off the DVD concert film of Jandek that
Easy Film & TV shot…The Mods are rehearsing and getting set to play the
Horseshoe in a couple of weeks…still hunting for a Phillie filmmaker to
talk with Freddy Pompeii, and look forward to waxing nostalgic with the
one, the only Margarita Passion around Christmas…got some amazing
footage from DOP Gerald Packer of the fire that destroyed Screamin Sam
Ferrara’s studio a month or so ago. Gerald was in his loft right across the
street when it broke out. It’s frightening…still waiting to hear back from
ex-Cardboard Brain John Paul Young not to mention the prison dude who
is supposed to let us shoot a little at Joyceville (although the eloquent
hipster Blair Richard Martin is going to hand over some photos of him
playing with a biker band there…and hoping that people like Patrick Lee,
The Gothic Cowboy, Peter Goddard and many many others aren’t losing
thier patience with us, ’cause we are so far behind in our make-believe
schedule. Back at ya when there’s more news. Hey ho.
October 24, 2006. If you check out Brunton’s Myspace, you can see a
rough cut of Steven Leckie and the Viletones going for a coffee before the
show at Lee’s Palace. And remember — even if you can’t remember
anything about being at The Last Pogo, if you were there, we’ve gotta talk.
We may not get back to you for awhile (we’ve got a list of people we’ve
been in contact since June that we haven’t gotten around to yet) but we
will at some point. We want to find everyone that was there, no matter
where you are now.
October 22, 2006. New additions to the ever-expanding LAST POGO
JUMPS AGAIN crew are the good folks at To Be Scene Productions, who
lent us a huge hand by taping the Viletones show at Lee’s Palace. Aldo
Erdic has now been added to our roster as a Guest Director, along with
Kire Paputts and Tristan Orchard. Packed to the rafters, the Viletones
didn’t disappoint and played a great set. One of the highlights of the
evening happened before the show even started. Grabbing a quick coffee,
the Viletones let director Brunton tag along, and he had the camera rolling
as three U of T goons bumped into Leckie spilling his coffee all over his
shirt, and then when they didn’t bother to apologize, Leckie let ‘em have
it. It was a bit of a screaming match, and clearly these guys were not on
the debate team at university. It came about this close to and out and out
rumble.
Sunday afternoon was a bit more light-hearted as we interviewed
Screamin’ Sam Ferrara at his digs on Parliament Street. Surrounded by
some of the metal sculptures he’s been doing since he was nine, Sam
charmed us with tales of on-stage fistfights with Leckie; a list of all the
times he’d broken bones in his body; his occasional stints in holding cells
at police stations; the craziness that was The Ugly; why he celebrates
three birthdays each year; and a recounting of all of his various
pseudonyms. (Geez — you’d think the name Sam Ferrara was cool
enough.) Along with, of course, great stories vis a vis Sex, Drugs & Rock
‘n’ Roll. And all of us look forward to the benefit show for Sam on the
28th at the Cadillac Bar on Queen West, where a full house would go a
long way to starting to replace some of the things Sam lost in the fire he
suffered a month ago.
In other news: Blair Richard Martin has completed one “chapter” of the
DVD/movie he’s making with Leckie about the root of the Toronto punk
scene…The Viletones have started a website and you can go to it right
here…The Mods have kindly agreed to donate the entire box office of their
reunion show at the Horseshoe in November to help out Sam
Ferrara…writer Liz Worth is going to let the POGO gang hang with her as
she interviews Frankie Venom from Teenage Head in the next while…and
a phone call from Greg “Punk Rock’s Studs Terkel” Dick means a busy
couple of months for the POGO crew: interviews with Teenage Head, the
Mods, and John Catto, and word of a surprise appearance by the Viletones
at a show next Saturday night…
October 17, 2006. Suddenly a little bit busier. Kire Paputts spent an
afternoon with filmmaker Suzanne Naughton last week, and got some
good footage, and Brunton spent the evening on Sunday with the
Viletones at CIUT-FM. The night started off with a hard and tight set live
in the studio, broadcast around the world, and then the fellas went
upstairs for an in-depth interview with Greg Dick — and if Greg was like
the Studs Terkel or I. F. Stone of punk ‘n’ roll interviewers, Viletones’
bandleader Steven Leckie was just as articulate. Greg covered the
Viletones and Leckie’s entire history, and didn’t just lob softballs; there
was some tough questions as well, and equally tough answers. While
Leckie and Dick went head-to-head and heart-to-heart, the rest of the
Viletones took the opportunity to smoke, drink wine, and chuckle at
some of the moments in the DJ booth. In a throwback to punk days of
yore, the interview ended with Cleave Anderson wrestling Leckie out of
the booth, Kurt and John knocking over a couple of chairs, and all of them
intent on hitting a bar on Queen West before the witching hour. Among
Leckie’s revelations were tidbits about sex with famous people, on-stage
fights, back-stage fights, the violence of the era, and why The Sex Pistols
were really just a 1977 version of The Monkees. The oddest moment?
Looking at Dick’s copy of the German band The Nazi Dogs, named in
honour of Sir Steve, the front cover a parody of the Easy Rider soundtrack,
but with Bush and Adolf Hitler instead of Fonda and Hopper.
Meanwhile: plans are full-steam ahead for the Sam Ferrara benefit at the
Cadillac Lounge October 28th…DOP Gerald Packer contributed footage of
the fire that destroyed Sam’s apartment to THE LAST POGO JUMPS AGAIN,
CHACHA CHA CHA…Andy Meyers and Ken Badger of The Scenics are
busily digitaly re-mastering old Scenics material…we’re inching closer to
getting permission to shoot some stuff at Joyceville Prison…West Coast
Assistant and Guest Director Tristan Orchard is clearing some time to
start shooting on the Left Coast, and we’ve now got a half-dozen Guest
Directors in L.A., New Zealand, Georgia, Halifax and Australia waiting for
word on any Pogo sightings there so they can catch them on tape, and
ship ‘em back to Pogo Central (uh…this laptop).
October 11, 2006. Long time, no post. The gang behind THE LAST POGO
JUMPS AGAIN, CHACHA CHA CHA have been busy making plans for Total
World Domination, and are gearing up to launch a new company, Easy
Film & TV (’cause, y’know, it’s easy…and we’re easy)…the Easy team are
brewing up nifty ideas with Tyler Grace and Nate Mills for a new TV show,
and getting prepped to take the world by storm. Or at least a heavy
downpour. Well…until we get some $$$ backing, maybe a light drizzle.
Whatever. Easy Film’s editor Ryan Noth is hunkered over at the Toronto
Islands cutting the Jandek DVD (Duality of Self), and pining for
meds….POGO guest-director Kire Paputts is back from the Raindance
Festival in England where he showed off his beauty doc ONLY I KNOW,
and is right now, at this very minute, filming filmmaker Suzanne “Mondo
Punk” Naughton in the bowels (I love that word!) of Ryerson…the rest of
the POGO team are getting set to film the Viletones getting interviewed on
CIUT-FM this Sunday, and then the big show at Lee’s Palace on the 20th
of October. Hot-shot film director Bill “Foolproof”; “Treed Murray” Phillips
is going to have a chat this weekend with Teenage Head about a possible
feature film…we’ve sent nice messages to the old high-school that
Teenage Head went to (as well as at least a couple of the Forgotten
Rebels) in the hopes that we can find an old curmudgeonly retired teacher
who can tell us what brats they were — and maybe talk the band teacher
into figuring out a couple of Head tunes for the school band. Pretty much
have given up on the idea of shooting inside Joyceville Penitentiary,
because even though we’ve got permission, they just don’t want to return
my calls. Sheesh. Been talking back and forth with Margarita Passion, and
Nora Currie checked in with some news of photos, stories, and stuff from
the Pogo days. And if all that weren’t enough, two-thirds of the main
Pogo crew start working on a new TV series next week called LITTLE
MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE, one of those shows you know would never be
allowed to air in the States (the other third of the team, Sir Catfish,
continues his edjamucation at Rosedale School of the Arts). Waiting for
word on a benefit concert to help out artist/musician Sam Ferrara, and
holding our breath waiting to find out if Home Depot can lend a hand.
And finally, for all of you aspiring filmmakers out there, please check out
Last Pogo director Colin Brunton’s Myspace for hints and tips on
filmmaking and writing. He lays it right on the line, and will crush your
dreams. Have a nice day!
October 3, 2006. Added a new clip under The Last Pogo section showing
Johnny Garbagecan and Margarita Passion introducing The Secrets.
September 30, 2007. Shot some footage of the remains of Screamin’ Sam
Ferrara’s workspace, in the ruins of the fire that destroyed the building
last week….Watch out for a benefit for Sam, coming soon…The Viletones
gig at Lee’s Palace is coming soon, and we’re pretty sure it’s going to be
great. Here’s promoter Gary Topp’s ad:
“The Diodes, ha, what a f***kin’ joke. When they play New York, people
laugh. They know what band in Toronna is real. It’s The Viletones. We ARE
Toronna. Ahhhh, never mind. This song’s called Swastika Girl — 1, 2, 3,
4″ — Nazi Dog (1978, Horsehoe).
He always threatened to kill himself on stage; it seems he never did…
10 pm Friday Oct 20 @ Lee’s Palace.
Steve Leckie, voice; Cleave Anderson, drums; John Borra, bass; Kurt
Schefter, guitar; and special guest, Lucasta of The “B” Girls.
Adv Tix $15 @ Rotate This, Sam the Record Man, Circus Books & Music.
September 25, 2006 Spent a few hours in Hamilton on Sunday with Imants
Krumins, who showed off his extensive collection of records, CD’s,
magazines, etc. from 1977 and 1978, and took a driving lesson from
Rhoda, famous for her driving skills humping people from Hamilton to
Toronto and back again back In The Day. Hoping to nail the date to go to
Joyceville this week, but the paying gig is slowly taking over the Chacha
Cha Cha crew’s lives.
September 23, 2006. Good news and bad news. The good news is that
we’re off to The Hammer once more on Sunday to interview Imants
Krumins and friend and Pogo-er “Rhoda” (sorry, Rhoda, we can’t think of
the last name right now); The Last Pogo Jumps Again, Chacha Cha Cha’s
guest director and all-round good guy Kire Paputts is off to the Raindance
Film Festival in London, England to show off his brilliant documentary
“Only I Know”, a deeply sketched portrayal of his family, including Dad
Chris Hate; also got another note from Roger T-Bag who wants to know
when “the big reunion” of The Last Pogo is because she “has something
important to announce”. We will collectively hold our breath, and wait and
see what said news is. And if Margarita Passion or Freddy Pompeii are
reading this, be assured that a new clip of Margarita will appear on the
site just as soon as we can get our heads above water. And on top of all
that good news, we’re finalizing a visit to Joyceville Penentiary, and have
been invited to lunch at none-other-than Cram Savage’s place while we’re
there. (Who’s that boy with the sandwich in his hand?).
The bad news is that a huge fire completely gutted ex-Viletone, ex-
Screamin’ Sam (and way more) and beloved local artist and musician Sam
Ferrara’s studio. A master of metal sculpture and an innovative musician
who can seduce beautful sounds out of slinkys and saws (not to mention
all manner of guitars), all of Sam’s tools were destroyed, along with, I’m
assuming, many works-in-progress. Apparently it started out as a twoalarm
fire, quickly turned into a five-alarm fire, and took 120 firefighters
to finally stop it. Today the building is being torn down. (Uh…benefit
concert anyone?) Maybe Sam had insurance; let’s hope so. More when we
find out more. In the meantime, it might be nice to go check out Sam and
John Borra at their Sunday evening gig at The Communist’s Daughter here
in Toronto.
September 22, 2006. Not much doing this week, ‘cept we started cleaning
up the website so it’s easier to navigate, changed all the colours, etc., and
will continue to try and improve it. So for all three or four of our regular
readers, give us any feedback you like! We can take it! Too busy to Pogo,
as most of the The Last Pogo Jumps Again, Chacha cha cha! crew were
busy taping the incredible Jandek concert in Toronto last Sunday, and
gearing up to help produce a new TV series…and working with a couple of
young ‘uns on “Tyler and Nate’s TV Show”, which will either be the very
best, or the very worst TV show ever. Whooo-hooo! Heading out to
Hamilton this Sunday to interview, amongst others, the legendary Imants
Krumins, and view his massive collection of records — and any other
Pogo-ers who might read this and send us a note. Hoping to get a solid
date today to head out the Joyceville Penetentiary…spoke to a film
director buddy of mine who’s toying with the idea of making a feature
film on one of the Last Pogo bands (!). What is with everyone’s new
interest in 1977/1978?!