If I was in Melbourne...

Kicksville 66

Norton Records' Miriam Linna was the Cramps' drummer before Nick Knox (and that's her on the right). She's blogging about her time in the band and you need to check it out here. Thumbs up to Lindsay Hutton (who used to run the Cramps fan club) for the heads up. His own Next Big Thing blog is temporarily down due to a computer death.

Not much more can be said about this

The last five minutes of a particularly unhinged version of "Surfing Bird" by the Cramps:

Mortality happens in threes

First Ron Asheton...now Lux Interior. Should the adage about these things happening in threes be true, I've formed a view on who should be next. Click here to find out.

Kid "Congo" Powers on Lux

There's a nice piece by guitarist Kid "Congo" Powers on the late Cramps singer (and his former bandmate) on his blog.

More Cramps

There's a nice ode to Lux Interior and the Cramps here.

In memory of Lux Interior

R.I.P. Lux Interior of the Cramps

Rumours have been about online all morning. Damn it, it's true. The official statement:

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.

The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.

The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.