MOGROITH

Born in the Peachtree State at Crawford G. Long Hospital (be the first to use ether for anesthesis, get a hospital named for you!). Started rockin' to a Johnny Cash children's album with Egg Suckin' Dog, Boy Named Sue and other warped visions. Ruined me for life - thanks, Jim Ward! First show was the Doobie Brothers in 73 or 4, told my dad afterwards about the strange smell surrounding me at that show. Yep, I was that naive - but that changed in a couple of years. Johnny C didn't ruin my life, but Johnny R did - between him, Bud and bud, my college career was quite short lived. Saw a shit-ton of good shows that year though, so it wasn't a total waste. Just wish I could remember more of them. I'll always have Elvis Costello, the Sex Pistols, the Damned and a guy named Ed Shepherd to thank for steering me away from the evils of arena rock in the late seventies. Still like me some arena rock sometimes - it's just that a steady diet of it eats cavities in yer soul.



Went into the United States Armed Forces in 1982, in a sorely misguided attempt to straighten out my wreck of a life, and avoid the light at the end of the tunnel (you know, the one that is the headlight of an oncoming train). Didn't work - got out after four years one pay grade LOWER than I was when I went in - the very definition of downward mobility. And, they wanted to keep me - your taxpaying dollars at work, friends, at least during the decade of Ronnie. Got some nice suits out of it anyway - and a college education - and got to see some pretty cool parts of the world, like Djibouti, Bahrain and the Paradise Island Resort and Casino in the Bahamas.



Messed around, had some more adventures during the late eighties. One of which was going to see the True Believers (with Alejandro and Javier Escovedo), after which show, which I can't remember, I drove a Ford Pinto that I didn't own into the back of a car being towed by a tow truck. The tow truck driver tried to get out of my way by driving up onto the median, but I was determined I guess - either that, or blacked out again - the latter most likely, but I do remember trying to start the car again after the accident and get the hell out of there. What do you want from me - I was on my way to Hardee's to get me some biscuits n gravy at 4 AM! Man's gotta eat, right?



Sobered up in 1990, and just started to have a different series of adventures, most of which I remember.



Brushes with greatness? Going to see the R-A-M-O-N-E-S in 79 or 80, in Va. Beach. We had driven two hours up from NC, and the show was in a club on the second floor of some dive. Mirrors behind the stage, beer sold in heavy-bottomed mugs. Bad combination for a punk show - especially one where the headlining band doesn't appear because Marky got up with some chick in Cleveland and didn't make the bus. Place went bugnuts when they announced this - aforementioned mugs being flung at aforementioned mirrors. Paddy wagon outside, punks being dragged off by their nuts. My friend Jay and I got out of there and looked for a 7-11 so we could resupply for the long ride back to NC. Pull into the lot of the 7-11, tour bus parked on the corner, and Johnny and Dee Dee frickin' R-A-M-O-N-E walking through the parking lot. Me all boozed and speeded up, got out and started haranguing them for not playing the show. That's how I learned the story about that ratbastard Marky above - they shoulda kept Tommy on, man! Johnny and Dee were really nice, especially so considering my condition - we talked for a few, and they let me step inside the front of the bus to get Joey's autograph. So, I have a ticket stub from a cancelled Ramones show signed by the three who aren't here anymore. Signed in pencil, and quite faded out after 27 years, but I have it.