May 9, 2004
There’s been a lot of attention (and rightly so) given to the many new bands that are currently playing around the Detroit area, but I would like to focus this on the bands that have been around for a while and still keep rocking. In fact, this column is about those bands that graced the stage of the legendary Bookie’s Club 870 back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At that time the fledging rock & roll scene in Detroit rotated around this club and a few others, such as the Red Carpet on the east side and Lili’s in Hamtramck. A few weeks ago Scott Campbell/Ben Waugh organized a Bookie’s reunion show at Small’s with the Sillies, 3D Invisibles and the Earworms. These bands (or members of the original bands) have all part of the Detroit rock scene for the last 25 years or so, but there is plenty of more action coming from our Bookie’s veterans.
Cinecyde was the band that started it all; they had the first single (Gutless Radio) and Gary Reichel was instrumental in starting Tremor Records, which released many of the early Detroit material. Cinecyde is alive and well and released their new CD on Saturday, May 8th at Small’s in Hamtramck.
The Sillies, Flirt and the 3D Invisibles are still rocking the Motor City with most of their original members. The Reruns, who captivated us at Lili’s & Bookies with irresistible tunes like “So So Alone and Since You Gotta Cheat”, have been resurrected as the Earworms. The legendary Denizens reunited for one memorable show in Detroit in February 2004 and will hopefully surprise us with a few more shows.
This certainly isn’t all, as it seems that the Ramrods are rehearsing in preparation for a very much-anticipated reunion. The Ramrods were really Detroit’s Sex Pistols; they were a smoking hot band, they only existed for about a year and they left behind a reputation that can never be equaled. There are no Ramrods records that you can actually buy – their only recording is one track on the Motor City’s Burning compilation. If you saw the Ramrods live – there is no possible way that you don’t remember them; if you never saw the Ramrods it looks like your chance may come this summer.
Another band from that golden era of punk was Coldcock; these guys actually put out a fantastic single called “I Wanna Be Rich” which is almost impossible to find these days. I can’t be sure, but there is a very good chance that we may even see a Coldcock reunion this summer.
I know that there are a ton of great bands in Detroit these days; I’m not sure how many of them would exist if it wasn’t for the groundwork that these people did at Bookies, Lili’s and other places around Detroit. The next time one of these veteran bands is playing – make sure to stop by and thank them for helping make our city the great rock & roll town that it really is!