for our turkish fans

Some nitwitz information in Turkish language.
here

Well,,

Disk crash. Hold on for tunes. Meanwhile, just in case..

Slug life

If I had gotten a (Euro)buck every time someone told me "Sluggy, you should write a book, man." I'd be, well, not RICH rich or anything, but I could probably pay the rent for um, a month or two. Yes as all starving and misunderstood (f)artistes, I am struggling to get by, and should get another 20 scene points that alone.

Usually I respond "What the fuck for ? Who is gonna give two shits ?" and shrug off the wack idea of becoming one of those pompous "I was there in 1983, man" P-rock writers. I mean there's quite a bit of self-serving bullshit being published in the "punk books" department lately.

Well, then over a few months my girlfriend persuaded me and I got off my lazy ass and got to reminiscing and scribbling down bits and pieces describing some of the more comical and absurd adventures and situations on the road with B.G.K., the Nitwitz, Loveslug and Sonny Vincent. In at least 12 different countries. With theoretically makes for a better read than "I was a mohawked dumbass in Buttfuck Montana in the 80's".

While at a distinctive disadvantage (writing in a language that is not my mothertongue), not to mention my drug addled brain (alcohol damages the brain) and putting the bar pretty high, I hope to eventually turning raw words and incoherent brainfarts into something I can be proud of.

"Will it be as cynical and bitter as your grumpy self, Sluggy ?" you may ask.
Aw, hell yes. Expect many well-deserved ass kickings delivered to the behinds of those in the music industry I've been unfortunate to have delt with !
What I write will be 100 % true. OK, maybe 95 %, with 5 % added for comical value.

But it will also be funny.
No Pullitzer Prize or Oprah's book pick of the month type stuff, but I hope to document things that have been completely ignored by the mainstream press in this country, and maybe capture the early-mid 80's zeitgeist in Continental Europe and the US.

I realize that no matter WHAT I do, some people who shall remain unnamed here will criticize me for this narcissistic self-glorification, lack of continuity, no plot and aww my pussy hurts... but fuck them. I will expose the whole bunch of them for what they are. Katharsis, baby.

But my main objective is to provide an enjoyable read for anyone who is interested in "old school" punk rock/hardcore/rocknroll.

Things are still in embryonic stage so just wait.

Scott Morgan interview

The following interview with Scott Morgan was first published in glossy Spanish rockmagazine RUTA 66 and snagged from the I-94 bar in translated form for inclusion in the pages of SLUGTRAILS for it's archiving/educational/trivia nerd value. Plus the fact that I get a stiffy from seeing my own name in print somewhere on the interwebs.

The Hydromatics hardly need an introduction for patrons of the I-94 Bar. If you haven't tracked down their latest album "Powerglide" through some European mail order shop, you're not trying. Fronted by Scott Morgan, formerly of the Rationals and Sonic's Rendezvous Band as well as a solo performer in his own right, and crewed by Europeans Theo Brouwer (bass) and Tony Slug (guitar), their numbers included moonlighting Hellacopters frontman Nicke Royale on drums, before he gave up the stool to Michigan's Andy Frost. Imbued with the spirit of Sonic's Rendezvous band (whose songs pepper their set list) and an equal part of Detroit R 'n' B, they're one of rock and roll's best kept secrets. With two albums under their belt and a live release in the pipeline, our Italian correspondent ROBERTO CALABRO caught up with Scott in 2002. Here's the result.

How and when did The Hydromatics start?

In 1998 I met Nicke Royale when the Hellacopters first came to New York. I became friends with him and the rest of the band and travelled with them on their U.S. tour. After we played Chicago he called Tony "Slug" Leewenburgh of the Nitwitz in Amsterdam and suggested we all record together. Tony enlisted Theo Brouwer on bass and a recording session was scheduled with Evert Kaatee at Yland Studio in early 1999. We each contributed two new songs and also recorded songs by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, MC5 and Ricky Carter & the Weathervanes. Tony christened the album "Parts Unknown" and it was released by White Jazz Records later that year.

What have you done between your first and your second album?

After the recording in Amsterdam, I went to Los Angeles and played with my friends the Jones Brothers. We played at Spaceland with Wayne Kramer and did a recording session at the Beach Boys' old studio called Fourth Street now. It was Brothers studio when they owned it. We recorded Al Green’s "Full Of Fire" and my "Endless Summer". "Full Of Fire" is included in the Real-O-Mind release "Medium Rare". The vinyl version to be released on Munster has "Endless Summer" as a bonus track.'

In October '99 the Hydromatics toured Europe with the Hellacopters and Zen Guerrilla. Other than jamming with the Hellacopters in New York and Detroit, and playing a bit around Detroit, I didn't do much more than write new material in 2000. In 2001, I started by touring France and Italy with Deniz Tek and Sonic Assassin. Then I flew from Rome to Amsterdam to record "Powerglide". We did a Hydromatics European tour just before the release of "Powerglide" on Freakshow Records.

Why did Nick Royale leave the band?

Nick is pretty busy with the Hellacopters. He suggested we find someone else. I had been jamming with Andy Frost in Ann Arbor for about six months and now he was perfect for the job. I actually told him he was hired just before I left for the tour with Deniz.

Let’s talk about "Powerglide". It’s a great album perfectly balanced between a hard-rock side and a soul-oriented one. How did this kind of album come out?

I’ve always been a big soul music fan and I’ve been trying to blend it with the rock and roll. This time I decided to put in a heavier dose of soul and I think it worked out well. We even added a psychedelic soul bonus track "Starvin' ". That one reminds me of "Calling Lwa" on "Parts Unknown". It's a vodoo song to call up your patron spirit.

What are the main differences between "Parts Unknown" and "Powerglide" for you?

I think the extra soul influence is one difference. I wrote more of the material this time also. We added the background singers on this one too, and I think that added a lot.

Why on the new album did you decide again to play a bunch of Sonic’s Rendezvous Bands’ numbers?

On "Parts Unknown" Nick and Tony wanted to get studio versions of Sonic’s Rendezvous Bands songs that had only been recorded live. "Powerglide" continues in that tradition. This time we added two Fred "Sonic" Smith songs that we had done on "Getting’ There Is Half The Fun", the Rendezvous Band live in Detroit with Deniz Tek on Real-O-Mind Records.

Apart from the old SRB songs, are the other tracks new or do they come from different periods of inspiration and composition?

I wrote "Ready To Ball", "R.I.P. R & R", "Soulbone", "Tumblin Down", and "Green Eyed Soul" in the time I had off in 2000. Tony and I wrote "Powerglide" together.

What are your fave songs on the new album?

I’m very happy with the album as a whole. All the songs have their own merits. I think live and on record "Ready To Ball", "R.I.P. R & R", and "Soulbone" are naturals. As an album track "Tumblin’ Down" with the singers and horns arranged by Thijs Willemsen is undeniable.

Last year you released a great album titled "Medium Rare" that covers your career from 1970 to 2000. Can you tell me something about that release?

My friend Geoff Ginsberg at Real-O-Mind Records came up with the idea. He took all my unreleased tapes home with him and came up with a track listing that we edited slightly. It includes the last song the Rationals recorded in 1970 plus three songs from our reunion in 1991. It also included three of the recordings from the L.A. sessions. The rest are demos recorded over the years.

And what about the "Sonic Way Live", the last year European tour with Deniz Tek and (three members of) Sonic Assassin?

Deniz and I arrived at De Gaulle airport last March. We took a bus to the train station and had to run with all our gear to make the train. We arrived in Montpellier where we met Rauky (singer for Sonic Assassin, nda) who drove us to Sete. Then we went straight to rehearsal with the Pasquini brothers Romano (bass) and Pippo (drums) and Stefano Costantini (guitar and driver extraordinaire).

In France we played Toulouse, Theirs with the TV Men from Brittany and Puffball from Sweden and Niort where we recorded the gig. Then we head back to our base in Sete for one day of much needed rest before the overnight drive to Italy. In Italy we played Foligno with the Loose. Then we drive way down south to Calabria. When we finally arrived at Marzi, a small village near Cosenza, we entered town in the evening and the police pulled us over. It turns out they wanted to give us an escort into town. When we arrive at the outdoor concert site, we are greeted by the mayor.

The gig was great and it was also recorded for future release. Then we played Pescara and Rome where we recorded again but unfortunately the tape was stolen. All was not lost as Sonic Assassin knew a guy with a studio in the country where we transferred everything from Niort and Marzi to disc. We did some work on the tapes in Capena outside of Rome and Deniz did some more in Montana later. [ED: It will be issued in 2003 on Career Records.

After that, we hung out a few days with Romano and Pippo from Sonic Assassin, then I said goodbye to my friends and was off to Amsterdam to record "Powerglide" with the Hydromatics. I enjoyed my stay in Italy as I did France. I hope to return again with the Hydromatics.

www.answers.com on Scott | Scott on last FM

Travelling Dingleberries

Stay tuned for more Slugrock shortly, folks.

Hydromatics rarities

Previously unreleased Hydro stuff. Some of these songs were recorded during rehearsals for the "Powerglide" album (2002) while some of the other material was recorded live. Don't ask me where or when, though.

• »Asteroid B612


• Dangerous


• Earthy


• RIP RnR


• You're So Great


• Tumblin' Down
>

ROCK ME
password : slugtrails

Nitwitz Videos

Some Nitwitz-as-a-threepiece vids from 2006, with Mikey Offender on bass and the Gadge playing drums as per usual.

Holy Sheep - Someday's Too Late CD (2003)

Holy Sheep were a fun band from Leon, Spain. They asked me to produce them, when I was there. Which means this release is worthy of inclusion in the shit-stained pages of these vaults of woe known as Slugtrails

.

Having the weakest links in the line-up (bassplayer and drummer) lay down the basic tracks by themselves in a room the size of a shoebox wasn't my idea, I like it LIVE, and things became a ramshackle affair more than once, but oh well. Despite the somewhat limited vocabulary/command of the English language ("Spanglish") of guitar tandem Natalio and Jorge, I immediately recognized these young dudes charisma and knack for writing a killer hook. In addition I wanted to let their keyboard player, Irish ex-pat (and future Nitwitz driver!) Eugene McCarthy shine through on a few of the songs, which not everybody in the band agreed with. He is an amazing musician and really adds to the overall sound though.

So, anyone who'd like to familiarize themselves with Spanish rocknroll music would probably be well advised to check out this album by the Holy Sheep. Then move on to Torazinas, Senor No, N.C.C., etc ! Lots of cool stuff going on down there folks.
This thing came out both in LP and CD format.

GET IT | Holy Sheep Myspace | Holy sheep Video

Big Paulus - the big ripoff CD (1999)

lookee here, another record I play on.
Cross fertilisation continues as Theo Brouwer (Hydromatics, Nitwitz, the Kliek) and Frank Sloos (Loveslug /Treble Spankers) punk up tacky/(un)funny/cool etc soul/disco/pop/glam covers in Big Paulus, calling it "tune recycling". Pretty silly but kinda fun for the occasional party I guess. Especially after smoking many a blunt, like those two Cheech and Chong looking stoner knuckleheads.
They picked a few tasteful covers though ! When they asked me to play a lead or two and do some backup singing just for fun, I was like, yeah, whatever, why not. It ended up on this CD which came out on Bask records in 1999. So make of this shit what you will.

pass:slugtrails
GET IT

01) My pledge of love
02) Theme from S.W.A.T.
03) My Coo Ca Choo
04) Hooked on a feeling
05) Theme from MEdical Center
06) What good am I without you
07) Portobello MArket
08) Across 110th street
09) Gonna fly now (theme from rocky)
10) Mr. Blue Sky
11) (Intro and Countdown) Are you man enough
12) Action
13) The Girl with the sun in her hair

Buy some Big Paulus shit

Nitwitz first EP 1980

Just in case : This thing has been bootlegged a ton of times and from what I understand, there's all kinds of constipated "collector" nerds / knuckleheads out there paying 4-500 bucks and up on Ebay.
OK so only 750 copies were pressed but it's still ironic,
a) given the prominent "maximum price" message on the sleeve, roughly the equivalent of 2 US dollars.
b) that the recording budget for making this release was about $ 250
c)let's face it, IT'S JUST A PIECE OF PLASTIC.

But hey it's a free country.
Anyways, this was recorded early 1980. We were 16 years old and I'll go on record here saying we wanted to play fast LONG before it was cool.
And the proof is in the pudding.

 The Nitwitz, 1980 : Tony, Eric, Marcel, Steven

GET IT