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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Round the Dial
Wednesday 29 January @ 11:17:26 |
 by Tom Hallett
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I think I justified it in terms of being noticed. And %@!#$& it, I wasn’t going to stand on stage and play rock & roll, if it was just the music; because that’s not what rock & roll is, anyway. It might be what the blues is, but rock & roll is something else again.”
-—Pete Townshend, on his
predeliction for smashing guitars.
SONG OF THE WEEK: “Young Man Blues”
-—The Who
While I continue recuperating, I thought folks might like a peek at an open letter from Blackie Lawless, bassist/vocalist of hard rock outfit W.A.S.P (you may remember some of their finer ’80s offerings like “Blind In Texas,” “Animal (%@!#$& Like A Beast),” and “Ballcrusher,” or their outrageous stage act, wherein Lawless would tie semi-nude models to torture racks and throw raw meat out into the audience) concerning Who axeman Pete Townshend’s recent arrest on internet child porn charges. While I’d originally planned to wait for some more hard facts to come out before commenting on the whole mess, Blackie’s letter made me realize how Pete must feel—especially if he’s innocent—being castigated and becoming the butt of thousands of jokes before he’s had his day in court.
A few toughts on the gathering storm surrounding Pete Townshend
Is the time to come out (no pun intended) and stand up for someone you respect and believe in AFTER they’ve gone through the proverbial ringer? Or should every writer, rocker, fan, and common man who’s been positively affected in even the smallest way by Mr. Townshend take a stance right now and offer him some spiritual support? I’ll stand up next to Blackie and say thanks, Pete, and I’m giving ya the benefit of the doubt here. I would hope folks would do the same for me if I were ever wrongly accused of something. Bottom line: I don’t think Pete’s ever touched a little boy in an improper way in his entire life. He may or may not have some problem with viewing pornography, partly due to his own horrific childhood, but until the whole story comes out, I’m reserving any judgement. AND—even if Townshend is found guilty, I will NOT reject thirty years worth of MAXIMUM R&B for one stupid mistake. %@!#$&, I’m crankin’ up LIVE AT LEEDS right now, and I hope Pete feels it. As for Blackie’s letter, I don’t necessarily agree with (or understand) every point he makes, but I think it’s telling that it takes a crazy American heavy metal dude to stand up and say “Wait for the evidence” when Townie has so many rich and powerful friends ... just remember, witch hunts can happen to little people in little towns, too, so keep your eye on this case. And now, heeeerrrreeeessss Blackie!!
Gathering support for Townshend
Judge not lest ye be judged ... I have watched the events of the last few days surrounding the very public arrest of The Who visionary Pete Townshend. I am angered and appalled at the way the news media has made a circus of their portrayal of this case. But they can’t really be blamed, as they are the same ones that were there covering the Crucifixion back in the day. There’s nothing to Forgive—They “DO” Know What They Do—they just can’t help it. I am really pissed off at the lack of support by artists who owe their very existence to this man. But I am especially aggravated and disappointed at the Public Distancing by the very musicians who are supposedly closest to him. Elton John—“I hope it’s not true!” You gotta be kidding me. LET YE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE. If it’s true that A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED, or A MAN’S TRUE WEALTH IS MEASURED BY HIS FRIENDS, then Pete’s gonna have to find some new FRIENDS when the dust settles on this one. This brings to mind 3 very public DENIALS a couple of thousand years ago which involved another Peter. This time, the tables are turned and its Peter that’s being DENIED. Denied by “Friends” that are scared to be considered guilty through association and the ramifications that could possibly go along with it. Oddly enough, it was the disciple Peter that was sent by God to claim what is now St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The same St. Peter’s Square where the Vatican sits. The same Vatican which houses the largest collection of Pornography (including Child Pornography) in the World. Possessed by the Vatican, according to them, to “Aid them in Research” and to “Better familiarize themselves in the ways of the World.” I don’t think the World could handle any more of their “Familiarization.”
I learned my craft of writing lyrics from this man. I studied his writings to a point where I knew the man before I ever met him. His spiritual being and beliefs. Without those Spiritual beliefs the World would have never heard “Pure and Easy” and “The Song is Over.” But of all the gifts he’s given me, the greatest is to Tell The Truth. Tell the Truth no matter how painful, or how it may expose the darkest places in you. Tell the Truth and let the Whole Damn World be their Voyeuristic self. All serious writers, ALL of them, research sources before they put pen to paper. Anyone who has had a personal history of abuse in their past, be it physical or sexual, will spend a lifetime looking for answers. Questions that may never be answered that haunt. The child that still exists in all of us, the child that is frozen in its vulnerability and inability to control the actions of those bigger, stronger and older, will spend the rest of its life trying to make sense, to understand The Sins of The Father.
That being said, I don’t believe for one minute Pete Townshend is guilty of anything more than Doing the Research he said he was doing. I sincerely hope that other musicians and Friends of his who believe in him will come forward to show support and rally around this extraordinary man.
I am not afraid, I am Proud to voice my feelings here and if there are those who still believe in the things he has stood for — then come forward NOW and be heard. Rock is and will always be a target for authority.
He is still my mentor—I love this man.
In Pete We Trust!
Blackie Lawless—W.A.S.P.
Well, there ya go, folks. Like I said, I don’t necessarily agree with every point Blackie makes, but I do believe (even if English law doesn’t) that all men are innocent until proven guilty, and I do believe that Pete’s transgression, even if true, doesn’t negate the dozens of great tunes, the spiritual contributions, and the hunanitarian efforts the man has given the world over the past thirty-some years. Pete—Round The Dial offers up a prayer to the Baba on your behalf. If anyone out there in ‘Dial-land wants to weigh in on this topic, feel free to send your e-mails (keep ‘em short an’ sweet, please) to the address below by Monday, 2/3/03, and I’ll print ‘em here. Until next time—make yer own damn news.
If you have local music news/gigs/events that you’d like to see listed in this column, or you’d like to comment on the Pete Townshend controversy, send replies to: TMygunn777@aol.com.
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