Frank Zappa at the MUDD Club

on April 7, 2023April 6, 2023

On Facebook the other day my buddy Bill and partner from Centour sound company that we co-owned in New York city back in the late 70’s early to mid 80’s posted some archival video footage from YouTube when Frank Zappa played the Mudd Club in May of 1980. The quality of this video and sound is really good. John K, Bill and I did the sound production in the Mudd club at that venue and were so excited to be able to work the sound for Frank Zappa on that day, Incredible!!! John K. was the production manager at the club at the time and Bill, and I assisted with the set-up of sound equipment and stage setup. Not too long after that show, Bill and I took over the production management of the Mudd club and we have some fantastic stories from those days at the club! In fact, Bill met his wife there, Nancy – she was one of the bartenders. Bill about a year or so into that gig, went overseas to do some touring work with Motorhead, as I continued working the club and playing in the city and Long Island with my first band the Lampshades.

There has been in the past few years a few videos that have surfaced of that show, but the quality of the video and sound was not too good, and they all are just based off of the Mudd Club song that Frank wrote – nothing of anything else he played that night. If I recall correctly, he played 1 set for about 2 hours. Would love to see some other footage if anyone has that.

I included the video that appeared 5 days ago.

Enjoy the master that is ” FRANK ZAPPA”!

Here is another video that came out around 4 years ago of the same song – as said, the quality isn’t as good – There are a lot of still photo shots of the club – In one you see a rack of Crown amplifiers that we specifically installed in the club. This video is a little longer also.

Wild Cat

on October 25, 2022October 22, 2022

Wild Cat will be released on all major digital media and supported by a new video

Come and get your WILD CAT on !

https://open.spotify.com/track/4KVxn79975YmINReEyXGLH?si=5fcf9beb353a40a0
Have you ever been with a “Wild Cat”? – I Have!

Memrobilia from my Mudd Club Days

on September 21, 2022September 10, 2022

I was rummaging through one of my many compartmental spaces in my home and came across some interesting memorabilia from my days managing the production at the Mudd Club. I still must search the web for pictures as I really do not have many from those days, only the few that I have when I played at the Mudd with my band, The Lampshades. (So, forgive me for plagiarizing some photo’s-actually who cares). I vaguely remember the Mudd club deviant cards that was made up and I think it was done in the 4th floor art gallery, and they were laminated too! Surprised that Steve (Dr. Mudd) bought a laminator. I also think it was given out by Keith Haring, but I’m not sure as most of the time after the bands were set up it was hard to distinguish who was who and what the hell, they were doing but it was all fun and debauchery at the end of the night. Here is my deviant Mudd card – Yes, I looked extremely deviant.

**I found Keith’s deviant card on the internet**. **I don’t think he looks that deviant.**

Here was the back of the card with Dr. Mudd (Steve) in the Lab.
I don’t think anyone has seen the back of the card.
**I also have not seen the back of this card ever posted on the internet.**

The next 2 items I came across was a couple of buttons — for the life of me I don’t know how I got these. Altough a good piece of lost memories, and when I say lost, I mean lost, not to be found.

**Here is a Captain Kirk in drag makeup Button**

As said, I really don’t have any other photo’s of the club except when I played the Mudd – I posted these before by what the hell here they are again. My time at the Mudd Club was only in the early 80’s for about 2 years or so. I was not there when it first opened in 78, I started working there in early 81 until about 82ish. Experienced a lot of good bands and some real shit ones – The DJ’s where Hot, Anita Sarko, David Azarch kept the place moving. I Worked when Frank Zappa played there, mixed Johnny Thunders in his acoustic set (what a trip), set up Question Mark and the Mysterians, Sam and Dave, Reggae, Samba, & Punk bands–You name it I worked it. Usually ending the night at 4am or so in the morning and then out to an afterhours club and when those doors opened the sun was out and my trek back home to Long Island to bed or crashing in the city at a friends place and start all over again later that night back at the Mudd Club!

Al B.- Bass Guitar – Ken Kern – Guitar – Gary Citro – Keyboards

Aldo is on Pandora Radio

on July 19, 2020July 19, 2020

This so cool! Nothing more to say –
Here is the link to Aldo Buzzi on Pandora https://pandora.app.link/ertlIeBCe8

Keith Haring at the Mudd Club

on December 9, 2017December 6, 2017

I remember Keith at the Mudd Club. The club had a few floors, the basement was where the bands would be hanging out before they were going on stage. The first floor was where the bar, stage and dance floor presided, the 4th floor was an art gallery in were I first met Keith. At the time he wasn’t really a known commodity as of yet, but a hell of a nice mild mannered guy. My partner Bill and I used to go up to the 4th floor to hang out between bands or just to get away from the level of noise and craziness that was on the bottom floors. For the most part, unless there was some in-prompt to event going on it was seemingly quiet on that floor. We used to hang with Keith and talk, were he came from, how did he get to New York City, when did he get into art, his likes and dislikes and so on. One time we were kidding around with Keith and Bill asked him to draw a dog humping on a napkin. I asked Bill if he still had it, he said he would have to look as it was a long time ago and who would know that Keith would be an Icon in the art world after he died in 1990 of HIV/AIDS at the age of 31. If Bill finds the napkin, I will post it.

Some comets traverse the universe and come back around for a few spins around the sun, and some comets just burn out way to soon and leave behind a tail of stardust to admire and wonder, “what if.”

The Lampshades play the MUDD Club

on September 22, 2017September 18, 2017

As previously mentioned, my partner and I were the production managers and engineers at the MUDD club during part of it’s hay day in the underground art and music scene. Having that in with the club and owner Steve Mass, it was easy for me to hook up my band, “The Lampshades” for a Saturday Night gig. The pictures were taken from the front of the stage so -apologies to our drummer Gary Sabshon was not in any of the Mudd Club pictures.

Enjoy the pictures and the set recorded LIVE!

Great Pictures of THE LAMPSHADES – playing the MUDD Club!