Bob MouldI was checking out some old Bob Mould records recently, just being amazed at what a great songwriter that guy is. Then, being the curious sort, I wanted to read up on just what Bob's been doing, and found
Bob Log, his blog. He DJs occasionally, he has a new album out called "
Body Of Song" available here, and he moved to DC. Go back and listen to songs like "It's Too Late" and "Egoverride" just to hear his melodic gifts, and if you're feeling somber, you can dip into "Black Sheets of Rain."
I guess it's always been a widely known "fact" that Bob is also gay, but all along I thought all three guys in Husker Du were gay. I read up on what
Greg Norton has been up to, and am I the only one surprised that the guy with the Wyatt Earp mustache and the Lt. Dangle shorts
was the straight one? Norton became an expert chef and opened up his own restaurant with his wife after the demise of Husker Du.
When I first started listening to Husker Du, based on the band photos, I assumed Norton was gay. This was back in high school, when I still worried about perceptions, worried about people's sexual orientation as if it had any real effect on my life. Now I see that Norton was flaunting this image even though he was straight, in what I have to say is a pretty awesome punk rock message: "I'm making myself the lightning rod to take the heat off my bandmates who are not out yet."
I remember becoming even more surprised when learning of the "who's who" of gay punk rockers, including the obvious like the Dicks and Screamers, to the less obvious like the Germs and Big Boys. It seems that the anger and outsider image and protest power of punk rock was never far removed from sexual politics and identity.
Up in San Francisco a few years ago I heard from a reliable source that two well-known icons of punk rock
were not only gay, but also dated one another. I won't name names here, because one of them shops at the Trader Joe's by my house and could snap me in half as easily as a stalk of celery. The person who told this tale out of school is himself a famous punk rock celebrity famous for not giving a fuck about the fallout from his comments. Then just recently, I found out that one of these "gay" punk icons dated a woman I know. Holy shit.
Were all those punk dudes back in the day just having sex with each to take the piss out of mainstream culture? Would we have had such amazing music to listen to if these guys had not felt so out of place and felt the need to change things?
Thanks, Bob, for being awesome.
this weekend as they face those scouser fools, Liverpool. Giggs has only played for United, and he's been in the team for an amazing 16 years! The Welsh Wizard is one of the greatest left wingers in the world, and has been an unmatchable talent. In the Premiership, United currently sit top while Liverpool are a distant third. On this historic occasion, I hope United knock the stuffing out of those scouser clowns.
