Ex-Primal Scream member Martin St John has followed-up his biography by releasing a new book on his favourite band The Cramps.
Forever Cramped follows his obsession since seeing for The Cramps for the first time in 1979 at Glasgow Apollo.
Fifteen years later The Cramps signed to Creation briefly.
The book is available to order now.
The Press release states:
In 2016 I wrote my biography on the embryonic years of Primal Scream from 1984-87 and in December 2018, I got an almighty compulsion to write my own personal fan-boy book, about thee greatest rock n roll band on the planet-The Cramps. From tearing it up in 1979 at The Glasgow Apollo to catching their last ever UK gig at London Astoria in 2006, it’s been one helluva adventure to Crampsville and back.
If you wanna bust loose to some red-hot rockabilly, fuzz out to ass-shakin garage nuggets with a healthy dose of 70s punk attitude-The Cramps are for your stay sick pleasure! Where else are you gonna find such beautiful monsters as Lux Interior-PoisonIvy-Bryan Gregory-Nick Knox and Kid Congo? And if these songs don’t grab you: ‘Garbageman’ ‘New Kind Of Kick’ ‘Human Fly’or ‘Drug Train’-You’re already dead…
You can read an extract from the book below:
In 1979 when I first came across The Cramps supporting The Police at The Glasgow Apollo, I was just a young, snotty dumb-ass punk who liked it fast and wild. Seeing The Cramps live at that very moment,(right place, right time, right age) I knew in a heartbeat, that they were from a totally different planet from the rest of us mere earthlings ie Crampsville-the land of true pollinators.
I remember going to the Police gig with a couple of mates who were in a band called All Mod Cons who’d played a version of ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’ in their set at the time. To me it was just another day, another gig and tickets were still available at the door on the night-what the hell! On this very night, The Police were being supported by a band called The Cramps. Who in the devil were The Cramps? I’d never heard of them as I was outta the music loop.Earlier on as we were strollin down The Apollo lane; wham bam-we bumped into the 4 most amazing looking people I’d ever clapped eyes on! Planet Obscurio right in our faces: huge hair, pasty faced, buckles, bones n boots a go go! Totally alien looking from anything I’d ever clocked before on the streets of Glasgow and I’d just been through the punk rock wars. They didn’t say anything; they just glowered at us magnificently”
Lindsay Hutton was also here on this memorable night which just happened to be The Cramps first ever appearance on our hallowed soil in the whole of Europe. It was a well known fact that The Apollo was the greatest, craziest venue to kickstart a tour, which then gave you a real buzz for the rest of the gruelling tour. Lindsay’s take on seeing The Cramps was that almost everone hated them although Lux jumping into the crowd at the end seemed to generate some respect from The Police fans after the sheer relief of not having to listen to them anymore.
Watch a video of The Cramps from 1979 below.