|
Click here to see Margaret Moser's story on the Uranium Savages.
For a short History of the Savages keep reading:
December 12, 1974 was the first public appearance of the Uranium Savages at Jim Franklin’s Ritz theater on 6th st.
The Ritz was the first kind of hippie place in a neighborhood where “frat people just didn’t go”. It was
a battle of the bands. The losing band was called the Marsh Mongrels, fronted by a guy named Clifford Antone. Look what
happened to him. This is what happened to US.
Famous Quotes:
Billboard: They (the Savages) “combine’s a Frank Zappa/1960’s penchant for weirdness and obscenity with
a new wave penchant for abrasion.” (1980)
American Statesman “the Savages helped combat boredom and terminal cuteness in the Austin music scene.” (1984)
Houston Chronicle, Bob Claypool - “ the Uranium Savages, an insane, gibbbering, trashy-mouthed bunch of creeps from
Austin who are intent on savaging everything Texans and Americans hold near and dear -- no holds barred.”
Austin Chronicle, Margaret Moser - “The Savages pretty much defined Halloween in Austin”
Third Coast Magazine: ‘The Savages may have started out as hams, but they practically invented Texas punk”
KGSR, program Director Jody Denberg- “The level of musical and compositional proficiency displayed on their new album,
“Radio-Active,” will bring the band notoriety as musicians as well as performers.” (Daily Texan)
Sam Moore of Sam and Dave: “I like to go out to Soap Creek and see that band, oh I can’t remember their name,
but they’re so funny.” (Statesman)
Larry L. King - Once saw them and giggled for two hours saying he couldn’t believe such things went on in the lone star
state.
Doug Sahm - “They’re my kids favorite band.”
Legends of the Uranium Savages, the band too dumb to die.
Soap Creek Saloon House Band - From 1975 through Halloween of 1985, the Savages were the house band at all three Soap Creek
saloon locations, home also to well known bands such as Doug Sahm, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Thunderbirds, and Marcia Ball.
They prefered to play there rather than at Eddie Wilson’s Armadillo World Headquarters, and the feeling was mutual.
Plus Soap Creek sold mixed drinks, and the dillo only had beer and nachos.
Why you walk in circles on Halloween on 6th st. - in 1982, on Halloween, the Savages set off a large US army smoke grenade
on top to the marquee of the Ritz theater in response the crowd pelting the theater with pumpkins. The fire department, believing
there was a fire, tryed to get the trucks to the theater. Even though they were only one block away, the crowd was so thick
in the street, that emergency vehicles could not get through. Ever since, the barricades were brought in.
First Band of the Year - The first Music Awards ever held in Austin were presented by the Austin Sun, precursor to the Austin
Chronicle. The Savages won the Duvall County Landslide Lyndon Award as Band of the Year.
Paramount Theater Rocky Horror Show-- The Savs were the first band to play an anniversary party of the Rocky Horror picture
show. It was the 2nd anniversary on May 12, 1978 and was the 100th performance of the band.
Time Capsule - In a big publicity stunt at the close of the 1970’s, the Savages collected personal 70’s artifacts
from audience members, mostly panties and drugs and placed them in a nuclear shipping container at Soap Creek 2 near Braker
and North Lamar, Member Dave Dyess welded it shut on stage to the dismay of the audience who weren’t wearing welding
masks. It was dug up 15 years later during a summer dry season during a desperate search for pot. All that was found were
some panties, so we smoked them.
Why we are banned from Symphony Square - We had played there every summer for five years. In 1984, the president of the symphony
society was in attendance when the savages reenacted the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan. He didn’t
mind the TV’s we threw in the creek, or the penis people, but pretending to shoot a hippie in a rubber mask with a starting
pistol was too much.
Father of the Savages, Townsend Miller - Townsend was Austin American Statesmans first music critic. Legend was that he
sired all the members of the band, each by differnt mothers.
Riots - The savages were famous for shutting down clubs and inciting audiences to riot. Texas Tavern Riot, 1979; South Padre,
1977.
Porno de Mayo - Our first gig in Houston was at a porno picnic. We remember women dressed only in oil and feathers. A car
caught on fire backstage and when the firetrucks came to put it out, the bikers guarding the gate wouldn’t let them
in, so the whole party got shut down.
The Eddy Awards - An alternative annual event that predated the Austin Music Awards since 1975. Urine sample Eddy, the teletubby
Eddy, the Rock Eddy, Edible Eddy, Ken Doll eddy, LaminEddy, Records that hang from a stick Eddy. the Ashtray Eddy.
International Eddy Day - Since the bands inception, this is a gathering of the tribe every July ninth at Deep Eddy park.
Famous Savage Characters: The Shrovinovers are the male dancers who have always been in the band to protect and serve. They
have perfectly personified many characters including the Penis People, Idi Amin, Leslie the transvestite, the Pope, cocaine
dealers and buyers, Sam Houston, Aliens, Rednecks, The Queen.
Other characters and skits familiar to Savage fans include: Eddy Carson, Eddy Fender, Booze Brothers, Regressive Country
Glitter Show, Sweathog Moron, Corky Bobber, Evinrude, Barely Mananuff, OT and the Hot Curls, the Parrot Lounge Orchestra,
Dueling Elvis’, Rinse, Boy George, PTL Club, Jerry Jeff and his Walker, Willie, Clinton and Monica, the Spice Grannies,
Elmer Wayne Henly, all the people in China.
First Mardi Gras parade in Austin - The savages did a parade down 6th street with members of Esther’s Follies and reopened
the Ritz theater for the second time.
Spamarama - Spamarama was started by the Uranium Savages in 1978 at Soap Creek Saloon as an alternative to Chili cookoffs.
It has grown through the years. Today, it is a big mess.
Savages and the social scene- We played debutant ball in Corpus Christi, the highlight was dressing backstage with Chubby
Checker. He had to borrow one of our afro wigs.
Best hotel gig story: Booked at the Sheraton Crest for a month, after the first week, did so well were hired for another
month. After the second week, second month was cancelled.
The Story of 709 - Those that say don’t know, those that know don’t say.
Best Armadillo World Headquarters Story - It was a People’s Community Medical Clinic Benefit on Feb. 8, 1976. Balcones
Fault and Harry Anderson were on the bill. We presented Mayor Jeff Friedman the key to the city. (a fake bag of grass)
Aquafest - The savages played in 1991, and the very next year, Aquafest stopped hiring local bands.
The second band on the first show of Austin City Limits. It was a live local broadcast fund raiser for the show. The Savs
were the only band ever left out of the official history of Austin City Limits. But they were broadcast local.
The untold story of the band - Featured in Oui magazine with porno star Serena who followed the band for several months.
Amarillo Police Story -- During a two night stand in Amaraillo at a now defunct rock club, the police show up on the Friday
night because of a noise complaint and watched the show. On Saturday night, they came back and gave us Amarillo Police uniforms
for our song “Policeman”.
On the Bayou - When we first pressed our album ‘Trust Us’, we included the song “On the Bayou” about
the Houston Police Dept. and the death of immigrant Joe Campos Torres. This was a paraody of Hank Williams Jambalaya and our
most famous tune of 1979. Nashville Publishing giant Rose Acuff got wind of the song and threatened to sue the band so we
recalled the albums and had a record burning, just one, we sold the rest for a dollar each.
TRUST US -the name of the bands first album, our unofficial motto and the words that got scrawled on Allandale Baptist Church
by an enthusiastic fan upon the release of the record. Harold denounced us on TV for two weeks in a row and then apologized
the third week when he found out we were innocent.
John Kelso - Once, he was one of our biggest fans, performed with us several times, we helped him run for president, now
he is one of many who can’t come to see us because we start after 9:00PM.
We saved Esther’s Follies - When their first theater burned down, we did a benefit for them at Club Foot. Club Foot
is now closed and we need a gig.
Grand Opening of Liberty Lunch with Mark and J’Net. - The Savages opened it up in March of 1979 and helped close the
place down July of 1999. The same couch was there in the dressing room. And an old afro wig of ours.
Dead Club Tour - Here’s the list of the clubs that we’ve played at in Austin that have closed, it wasn’t
all our fault: Liberty Lunch, Armadillo, Soap Creek, Austin Opry House, One Knite, Rome Inn, Club Foot, Boondocks, Third
Coast, Backstage, Flossies, Laugh Stop, Steamboat, Dollhouse, South Bank, Bull Creek Inn, Hand’s Roadhouse, Lamplighter,
Nitelife, Chapparal Club, Gazebo Room, Alliance Wagonyard, Aquafest
Recording Career - We’ve been with the same label, Roy Records, since 1979. Roy is the sound heard round the world,
if you’ve had way to much to drink the night before. Albums: Trust Us, RadioActive. CD’s: Big Ones; Cassettes:
Now and Then; 45’s: Party with the Pope.
Poster Art - The Savages have always been known for their art department, led by singer songwriter Kerry Awn. He has produced
over 200 collectible posters on the band, dozens of T-shirts, 100’s of Club Calendars and other Austin memorabilia artworks.
Bandmember Artley Snuff has also produced special Zerox art for every gig since the punk rock era.
TV Career - The savages TV career has been well documented throughout the world: Performed Spam songs on Good Morning America
and CNN; Japanese #1 TV show about the Urine Ball; Currently bandmembers Kerry Awn and Artly Snuff cohost the Access TV show,
Ronnie Velveeta, Saturday nights 10PM.
Band Members as of 10/6/06 -Dave Novak, drums, semiretired south austinite; Tom Clarkson, bass, Y2K ready and Crazy Lady day
manager; John Haddad, guitar, fine cigar purveyor; Kent Temple, guitar, Lago Visto guru; Charles Ray, guitar, Jerry Jeff’s
sound engineer; Dave Perkoff, sax, plays weddings too; Kerry Awn, vocals, artist and active bachelor; Robert Stanton, vocals,
Kareoke DJ and PCS hustler; Artly Snuff, shrovinover and co-host of the Velveeta show; Marshall Davis, pope and transvestite
impersonator; Beverly Robinson, sparkling as the Eddy Sister and Spice Granny.
|
