Long running San Francisco surf / garage / punk act The Phantom Surfers have announced the publication of their first book “Rock Stardom for Dum Shits”. Bass player Michael Lucas said during an interview with the show MonkeyBeat that the book would cover the ups and downs of the bands history in the music industry, including the story of the big multi-band fallout with Lookout Records that left the label without some of their biggest releases by acts like Green Day.
The book should see store shelves in the fall published via Rudos & Rubes Press which also published Michael Lucas’ “Devil Born Without Horns” in 2007.
Surf music is morning at the loss of one of its founders today. Bob Bogle the original lead guitarist for The Ventures died on Sunday (June 14th). Reports are that the 75 year old musician became ill over the weekend and was taken to the hospital where he later died. He suffered from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma for the last few years.
The classic Ventures line-up Mel Taylor, Nokie Edwards, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle
Bogle and fellow guitarist Don Wilson formed The Ventures in 1958 after working together in the construction field in Tacoma, WA. Their early hits featured lead guitar work by Bogle, however after recruiting Nokie Edwards into the group in 1960, Bogle was moved to bass where he remained for the next 45 years. The band had a long string of hits including “Perfidia”, “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue”, “Hawaii Five-0″ and their biggest hit “Walk, Don’t Run” (peeked at #2 on Billboard Top Hits Chart). Between 1960 and 1970 the band released over 30 LPs of original recordings, 3 of which were certified as gold. Their music has been cited as an influence by many famed guitarists, in addition their experimentation with guitar effects, and unique sound laid the groundwork for innumerable groups, earning them the moniker “The Band that Launched a Thousand Bands.”
Due to his heath Bogle was too frail to play with the Ventures in his later years and left the band in 2005.
The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008.
Italy’s The Ultra Twist have announced inital dates for their upcoming US tour. The 4 piece describes themselves as a crappy garage-punk-surf band. Checkout the band’s website for audio and video of just how crappy they are (or aren’t).
The dates below include venue where confirmed. The venues for the other dates are still tentative.
Jul 29 San Francisco, CA
Jul 30 Santa Cruz, CA
Jul 31 Los Angeles, CA
Aug 1 Orange County, CA
Aug 2 San Diego, CA @ Ruby Room
Aug 3 Phoenix, AZ @ The Hell Yeah Hut
Aug 4 TBA
Aug 5 Austin, TX @ Beerland
Aug 6 Houston, TX
Aug 7 New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar
Aug 8 Panama City, FL
Aug 9 St Petersburg, FL
Aug 10 Miami, FL
Aug 11 Orlando, FL
Aug 12 TBA
Aug 13 Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar
Aug 14 Washington, DC
Aug 15 New York, NY @ Don Pedro
Aug 16 New York, NY
Aug 17 Troy, NY
Aug 18 Buffalo, NY
Aug 19 Cleaveland, OH
Aug 20 Detroit, MI
Aug 21 2009 Chicago, IL @ the Mopery
Aug 22 Milwakee, WI @ Franks Powerplant
Aug 23 TBA
Aug 24 Vancouver, BC
Aug 25 Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse
Aug 26 Portland, OR
Aug 27 Sacramento. CA
Aug 28 San Francisco/Oakland
Aug 29 San Francisco/Oakland
