10/19/06
Dan-Zig
You can imagine my excitement when the head promoter of Dead Boy Productions, Dan, (the other Dan as I call him) called me and said that he had set up a show for a band called the Crimson Ghosts. If you know anything about us you know that we love just about all things Misfits. The Crimson Ghosts he explained are an instrumental surf tribute band to the Misfits. I got very excited at the thought that someone actually played Misfits songs surf style with reverb guitar taking place of Glenn’s vocals. The show came and went, the Crimson Ghosts were fantastic, but better than that Dan and I were introduced to the world of Necro-Tone Records, the label of the Crimson Ghosts. The following interview is with John, lead guitarist of the Crimson Ghosts and a member of the Demon Seeds, another great Necro-Tone band.
Now as far as I know this is the first time the Crimson Ghosts have been on the West Coast. Is this true? How did this tour go?
Yeah, it was our first time. I was happy. I got to meet a lot of people I’d been emailing for years, so I finally got to put a face to the email. It was also really cool to get to see bands I hadn't heard of before. The Teenage Harlets and Del Lames are two of my favorite groups now.
I had a lot of friends I haven't seen in 5 + years come out to see us. We even had a friend from Pittsburgh drive out to the Arizona shows. It was like a short vacation for us. Gein was happy to stop by Danzi'gs house and the location of Anton Lavey's Black House. We went to the Hollywood Cemetery and saw the Johnny Ramone statue. We want to come back again in the spring.
Who’s idea what it to do an instrumental surf tribute to the Misfits?
I had thought of it around 1996 when I started double picking "London Dungeon". I recorded it with a punk band I was in at the time but it's we didn't use reverb tanks so it's not real surf sounding.
At first, we were thinking of doing a bunch of different punk bands songs but it just snowballed into just Misfits songs. 1945 by Social D, Rise Above by Black Flag were some of the other songs we first did.
Can you play all Misfits songs in this style or are there some that you cannot translate into surf?
Most of the Earth AD stuff doesn't really translate too well to surf. We Bite and Bullet for example are songs that the lead vocal follows the rhythm too close so we can't come up with a catchy lead guitar melody. We know almost every song just in case someone in the crowd wants to come up and sing.
How many years has the band been around?
In 1999 we started just doing Misfits songs and recorded a CD in 2000. Gein joined on drums in 2001. Him and I are the backbone of the band. When we want to tour or play out we go through a list of people who've already done shows with us. At this point it's definitely a side band we use just to go out and tour with.
You recently released a CD called Some Kinda Hits, which is a great CD. How long has it been out? Are there plans for another CD of Misfits material or original material?
Some Kinda Hits came out in 2005. We've done other CDs and 7'ers but I wanted a CD that best represented what we do. Something that will always be in print. It has 15 Misfits and 2 Samhain tracks. I don't want to keep releasing CDs of Misfits songs. I think we've done the best songs so far. I do want to do a CD of other punk bands songs. Circle Jerks, 7 Seconds, Dead Kennedys are a few bands we've taken songs from and translated to surf.
Eerie Von (bass player of Samhain and Danzig as well as Misfits photographer) helped you out by doing the cover art to the CD. How did he get involved with the band? Do you have any more plans to do something again with him?
I bought a painting Eerie did. From there I sent him a few of our other releases and started a friendship with him. The first CD we did, we had Jerry Only involved with so I wanted someone else connected with the Misfits to be a part of this release. I love Eerie's artwork so I just asked him. At that time he hadn't done artwork for any other band.
From this friendship I eventually invited him to be a part of a comp called "Pledge Your Allegiance To Satan". He donated a song from his 3rd solo CD called Bone Drone and a song from his new garage punk band called SpiderCider called One or Two.
Actually this week SpiderCider just released their first CD. I've been bugging Eerie to get a band together to start doing some shows. It's something I’d love to be a part of (along with every other Samhain/Danzig fan who plays guitar).
I've asked him to play two shows with Crimson Ghosts. He had previous plans but said he would have otherwise so I’ll ask him again next time.
Eerie was interested in producing the last Demon Seeds CD. It didn't work out but I’m hoping the next time we record it will.
You mentioned you had Jerry Only work with you on the first CD you did. What did Jerry do for you? Are there any plans to ever re-release the first CDs and early work of the Crimson Ghosts?
Jerry did a spoken intro to the record. We had run the idea by him of doing instrumental versions of Misfits songs. It was his idea to do the intro. He also did a video taped intro that we would play on tv sets on stage before we played.
That will never be reissued. It's a crappy recording. The Some Kinda Hits is a way better representation of what we do.
What is next for the Crimson Ghosts?
That "Punk Rock Jukebox" CD is still in the works and another West Coast tour in the Spring.
If you release other surf versions of punk songs on a different CD do you think you would do it under the Crimson Ghosts name or would it be yet another band because it is no longer Misfits related?
We'd still call it Crimson Ghosts. I think a lot of people who've seen us live know that we do other songs than Misfits/Samhain/Danzig.
Give us some background on Necro-Tone Records. It’s not something we have seen too much of here in California. It looks like a lot of the same people are in each other’s bands. For example you and Owen are in the Demon Seeds and Gein has another band Gein and the Graverobbers. Is it sort of a family type thing?
Oh yeah. Myra is in GNO & Gein & The Graverobbers too. I think we've just found a small group of people all into the same thing. All the Necro Tone bands are with members of another Necro Tone band.
Gein started the label in 2000 to release the first Gein & The Graverobbers 7" Humanoids From The Deep.
When I started playing in Phantom Creeps with Gein we were gonna put out our first CD. I thought it would help the Necro Tone label if we released it under the label as opposed to no label or a made up one.
After doing the same thing with the Crimson Ghosts 7" & CD and the second Phantom Creeps CD it I started being more involved with Necro Tone Records.
Myra has been a major third partner. She does the CD layouts, websites and artwork designs.
I got a chance to check out the new Demon Seeds video. Where did the concept come from and how did the video come about?
Our friend Caleb who made a film called "Die You Zombie Bastards" had offered to do a video for us. I picked that song just because it was the easiest one to visualize what would look cool.
It was the first video I’ve had any part of. I really enjoyed seeing how it all came out. Caleb is really talented and made it comfortable to work with.
I think we'll do a video for Crimson Ghosts next. We just need to pick a song and work out the details.
What other bands are on the label? Is there a particular Necro-Tone sound?
Gein & The Graverobbers, Ghouls Night Out, Crimson Ghosts, Phantom Creeps and Demon Seeds have all released on Necro Tone. Gein has a new garage band. Once they get established I’m sure they'll do a CD on Necro Tone.
To be on Necro Tone we're looking for horror themed surf,garage and punk bands. Bands that don't just do one creepy song or record but do it 100%. A good schtick wouldn't hurt either. We're looking to do records with bands that we're not in. Zombina & The Skeletones, Eerie Von, Ghastly Ones are all bands we were hoping to work with.
I think the "Pledge Your Allegiance To Satan" CD and the soundtrack to "Die You Zombie Bastards" are a step forward toward that.
Where can people get both Crimson Ghost and Necro-Tone stuff?
Cargo distros our stuff. You can also try Interpunk, CD Baby, and Tower, I run the mailorder. Any of the Necro Tone releases are $10.00 ppd in the U.S./$12.00 World. You can paypal me at phantomcreeps@yahoo.com or email for more info.
Demon Seeds' Have A Date With Death"
Ghouls Night Out "Mourning After"
"Pledge Your Allegiance To Satan" comp
"Die You Zombie Bastards" soundtrack
Crimson Ghosts "Some Kinda Hits"
Gein & The Graverobbers "Passion Of The Anti Christ"
Phantom Creeps / Damien Storm split cd
Phantom Creeps s/t
All these CDs are still in print.