A great dream last night
Those best feelings
of hanging with your favorite band Touring as they were Family and friends were nearby Chris Bailey was sweet His lovely sly grin shone my wayas he looked at mea rich heavy Irish accent formed few words“I’ll see ya tomorrow!” I said.Adoringly glowing a depth of loveand mutual respectJohn and I left the band until tomorrow’s show. We walked by wavingAt Nathan Jones We walked by a
large window coffee shop on the Blvd. There Ed Kuepper sat alone. Having a cup of coffee and a smoke. Standing in front of a backstage club,I looked at the band’s list.Many names flew byUnder crew - stage
I saw Holly Cornell. John pointed it out Feeling a joy Only a favorite band could give ya We will be there early tomorrow. To help and see the band .
Amazingly we are still alive. Punk Rock Bowling with the celebration of 40 Years of the Circle Jerks and Charged GBH this spring. I am besides myself with joy to be attending. Yes, all the bands seem interesting, yet my history also includes Madness. When I was a 19-year-old punk I was looking for a 45 by Prince Buster entitled Madness. This stirred me on a strange journey to a Los Angeles record store. They never could locate that 45 for me. Then the band came touring. At least the name of the band was right. Playing the Whisky A Go Go. I remember dancing to the band with Kick Boy Face from SLASH MAGAZINE (my first Punk Rock correspondence.) (Slosh and Flopside) It was grand beyond grand. Imagine it all coming together again.
Punk Rock Bowling 2020
Some of my best punk memories.
Ross’s bass guitar case. GBH 1980s
I am standing in this image next to Ross’s first bass guitar case. He gave it to me. He bought a new one. I lost it. Yet, my mom had put it in a special place. After her death we cleaned out the basement and their it was. How happy that mom preserved some wonderful punk history. I still have it and will give it “will it” to my sons. I love it like punk rock. I hope I am not sucking on Ross’s “tits” when I say I love him too. Thanks for thinking of me back then. All the best and looking forward to Las Vegas for a week of punk and beyond bliss.
(Keith, Hudley, Chris, Annette and Iris) Group shot taken last month after our fun (and a little drizzly) reading at Stories Books and Cafe ~ Photo by the great Gary Leonard
Integrity is in every image, interview, editorial and advertisement.
The project of creating the first Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 Ten Year Anniversary issue is a scan of issue one through fifty. Different technology back in 1987 but our HP Laser printer in office and camera, set up in our garage, both helped in the scanned copy layout of images. Both printer and camera made this issue happen. It was Flipside Fanzine magic. Our new Commodore 128 computer was a revolutionary thing at the time. I painstakingly did all the layout for the first issue. We took highlighted interviews from each issue along with editorials. I did it then and I did it again with this replica issue. The only difference being is that the technology for this replica is a hell of a lot better. As well as the programs use to get Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 the way that it is. My dream was to come out with a paperback copy of this issue.
I adore this issue, so I preserved it.
Hudley Flipside
The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing.
A new cover but otherwise this is a replica of the original issue but better. I have already gotten some nasty criticism about the new cover. Let me tell you why I did it the way I did.
The new cover is a picture Al Flipside took. This is one of my favorite pics of the early punk scene with Subhumans (Canadian Band) and Angry Samoans. Greg Turner, Metal Mike, Wimpy, Hud, Gary and Jim.
I am holding Flipside’s tape recorder.
We recorded all of our band interviews included in each issue on this tape recorder.
We were always in the middle of bugging the bands. So, to me it is symbolic of us. Al and I as we ran a Fanzine. It also shows you the world through Al’s eyes. We literally had thousands and thousands of negatives and pictures in our office.
The yellow patina is gone, and the pages are all straight. This issue of Flipside # 54 was originally printed on newsprint paper, so the pages did yellow.
I put a great deal of time into making this paperback into the sweet little punk rock number that it is. Some punks have told me that this was their punk rock bible. It is Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine issues one through fifty. A lot of punk voices. The integrity of what punk was at any time during the original punk rock scene is shared here.
Flipside Fanzine # 54 captures the continuity and real experience and thoughtful wild exuberant expression of many interesting individuals. It was a passion of mine to share in this documentation of a scene. It still is which is why I continued over the years with this project to have a new handheld Flipside # 54 for anyone who wants to hold it too. I think it is incredibly special, in a punk kind of way, I hope you will enjoy it too.
Within this paperback book is our history of the early punk rock scene. We at Flipside covered that scene thoroughly, what we wanted to cover that is. It is best you read the editorial included at the beginning of this paperback to get a real sense of who we were. Ten years of documenting a scene included in issues one through fifty is a great deal to read. A magnifying glass may be needed.
I always say the proof is in the pudding. Shit workers who worked on each issue are clearly defined in each issue. This is what I mean by proof. Always a lot of hands in the cookie jar at the Flipside house. Suffice to say I will let this spectacular punk documentary speak for itself from the giant community of punk voices. The true punk rock narrative.
I recommend my memoir My Punkalullaby as a sidekick to Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 Ten-Year Anniversary Issue (replica) 1977 to 1987 because both are my punk rock opus, and I am very proud of publishing these editions through my publishing company The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing.
I see how the term Punk Rock is always trying to be defined by many. Yet the real-life definition it is not an out their term to read about in academic journals because it is based on the foundation of experience. It is viewed by the action of individuals. As shown by Pudd’nhead Wilson, (1894) the novel by American writer Mark Twain; Punk Rock is as unique as a person’s fingerprints. Mark Twain is the grand Punk Rocker. Think about that.
Punk Rock is based on the foundation of experience and is unique as a person’s fingerprints. That is clear enough. It is not who you know, or what shows you go to, or if you wear the right clothes or sport the wildest haircuts. You are a punk rocker who likes to camp out in the wilderness. It is when your deep-down dreams affirm to you that you are a punk rocker, then you know. It does not matter what others think of you either. It is a happy curse of creativity and inward ambition.
W.P. Witcutt authored a book on William Blake entitled Blake, A Psychological Study. He produced a term that explains the artist and visionary William Blake but also what a punk rocker is. A punk rocker has “introverted intuition.” Blake had introverted intuition. Blake took his deep-down creativity and brought it out upon the world in often wild, unique, and creative ways. Yes, he was a punk rocker.
Beatniks identified themselves as: Jane Doe, Beatnik, artist, writer, wife, mother. I too can say I am. Hudley Flipside, Punk Rocker, writer, artist, wife, mother. Alison Braun can be identified as Alison Braun, Punk Rocker, photographer, wife, mother (She may wish to add to the list).
When she took these pictures, being a female was not always the way of the land. Lots of guys in bands, as promoters and running record labels to communicate with and finding another female was not so easy. At least one who was a punk rocker living the life.
Creatively her photos show unique skills of capturing a time and place in our punk rock history (1981 to 1990). This is especially important for surviving punk rockers to preserve, document and tell our stories. It is a healthy natural flow of our collective unconscious experiences. To take that deep-down creativity and bring it out upon the world again is grand! I am incredibly happy to see punk rock on an individual scale like this.
Sunday May 26 will be the time to join with punk comrades and celebrate our originators and characters of the early California punk scene. The Avengers, the Dils and the Alley Cats.
In memory of Jimmy Wilsey
Flipside Fanzine Image
I stumbled into the early punk scene. The Australian Saints and the San Franciscan Avengers gave me the courage to go and see any other alternative underground bands on my own. I found myself melting into a wild alchemy of youths that had something to say. We were finding our voices. All the unknown characters were there, nobodies creating a scene together. We were wild and knew all the songs by heart by The Dils, The Alley Cats and the Avengers.
I will be there handing out some badges joining in the event in memory of our youthful rebellion that is still the heart beat of this crazy continuity of punk rock that still drives our DNA onward,,,
Images from Flipside Fanzine
The Avengers, The Dils and The Alley Cats + many special guests (A Celebration of the Life of Jimmy Wilsey) at Echoplex
My 4th favorite song is Vandals – I Want To Be A Cowboy .
As a young punk all the words were being thrown around. Anarchy, chaos, discord and mayhem. It rang around me via songs, voices and written lyrics and published fanzines. and punk friends. I never thought the ideals I supported would manifest via a gangster presidency? These words were used as ways to inspire creative freedom. This words for me meant the ability to do things on your own terms to help others not to tear them apart. To confront cruel authority, not to create a foundation for dictatorship or fascist tendencies. So much for deconstructivism if born again AA punks’ side with the enemy. It is a wake up call for us all. How to keep a conversation going is not always possible. Humor as, it was only for a fun experience, can be thrown in there. Yet I am keeping my integrity at my hip. My mind set to do it myself. As always, it may not be popular.
Today I got a nice note from Shredder who wrote for the ‘zine… so I am adding him to this ongoing article….. Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine Staph: Those who worked on Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine 1979 to 1989.
Thankx for the nice words to me… we had fun!!
Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 31 top jimmy & rhythm pigs interviewed by SHREDDER… just a sample…
It was the year 2038, The old purple haired broad walked slowly down the street. On a big monitor above her she saw that old Flipside Logo. Now part of an advertisement campaign for public office. Those people running for office with pig hearts. And she thought it was weirder when she heard the Ramones’ song as part of a bike exercise commercial back in 2018.
After about 14 years over reflecting, reliving, and watching all the Flipside stuff I help produce become dissected, rearranged bought and sold and resold I can now let it all go. T-shirt logos and documentaries too. I came out with my own D.I.Y. publications to tell my story. It has been out for over a year or two.
Yes, I have been asked to tell my story in other people’s books. Some I did because I felt the need to save the memory of Flipside. Not anymore. I let it go. This is a reality that I had to face, and it was not easy letting go of the need to protect Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine.
“It may be bad, but it feels good”
I hope others that were part of Flipside tell their own stories in their own way. Who knows we could put together a blog or book that includes our individual stories as writers, shit workers, photographers, people who caused considerable trouble etc.? That would be fun.
One thing that shines through as a truth that Al and I believed in…. “You don’t have to ask permission.” If you want to do it just do it. “
So, letting it go means just that. You do not have to ask me if you want to use this or that from Flipside’s vast products in anything you are doing. Just do it. I will not be part of that anymore. It is not my responsibility.
Yet, I do have my projects if you need to see what it was like for me as a Flipside punk person. A simple story that I did in my little bedroom converted into an office. Where I do my art, poetry and writing of all kinds, so be it. It took me 2004 to 2017 to finish the Punk@lullaby project. Just like condensed soup but a condensed punk rock story.
To all my old & new friends of the Big Punk Rock @ beyond.
~ Hudley
Update: I have put my Punkalullaby project into a paperback book for sale on Amazon.
The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing 
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