As a follow-up to the recent Greta Garbage post, I recently
came across the 1977 Radiators from Space press kit (thanks Ryan!) issued in
conjunction with the 45 release of “Enemies”/”Psychotic Reaction.” I did a
double take on the pre-history of the Radiators. Greta Garbage dates from 1973 and the band
was rehearsing numbers by the MC5, Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, as well
as Bowie and Silverhead! Plus originals
like the great “Girl With the Luminous Brain.” Wow. Confirms my take on that single track and makes me want to hear more. A contemporaneous garage band in Dublin
mining the same inspirations as those in Cleveland (RFTT, Mirrors etc) Los
Angeles (Imperial Dogs) and obviously New York among other places. Just confirms that there is likely more proto-punk gold old there to be found and also changes the historical narrative ever so slightly.
I recently discovered a great proto punk track from 1975 Dublin. May I present Greta Garbage and the Trashcans “The Girl With the Luminous Brain.” To me it sounds a bit like the first two Eno solo lps mixed with Neu! ‘75 among other things (plus some submerged Roxy Music/Stones/Dolls creeping in) . With the “beam me up Scotty” (and “Lost in Space”) references placing them in the class of ’75 Star Trek fans alongside Zolar X! Even the opening line “is she really going out with this brain” predates and to me comes maybe a little too close to the start of the Damned’s “New Rose.” Coincidence? Yeah, probably.
Who was Greta Garbage and the Trash Cans? None other than the precursor of the unheralded Radiators from Space with the great Pete Holidai, Steve Averill and Billy Morley (in the photo below). Radiators guitarist Pete Holidai has only posted one Greta Garbage track and we can all thank him for that. For some reason the Radiators from Space TV Tube Heart album is not often discussed in the same hallowed tones as other 1977 punk albums. It is truly a classic and the somewhat recent 2 cd reissue is a must to grab. The Chiswick 45 version from April 1977 of “Television Screen” has always been a favourite (and about twice as fast as the lp version).
What I didn’t quite realise until recently was the Greta Garbage namecheck in the lyrics to “Television Screen”:
So here I am, just watch me now
I’ve got a new band
It’s the victim and the weapon this guitar in my hand
Greta Garbage Trashcans playing hard and fast
Things are looking good at last
Don’t call me blank generation
I’m doin’ the best that I can
I did get to see the late Radiator’s guitarist Philip Chevron when he played with the Joe Strummer led Pogues at the Wiltern in LA back in 1991. Chevron had this to say about the name change to the Radiators in an interview in Punk Globe: “I didn't change it of course, but my guess is that Steve and Pete changed it because it felt a bit Glam Rock by 1975.” I think now is the time for Pete to get the rest of the tracks out. Kickstarter?
So here I am, just watch me now/ I’ve got a new band/
It’s the victim and the weapon this guitar in my hand/
Greta Garbage Trashcans playing hard and fast/
Things are looking good at last/
Don’t call me blank generation
I’m doin’ the best that I can
Read all about Greta Garbage (and the even earlier Bent Fairy and the Punks) as well as how U2 fits into all of this here.
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