If you’re one of the few who have noticed Degenerate Press’ broadcasts have been few and far between lately, and you’re one of the even fewer people that has read the e-book Vegas Apocalypse: After the Crash, you’ll have an inkling of why things have been so quiet. We’ve been busy working on scripts, talking to lawyers, and reading indecipherable contracts. After a brief road trip to Universal Studios in Orlando last week, not as a tourist but as a straight-up business person complete with a suit and tie, I can legally say SyFy has agreed to shoot a pilot for a possible new series based on the book. I expect the next few months I’ll be arguing over plot points both major and minor, looking at photos of potential actresses and actors for the leads, and praying that things continue to go as well as they have this winter.
Which means Degenerate Press can be put down like the tired old dog it is. Though I have absolutely no sense of time, it’s not hard for me to believe I started the Degenerate Press brand 20 years ago this summer. I didn’t expect things to last beyond the first episode of Degeneration Excerpt, the paper publication that started the whole mess, but people actually asked for more. However, the last 10 years or so, getting people to pay attention got harder and harder, so I shifted my efforts to books, games, and now screenplays.
If you’re interested, my partners and I will be posting (or ‘promoting’ more accurately) the latest developments on Pangenre’s efforts via Facebook and our web site.
So this will be the last Degenerate Press post. Yes, I wanted to post reviews of our post-Orland trip to St. Augustine, a few music reviews of shows I’ve seen of late, maybe rally people for the drive in this week, etc. but I have a busy week ahead of me training the new guy at the office so I can walk out of the cube village (hopefully permanently) and ‘retire’ to a life of working my ass off.
What do two decades of decadence get you? Some fantastic, albeit often blurry, memories. My favorites? In no particular order:
- Every damn Drive Invasion. Thank you to everyone that kept that party rolling. Dammit, I wish Scott was still around to see it.
- The Halloween show at the Star Bar where Drive By Truckers opened for Truckadelic dressed as Truckadelic, and Truckadelic dressed in drag. Hilarious and disturbing and wonderful.
- Greasepaint. Fuckin’ A.
- Any and every Immortal Lee County Killers show. Dammit, Chet, let me know with advance notice next time your new band plays Nashville and I’ll be there.
- There were a few Woggles shows with the Hate Bombs where the energy could’ve powered a first world nation of moderate size.
- Doll Squad and Dong Squad.
- Tuesday nights at Dottie’s when Steve Heflin booked the joint, followed by Tuesday nights at the Star Bar when Romeo Cologne DJ’ed.
- Judi Chicago and Noot d’Noot back to back will wreck your back if you’re an old man who loves the funkier end of the stick.
- Rock*A*Teens, Smoke, Hope for a Golden Summer.
- Kingsized doing Elvis at the Star Bar, then cranking everything up to 11 twice a year at Variety.
- Something/Super X-13/Gargantua/Spookshow at the Plaza – Shane, you are the man.
Christ. I’m getting tears in my eyes trying to name drop all the good ones. Too many. If I could do it all over again, I’d just go to MORE shows. Fuck the debt, fuck my liver, fuck the mornings after. Atlanta has a phenomenal music scene, people. Get out there and support it.
Frederick
