kusworth

Wonderland Avenue Slumlords Kusworth, Twist: Tenderhooks By Pepsi Sheen. Intro by Michael Rank. _____________________________________________________________________________________
The liquor of rock and roll is as the sacred pilgrim. And those who go to depth wear both the mark and the crown. Dave Kusworth's hands are found painted with the sigils of the path. For over two decades his gifts of Jacobites, Bounty Hunters, and Tenderhooks have been laid to ceremony beneath black soil, like a dog's tooth. A rattle and a bone. From behind the 'burning autumn roads', named and numbered as the 'Shame For The Angels EP', to all the guitar lines sent to us like some remnant from Bowie's ground control decay, we have been blessed by both presence and commandment. So now, along with Dave Twist to accomplice all crimes (witness the NY Doll machine gun snare taking root on 'Citizen'), we give to you one of our highest priest's, Mister Dave Kusworth. A dog's tooth. -MR _____________________________________________________________________________________
I: Kusworth. PEPSI SHEEN: Describe each of your bandmates personality wise, as well and their sound and background. DAVE KUSWORTH: Twisty- I've known forever, he's the one into the same kinda humor as me. Always loved Frankie Howard, the Carry On films, etc. Was into the Stones, Dolls, Stooges stuff when we were 17, in our first band, TV Eye. Glenn- I met as a Dogs D'amour fan, he's always kinda been into being the musical director of the band, the Paul McCartney, since the Bounty Hunters days. We always tended to drift when he wasn't around (had alot of fun, though!). Yeah, he's the straight guy, but I guess you need that sometimes. Justin- The new boy. A great guitarist, though. He's more fun, got the enthusiasm, good to hear what he comes up with on the next album!	TV EYE, 1977
PEPSI SHEEN: Your album credits list Andy Taylor as the engineer- is that the Duran guy? DAVE KUSWORTH: No! None of them talked to us after they became famous, having ripped off various TV Eye songs off! PEPSI SHEEN: What inspired the album title? *(Kusworth's band, Tenderhooks, has just rleeased a new album called "Wonderland Avenue" - Sleaze)* DAVE KUSWORTH: The Danny Sugarman book, which a good friend of mine, Peice Thompson, got me into around '92, (he was in Turkey Bones and the Wild Dogs, also a band called The Fuck Pigs, with Razzle, before Hanoi). He said it was the best book ever written about R'n'R, he was right. The songs are about my life, around then. The title tracks about horrible things that happened on the scene then centered around R'n'R. Drugs, prostitution, drink, and an unfortunate girl called Jodie (who's dead now because of this) who went out with a guy called Spanish Richie. Twisty wrote the words. PEPSI SHEEN: Danny Sugarman or Nick Kent? Dave Kusworth: Danny Sugarman. Nick Kent's one of my favourite journalists (from old NME stuff when I was about 12) but I don't know the 'Wonderland Avenue' connection.
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Kusworth (left) with Dogs D'Amour	PS: You've always been astoundingly prolific, how do you afford to record so steadily, who foots the studio bills? DK: We get by. Anyone out there want to pay for the next one? PS: Will the Tenderhooks ever tour the states? DK: Hopefully around this August. With Nikki Sudden and the Last Bandits, and a Jacobites set. PS: What are your favorite memories of your stint in the Dogs D'Amour? What's your relationship with Tyla like?
DK: Can't remember alot of it. Always got on with Tyla (the Gutter Twins). Hope to see him in Spain soon. PS: Do you have any children? DK: Yeah, Stevie Keith, from my marriage, he's cool, love him to bits. PS: How would you rate Nikki's albums backed by the Chamber Strings and REM? DK: He always knocks out a good tune. I prefer the Jacobites stuff, though. I guess I'm biased! PS: What can you tell me about Hayley Avron? DK: Haven't seen her for a few years. A cool little chick. Writes some good songs. Check out her album (Monochrome) on Wagging Dog. PS: What's an average day in the life of DK like? DK: Complicated, if I let it be. PS: What are your favorite Jacobites albums and why? Proudest musical achievements to date? DK: Rosepierre's Velvet Basement, the sound came together, don't know how, but there was a bit of magic. God Save Us Poor Sinners, to me it really sounds like an album should do. It gets something with that line-up. I iked the Epic songs, hope he does, God bless. Proudest musical achievements? Album: *Threads. Songwriting:* *Wives, Weddings. And, of course, the new album. PS:* Who's the young lad in the English Disco publicity photos? DK: It's a girl! Twisty's daughter, Poppy Twist. _______________________________________________________________________________________
PS: Do you like the Only Ones? Ever meet Peter Perret? DK: Yeah, I used to see them when no one liked them. Yeah, I've met him a couple of times. Don't know if he remembers me, though. PS: When all the English rock bands were gettin' notice on the coat tails of Guns N Roses, why weren't the Bounty Hunters recognized more widely? DK: Dunno. Guess we weren't so blatantly trying to sound like someone else. PS: What contemporary artists/bands do you actually listen to for pleasure? DK: Loretta. (Lynn? Or THIS Loretta? - The Curious Mr Sleaze)	Bounty Hunters
PS: What do you make of Rod The Mod's Tony Bennett impersonations? DK: It's up to him. Wish he'd made that album with Ronnie Wood, though. PS: Any comments on NY DOLLS REUNION conceived by Morrisey? Did you ever hear either of David Jo's blues albums, or like his solo stuff from the 70's? DK: Frenchette one of my favourite songs. Twisty saw the blues stuff, said it was great live. Morrisey's got his heart there, so what's wrong with being a fan? PS: What can you tell me about Gunfire Dance? DK: From Birmingham. The drummer and the bass player did something with Brian James. Don't see 'em about much, these days. PS: Do you like anything by the Waterboys? DK: Yeah, always liked their stuff. Mike Scott played piano on the first Rag Doll's session in '83, my band, at the time. _______________________________________________________________________________________
PS: Did Ray Zell ever write about you guys in Kerrang? DK: No. Used to see him about though. Marionette/ Rag Dolls/Nikki Sudden did a gig once at the 100 Club. PS: What's your relationship with Darrel Bath like? What are your fave DB-related works? DK: A great guy! And one of the best guitarists I know. He plays on some of tracks on 'Wonderland Avenue'. Like his solo stuff more. 'Love Hurts' is a great album. PS: What do you think of Hanoi Rocks? Do you like the Suicide Twins album? DK: Good live. Never thought much of the albums. Thought Suicide Twins tried to make an album like the Jacobites. Ha! Ha! PS: Do any of you guys have dayjobs? How do you pay bills? DK: Some. I'm lucky. Bills? What are they? PS: What do you know about Nina Antonia? DK: Know her well. Writes cool stuff. Lovely girl.	Kusworth and Darrel Bath (Crybabys)
PS: Worst All-time "GIG FROM HELL"? DK: Dogs, Finland. Only know what people told me afterwards. Fell unconscious on stage, but still woke up with a girl in my bed. The bass player was furious, said Tyla would kill me, but he laughed his fucking head off. PS: Dave, I think your cover of "Child Of The Moon" was the best Stones cover I've ever heard. What Stones songs have you liked from the past 20 years? Did you hear "Losing My Touch"? DK: Yeah! Good! Listened to the new 4 tracks on the 40 Licks album and thought, why didn't they make a new album? PS: Describe the social climate where you live. Is it expensive? Does anybody give you any guff about your appearance? Do you go to bars? Is it conservative? What do you do for fun? DK: Alright in Somerest, my country retreat. Actually, it's quite strange, people these days seem to accept your appearance. Never really been into hanging around in bars. I like to listen to what I like, see what I want to see, rant to who I want to rant to. _____________________________________________________________________________________
II: Tenderhooks' drummer, Dave Twist
	PEPSI SHEEN: When did you first become familiar with Dave Kusworth and or his music? DAVE TWIST: My first band - Shock Treatment...so I guess the influence is pretty clear...played their debut gig at Rebecca's club in Birmingham in late '77....we couldn't play a note...the guitarist (John Taylor - later of Duran Duran) simply made a 'bar' across all the strings with with his left hand and strummed till he, literally, bled. Gareth, our bass player, stood with his back to the crowd, Stu Sutcliffe style, to hide his lack of ability. My lack of ability as a rather camp 17 year old Johnny Rotten wannabe was all too apparent. We left the stage to stunned silence.
We were followed by a band - TV Eye .....just as young, also playing their first gig, but looking far more streetwise - they were from Mosely Village/ Balsall Heath, rather than our middle class suburb of Hollywood - when they hit into their first number our hearts sank - they could play, they had fantastic songs, and they moved great. I was especially sold on the skinny teenage Keith lookalike on chainsaw fuzztone guitar - Dave of Course - right there and then I decided I had to get in this band...and their drummer didn't seem to be part of the gang so...well, I got hold of a pure white Premier kit from a fire damaged goods sale - and within 6 months I was in. PS: What can you tell me about Terry Miles and Andy Taylor? DT: Terry Miles is a fabulous guy who can play anything on the Keys from one playback to first take perfection, he has fantastic taste and always instinctively plays just what we want...even if we didn't know quite what we wanted yet. He comes from a remarkable music family - his father plays accordion on our album, too.....he's the cousin of Martin Duffy of Primal Scream. Andy Taylor is not 'the' Andy Taylor, despite the shameful connection mentioned above. Very good engineer though.... PS: Describe each of the other guys in the band... DT: Glenn - perfectionist, moody Justin - free spirit, moody Dave K. - incorrigible, loyal, moody Me - diplomatic, loud, moody. PS: Fave Nikki Sudden anecdote? DT: The one where....oh lord I don't know, none that won't get me into trouble.
PS: Know anything about Chrissie Hynde? DT: Our friend Nina is helping Chrissie (co- write) her autobiography at the moment. Has been for a while...bit of an on-going thing. Saw the Pretenders very early on, circa the first single, at Barbarella's club in Birmingham. She was wearing a jockey's outfit complete with hard hat n' riding boots. They were cool... PS: What do you do for a living, and will you ever tour the states? DT: I teach art to teenagers, and "Yes!" Maybe even this Summer, if the agency pulls it off... hope so! PS: Do you play in any other bands?
DT: No ...always hated slags that play around...I'm a one band kinda guy, plus there's no-one else alive n' working - save maybe Perret...n' he ain't asking... in Dave's league, so why would I want second best? I loved the Only Ones from the off...saw one of their first gigs outside the capital - Rebbecca's again. They were supported by Patti Palladin and Judy Nylon's Snatch. Perret lost it with the small apathetic Birmingham audience..... who were maybe fazed by the obvious maturity and eccentric dress sense of his band...and began to smash up his strat on, and off, the stage. They were fantastic. I followed them around for a while after that...I had an older friend who kinda knew Mike Kellie from way back, so I found my way, starstruck, into a few dressing rooms...Peter was always a delightful host... John Perry, rather less so.. although I now understand that a gushing stream of teenage questions is not really what one requires just prior to taking the stand... PS: What are you currently listening to for pleasure? DT: A Kim Fowley anthology, A great compilation of an L.A band from 75/76 called the Quick on Joe Fosters Label........... Still, and always, the Ramones, who I seem to find endlessly fascinating, and, as I'm trying to teach myself Double Bass Drum technique after all these years - lots of The Who. On a more contemporary level Luke Haines is a clever guy, and the Starspangles make me smile.
	PS: All time worst gig? DT: So many - usually substance related - an 'out of it' drummer is never good for overall band performance - amazing how many years passed before that simple truth hit home... PS: What do you make of the "war on terror"? DT: America's ( and, for some inexplicable reason, Britain's) all time worst gig. PS: Favorite Bob Dylan songs? DT: Motorpsycho Nightmare - (Another side of...) & all of 'Desire' - it's the first one I bought when it came out - that always seems to be important for me and Dave - we were talkin' about this the other day as we sped across Germany - I guess that's why we still hold Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll & Black 'n' Blue way above the critics.... PS: Favorite unknown, unsung rocknroll heroes? DT: The Quick, Milk 'n' Cookies - they were on Island - '76 - kind of the missing link between the Bay City Rollers and The Ramones - does it get any better than that? I dont think so.I doubt this is available on CD - I've never seen it. In a way, I kind of hope it never re-emerges - 'cos this way, they're mine!
-FIN-
ORDER ALL THE TENDERHOOKS STUFF!!! www.davekusworth.com or from WAGGING DOG UK _____________________________________________________________________________________ -Pepsi Sheen Sleaze Home (Photos courtesy Dave Kusworth)
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