Cheetah Chrome

1977 was a special year. It was the year that punk was truly born and simultaneously took over the UK and USA. Bands including The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned shaped the UK punk scene. Over in America the Ramones were the pioneers of the punk movement.

Stiv Bators, Johnny Blitz, Jeff Magnum and Cheetah Chrome formed Dead Boys in 1975. Joey Ramone saw them perform in Ohio, convinced them to move to New York and helped them get on stage at the legendary CBGB club.

Before long this unknown band from Ohio gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances, lewd behaviour and soon became known as one of the most violent live acts in America.

In 1977 they released their debut album – Young, Loud and Snotty. The Track “Sonic Reducer” is regarded as one of the classics of punk genre and it often referred to as one of punk’s greatest anthems.

There second album, released in 1979 – We Have Come For Children – was met with mixed reviews. Sire Records pressured the group to change their look and become more mainstream, which lead to the band breaking up in 1979.

Bator and Chrome both had successful careers after the break-up of the band and the Dead Boys reformed for several gigs until Stiv Bators death in 1990. in 2017 “Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40” was released - a re-recording of the original album and the first studio album by the band in 39 years. Since then the band have toured and performed with various line ups. The current band members – Cheetah Chrome, Mark Thron, Monk Burris, Sam Hariss and Scott Churilla are keeping the legacy alive and filling music rooms worldwide.

They released an archive album “Live in San Francisco” in 2024 and have a new album in the works for 2025.

The band recently played at 16 Toneladas, Valenica as part of their current European tour. Having previously hosted bands including The Ramones and The Undertones, it was the perfect music room for the Dead Boys to perform in. The club was sold out and a packed room eagerly awaited for the band to appear on stage – when they did the crowd erupted! Even a fifteen minute delay (due to a blown amp) did not dampen the mood.

Launching straight into “Sonic Reducer” the band took control of the stage. New vocalist Mark Thorn (previously of  “Neon Animal”) energetically tore through the Bands most famous songs, Cheetah Chrome snarling and smiling at his side with Sam Hariss on bass throwing himself around in true punk style.

I hung out with Cheetah Chrome after the concert, this is what he had to say:

Welcome to Valencia, it’s the fourth day of the tour – how is it going so far?

Yeah, you know, it’s good – up and down – we didn’t have a whole lot of rehearsal time, we are all tired and jetlagged still but it’s going good.  we are all getting older – I am 70 now!

Tonight, you had a little problem with the guitar amp on stage and it held things up a little, you guys held it together and got things sorted. Has there been any other dramas so far on the tour?

Well, its day four and we want to beat the shit out of each other! Seriously though it’s all going well, we get along ok, and the gigs have been good so far. Yeah, the amp, shit happens - but it got sorted and we kept the crowd amused whilst it was changed!

How does it feel to still be touring after 49 years?

It fucking hurts! I’ve got old man problems, I broke my back last year, I broke my pelvis 2 years ago. It’s time to stop fucking breaking things! Touring is one of the few things I still enjoy, it’s important to me.

So many bands have sold out and when they tour you can see they are just playing for the money. With you guys it’s obvious the passion and desire is still there.

Yeah man, it’s what we fucking do, we are the real deal. We do it for the fans and because we love it!

1977 was the halcyon years for punk, how do you compare the scene now to back then?

All the bands from that era were cool. Now days it’s not even fucking close. It’s all bullshit corporate bands who look very well fed. Punk now is more of fashion. For example, in 1996 I moved to Nashville and remember trying to find a pair of black jeans to buy – I couldn’t find a pair anywhere and ended up having to go to New Year to buy some.  Today you try and fucking blue jeans!!!!

You know, back then it was a bigger movement than the 60’s. 60’s music hasn’t lasted 60 years, but punk has. Punk was the biggest cultural revolution of the 20th Century.  Look at the Uk bands, the USA bands – The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash, Dead Boys, Damned – it was fucking big.

I am quite closed musically, because a lot of bands fucking suck – but I look back now at bands I hated in 1975, 1976 with their synthesizers and now I am like – yeah, those guys were cool.

What is punk to you?

Its what’s in your heart, it’s an energy, its political, it’s taking your dream and making it happen and having the balls to do that. It’s about a way of life and I am still fucking broke because of it!

It’s hard to believe next year is 50 years of the Dead Boys – what’s next?

Yeah, its fucking impossible to get your head around that! I don’t know, you know we recently changed vocalist, so we have been working around that. We will keep playing and touring and doing our thing. I see no reason to quit until it stops being fun. Tonight was fun, I live for that.

If you could go back to 1976 and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be?

Be a fucking lawyer and make good money man!

Interview & photo: Rhyan Paul

This article originally appeared in the Spanish publication: RockBottom Magazine