BLOOD DRIVE SOUP
Redd Kross has got to have one of the most spectacular stage shows in the history of rock ’n’ roll. It’s not the dizzying glitter and paisley outfits these four guys wrap themselves in as they rumble across small L.A. stages. And they certainly haven’t resorted to such tired gimmicks as light shows and flash pots.
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BLOOD DRIVE SOUP
Redd Kross has got to have one of the most spectacular stage shows in the history of rock ’n’ roll. It’s not the dizzying glitter and paisley outfits these four guys wrap themselves in as they rumble across small L.A. stages. And they certainly haven’t resorted to such tired gimmicks as light shows and flash pots. What it is, you see, is their hair.
The disturbingly psychedelic cover of Redd Kross’s new album, Neurotica, gives a static glimpse of this most prominent stage prop. But the boys’ concerns at the moment, as they sit calmly drinking Classic Coke in the Hollywood offices of RCA, is in selling the thing. After all, the McDonald brothers have been mainstays of the Hollywood rock scene for almost eight years now, so it’s about time they started getting some recognition.
“It’s really weird,” says Jeff, the band’s oldest member at 23. "Thank God we started so young, otherwise we’d be severly depressed.”
Redd Kross began as a punk outfit when Steve was just 12. They released an independent single that same year and were quickly absorbed into the local club scene. But it wasn’t until around 1981 that their deepest, most heartfelt influences of psychedelia, hard rock and most importantly, the sounds of the Partridge Family and Josie & The Pussycats, began to come out. Jeff calls the sound of Neurotica, their first record distributed by a major label, a concoction of “mixed nuts.” Yet the oddly humorous slant of the record has caused even more confusion, particularly with such lyrics as "Don’t touch my arpeggio, and while you’re at it, get off my planet.” And more troubling could be the suspiciously light-headed near-camp of guitarist Robert Hecker’s lilting George Harrison-like "Love Is You.”
Explains drummer Roy McDonald: “The album’s got a sense of humor, but it’s not a comedy album.”
That sense of humor has long been a major part of Redd Kross’ makeup, especially during their energetic stage show. To supplement their hair and paisley, each band member has considered adopting an obnoxious personality. Sort of like having four David Lee Roths in one group.
Steve explains excitedly, “We all decided that Jeff’s going to be Jim Dandy, I’m going to be Vince Neil, Robert’s going to be Paul Stanley—”
“I’ll be Sammy Hagar,” adds Roy.
“We’re all going to be this obnoxious, like: I’m gonna tell ya somethin’. I was just backstage and I was talkin’ to this man—”
Jeff groans. “What a nightmare.”
Steve Appleford
