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BY CURT WEISS aking their initial splash in McLaren, who had managed the Dolls M 1972, drugs, bad business at the time of their split. The goal was deals and internal fighting to spread punk beyond London to the caused the New York Dolls outer regions of the U.K. This tour, to implode in 1975. Since then they which besides the Pistols, also fea- have been name checked as influenc- tured the Clash and the Damned, was ing Kiss, Aerosmith, Poison, so controversial that of the nineteen Morrisey, Guns and Roses and the shows booked only three were Punks of 1976 as well as 2006. Now, allowed to go on, as local town coun- over thirty years past their initial cils were terrified that Punk would breakup, a successful reunion of two subvert their children. When they did surviving members and documen- get to perform, the other bands taries of two deceased members have gawked from the side of the stage in left Jerry Nolan, their drummer who amazement at the simple awe inspir- passed away in 1992, unjustly over- ing power of the Heartbreakers driven looked. His sixtieth birthday would by Jerry’s commanding drumming. have been May 7, 2006 making this Like his first student, boyhood friend an opportune time to re-examine his and Kiss drummer Peter Criss, all of influence and contributions. these bands improved after watching think that the Dolls or the band he Jerry. Unfortunately for Jerry, they all At a time when the accepted great started with fellow ex-Doll Johnny had more success as well. drummers were named Cobham and Thunders, the Heartbreakers, were sub- Bonham, more was thought to be better. tle. However, on closer listen, Jerry With guitarist Walter Lure, he co-wrote More speed, more drums and more added masterful touches to their music: songs like “All by Myself”, “Get Off the complexity. Jerry took another approach Going back and forth from the tom to Phone”, “Let Go”, and “One Track that harkened back to 1950’s and 60’s the ride cymbal in “Trash”; the little Mind”. These songs were cutting edge R&B, Pop, and Rock & Roll. Jerry extra note on the snare drum at the end Punk in 1977 and brought to mind all demonstrated that less was more. To of every verse line in “All By Myself”; that was great about Rock & Roll from him, it was about the song, the band, riding the floor tom in “Looking For a Chuck Berry to Girl Groups to the and creating three minutes of fun and Kiss”; the snare drum rolls during the Stooges. They’re also every bit as fright- rebellion. His style forecasted what was riff in “Baby Talk”, hitting and closing ening to parents as Black Flag, Nirvana, to come for both Punk and its children the hi-hat while still playing the ride in or whatever kids enjoy terrifying par- (New Wave) and still stands up today: “Bad Girl”, or the sheer power of the ents with nowadays. Short, sharp, loud, and to the point. double time section at the end of “Pirate Love”. This was not stuff you learned in Never one to rely solely on the sound, Jerry had wonderful teachers: the radio a music book. You learned it by listen- Jerry’s appearance was as stylish as any and records. He was a fan of Jazz legend ing to and loving the music. As Jerry Rocker. Jeans and a t-shirt would never Gene Krupa, instrumental hit maker unabashedly said, “ I know my Rock & do for him. His love of clothing was an Sandy Nelson, and rockabilly legend Roll”. outgrowth of the early 1960’s street Johnny Burnette and his Rock & Roll gangs of New York who were too busy trio. To Jerry it wasn’t about technique, In 1976, the Heartbreakers were asked profiling to get into fights and ruin the it was about feeling the music while to join the “Anarchy” tour of England creases of their pants. He could sew and adding your own spice to it. Few would by Sex Pistols manager Malcolm design clothing. He would describe in CLASSIC DRUMMER 53 detail how his collar, shoes, lapels, cuffs, had just been discovered. It was old and or buttons should be. His remembrances new at the same time. Jerry was the of seeing Elvis in the 1950’s centered on lynchpin. Every time his head swayed the King’s wardrobe just as much as the back and forth or his right hand came music. Jerry’s two tom, pink, lefty drum down on the snare drum I can only kit was shocking in 1973 and was his describe it as feeling as if I was seeing signature. Friends told of how he would the real thing, not a wannabe. say that when his next band got a record deal he’d buy, “Anew pink drum kit and This is how I choose to remember Jerry, a new pair of kicks”. with perfect hair and a pinky ring, driv- ing a band towards Rock & Roll bliss So Jerry had style and substance. But behind his pink drum kit, not as the 110 there was another substance. The lb. junkie, with tubes running through Heartbreakers were shameless junkies. him on his death bed at the age of forty- Misery loves company and, as junkies six after falling ill with bacterial can be quite miserable, he helped spread meningitis and a stroke. heroin to young punks used to speed and beer. When Nancy Spungeon met In the Dolls wonderful version of Archie Sid Vicious, she was actually looking for Bell and the Drells’ “Showdown”, it all Jerry. ‘Nuff said. When confronted by comes together: The Jerry of Brooklyn fellow band mates about his heroin use, gangs providing the beat to the big he would often say “Who made you dance off. Before singer David Johansen judge and jury”? Inevitably, he would can “Do (his) jive”, he calls to Jerry, have to leave bands as getting him to “Gimme one Jerry”. Ahh… to just have methadone clinics or the local dealer just one more. didn’t fit into any upwardly mobile band’s tour itinerary. No band Jerry played with was ever as good once he left. Not the Dolls, the Heartbreakers, or lesser knowns like the Rockats, who caused a sensation in New York in 1980. Based on their reputation, they got a million dollar record deal from Island Records the first gig after Jerry’s depar- ture. Once Jerry left though they were never as good and soon faded into obscu- rity, seen only as Stray Cats rip-offs. Few realized they had beaten them to the punch by three years. Such was the effect of Jerry Nolan. I saw Jerry play with the Rockats many times that year and the images are indelibly etched in my memory. A crowd filled with old Dolls & Heartbreakers fans, newer “Teddy Boys” and well- coifed men and women dancing like Rock & Roll 54 CLASSIC DRUMMER .