Comments on: Heart Test

By: Rob K

Rob K — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:37:27 +0000

You guys finally got it fairly close to right. Half Jap and the Chumps were contemporaries. We got Jad and Dave their first DC gig (DC Space) and after the Chumps split up when I split DC in 80 or so, Rick, John and Lana Dreyfuss joined Jad and David to become the core of the “Big Band”. That later included Mark Jickling. I moved eventually to NYC and started the Workdogs. We were a rhythm section that added a third member for shows. In that capacity quite a few DC notables sat in with the ‘Dogs. Around 85-86 the Workdogs were employed by Half Jap (and Velvet Monkeys as well) as a rhythm section. We recorded Music To Strip By and The Band Who Would Be King with Jad and toured the US with Half Jap and the VMs. Also participated in some of the Moe Tucker stuff that was going on at that time. For further details go to workdogs.net
aloha
RobK

By: melissa

melissa — Fri, 05 May 2006 05:27:14 +0000

what’s bogue is that i saw jad fair in march and he was wearing crocs. what’s up with that?

ps—i was in a band was mark jickling’s son. like, totally full circle man.

By: montestewart

montestewart — Thu, 04 May 2006 23:42:28 +0000

Yeah, it’s all coming together now—Rob Kennedy of the Chumps, 1/2 Jap, Workdogs, and member of the Kennedy dynasty. And then there’s those Dreyfus brothers who joined the Fairs—2 sets of brothers in one band. Truly bogue.

By: melissa

melissa — Thu, 04 May 2006 21:47:38 +0000

ever inspired by jad fair, also known as the man i’d like to marry, i’ve tried my darnedest to introduce the word “bogue” into the vernacular of those around me. it’s slow going, but i’ll continue to fight the good fight for my man jad.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 04 May 2006 18:16:20 +0000

That must have been Rob Kennedy of the Workdogs then.

By: montestewart

montestewart — Thu, 04 May 2006 18:07:17 +0000

I think it was somebody named Kennedy (can’t remember if that was first, last or only name) on bass and vocals in the Chumps I saw in ‘78, and he was later in Half Jap and occasionally did shows as the Chumps with whoever he rounded up. He seemed like an interesting man. Lost touch with him, but I’ll bet Les has early Chumps stuff.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 03 May 2006 23:14:30 +0000

Monte – I think you’re right about the Chumps predating the 1/2 Jap big band. I could never find a copy of that 7” with “Air Conditioner” on it that I liked so much. Was Mark Jickling in that band? Or the horn player? Unfortunately, there are about 50 skidillion bands named The Chumps in this known universe of ours, so my research has failed again.

By: montestewart

montestewart — Wed, 03 May 2006 16:14:59 +0000

I like early 1/2 Japanese better (think Les Doerfler or Tony Flagg exposed me to them) because it was superficially unlistenable tat and me work. Same live.

Later shows a little lighter and cuter. Was disappointed when we opened for them and they failed to grasp our need to keep their crap off our rug.

I thought Chumps were separate band that merged with and separated from 1/2 Jap. Heard Chumps “Jet Lag Drag” in 1978, didn’t know about non-psychic 1/2 Jap connection yet.