10-19-09 Frankfurt Germany: 1806 hrs. I am at the airport, waiting for a flight to Amman Jordan. It’s amazing how many people can fit in a plane. On the flight here from LAX, I was sitting in #37C. We were packed in there. The camaraderie, the proximity, ah, some of the many joys of traveling. Tourist season is down and the airport isn’t too crowded. In the summer time, this place is too full of people to deal with, like London. Heathrow.
A few days ago, I got an e-mail from Ian MacKaye, informing me that Brendan Mullen had died. Brendan was a cornerstone in the early Los Angeles Punk Rock scene. It was Brendan and people like him who helped the scene last further than a summer or two. He had a venue off Hollywood Blvd. called The Masque. It was a ground zero for many bands and fans. If you want to check out his book on the whole thing, It’s called Nightmare In Punk Alley, if you get the chance, the book is worth checking out. I had a radio show planned for last Saturday but after I got Ian’s letter and checked out the obituary and knew I had to start again and do part of the show in memory of Brendan Mullen. When it comes to the early Punk scene in LA, you can’t talk about it without acknowledging Brendan Mullen. So, I put together a play list of bands that he knew, worked with, etc. It was good, not the funnest reason to put songs together for play but a good set nonetheless. Brendan was always cool to me and endured my many questions about this days. He had a great memory. He was only sixty when he died. I don’t know the cause of his death but sixty is too young. He will be missed. I wanted to go to the memorial service but I had to get to the airport and couldn’t make the time work.
Here’s the address for Nightmare on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Live-Masque-Nightmare-Punk-Alley/dp/1584232900/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255500852&sr=1-1
Here’s an obit for Brendan.
http://www.spinner.com/2009/10/13/l-a-punk-pioneer-and-author-brendan-mullen-dies-at-60/
I am about a day away from my final destination. I will fill you in next week as to where I will hopefully be ending up after the layover in Amman. I will believe it when I clear customs, until then, I have my doubts. The visa was one of the more difficult ones to procure. Heidi was in charge of putting the finishing touches on all that and by the end of it, she was very frustrated. Since I am out of the office, her heart rate will steady and she will calm down some, I tend to agitate her for some reason.
The last few days have been just taking care of matters at the office and making sure I have all I need for out here. I have never brought this much food with me on any trip. I will be in some places where I don’t want to have to rely on the local fare, it’s not worth being sidelined over something like a bad meal. I have learned my lessons all over the world on that front.
Next week, I should be writing you from a fairly interesting location, that is if I get there. Until then, thanks for reading this. Henry