Bootleg Boston Blur

Since my last post had me putzing around the "Anal" section of my CD case, I decided to revisit this rarity. From a watershed blur band who hates bootlegs, Harmonized Noize doesn't sound too bad, I'm lucky to have gotten it on an actual CD(!) before the glut of iffy mp3's and blogs oversaturated the web. As far as I can tell it's ripped from the soundboard, yeah there's some tape hiss and all but overall it's OK. Track 1 (live in Germany) sounds a bit cleaner than Track 2 (live in Holland) but there's a lot more audience banter taking up time (as well as Seth playing harmonica and doing his best/worst black face impressions). Contradictory info abounds on the actual sources of the material, some argue both shows are in Germany; regardless, both are from 1991 when Anal Cunt was supporting their (awesome) Another E.P. release. They mostly play their classic blur material we all know and love but throw in a few surprises such as the "Riverbottom Nightmare Band" cover from Another E.P. and "Shit Scum" from Seth's other musical(?) project. For the completists out there, Mike Mahan's live banter from Everyone Should Be Killed's "Shut Up Mike" ("we'd, um, like to thank, uh, Satanic Malfunction....") is from the Holland show - kinda cool to hear it unedited. Solid gigs, funny banter, and you gotta laugh at the confused German guy yelling "Scheiße! Scheiße!" throughout the set.

Guy Lombardo

Those crazy Boston kids...

In Seth Putnam's own words... 

"Shit Scum was formed sometime in 1988. They had other names for it before that. Seth first got in contact with Fred when he saw an ad in a record store looking for musicians (I forgot what in particular). Seeing Cryptic Slaughter as the only influence listed, Seth decided to call, because there weren't many people in the Boston area into that band. During the conversation, Seth talked Fred into seeing his band, Satan's Warriors open for Executioner (Seth's last show with Executioner). Fred told him he had a band called Scum. They kept in contact, and when Anal Cunt were going to do their last show (Anal Cunt only formed with the intention of playing one show - this was that show - but Anal Cunt did play in a couple of basements and living rooms before that), Seth told Fred about it. Fred and his pals didn't show up, and Seth wanted Fred to see Anal Cunt. So, a couple days later, they set up a show with Anal Cunt and Fred's band, Shit Scum. This was the first Shit Scum show. It was at a warehouse Fred rented for Shit Scum to practice in, and was filled with old coffins from the previous owner. Since that show did well (on 2 days notice), they decided to have the first ever "Monsters Of Shit" festival, with all of the worst bands from the area. This was where Phlegm did their first show and Satan's Warriors did their last one.

Later in the year, Fred asked Seth to play bass on the first Shit Scum studio recording, "Self Mutilation". So, from then on, Seth was a full time member. They did one show in Pennsylvania in early 1990. Shortly after that, Seth and Fred (without Wayne) went to the prestigious Fort Apache Studios, where tons of famous gay college rock bands had recorded. The engineer hated them, and even tried to talk them into quitting the session and renting a 4-track instead. He was answered with "fuck you, you fag". So after tons of alcohol was consumed, the record was finally done. Fred did the guitar and vocals and Seth did bass, drums and backing vocals. 12 songs were recorded. They left owing the studio money, and the studio kept the master reel.

Shortly after that, Anal Cunt went on tour in Germany and would do Shit Scum covers now and then. The head of Ecocentric Records, Matthias Weigand, loved the cover of the song "Shit Scum", and was interested in hearing Shit Scum. A couple years later, Matthias wanted to release a 7". Seth called the gay studio where they recorded it, and asked about the master reel. The guy said "it's right here, pick it up whenever you want". He didn't know Shit Scum owed at least $200 in studio time. So, Seth rushed over to get the reel right away, before they remembered they owed money. Seth went in and mixed 7 of the songs from the session and sent it to the label. Due to procrastination, Fred never got a cover together for the record so Matthias made one up, and that's how the concept for that cover was born. The record was entitled Manson Is Jesus (named after one of the songs). Fred wanted the record to be called I Wish This Record Could Punch You In The Face and have a fist on the cover. For those who have the Japanese or European cover of Anal Cunt's Everyone Should Be Killed (with a big fist on it), that wasn't a ripoff of Shit Scum, some fag at Earache changed the cover I gave him. I was furious when I saw the cover. By the time the record came out, Shit Scum had broken up, and Fred was playing guitar in Anal Cunt."

What more do you need to know???

Seth And Fred