Poison Idea

Bow to them

There is no escaping the fact that Poison Idea were big. Not in commercial terms, obviously, but in life, death, music and influence they were truly massive. Formed in Portland, Oregon in 1980 by frontman Jerry A the band seemed to get progessively more dangerous as they went along, almost deliberately pushing a lifestyle to its ultimate limits just to see what would break it. In a game of 'let's see who's the more punk' Jerry A once pointed a loaded gun at Dwarves singer Blag Dahlia and when guitarist Pig Champion died aged 47 this year it was a great loss of talent, but no great suprise.
But while Jerry A frequently breathed fire or sliced his head open onstage with broken glass, he also wrote lyrics that could rival Charles Buckowski in their beautiful ugliness, stark realism and savage honesty. And despite their seeming indolence and over-the-top drink/drug consumption Poison Idea were phenomenal musicians, capable of playing faster and tighter than any of their peers even when they couldn't stand up.
Their fans include Nirvana, Amen, Pearl Jam, Pantera, Machine Head, Turbonegro...and you if you've got any sense.

*This was an article in Kerrang! magazine a few years ago.

And now back to me. I first heard Poison Idea with the 'We Must Burn' and was intantly blown away. Their music is beautiful like a hot woman wearing nothing but hot pants and heels punching you in the face. Such a shame that a lot of our younger Metalheads have never even heard of this band, I think its criminal. Way way waaaay underrated. The albums 'Feel The Darkness' and 'Blank Blackout Vacant' are the most talked about but I love all their stuff. Its how (I believe) the Sex Pistols should have been.Punk might have been born in Britain, but the Americans did some fine tweakings to the genre and Poison Idea were at the front.

Check 'em out here.





Rest In Peace Pig!