Lux Interior: 1948-2009

“I loved The Cramps. I was into them right from the beginning. They had such great style and they were funny as well. They knew there was loads going on and they took it to the extreme. Taking it to the extreme is always important.”  Steve Severin, bass player, Siouxsie and the Banshees.

The news that legendary front man of The Cramps, Lux Interior had finally got to meet his maker will come as an ironic surprise to the legion of fans who had always worshiped him as a member of the undead. Like Vicious, Morrison or Cobain, here was a man who was clearly not supposed to be long for this world and yet unlike so many fakers before and since, Lux survived, prospered and left a ton of sleazily wonderful tunes to boot. Respect is undoubtedly due.
Born Erick Lee Purkisher some time about 60 years ago (fittingly I’ve yet to read one biog that agrees on his real birth date), Lux formed The Cramps in 1975 with his adoring other half, Poison Ivy. A burlesque stripper, Ivy not only funded the band’s early career with her extra curricular activities but with a combination of leopard skin tights and tombstone stare lent the band an image that was to ensure both notoriety and the affections of many a confused teenage boy.

Throwing themselves into the legendary New York scene centred on CBGB’s, The Cramps crawled out of this incestuous mire like the Swamp Thing from one of their beloved B-movies. Trashy, sleazy and downright scary their rabid take on degenerate ‘50s rock n roll was an instant hit, providing audiences with a dirty hit of rhythm and blues when other bands were either happy to ape MC5 cast offs or descend into heroine chic clichés.

Their vinyl debut came in 1978 with the first of many obscure covers, The Way I Walk, but it was their B side take on The Trashman’s Surfin’ Bird which defined their love of garage punk and simple kicks. The classic Human Fly followed with it’s brilliant surf twang and Lux’s terrifying animal noises creating a bona fide classic that was to populate every goth punk disco in the land for years to come.
Miles Copeland’s IRS label soon came calling and perhaps fittingly The Cramps were sent off to their spiritual home in Sun Studios, Memphis with legendary producer and ex Big Star man Alex Chilton. 1980’s Songs The Lord Taught Us followed containing such ugly gems as Garbageman, I Was A Teenage Werewolf and Strychnine. Lux himself was becoming a legend especially in the live arena where the sight of his leather thong, high heels and Iggy-esque self harming caused primeval delight for a generation of punk fans looking for the true spirit of degeneracy.

Remarkably given the sheer squalor and dark humour contained, The Cramps grew to become icons, virtually inventing the term psychobilly along the way. Their classic compilation Off The Bone became an essential part of any young punk’s collection and looking at my copy today with it’s 3D cover (the free glasses long since lost) I can’t help but thank them for introducing me to so many killer tunes from rock n roll’s past.  Long forgotten heroes like Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee and Ricky Nelson were icons to Lux and he treated their Devil’s Music as an excuse to journey into the dark stuff of early rock n roll. The stuff that was too often forgotten after Elvis joined the army. It comes as little surprise to learn that one particularly ardent fan was serial killer John Wayne Gacy who sent Lux paintings from Death Row.

Never mainstream, Lux nevertheless left an indelible stain on pop culture. Listen to The White Stripes ‘ take on feral blues or the Von Bondies’ aping of raw rock n roll for musical proof. Bobby Gillespie, Kevin Shields, Jason Spaceman – the list goes on and it’s a good one.

These days Iggy’s selling us home insurance and Johnny Rotten butter while Lux is in a box. Truly there is no justice. Frightening, maniacal, terrifying. Lux Interior meant it man.