>Crime - San Francisco's STILL Doomed - YouTube
Crime fueron una tosca banda de rock'n'roll de San Francisco surgida en la escena pionera del punk, con una música en la onda de los Stooges, New York Dolls o MC5, pero simplificada y espídica que los conectaba más bien con el rockabilly, y cuyo inestable y a veces delirante recorrido registró varios cambios de formación, lanzando oficialmente unos pocos singles que les sirvieron de promoción para tocar en directo, conciertos que al parecer se caracterizaban por un volumen atronador. Décadas después un par de recopilaciones similares que recogían antiguas sesiones de grabación tocando en vivo y que los publicitaba como "la primera y única banda de rock'n'roll de San Francisco" (frase que solían repetir en las entrevistas como oposición al rock progresivo que detestaban) acrecentó su estatus de culto. La banda y entorno cuidaron con tesón la imagen, lo que les reportó en su momento críticas negativas pero con el tiempo les ha valido para que sus camisetas y carteles de conciertos se hayan vuelto icónicos. Sonic Youth grabaron una versión de su 'Hot Wire My Heart'. Otras reediciones y homenajes fueron surgiendo con el tiempo, quizás el más interesante el libro que sobre ellos publicó uno de los que más contribuyó a su imagen, el fotógrafo James Stark.
Crime was a pioneering raw punk rock'n'roll band from San Francisco, somehow influenced by the Stooges, New York Dolls or MC5, but with a more simple and speedy rockabilly approach, suffering many changes in their line up and going through mad renowed incarnations. They published officially only a couple of singles that served them as promotion for playing live in shows often referred to as painfully loud. Decades after, a couple of similar compilations that contained old live recording sessions and advertised them as "the first and only San Francisco rock'n'roll band" (a quote they used to repeat in interviews as they talked against prog rock) raised their cult status. Crime cared much for their image, what gained them hate at the time but helped over the years all things related becoming iconic. Sonic Youth recorded a cover version of their 'Hot Wire My Heart'. Other editions and tributes celebrated the band, perhaps the most significant one a book on them by photographer James Stark, who played a key role defining their printed image.
Crime was a pioneering raw punk rock'n'roll band from San Francisco, somehow influenced by the Stooges, New York Dolls or MC5, but with a more simple and speedy rockabilly approach, suffering many changes in their line up and going through mad renowed incarnations. They published officially only a couple of singles that served them as promotion for playing live in shows often referred to as painfully loud. Decades after, a couple of similar compilations that contained old live recording sessions and advertised them as "the first and only San Francisco rock'n'roll band" (a quote they used to repeat in interviews as they talked against prog rock) raised their cult status. Crime cared much for their image, what gained them hate at the time but helped over the years all things related becoming iconic. Sonic Youth recorded a cover version of their 'Hot Wire My Heart'. Other editions and tributes celebrated the band, perhaps the most significant one a book on them by photographer James Stark, who played a key role defining their printed image.
Frankie Fix (Crime), 1978. Foto: Mike Murphy
