wayne kramer

_{Original image by Leni Sinclair.}

A few hours before the clueless moguls of the music industry rattle their jewelry at a black-tie knees-up in Cleveland to officially induct the MC5 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Lame, a more appropriate commemoration will take place in the band’s home state of Michigan.

Friends and supporters will gather at Memorial Park in Lincoln Park - the city where Rob Tyner (Derminer), Wayne Kramer (Kambes), Fred Smith and Dennis Thompson (Tomich) attended high school - from 3pm on the afternoon of October 12.

It will be a gathering of the faithful when some of Michigan’s most respected and enduring rock and roll acts take to the stage at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor for “A Tribute to The MC5” on June 9.

A fundraiser for the late Wayne Kramer’s Jail Guitar Doors Foundation that uses music to rehabilitate jail inmates, it was instigated by former Scott Morgan’s Powertrane bassist and current Mazingamember, Chris “Box” Taylor after the recent passing of the Five’s last man standing, drummer Dennis Thompson.

No introduction needed for the onetime spiritual leader of the MC5 so here’s a personal note about meeting John Sinclair:

It was on a night off during a business trip that involved a flying visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan in the early 2000s. Sinclair was in town for that city’s annual Hash Bash and had just played a show at The Blind Pig. I’d been drinking at the Eight Bar Saloon with some locals, including Scott Morgan who did the introduction.

“Heavy Lifting” – which is being marketed as the first MC5studio album in 53 years – is out on October 18.

Led by late founding member Wayne Kramer (pictured right) and recorded with iconic producer Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, KISS), the album features original Five drummer, also late Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson,on two tracks along with special guests including Slash, Tom Morello, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Don Was, and Tim McIlrath (Rise Against).

"Heavy Lifting" will be on LP and CD with a bonus disc of live tracks by MC50, the band Kramer fronted on a world tour to showcase MC5 songs for the 50th anniversary.

earMUSICwill release the album a  day prior to the MC5’s induction into 2024’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

Some of us have had a lot of problems forgiving Alice Cooper the man for ditching Alice Cooper the band.  The first two Alice Cooper band albums, “Pretties For You” and “Easy Action” were fairly decent if you go in for a bit of whacky hippy burlesque.  They have their fans but, truth be told, they needed a firmer hand than Frank Zappa if they were going to amount to anything more than a sideshow.

Next came five albums of perfection.  Even the much maligned “Muscle of Love” shits over anything that tried to pass itself off as competition.  I know we're all Stooges and Dolls fans here but the Coop actually owned the mainstream throughout the early ‘70s. 

Well, they were a shit hot band with great song-writing, a genius producer and a grand guignol stage show.  How could they miss? 

Well, the thing is... 

Out of print for two years? Shit, hard to believe, but it's good to have this one back in circulation (on Bro. Wayne's new label, with expanded versions of the rest of his Epitaph catalog and even the L-O-N-G gone "Death Tongue" set to follow in its wake - a reissue program long anticipated by true Rock Action devotees, especially those who missed out on 'em the first time). This was, after all, the one that started it all, solo-career wise, as well as serving notice to the world at large that Detroit rock'n'roll was alive and well in the '90s.

Accuse me of revisionism if you will...but when I caught Mad for the Racket live at SXSW, I was less than optimally stoked with their performance. Coupla months later, in a column, I was making more conciliatory noises.

Wayne Kramer, one of contemporary hard rock’s most influential guitarists, passed away in hsiopital in Los Angeles on Friday, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 75.

The former MC5, MC5-DKT, Gang War, solo band and soundtrack artist was on the verge of releasing a new album under the MC5 name.

The influence of Wayne Kramer and the MC5 on bands like The Damned, Radio Birdman, Rage Against the Machine, Ramones, New York Dollsand scores of others can’t be underestimated.