Cheetah Chrome, a founding member of the legendary Cleveland pre-punk band Rocket From The Tombs, announced his retirement in dramatic fashion recently.
“I was half way down the steps to the dressing room at the last show of the tour after our set at Maxwell’s in Hoboken,” singer David Thomas said. “‘Wait! Wait! I have something to say,’ Cheetah told us. ‘This is my last show.’”
“We were all not a little bit upset,” Thomas said. “Pissed-off would be a good description.”
“Thinking back on it,” Mr Chrome said, “My advice to others is that just before the encore of your last show is not a good time to make the announcement.”
Mr Chrome intends to retire from the road by the year’s end in order to devote more time to his family and the responsibilities of raising his young son. Not wanting to leave the band in the lurch he promised to fulfill road obligations for the year.
“I know how seriously Cheetah takes his family obligations,” Mr Thomas said. “All things considered we thought it best to re-configure the band sooner rather than later.”
Buddy Akita will join Rocket From The Tombs in the ‘Cheetah Position.’ He’s a member of This Moment In Black History, considered by many to be the best Cleveland band of the last five years. He will pair with the other recent addition to the band, guitarist Gary Siperko.
“I really enjoyed playing with Gary for the short time we had,” Mr Chrome said. “He’s really done his homework, and I think he’s going to add a lot to the band’s future.”
“There was a lot of pressure to resolve the situation,” Mr Thomas said. “I try not to do things too fast on the basis that time will reveal the best solution.”
The best solution came in what’s called the Jim Jones Model. In the mid-90s Pere Ubu guitarist Jim Jones told Mr Thomas that the state of his health would not allow him to tour anymore and he’d have to quit the band. Don’t quit, don’t tour, Thomas told him. Mr Jones remained a non-touring member of Pere Ubu until his death in 2008, contributing material, recording, and occasionally appearing on stage.
“I’m happy to be able to remain in RFTT as a non-touring member,” Mr Chrome said. “I’ve never meant it to be taken as I’m retiring, I mean, writing and recording are things that you don’t just quit doing, they’re in my DNA. I look forward to contributing in that capacity; and I’ll definitely be popping up for gigs now and again.”
Tags: Barfly, Cheetah Chrome, RFTT, Rocket From The Tombs
