Music for Misfits

On rock-and-roll and ‘good causes’:

                    It’s become respectable, and that’s where the death of rock-and-roll is, in respectability. It should be music for misfits. It should be dangerous. I mean, I’m sure those causes are all good causes, but that’s not the place of rock-and-roll. The purpose of rock-and-roll is instant gratification… Rock-and-roll is juvenile delinquent music, or else it’s not rock-and-roll–it’s just pop music.

                    The ’80s were really depressing. There was no rock-and-roll and maybe people are desperate… In America, it’s sort of the ultimate, ultimate hysteria peak for, you know, anti-drug, anti-sex, anti-everything. And I think there’s gonna be a big backlash that’s just gonna cause an explosion, and (smiling), we’ll be there.

The Cramps

TV Spotlight Interviews

(Toronto, 1990s)