This is no morality tale. Had to be absolute ignorance of the scene at the time is Why we woulda-coulda missed this appearance of David B & the NFU.

Coincidentally, I lived above Peabody’s back in the late-mid ‘80s. Wasn’t Peabody’s then. Was the back o the Rascal House. The front was a pizza shop and the back was a hip pop dance club. Worked & drank there, and had one occasion to dance with my impending bride on that dance floor when we were simply gettin’ each other off on flesh & soul & other fine curiosities, adventures, maybe a misadventure or two, living an entire country’s width apart, traveling to see each other…up close…closer…closer. But still kinda- sorta dating. You know the way that muse goes.

Anyway, I worked the door at the Rascal House. They called us bouncers but I was easily the most peaceful of the lot. I’d fireman’s carry drunks out front, lean ‘em against the wall, get ‘em a taxi or a friend to take ‘em home. Made the most sense to me. Couple guys I worked with, including the son-of-a-bitch son o the owner (& unspoken crew chief) had other ideas about their job. Like dragging drunks out back and practicing their Karate kicks on ‘em. That always pissed me off. Put me at odds. Guess I spent some time regretting not doing more about those assholes. Mostly I just tried to get as many o their potential victims as possible safely into a car. Was hired mostly because I was an x-Marine, so I guess they thought I’d be more of a tough guy. But I’d worked beside real-deal tough guys so this bully shit grew old fast. I was already making plans to head back west.

But I liked the job because the music, lights, the aroma of booze & pizza & estrogen, and working the door meant I got to people-watch and talk to girls, listen to the music, and at the end o the night, my studio was just around the corner and up the stairs. That’s too easy. It was dorm-style. We shared the kitchen, living room, & dining room. Studios were single or double. The bathroom was coed but had two showers, two toilets, two sinks, and people were polite for the most part. If I had to guestimate, I’d place those shower stalls directly above what would become Peabody’s stage. Strange thing happened, one late-night after work that postponed my cross-country strategy. Two girls who lived as roomies just around the hall, out o the blue, slipped into the shower with me, all giggles, and that was the cake and the frosting. Ooh. Things got weird and fun for a couple weeks or so until the one girl’s boyfriend returned from India. She turned traditional. Her girlfriend turned sad. Then things petered out and I caught the next ride to Seattle.

But we were in Ohio when this NFU show happened, damnit! Ah… so be it.

Now I hear the whole building may be gone.

THANKs to MJG for gettin’ it on tape.