Cover: The Titanics, John Orsi, High Risk Group, Bradley J

Bands: Volcano Suns (my favorite band to see back then—they were always on the edge of going out of control), DYS, 7 or 8 Worm Hearts, A.C., the Swinging Steaks, Toecutter, Teresa’s Kryptic Trout, OBE, the Stand, Sanity Assassins, Who Be Dat

Gossip & Stuff: Richie Parsons (Unnatural Axe) becomes a dad and farts in harmony with his daughter. *** The Bloody Young Idiots get thrown out of church for loud and obscene humming. How do you hum obscenely? By putting your head under a nun’s habit. *** Pat McGrath (Looney Tunes) urges people to boycott digital records because they are an inferior medium. *** John Soares displays his graphic photos with Famous Tattooed Men and Children. Keith Bennett (Wrecking Crew) gets the award for best tattoos on the double page spread. *** The Slave temporarily plays under the moniker Masters & Slaves while fighting a battle over their name with a band from Los Angeles. *** Musicians were so anxious to be in the Noise and answer the Question of the Month that they would send in answers before the questions were asked. Gregg Levins (the Diversions) offers, “On a Greyhound bus to Providence.” The question is what should you boycott? *** Carnal Carnival is ordered to cease playing at Sneakers by the Salisbury Board of Selectmen due to the obscene and vulgar language. Joe Bonnie legally fights the judgment. Sorry, I don’t know the outcome of the trial.

Cover: Rattle Heater, Quivvver

Bands: Curtain Society, Sinkhole, Powerman 5000, Groovasaurus, Slush, Modern Farmer, Jennifer Trynin, Gravel Pit (Jed Parish would wiggle the mic infront of his face to create a tremolo on his voice!), Sirensong, Crown Electric Company (Boston’s Best ever dance party band), Nisi Period, Serum, Urban Ambiance, the Exi’s, Sumac, Flycatcher, Happy Bunny

Gossip & Stuff: The only band Brett Milano’s mom ever liked was E.L.O. Chris Porter’s mom gets giddy over Tony Bennett. Nat Freedberg’s mom loves the Beatles. *** Dave Gibbs (Gigolo Aunts) breaks his wrist while snowboarding. I wonder if he was as good as the guys in the Olympics? *** Lois Caruso (Midgrinder) and Steve Davis (Expando Brain) get married in a graveyard and start a band called Dog. *** John Damroth (Planet Records) fathers Amos Damroth. *** Local musicians raise a lot of money with Safe & Sound, a benefit in response to the shootings by an anti-abortionist at a Brookline clinic that resulted in the death of Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols. During the benefit show, Gigolo Aunt’s cover Big Dipper’s “Ron Klaus Wrecked His House” and Throwing Muses play Volcano Sun’s “Jak.” *** Zippah recording studio and WFNX battle it out on the bowling lanes, though the competition is mild-mannered and the teams settled on a tie. *** Wow—an ad for a night of theatrical bands—Upper Crust, Women of Sodom, One of Us, and the Borg! Oh wait—I must have put that show together.

Cover: Purr, John Surette & the Dineros, Planet Queen, Mikey Dee

Bands: Morphine, the Sugar Twins, Quintaine Americana (I loved the way bassist Marc Schleicher would drag his leg around the stage), Three Day Threshold, Brett Rosenberg, the Red Telephone (these guys branch out from a New Hampshire band called something like Penis Envy), the Gravy, Edith, Ad Frank, the Figgs, Chandler Travis Philharmonic, All the Queen’s Men, Ken Field, Meat Depressed, Mishima, the Swallows, Will Dailey, Violet Tide, Favorite Atomic Hero, Incus, the Anchormen, Pure Fiction, Ten Star General, Fashioncolt (actually spelt fa5hioncolt), Kevin MacDonald Band, Nisi Period, Missing Joe

Gossip & Stuff: This issue includes Women Behind the Scenes—20 profiles of the most important women in Boston music. A few that are still active: Randi Millman (T.T.’s), Laura Wilson (WMBR), Gail Rush (Curve of the Earth), Juanita (now on WZLX), and Carmelita (WAAF). Notice that there is no mention of me or my partner Rita. *** Nate Albert, who played with the Bosstones since he was 14, leaves the band. *** Stacy Jones (Letter to Cleo) steps out from behind the drums and gets American Hi-Fi rolling. They’re coming out with a new CD soon. *** Mikey Dee, Boston’s most enthusiastic music fan and influential scene booster, suffers a paralyzing stroke that eventually takes his life. Mikey was an editor of the Noise, a DJ on MFO with a great local show, and the most effective promotion man at Planetary Group. *** In a carpentry accident, Kevin Devlin, fractures his wrist and can no longer drum in Helium. *** There’s a photo of Joe Coughlin (the Noise) running a marathon hand in hand with WMBR’s Bob Dubrow. Those two guys had the longest battle in our mail column over something about using the word nigress. *** In an ad I’m reminded of where Anngelle Wood (WZLX) got her start on the radio… I know, it was on Shilo McDonald’s local music show on WMWM, the Nor’ Easter.

Cover: U.V. Protection, Country Doctors, Tiger Saw, the Spoilers

Bands: Dresden Dolls, the Bags, Mardi Gras, Mission of Burma, the Dents, Ho-Ag, Lady of Spain, Dreamchild (you use a photo of this band in the ad for your photography—you aught to give them credit), the Bon Savants, Reverse, Sarah Rabdau, the Prime Movers, Din, Andrea Gillis, Muck & the Mires, World’s Greatest Sinners, Sugabomb, Black Helicopter

Gossip & Stuff: Ahhh—the infamous colonoscopy spread can be found in this issue—four big glaring photos of the fleshy tube that carries the food exiting my digestive system. *** Then we have the sexy photo of Three Day Threshold’s sexy Gina Rebel in the act of licking the neck of her stand-up bass. *** In Rock School the band gets a gig at a daycare center and goes over big singing, “I just peed in my diaper.” *** Johnny Angel says of the Noise Board, “ Mordant, vicious display of wit and rancor that remind one of the brilliance that is the Boston mindset.” *** Peter Choyce gets a non-speaking part on CSI NY as a coroner. *** Blowfish (Boston Groupie News) visits the Stax recording studio in Memphis and runs into Bono of U2. Rumors are that they discussed the plights of living with a single B-name. *** Dan Bronson (Dr. Frog) smashes his synth with a hammer after each song—slowly demolishing his instrument during a set. *** Rich Gilbert, the winner of Best Guitarist in Boston at least seven times, packs his bags and moves to Nashville. *** John Powhida announces that his Cheap Trick tribute band, Clock Strikes Ten, is dead. I bet they’re playing someplace in March of 2010.