Rock Is Lit Janet Fitch: Author of 'Paint it Black', with Pleasant Gehman and Nicole Panter
HIGHLIGHTS FROM EPISODE 4:
Janet Fitch talks about seeing a three-hour concert with Leonard Cohen; Joni Mitchell; what she’d ask Patti Smith, Björk, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen if she could; creating an “I will survive” music playlist; Amy Winehouse; Janis Joplin; X; Nico; Jackson Brown.
Janet and I talk about some of the major themes of her novel ‘Paint it Black’; grief and the aftermath of suicide; the significance of the title of her novel; the freedom that punk rock gives fans and musicians alike; why ‘Paint it Black’ is a punk rock novel as opposed to a more generalized rock novel; how each of the three main characters in ‘Paint it Black’ has their own distinct soundtrack; classical music and early 20th century Americana music; L.A. punk, especially The Germs and The Cramps; the deaths of John Lennon and Darby Crash; the changing punk scene in L.A. in the early ‘80s; how the Ingmar Bergman film ‘Persona’ influenced the creation of Janet’s novel; Janet’s experience as a student filmmaker in the ‘80s; the 1913 poem “Trans-Siberian Prose and Little Jeanne from France”; the movie adaptation of ‘Paint it Black’.
Pleasant Gehman talks about the beginning of the L.A. punk scene and her involvement in it. She mentions various bands and iconic L.A. punk rock venues, becoming friends with Darby Crash and Pat Smear of The Germs before they were in The Germs and dating Pat Smear, smoking pot with Tony Curtis, rooming with Belinda Carlisle and smoking pot with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins at Disgraceland, hanging out with Joan Jett.
To hear more from Pleasant about her involvement with some of the hottest punk bands in L.A. in the early ‘80s, including The Cramps, The Weirdos, Blondie, The Damned, X, and Black Flag, and how the scene began to deteriorate, listen to the outtake from this episode in the Rock is Lit Vault.
Nicole Panter shares her memories of being friends with and managing The Germs; Darby Crash’s childhood; why Germs shows were a trainwreck; Darby’s abuse of alcohol and drugs; the making of The Germs’ album, including Joan Jett’s involvement; ‘The Decline of Western Civilization’ documentary, in which Nicole and The Germs are featured; why Nicole stopped managing the band; Darby’s fascination with Adam Ant; how Nicole heard about Darby’s death; Nicole’s dislike of the biopic about Darby and The Germs, ‘What We Do Is Secret’, and The Germs reunion tour with the actor who played Darby in the film, Shane West; the legacy of The Germs.
CLIPS OF MUSIC PLAYED IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
- "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones
- "Land" by Patti Smith
- Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op. 82, played by Yuja Wang with the Munich Philharmonic, conducted by Valery Gergiev, Dec 1, 2018
- “West End Blues” by Louis Armstrong
- “What We Do Is Secret” by The Germs
- “Human Fly” by The Cramps
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold: ‘Kings Row’, Main Title, music for the 1941 film
- “Our Way” by The Germs
- “Media Blitz” by The Germs
- “American Leather” by The Germs
Two short clips from the 1981 documentary 'The Decline of Western Civilization', directed by Penelope Spheeris, featuring Darby Crash and The Germs appear in the episode.
CONTACTS:
Janet Fitch Twitter, @JanetFitch323
Janet Fitch Instagram, @janetfitch323
Pleasant Gehman Twitter, @PleasantGehman1
Pleasant Gehman Instagram, @princessofhollywood
The Devil's Music With Pleasant Gehman podcast
Belle, Book, and Candle, Instagram, @belle_book_and_candle
Nicole Panter Instagram, @poseyp
Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website
Christy Alexander Hallberg Instagram, @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg Twitter, @ChristyHallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices