Holding hands with dismembered Bubblemen through Chain-link Fences

March 1st 2000: The SUN Theatre Anaheim California

Peter Murphy just finished performing. Paul, Eric & I are standing outside just beyond the chain-link fence between us and where the band goes out to their bus. We are among maybe a couple hundred fans. We of course are cracking jokes, farting, and trying to make each other laugh. You know, the things we always do when we are together, the good things. All three of us know that Peter won't be coming out and we aren't upset about that at all. In fact we aren't waiting for the Dark Prince of White Light. We are hoping David J's little brother may walk out those doors. Kevin had joined Peter on this tour and we are skyrockets about it.

After twenty minutes waiting and a couple of beers some Gothic chick got upset with us and said we were rude. Uh, babe, you don't say that to us. So Eric told her to go fly a kite, literally. I believe his words were, go fly a kite you bat. I know. I LOVE him too. I remember Paul laughing so hard he was out. Once Paul gets laughing that hard he is always always out. By out I mean you can't count on him for anything for thirty minutes cause he is laughing so hard. Cut to me, I am holding my dick so I don't piss myself now. I am out too. Eric, once again, has with one non-offensive quip told some stupid bitch to go fuck herself. I so relish that talent. Eric and I lived together for years and it never rubbed off. He is still clever and I am still a prick.

Side Note: You should see Eric & I at the south Nickle Slots carousel At O'Sheas. If you can drink three 75 cent Harps and not wet yourself before running to the restroom we would give you our entire bankroll for the night, $20. Laugh if you must you uncouth fucker. Yes- I know, uncouth is not a word. Oh and please do not punch the buttons with your chin. Burger King fatty cool girl. $15 Blackjack Leprechaun hats. Whoopee-Cushion Madness! Did I leave anything out Eric?

So we continue to laugh our asses off and we now have a sizeable group around us that are enjoying our shenanigans. I call my buddy Russel in Las Vegas with whom I promised I would call if we met Kevin. Russel is a true friend that appreciates true artistry. We are also right on the fence line. I don't remember how long it was, maybe twenty minutes and everyone starts yelling. So Kevin has walked out the door and is walking about 50 feet north of us. I am dialing Russel. No Answer. Dial. No Answer. Kevin is getting closer and closer. I dial. No answer. I dial. No answer. He's 10 feet away. I haven't stopped dialing. Still no answer. He's shaking hands through the fence and then he gets to us. This is one of my fucking idols. The drummer of Bauhaus/Tones on Tail/Love & Rockets! The only member of L&R I have not haven't had some kind of an experience with. This bitch ain't goin NOWHERE. But Russel still isn't answering his phone! Eric, Paul, & I all shake his hand over the fence cause, you know, we are fucking cool. Okay, Paul had to pick me up a bit. I'm only 5'10! I tell him my buddy Russel wanted to talk to him but I lost his cell-signal. Yeah, I lied to Kevin Haskins, don't even start with your bullshit. What would you say? Oh, my friend isn't answering his phone? I don't think so. Anyway, he stood and talked to us for a few minutes. The entire time I was still trying to get Russel on the phone but couldn't. Kevin loved it. I think he was genuinely touched. He was so nice. (great fucking guy). So he kept going down the line and we were walking away and my phone rings. RUSSEL! YES! So Kevin is about 50 people from the end of the line and I am running to the fence and yell Kev! It's Russel! I'm pushing my arm through the fence holding Paul's cell phone for Kevin with Russel on the end of it. Kevin starts laughing and takes the cell phone out of my hand and says "Hello Russel, how are you?" He talked to my friend for a couple minutes. I have no idea what they talked about and it doesn't matter. Russel talked to Haskins that night that's all that matters. Kevin handed Paul's phone back to me through the fence and gave me that look of 'Thank you too'. I was walking backwards to the car for the first 50 or 60 steps and he just kept looking at me smiling. I don't know how to expalin it. Am I looking too much into it? I believe I sometimes do. But that's who I am. It was one of those moments of LOVE. Kevin Haskins, 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.


February 27th, 1998: The Orb, Hollywood California

My 26th birthday. Paul & I are in L.A. for two reasons. To hang out with EJ & Hope & Steph & to meet David J. He just so happens to be DJing at the 'ORB' on my fucking birthday. I am losing my mind at how cool this is. Not meeting David. I grew up in L.A., I am not struck by celebrity, nor do I care (usually). I am however winged-heels over the fact that David J is Djing on my B-day. That is, to put it in L&R terms, "Closer to Nirvana Open the Doors." EJ, Hope, Paul & I dance to some amazing tunes for about an hour after getting there. After a while EJ and I break away and we are walking up to the DJ booth giggling like two litttle school girls. I keep telling her I want him to draw me a bubbleman. We can't stop laughing. Neither of us have pen and paper so that dream is dead. Or is it? So we finally walk up to the third floor and there are 10 people crowding around him. I felt uncomfortable crowding J more so I turn and tell EJ, "let's just go" and EJ says, "Uh, no. It's your birthday. We are staying til you say Hi." Urgh, I push through and there is this very unpleasent girl who must of been from a record company and she was shooing everyone out. Her bitchiness gave me more courage than alcohol or drugs could have ever given someone. I told her I had driven 5 hours to see David J for my B-day and I wasn't leaving until I said hello. Suprisingly she pushed everyone away and brought me right up to him. I said, "David, hey, It's my b-day just wanted to shake your hand." He was awesome. He smiled, gave me a hug & wished me a Happy B-Day. I walked back to EJ VERY HAPPY! She was smiling SO HUGE. That's all I wanted. I got it. GREAT NIGHT. Cut to an hour later, we are downstairs. EJ starts smiling and pointing and I turn around to see David standing next to me. Surreal. He said hello. SO COOL. I said hey and tell him about my wish for him to draw me a bubbleman. He pulls out a scrap of paper and a pen and draws me a bubbleman. A bubbleman head on the far left. A bubbleman body in the middle and bubbleman feet on the right of the paper. All seperate. A totally dismembered bubbleman. I look at him and he just smiles HUGE. Doesnt say a word. Just Smiles and walks away. It was one of those moments of Happiness. David J. 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.


August 30, 1996: The Joint @ The Hardrock Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada

Shawn had been calling me all day: Love & Rockets Tonight! he kept saying. We were giddy as hell. They were opening for Porno for Pyros which was cool and sucked. It was cool L&R was playing but sucked cause they were opening. Once again, L&R having to open. This band has never received the respect they truly deserve. At least they were opening for Perry and I was looking forward to seeing PFP live. (They were great by the way).

So Shawn and I get there and we are hanging with our buddy Mike May's girlfriend and her crazy-fun-bestie. Since most of the people at The Joint that night were there to see PFP we quickly made our way up to the front. The very front. The greatest thing about that venue, there were no seats.

The lights go down and on come the trinity. They bang out Sad Beautiful World, Sweet F.A., Use Me, Natacha, Shelf Life (my heart skipped a beat when David started in on this one. This is their crown jewel from their later albums.) It was a great show so far. All songs from Sweet F.A. which was perfectly fine for me. It's an amazing album. Hadn't been listening to anything else for weeks. But of course Shawn and I and now about 10 of our friends that had also all made their way to the front were waiting to see which old tune they would pull out first. Shawn & I had placed a 10 spot on which older tune they would play first. I went with Dog End Day and Shawn went with No Big Deal if I remember correctly. Both solid picks. And then it happened...

Daniel changed guitars... WE WERE BOTH WRONG! YIN & YANG THE FLOWERPOT MAN BABY!!!!
Cue the dancing lunatics in the front row Side: ASH. We all burst into a flurry of crazy dancing and harmonics. "Under wheel of the runnin train!" We were off to the races! Jumping, dancing and signing as one. If nothing else happened that night we were going to show the PFP fans how true addicts of a band showed their appreciation.

So Daniel is grinding away on guitar, David is hypnotizing us with his drum thumping bass and Kevin, well, come on. It's Kevin Fucking Haskins for shits sake! The band and our group are one. And then with no warning Daniel jumps down off the stage and is standing right in front of us. Can't describe how cool it was to watch Mr. Ash tear the fuck out of that guitar 2 feet from me. Our little group was now on fire.

So there is that long break were the band just gets down on this song. And of course the next spoken word is that one glorious stand alone line which I of course have to scream to Daniel at the top of my lungs right? I mean, the man is standing right in front of me. Is it time for that line? No, it's like 36 breaks until that line. Do I care? No. So I scream it out to him. "ALCOHOL IS YOUR YOGA BABY!" Daniel looks at me with those big bug-eyed glasses and without stopping strumming with one hand grabs my hand that I had apparently reached out to him. Uh, can you say CLOSER TO NIRVANA Now!? So there I am holding hands with Daniel Ash will he is strumming his guitar during Yin & Yang The Flowerpot Man. I finally let go and he didn't. (He likes to drink whiskey) So I reapplied my hand hold. It was fucking magic. I could not believe I was standing there with him during that song hand in hand. Just a simple 3 foot tall velvet rope line between us. He let go twenty seconds later got back up on stage and looked down at our group and sang "Alcohol is your Yoga Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabeeeeeeeeeeeee" and of course we all lost our minds.

As soon as the song was over Shawn shook me and said, DID YOU SEE THAT! We laughed so hard it wasn't funny. Shawn realized what he had said and I was just so happy that everything anyone said was funny. Everything was bliss. Everything was excellent. I was transported by that moment.

To be honest I haven't told that story much. It just means too much to me. But now that I'm doing this diary I thought it might be time to write it down. It was one of those moments of Passion. Daniel Ash. 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.