Grant and the Geezers – Monster Stomp 7″
(1982 self-released)
Grant and the Geezers was a band I came across almost by accident. A few years ago, a fellow I know from Phoenix sent me a video of an old show from Mad Garden. The show was TSOL, JFA (the reason he sent it to me), and Grant and the Geezers. I had never heard of the band before, but I found their set to be an interesting one. A little searching around the net clued me in on the fact that they had released a 7″back then, and thus led me to placing it on my want list in hopes of someone having one to trade or sell to me.
One day, I got an email from someone asking me if I was still looking for that 7″. The fellow’s name just so happened to be Grant Cleaver. Not knowing the full name of Grant, from the band, I found it to be an awfully big coincidence that someone named Grant was asking if I needed that 7″ so I asked him if he was the Grant from the band and sure enough it was. He ended up sending me one of those records and I sent him a DVD that I burned of that old video of his band playing as he didn’t have a copy of it.
Grant also happened to be employed at the ticket broker that Tony Victor of Placebo Records owns, and was the one who put me in touch with Tony so I could do that little interview about Placebo Records for my Spontaneous Combustion site. Tony was someone I’ve wanted to find for many years because I wanted to know more about the history of his label, and his booking shows at Mad Garden.
I asked Grant, who it turns out is one hell of a nice guy, if he’d share a little history of his band with me for this feature and he was kind enough to send along the following.
Hey Mike,here is a little info on The Geezers: 1981-1983, Phoenix AZ .
Grant (vocal)
Chuck(bass)
Mark(drum)
Kevin(guitar)We thought we wanted to be a rockabilly band. But after an incident in the woods where some of the band members were buttfucked by a wild bear we became what we refereed to as buttfuck-abilly.(nice huh). Released the 45, “Monster Stomp”/”Space Cruise”, and became regulars at Tony Victor’s Mad Gardens club, playing shows with Misfits, Black Flag, Social Distortion, etc. Played a lot of shows around this time in L.A. at the Cathy de Grande and other punk clubs of that time. Geezers went on a self financed tour of England in 1982 and while there recorded some tracks for Big Beat Records of which their version of “Folsom Prison” ended up on the Rockabilly Psychosis LP. Geezers also appeared on the TV cable show New Wave Theatre.
So there you have it. Grant still lives in Phoenix and works with Tony Victor. I do not know what became of the other members, perhaps Grant will chime in with a comment if he still keeps in touch with them. The Geezers total output consisted of this 7″ and the compilation he mentions above (which now that I know of its existence, I’ll have to track down a copy). Their music is a style that seems to be much more appreciated these days than it might have been 23 years ago when this thing was released and was certainly outside the norm in an era where hardcore was king, but therein lies its charm.
Thanks for the info Grant!
Listen to “Monster Stomp” from the record
I have a copy of Rockabilly Psychosis.
I am not willing to part with the vinyl, but I can make you a tape.
Have you ever heard of Grant’s other band The Out! Crowd, I just came across a three song cassett that I purchased at a gig in Tempe, AZ, back when…
Is there any digital recordings of Grant and the Geezers or The Out!Crowd’s music?
I have some fun photos some where of Grant and a guy from a band called Tupelo ChainSex. It was at club Lingerie in Los Angeles. If you provide address, I’ll send copies when I find them!
This is especially cool because I have known Grant for about ten years,caught the Geezers in Tijuana in 82 with Exene and John Doe acoustic but I have never seen or heard this record,until right now,as i write this.Grant lived in San Diego in the 90’s and moved to Australia after that for awhile,but I’ve seen him around San Diego since,and I agree he’s a real stand-up sort of guy.Thanks.
grant has also a history of saving long lost refugee children. I speake from experience,I am Miracle Marcella Dalri Vail.Grant was a counciler/nerse at a abused abandend childrens center.I was 13 years old thene and now im 27. Grant
has been a parental role madole in my youth and an insporation in my life to persue being the best person I can be by example of his own.I LOVE YOU;YOU BLUTTY GE GE.
miracle,
please contact me, let’s catch up
jason of pasadena
jasonhyang@yahoo.com
This is so cool to see the “Grant and the Geezers” record again… I still have my copy. Brings back GREAT memories of old roomamates and of how many time we had to bring back Grant from London. (Some leagally)
Grant, Write Me.
Terry
tsnyder812@yahoo.com
WOW do these posts take me back. I was in a Rockabilly band in PHX called the Nova Boys in the early 80’s and we used to play with Grant and the Geezers regularly. Grant, Mark, and Kevin were like big brothers to me.I would LOVE to get ANY music from them, vinyl or MP3.
Danny Bland, my bass player from The Nova Boys and I went on a road trip to Tucson with the Geezers. They had this OLD 50’s era ambulance they used to tour in. We had to stop to put oil in that thing 3 times on the 2 hour trip. They opened for Huey Lewis and the News and we rodied for them…What a blast.
Please email me me with any info on where to find Grant, Kevin, or Mark. I’m also looking for Bam Bam (Mike Sversvold) from JFA too. He and I were good friends when I was the drummer for Soylent Green back in the day.
optdoc@bigfoot.com
I’m looking for anything by Grant’s mid 80’s band The Out! Crowd. Any info would be appreciated! – Wes (romoboy@midsouth.rr.com)
Had a blast coming across this. I remember catching the Geezers live a couple of times, most memorably (perhaps) in the ASU Student Center lobby. First ran into Grant when he was a clerk at Roads to Moscow off Mill Avenue near campus circa 1982.
Was a big fan of his subsequent band, the Out Crowd … had no idea they’d put out a 3-song cassette, though I do have a couple of live tapes (one I recorded of an ASU lawn show in, probably, spring of ’84, another one that a friend recorded at a show in Tucson sometime after that).
Anyone with info, on these guys or The Out Crowd, would love to have it- email is azlocal@gmail.com
my website http://azlocal.googlepages.com
Grant I hope you see this? I have a good “small world” story to tell you. By the way I still have my “Geezers” tee shirt, and some great memories.
Write me
Corinne
What ever happened to Chuck, the bass player of Grant and the Geezers with great eyes and thighs…
What a find this is. Believe it or not, Grant and I were roommates at one time…in the Navy. Many great memories of that time. Some stories I still to this day.
Would love to be in touch with Grant.
I should have checked this site sooner,its nice to read all the responses from friends i havent heard from for awhile,im alive and well back in Phoenix,working and doing some deejay work under the name One Peso,love to all Grant contact flashingwhip@yahoo.com.au
How funny I just got off the phone with Kevin he said he heard about this site so I found it. I was one of the Tucson fans. As for Kevin he is still in Tempe leading a GREAT band called Grave Danger(you can find them on Myspace). Chuck is no longer doing any music but is living in Phoenix and getting married soon. Those were great times!
Guitarist Kevin here. Nice hear about the old days again. I thought Grant and Chuck were a great songwriting team, as evidenced by this single and many other efforts. I’m still living a life of crime, playing with my band Grave Danger.(www.Myspace.com/gravedanger). We play around the southwest and the state of Az. I have also played with many Az. bands over the years, such as Heather Rae and the Moonshine boys, Trophy Husbands and Flathead. Several of these including Danger can be found on Phx’s Truxton Records. Mark and Chuck are also alive and well, here in sunny Phoenix. Cheers, Kevin Daly
Nice to see some old names posted. Fonda, e-mail me and we’ll catch up! dalimomma@msn.com
Kim
In 1982, I was just an angry but funny young dude in his 20’s …
I lived in Tempe, AZ. arnd the scene where all this fun took place…it was a very friendly place to be at, at that time.
GRANT and the GEEZERS were one of our local bands, and they were cool enough to talk to anyone about anything.
If they didnt like you though, they would have sex with you.
They liked most people.
Grant, being an English dude, was the bait for the girlies….
I did a FLYER for their re-union show and have it on my myspace if ya’s want to take a look see.
[manipresto]
Kevin Daly [guitarist] is still rockin in Tempe,AZ.[and having sex w/people he doesn’t like] and was featured as BEST LOCAL guitarist in a recent GET OUT magazine article.
Kevin’s new band is, GRAVE DANGER
you can find them at that name on MYSPACE.
**always ware a condom.
Hello Grant, Kevin, and Chuck too, if he reads this. JR here, from “The Hoods”…Would love to make contact…keep on Rockin…I am.
JR
Dave from Truxton Records here.
Yeah, Kevin, Grant, Chuck, Mark et al were/are great guys. Kevin’s probably been the most active of the bunch musically. Always a good time when one of his projects plays out. If anyone has live tapes of their Grant & The Geezers daze, send me an email. I’d love to hear it. I’ve got a copy of the dvd refered to above, but unfortunately my lame computer won’t let me make copies. Highly reccomended. All 3 bands were cooking with fire that night. Later.
Hi there,
Kevin, how the hell are you pal?
Please get in touch—last time I heard from Chuck he was in tent city 🙁 and please tell him I want my Fred MacDowell records back.
I think I still have a Geezers t-shirt, too; Chuck gave it to me & it still has roofing tar stains.
I’m back east & married to a classical guitarist.
I’m sure you remember me, from Hellfire days. I was an unofficial mini-skirt supermodel and you slept with all my friends.
And where the hell is BamBam??
Hello
I was wondering if any of you were still looking for Bam Bam aka Mike Sversvold. If you are
please let me know and i can let Bam know you are looking for him. Also if
you would like, you can send me some info on how he can get in touch with
you. Russ H
I just found a clip on Youtube of Grant with the Out Crowd and thought you all might enjoy it. Here goes the link
Here is an Outcrowd retrospective were there is a bit of singing as well. And one after Grant left.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uEKz5XCwgE
Cool — had no idea the Out Crowd did anything after Grant’s departure. Makes sense that Bill took over vocals; he’d been excellent in the Nervous, Vital Signs & Pebble Culture {& I learned years later, when I picked up a used 12″ in Little Rock, that he later handled vox for Mighty Sphincter, too).
For anyone who has read my comment above about Bam Bam and want to know more you can reach me at, frstimechess@qwest.net
Love you dearly Grant,
Yes he is a great bloke and as the famous song says(slightly modified) ‘He did it his way”.
His Ma
OK Shot in the dark! Daly, Neil, &anyone else that was a part of the Nova/Zany Era, please get ahold of me Re: a reunion. I live in LA now and wanna try and get something organized. Danny & Tim are on board. Call me.
310 941 9982
Man, does this bring back memories. I went to school at ASU but played in several punk bands in Boston before and after school 1978 – 1985(none in AZ). Everyone thought that I was obnoxious – hence the nickname -but hey, who cares?! I am slso looking to contact Bamk Bam (Mike) from JFA as we were neighbors and had soneme good timers partying and just getting rowdy so if anyone has any info on him, please forward. Thanks!
Anybody know how I can post a funny Grant photo I recently found?
Ben, who lived with Tommy Hill and Blind Joe?
I got that Show on DVD too. Now I want to make a DVD Cover and Label. Does anyone have the setlist for all 3 Bands?
Thanx
Who and why erasures my post????
No one got the Setlists?
I would love to hear from Bam, my email address is mhoover4021@hotmail.com
I first saw the Geezers at Merlins in Tempe. Wednesday was Rockabilly Night. The Varmits, the Nova Boys,the Results and Trampis Bones. I remember.. I made flyers.. and played.
What a coincidence. I also made flyers for a gig at Merlins in Tempe, Az. And I was once in a band called Trampis Bones. Greg Moss was a personal friend of mine. I remember The Results, and The Varmits. RI{P Bruce Hamblin
What a wild coincidence. I was once in a band called Trampis Bones with Greg Moss, Uncle John Rosati (RIP), and Mike “Max” Kleid, made flyers and played Rockabilly Night at Merlins. Even further back I was once in a band with Doug Hopkins (RIP) back when he played bass, pre-Gin Blossoms.
Hey Paul Chambers , So sorry to hear about John Rosati. Email me. mkleid@hotmail.com Greg Moss too. Email me. Lets do a tribute show.
Paul Chambers: i’m interested in hearing about the band you were in with Doug Hopkins. I assume it was the cover band back in ’79-’81? if you see this, drop me an email at tempe.music@hotmail.com thx.
Grant is now a Reggae D.J. in Phoenix. His moniker is One Peso. He can still be seen out and about. He is still a great guy!
Wow, this is strange. I have been racking my brain to figure out the name of one punkabilly band from the 80s. Why can’t I remember it?
They were roofers. They used to do a cover of the Cramps ‘Goo goo muck’ that referred to their roofing truck.
But then I find this post about Grant and the Geezers. I remember Grant and the Geezers.
Tony Victor. That name takes me back. Tony Victor is still doing things in Phoenix.
I sort of wished I’d saved everything from those days. I tried but a drug addict relative sold it all to the used record shop. Alas, I don’t have a thing.
Are there any sites where you can get free MP3s from Phx. 80s scene?
To all of those out here with music, posters, T- shirts please contact me. I am the daughter of the drummer (Mark) and am trying to pull together a collection for The Geezers. I would love it if anyone out there is able to share any items with me for this event. This was my childhood growing up and have great memories of this time. Please share if you can or contact me to collect stories. Thanks!
Ria,
Have tou got enuff material together yet? Let me know & I can go thru my boxes & dig up some stuff for you if you want.
My email is: ajpenzone@gmail.com
I am the drummer form the Nova Boys
Cheers,
Al
Very cool post and thread. Thanks!
I was in school at ASU during the early eighties (trying my best to be an ‘artist’)and Grant and I were roommates in a great little tree-shaded bungalow near school (maybe Ash or Maple Street and 6th?) for maybe a little over a year just when the Geezers broke up and he started the OutCrowd. Our other roommate was Michael who later moved to SF and tried to start a band(s).
I was recently in Tempe after not being there for a long time (I live in SF)and I pointed out the former Roads to Moscow store for the people I was with, and I tried to tell them how Merlins and Mad Garden and all the great local bands (I would give anything to see the Meat Puppets again!) made for a really fantastic and exciting scene. I am enjoying the memories as I let my mind wander back, man, was that fun!
I saw Grant and the Geezers at Cathay de Grande back in the early 80’s, it was a wild time, I’m sure I had a good time, can’t recall much now, Levi Dexter used to DJ at Cathay de Grande…
Also recall seeing Jimmy and the Mustangs and the Rockin’ Rebels back then oh and the Untouchables (who were Ska not Rockabilly) at the On Klub…