Right from their formation in 1976, The Cramps were a living, breathing organism dedicated to evangelising rock’n’roll at its most primal, celebrating colourful sexual practices and altered states of minds, and devouring horror movies, sci-fi films, TV, comic books and the very finest in American trash and kitsch culture. Crucially, they were no mere revivalists; The Cramps were fundamentalists and the gang that the most unruly of delinquents wanted to join.
Led by singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy Rorschach, the pair met in 1972 when the former picked up the latter as a hitchhiker in Sacramento, California, fell in love and remained married until Interior’s untimely passing in 2009 at the age of 62. In between those two points, the pair – along with a supporting cast of ever-changing members, which included ghoulish guitarist Bryan Gregory and later Kid Congo Powers, and drummer Nick Knox among many others – created one of the most breathlessly exciting bands to have emerged from CBGB's primordial swamp in New York.
Initially eschewing the bass guitar in favour of a fuzz-heavy dual guitar attack and committing themselves to the feral and minimal delivery of their 50s and 60s forebears, The Cramps inadvertently invented psychobilly, though none of their disciples ever matched their zeal. Vitally, their covers of rock’n’roll and garage curios had less to do with a lack of ideas and more with an archaeological approach to what had come before them – they were the teachers to listen to. Even when they did finally succumb to the low end, they remained number one in a field of one. And though their recorded quality control dipped from time to time, The Cramps remained one the most dependably thrilling live bands to hit the boards right until the end.
Plenty of bands talk the talk but very few can actually walk the walk. And that The Cramps took those strides in the highest of heels and shiniest of boots simply makes them so much more alluring.
