RUSH and the Runaways

[Sean]

RR.jpg

Saw this one FB and thought some of you might find it interesting or even...exaggerated?

"Back in 1977, one of the many bands who opened for Rush was The Runaways, the all girl band fronted by Joan Jett, Cherrie Curie and Lita Ford. In fact, the Runaways attended a party in Rush's honor before the show, as pictured here. However, although it seems out of character for Rush, the Runaway's Joan Jett has less than fond memories of their time touring together

Joan Jett says members of Rush were anything but polite Canucks when the Runaways opened for them in the 1970s. In the film biopic about the band titled The Runaways, Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) is derided by an unidentified rock group they’re opening for. She later retaliates by breaking into their dressing room and urinating on one of their guitars. Jett doesn’t hesitate to identify the real-life inspiration for the scene. 'Rush! They sat on the side of the stage and laughed at us,' Jett says. 'That sort of stuff pisses me off.'" - Joan Jett"

[Digital_Man]

I question the validity of this story. They got pissed off at Rush so they pissed on their guitars?

Rush were pretty goofy back then. I've heard some stories. They still are a bit goofy actually but I'm sure in many ways they have grown up. I think maybe Joan Jett were taking the band way too seriously. Something you can't do with Rush (sometimes not even with their lyrics and I'm a big Rush fan).

[syncopatico]

Maybe the Rush guys were enjoying a pre-show toke(?!) and couldn't contain themselves!!

[Sean]

From the looks of Ged in that pic you may be right!

[timmy]

pfff - i still laugh at the youtube videos i see of the Runaways. Don't get me wrong. I love to see anyone getting out there making a go of it.

But seriously... listening to a few lines of their lyrics... seeing them dressed as they did... at their age... attempting to be so... "mature"...

funny stuff, indeed.

[moecurlythanu]

I seem to recall a back and forth between the Runaways and one of the writers for Creem, who had been less than kind. If I think long enough, I'll remember his name. Apparently, they took everything pretty seriously.
Rick Johnson. There, that wasn't too long.

[Rickenbacker]

I would hate to think of Rush being like that. Weren't they themselves mistreated (& later apologized to) by Aerosmith?

[GuitarGeek]

I question the validity of this story.

I seem to recall seeing a video on Youtube where Cherie tells of the Rush guys heckling them while they were onstage. Doesn't make the story any more valid, but it is interesting to hear essentially the same commentary from two different parties.

As for The Runaways' lyrics, I don't think they're any worse than Neil's lyrics. Neil is trying to be all intellectual and literary and all that, but his lyrics come off as being just as silly, if not more so.

And The Runaways version of Rock N Roll seriously buries the Velvet Underground recording. Definitely a case where the cover was better than the original.

[3LockBox]

I don't care if one of my favorite bands derides a band I don't care for.

The Runaways weren't any worse than many bands of their genre, many of whom were every bit the type of establishment "brand" they pretended to rail against.

[no.nine]

And The Runaways version of Rock N Roll seriously buries the Velvet Underground recording. Definitely a case where the cover was better than the original.

I agree. And I like the demo they recorded in 1975 with Micki Steele even better than the album version with Cherie.

[ThomasKDye]

"Out of character" is right. Maybe Rush was laughing "with" them. Maybe not everything was about the Runaways, Joan. But while I can admit to douchebaggery in artists I like (Roger Waters, Frank Zappa, Steve Howe) Rush doesn't seem CAPABLE of that.

[Paulrus]

I find it totally plausible. In '77 Rush was fully in grip of prog, and I'm sure at the time a band like The Runaways would not have been taken too seriously. Or they could have just been giving them some shit but Joan and crew took it the wrong way. Big. Deal.

[trurl]

Having a guitar that Joan Jett pissed on would be kind of hot.

[ThomasKDye]

Having a guitar that Joan Jett pissed on would be kind of hot.

Depends on what she was drinking.

[Garion81]

pfff - i still laugh at the youtube videos i see of the Runaways. Don't get me wrong. I love to see anyone getting out there making a go of it.

But seriously... listening to a few lines of their lyrics... seeing them dressed as they did... at their age... attempting to be so... "mature"...

funny stuff, indeed.

I am not defending their music but really they were women trying to do what they loved in a music world that held women subservient. How many all women bands were even recorded? They were very brave and very naive but if they had been parred with Kiss rather than Rush it would have been far more beneficial for them as their music was more compatible. If the guys in Rush did that then it was pretty unprofessional. Whether or not Jett did that to his guitar I am sure she wanted to

[Vic2012]

No mention at all about this in the documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage." If they (The Runaways) really had that bad an experience with Rush then I could see why that would be kept out of the film.

[Bucka001]

"Cherry Bomb" is great, and a lot of their stuff rocks. The Runaways went to Great Britain in '76 and played London's famed Roundhouse. VdGG's Peter Hammill was in the audience and loved it, thought it was high energy rock played with honesty and total commitment. He hung out with the band and bigged them up in a few interviews at the time (Melody Maker and a New York radio interview are two I'm aware of). Of course, having recorded Nadir's Big Chance (and with VdGG having a bit more of a rough, chaotic edge than their peers in prog), it's not surprising that PH would have responded favorably to them where other proggers might not.

It's true that Rush just don't seem capable of that sort of thing, but '76 was a long time ago and they were young, etc... Plus, normally decent young lads might act out a bit around the opposite sex and it was definitely out of the norm to have an all girl group up on stage before you, doing their thing. If it is true, then since Rush were admirers of and influenced by PH and VdGG, they missed something with the Runaways that their mentor picked up on in spades (unless they dug the girls' music and just wanted to give them a hard time anyway).

[ItalProgRules]

I seem to recall a back and forth between the Runaways and one of the writers for Creem, who had been less than kind. If I think long enough, I'll remember his name. Apparently, they took everything pretty seriously.
Rick Johnson. There, that wasn't too long.

It was always hard to tell when Rick Johnson was fucking around and when he was serious.

[progholio]

great pic, Neal looks bored (or stoned) shitless and Alex looks like he just shagged those 3 little pop-tarts.

[ItalProgRules]

Eh, The Runaways were all right for what they were. Kim Fowley's "production" did them no favors. QUEENS OF NOISE sounds like it was taped through a wall of gauze.

"Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin" is not only a great title, but a cool tune. "Cherry Bomb" just flat out rawks.

And "Born to be Bad" with its awsome bad-girl proto-rap. They had their moments.

[GuitarGeek]

No mention at all about this in the documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage." If they (The Runaways) really had that bad an experience with Rush then I could see why that would be kept out of the film.

Why would there be any mention of it in a Rush documentary? You think the band is actually going to talk about something that, looking back, they might now be embarrassed about?

[ItalProgRules]

But did Ged, Alex or Neil pop a cherry bomb? Well, not Joan's since she doesn't play for their team, but Lita or Cherie?

Guess we'll never know!

[trurl]

But did Ged, Alex or Neil pop a cherry bomb? Well, not Joan's since she doesn't play for their team, but Lita or Cherie?

Guess we'll never know!

We know.

[Jeremy Bender]

Ah, The Runaways. They played at my high school in 1978. People didn't take them seriously at first but they rocked, they won everyone there over. We couldn't believe that Lita Ford could play as well as she did, chicks just didn't do that.

The story about Rush makes me think better of them, finally some real rock n' roll lifestyle instead of those horrible skits and that brittle sense of humor they usually display.

[moecurlythanu]

It was always hard to tell when Rick Johnson was fucking around and when he was serious.

Yeah, but I remembered it was him, because after he wrote whatever it was he wrote, one of them (I think it was Cherie, but I'm not certain,) actually sent a letter to Creem which was published in the letters section of the mag. It began, "Rick Johnson, you made me cry..."

Funny the minutiae you remember 35 years later.