When The Hydrant‘s drummer, Chris, unable to perform, Aji Sinatra from the psychobilly band Suicidal Sinatra normally fills in. So far so good. Aji is pretty much in charge of himself. He doesn’t play the drums too fast or in a rough punk rock way like the psychobilly drummer’s signature style. And, speaking of psychobilly, today marks the birthday of Poison Ivy, the guitarist for The Cramps, the true pioneers in this subgenre.
I came across these captions paying tribute to Poison Ivy on a Facebook page called Lobotomy Room, and I gotta say, it’s def well-written and rather explosive:
“For the Love of Ivy … Happy 72nd birthday to The Cramps’ fierce voodoobilly bad girl-guitarist extraordinaire-inscrutable dominatrix Poison Ivy Rorschach (née Kristy Marlana Wallace, 20 February 1953)! It’s impossible to even contemplate how many generations of tattooed and black t-shirted punks, rockabillies, psychobillies, goths and other assorted misfits this magnificent woman and her frothing-at-the-mouth late husband Cramps frontman Lux Interior have corrupted over the decades! Since the demise of The Cramps (the Addams Family or Munsters of punk!) with Lux’s death in February 2009, Ivy has maintained an extremely low profile, becoming punk’s equivalent of Greta Garbo. Let’s hope she’s enjoying a serene retirement.”
The song here, “Ultra Twist”, featured on The Cramps’ 1990 album Stay Sick!. Released in January 1990, the track exemplifies the band’s signature blend of punk rock, rockabilly, and horror-themed lyrics. With Lux Interior’s dynamic vocals and Poison Ivy’s gritty guitar work, the song captures their raw, campy aesthetic.
While “Ultra Twist” and the Stay Sick! album did not achieve mainstream chart success, they reinforced The Cramps’ cult status.
Happy birthday, Poison Ivy! Let’s ultra-twist and stay sick!
💧 You might also like THE CRAMPS ON NULLE PART AILLEURS.
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Featured image via Music Belgium Photos.
