Photo by Jeanne RiceTERI LYNN, BARTENDER, SINGER/BASSIST FOR SUK (FORMERLY OUISUK)
> My roadkill bass. “I began collecting bones left over from the hot wings that people ate at my work. I boiled all the meat off and laid them out to dry. My boyfriend was disgusted and asked why the hell I had chicken bones all over my apartment. 'Don't worry about it,' I told him, even though I didn't know what I was gonna do with the bones. When I got some new pick-ups put in my pawnshop bass, I saw the gory potential. After refinishing the bass with blood and the bones, this $90 piece of junk became more valuable to me than my nine-speed vibrator.”
> Independent record stores. “I'm always looking to add to my record collection and replace stuff that has been ripped off over the years. So I hit shops like 45 Revolution and Zed's in Long Beach, Noise Noise Noise in Costa Mesa, Greene Records in Tustin and Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach. These guys still sell vinyl, and their CDs go for reasonable prices. They're always turning me on to new sounds and cool about letting me listen before I buy.”
> Punk rock juke boxes. “I hate going to a bar and being forced to listen to some lame ass play $5 worth of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. I save myself the pain by going to places that cater to the sensitive ear. The Bar (2910 E. Anaheim, Long Beach) is hard to find but worth the trouble. Strong drinks, thrift-shop dcor and a picture of Marilyn Monroe with a mustache. Ferns (1253 E. 4th St., Long Beach) used to be a biker bar until the punks took over.”
> Nick Blinko. “Singer, guitar player and artist for Rudimentary Peni. These English punks have been putting out albums since the early '80s, and their last album, Echoes of Anguish,came out in '98. Now that's longevity. Blinko's music and art are genius, or maybe psycho (he's been institutionalized a few times), but who cares? Peni sound great played loud on my piece-of-crap car stereo on the way to a show.”
> Karaoke. “Yes, I hate to admit it, but I've been known to do a little karaoke here and there. It all started when the bar I work at had a karaoke night. At first, I thought it was lame until the KJ (karaoke jockey), Rodney, told me that if I went up and sang, I'd make more in tips. I did a Clash song, badly, but found myself having fun doing it. Then I went on to screw up the words to 'It's Not Unusual' by Tom Jones—'It's not unusual to get fucked by anyone. . . . It's not unusual to cum on anyone.' The people loved it, and I made money. But the real fun started when I found out that Rodney could take any CD and EQ out the vocals—then it was all Dead Kennedys, Peni, Sex Pistols and Dayglo Abortions.”
> My favorite front men. “Of all the bands I've seen, two come to mind because of their lead singers: the Cadillac Tramps and Throwrag. The first time I saw the Cadillac Tramps, I was on acid at Bogart's. Gabby was jumping around and acting crazy, but when he pulled up his shirt, grabbed his big belly and jiggled it around, I thought I was gonna piss myself. He's a real character onstage, and it wasn't just the acid because I saw him later with the X-Members and he was just as animated. Any band he's in is destined to be great to watch. Throwrag is a Cramps-meets-Beverly Hillbillies thing. Sleezo is a crackup onstage. I'm always amazed by his creativity; he's either getting naked or puking or pulling his underwear up his ass. The guy never runs out of energy. The sick thing is that he acts like that offstage, too.”
