The Cramps was an American punk rock band from New York City. Formed in April 1976, the group originally consisted of vocalist Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser), guitarists Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace) and Bryan Gregory (Gregory Beckerleg), and drummer Pam Balam (Pam Beckerleg). The band remained active until Purkhiser's death on February 4, 2009, when its lineup featured Wallace and drummer Harry Drumdini (Harry Meisenheimer).
History
1976–1986 Lux Interior, Poison Ivy, Bryan Gregory and Pam Balam (Gregory's sister) formed the Cramps in April 1976. After just a few months, Balam was replaced by Miriam Linna. She remained in the group until shortly after its first headlining show in July 1977, when Nick Knox (Nick Stephanoff) took her place. After releasing three singles and a debut album, Songs the Lord Taught Us, Gregory left the Cramps at the end of May 1980 following a show in Berkeley, California. He was briefly replaced during the summer of 1980 by Julien Griensnatch (Julien Hechtlinger), before Kid Congo Powers (Brian Tristan) took over before the end of the year.
Powers contributed to 1981's Psychedelic Jungle and the 1983 live album Smell of Female, before rejoining the Gun Club that September. He was replaced for shows over the next year by Ike Knox (Mike Metoff) and Click Mort (Christopher Doran). Starting in 1985, the Cramps began adding bass to its recordings, starting with "Surfin' Dead" on the soundtrack for the film The Return of the Living Dead – initially, the role was performed by Poison Ivy, including on the band's 1986 return A Date with Elvis. For the subsequent promotional tour, Jennifer "Fur" Dixon briefly joined the band, followed by Candy del Mar starting in the summer.
1986–2009 With the lineup of Lux Interior, Poison Ivy, Candy del Mar and Nick Knox, the Cramps released RockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandXXX in 1987 and Stay Sick! in 1990, before both del Mar and Knox left in early 1991. In the summer, the group recorded Look Mom No Head! with new bassist Slim Chance and drummer Jim Sclavunos (formerly of Sonic Youth), although by the time the album was released, the latter had been replaced by former Weirdos and L.A. Guns drummer Nickey Alexander (Jeffrey Ivisovich). By early 1993, Alexander had also left the band, replaced by False Confession's Harry Drumdini (Harry Meisenheimer).
After two more albums – 1994's Flamejob and 1997's Big Beat from Badsville – and an extensive touring cycle, Slim Chance left the Cramps towards the end of 1998. For tour dates at the end of the year, and occasional performances during 1999 and 2000, bass was performed by Doran Shelley and later Sugarpie Jones (Tim Ferris). The group remained inactive for much of 2001 and 2002, before announcing in August 2002 that it had started recording a new album with new permanent bassist Scott "Chopper" Franklin. The album, Fiends of Dope Island, was released in April 2003. Drumdini was fired in the summer due to problems with alcohol abuse, with "Jungle" Jim Chandler stepping in for dates later in the year.
Following the release of How to Make a Monster, a compilation of old demo recordings, the Cramps toured with new drummer Bill "Buster" Bateman starting in the summer of 2004. After another hiatus, the group toured in August 2006 with Harry Drumdini returning on drums, before Franklin was replaced in October and November by Sean Yseult (Shauna Reynolds). During 2007 and 2008, the Cramps remained inactive again, before it was announced that frontman Lux Interior had died on February 4, 2009, of aortic dissection, thus signalling the end of the band.
Members ImageStage nameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributionsLux Interior1976–2009 all Cramps releasesPoison Ivy1976–2009Bryan Gregory1976–1980 rhythm guitarPam Balam1976drumsHow to Make a Monster (2004)Miriam Linna1976–1977Nick Knox1977–1991 Julien Griensnatch1980rhythm guitarUrgh! A Music War and its soundtrack Kid Congo Powers1980–1983Ike KnoxAt the Haçienda (2015)Click Mort1984 noneTouch Hazard1985–1986bassJennifer "Fur" Dixon1986A Date with Elvis (1986) Candy Del Mar 1986–1991Slim Chance1991–1998Jim Sclavunos1991drumsNickey Alexander1991–1993noneHarry DrumdiniDoran Shelley1998–1999bassnoneSugarpie Jones1999–2000Jen Hanrahan2000percussionScott "Chopper" Franklin2002–2006"Jungle" Jim Chandler2003drumsnoneBill "Buster" Bateman2004–2006Live at the Lokerse Festival, Belgium (2010)Sean Yseult2006bassnone
Timeline
Lineups PeriodMembersReleasesMarch – September 1976Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Bryan Gregory – rhythm guitar Pam Balam – drumsHow to Make a Monster (2004) September 1976 – July 1977Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Bryan Gregory – rhythm guitar Miriam Linna – drumsHow to Make a Monster (2004) July 1977 – May 1980Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Bryan Gregory – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drums"Surfin' Bird" (1978) "Human Fly" (1978) Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980) "Drug Train" (1980) Live at Napa State Mental Hospital (1986) How to Make a Monster (2004) Summer – late 1980Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Julien Griensnatch – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drumsNovember 1980 – September 1983Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Kid Congo Powers – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drumsPsychedelic Jungle (1981) Smell of Female (1983) How to Make a Monster (2004) October – November 1983Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Ike Knox – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drumsrowspan="2" January - April 1984Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Click Mort – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drumsMay – July 1984Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – lead guitar Ike Knox – rhythm guitar Nick Knox – drumsAt the Haçienda (2015)July 1984 – March 1986Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar, bass Nick Knox – drumsA Date with Elvis (1986)March – May 1986Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Fur Dixon – bass Nick Knox – drumsJune 1986 – early 1991Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Candy del Mar – bass Nick Knox – drumsRockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandXXX (1987) Stay Sick! (1990) How to Make a Monster (2004) Early – summer 1991Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Slim Chance – bass Jim Sclavunos – drumsLook Mom No Head! (1991) Blues Fix (1992)Summer 1991 – early 1993Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Slim Chance – bass Nickey Alexander – drumsEarly 1993 – late 1998Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Slim Chance – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsFlamejob (1994) Big Beat from Badsville (1997)1998–1999Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Doran Shelley – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsrowspan="2" 1999–2000Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Sugarpie Jones – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsAugust 2002 – July 2003Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Chopper Franklin – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsFiends of Dope Island (2003)August – November 2003Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Chopper Franklin – bass Jim Chandler – drumsJune 2004 – July 2006Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Chopper Franklin – bass Buster Bateman – drumsLive at the Lokerse Festival, Belgium (2010)July – October 2006Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Chopper Franklin – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsrowspan="3" October – November 2006Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Sean Yseult – bass Harry Drumdini – drumsNovember 2006 – February 2009Lux Interior – vocals Poison Ivy – guitar Harry Drumdini – drums
References
Footnotes