My friend Alan Vega of the NYC duo Suicide has died.
Alan’s intense vocals over the electronic sounds of his partner Martin Rev was punk rock at its purest.
Ric Ocasek of the Cars asked Suicide to open for his band at a show at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, a show that I MC’d. The audience’s reaction was one of shock and then violence as they booed and threw glass ashtrays at the band which only inspired Alan to scream even more passionately. Their set was cut short.
Suicide, their self-titled debut album in 1977, with patched-together synths and drum machines was the precursor of electronic and industrial music to follow.
“Frankie Teardrop” is one of Suicide’s seminal tracks.