In Memoriam: Rowland S Howard

In Memoriam: Rowland S Howard

I do remember Birthday Party being exactly what I thought a rock n roll band should sound and look like.  From the record covers to the footage of their performances on Australian Television Programs, they bit me on the neck real quick. Rowland non-chalantly smacking his guitar with a cigarette stuck to his lip. He looks relaxed but surely down to fuck you up should you get too close. A stare that I can’t really do justice in type. Trust me, you can feel it.  Very “US OR THEM!” An attitude that defined both Buddyhead, and my band, in different and similar ways. They gave us a birthright to defend. For a 20-year-old kid trying to find anything to grab onto in a city filled the brim with shit, The Birthday Party made me feel like I was right at home. It’s  still the one of the most bad ass Rock-N-roll images that I have burnt into my mind. Even though it was supposed to be the Nick Cave show I couldn’t help but watch the guy who was most likely to stab first, Rowland S Howard. First hearing the guitar on “Fears of Gun” equally impressed me. So much so that I have been trying to play guitar like that ever since. I’m pretty sure he only plays one or two notes that whole tune but the singular intent is the sonic equivalent of that stab ready cig-lip.

Crime and the City Solution’s performance in that German movie “Wings of Desire” again made me think that perhaps I was a bigger fan of Roland than I knew. I can’t really remember the Bad Seeds part  in the film but I immediately went out trying to find Crime and the City Solution records.  I never really got into Bad Seeds much (aside from the last couple records) even though I was so heavily influenced by The Birthday Party records.  More recently,  I went to an event that an old friend happened to be DJing at. We hadn’t spoken in years, which was by choice and this would be the first time we would be in the same room for more than a second for some time.  As soon as he saw me he looked down into his DJ gear and pumped loudly through the PA system I heard…..”HANDS UP WHO WANTS TO DIE?!?!?!!”  That song pretty much broke the thick ice on a few year cold war and I’m not sure if any other song would have.

When I heard somewhere that Rowland was making solo records I went on the inter-web to see what the deal was. The sounds were hauntingly wonderful and the new record “POP Crimes” gave me a feeling consistent of his other work.  I thought “good for him”, I love to see influences from my past make current records that can hold water. It’s a great feeling, like I was right all along. I had no glimpse into his personal life or health struggles. I only knew that I always enjoyed music that he made even though I was a casual admirer. Very recently the latest drummer in The Icarus Line, AR, did a whole episode of his podcast on Mr. Howard. Complete with interview on Dance Farm Radio. Check that out HERE. One final brush I guess.  Roland S. Howard died this week. Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.

Thanks for everything,

Joe Cardamone

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