When it comes to writing about music and doing press for bands, one of the richest goldmines you can tap for information are people that run or work for record labels. Maybe that sounds obvious, but when it comes to what we do, it’s way more common to interact with bands, bookers, and PR specialists. All of which are well and good, but the right person at the right label could be in touch with all of those things and more, often making our jobs that much easier.
However, all these specialties typically make for a workload that makes label people harder to get a hold of, which is understandable. Half the time these people are professional musicians themselves, not to mention people whose lives inevitably twist and turn like anyone else’s, so we understand there’s a lot to juggle.
All that being said, perhaps the best juggler we know is Justin Pearson, head of Three One G Records and legendary frontman of bands like The Locust, Headwound City, Retox, and many more. At this point, Pearson’s status as a singular force in punk rock, if not the art world in general, can hardly be denied, but just over a decade ago he added the title of author to his long list of accomplishments with the debut of From the Graveyard of the Arousal Industry.
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We haven’t read that one yet, but after finishing his most recent literary offering, GG Alien and the Mystery Meat, we can confidently say we’ll be picking it up soon, along with copy of his second book, How to Lose Friends and Irritate People. And while we’re sure those are going to be great reads, there’s something really special about this most recent one, as it kind of comes at the perfect time.
GG… is mainly centered around Pearson’s time working various queer spaces as security or barback between tours with The Locust and Retox, particularly at a place called Rich’s. Eventually he even gets into the formation of projects like Dead Cross and All Leather, which are far more storied and incredible sagas than we could have imagined – for instance, did you know that Dead Cross was originally supposed to be a studio experiment led by a 16-year old relative of Perry Ferrel? Or that Steve Aoki signed All Leather to his label Dim Mak without hearing any of their music first? How about that Retox managed to open for PiL? Neither did we, and GG… is literally filled with delicious bits of lore like this, so if you are a punk or noise music nerd in any way, these moments alone are worth the investment.
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The book’s entire 130-something page run is joy from top to bottom (see what we did there), but really what makes the heart of this book tick is the love that Justin Pearson shows the queer community. From the reverence of local folk heroes like Johnny Girl to finally understanding his place as an “otter” after a phone call from John Waters, Pearson tells these stories with great respect. At some points he even goes out of his way to apologize for certain words or descriptions of certain scenes, and it just goes to show you that being a straight ally (or even a straight-ish ally) isn’t as hard as some people make it out to be.
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Sometimes there is this assumption in older people that the queer perspective is some superfluous, entirely modern thing, like a fad. But in reality, the community and camaraderie in these spaces give Pearson (not to mention anyone with an open mind) a perfect place to contemplate capitalism, identity, shock value, dance music, and more. Like we said, not just him – we won’t spoil it, but the book has a truly fantastic guest list overall, most of which come with a great anecdote. Perhaps our favorite is the mention of certain pastime of a certain member of Retox that, if it’s who we think it is, also made their way through the math rock scene, but we digress. We also wanted to hear more about Rob Halford allegedly showing up at one of these What The Fuck parties, which are a part of this book that will stay with us forever.
All in all, from suspended semen floating through foam parties and dodging human shit outside an actual G.G. Allen show, there’s not a dull moment to be found in GG Alien and the Mystery Meat, and somehow, that’s only half of what makes it so enjoyable. In a time where queerness in general seems under attack, Pearson’s most recent book gives people in the future an example to follow, even if it’s a perfectly imperfect one. If there’s anything that GG… hammers home, it’s that a little bit of humility can go a long way no matter who you are, and potentially even land you some crazy side gigs as well.
If Pearson continues to hone his written chops and put out books like this, we could see him joining the ranks of gonzo legends like Tom Wolfe or Hunter S. Thompson, or hell, even Anthony Bourdain when you consider the stylish grit he so easily produces. We can’t recommend this book enough.
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