John Clayton - November 3, 2003
By JOHN CLAYTON
Union Leader Staff
Way back in May of 1984, a local rock band called the Jabbers was performing
at The Casbah when the band’s rather unconventional lead singer —
the late GG Allin — became engaged in some “If you show me yours,
I’ll show you mine” type of interplay with the audience and this baring
of the flesh did not go over well with management or liquor inspectors so the
show was halted in mid-set.
Yeesh, that was a long sentence.
The Jabbers got a sentence that was even longer.
They got 19 years.
That’s how long it’s been since the band has had a booking in Manchester
but apparently, amnesty has been declared. According to guitarist Chris Lamy,
the Jabbers are scheduled to play at the Bomb Shelter here In The City on Nov.
16.
“Yup,” Chris said, “we’re planning on finishing the set
we started. We kept hearing from promoters that they couldn’t book us due
to our 20-year-old reputation, but with GG dead and gone, this club is willing
to take the chance.”
I’m not sure how versed you are in the lore of extreme punk rock, but the
Jabbers — with or without GG Allin — rank right up there (or down
there, depending on your point of view) with the big boys.
The boys in the band — behind new lead singer Wimpy Rutherford — just
returned from the C.O.S. Super Show in Las Vegas and they’ve been asked
to be the U.S. headliner at EuroTrash 2004 in Milan, Italy (as opposed to Milan,
N.H.) and the wonder of it all is that these guys still call Manchester home.
Tickets for the upcoming Bomb Shelter show will go for 10 bucks a head at the
door. The program, which starts at 2 p.m., will also feature the Jonee Earthquake
Band, the Rydells, the Knox, the Struggle and the Downtrodden, among others.
If all goes according to plan, the Jabbers should take the stage “around
five-ish,” according to Chris, but given this band’s history, things
don’t always go according to plan. That’s why this show was 20 years
in the making.