As I've gotten older, I've come to realize there are few things more jolting than watching the people we grew up idolizing age and, even worse, what inevitably comes next. Yesterday I read that onetime Romeo Void drummer Larry Carter had died, possibly of a brain aneurysm. Larry joined the band on the road after the release of their debut LP, "It's a Condition," then played on their two most famous releases, 1982's "Never Say Never" EP (produced by the late Ric Ocasek) and the "Benefactor" LP that followed later that year.
As Romeo Void singer Debora Iyall remembers on Instagram:
"He was pivotal in the writing of “Nvr say Nvr” as his drumbeat was the base on which we layered all of our parts. With a smile on my face I’m remembering him recording the wild percussion part, wailing on the drum stands with drumsticks. He really enjoyed the creativity of the recording process, which he continued doing long past romeovoid’s demise. He was an intelligent, stylish and quirky guy. A drummer who carried a briefcase as I recall. I have never had contact with his family, so I don’t know about a formal memorial service. As a fellow band member I like to remember him playing his thundering kit. That kid could make a snare drum ring out loud! My heart goes out to his friends @jimmycrucifix and loved ones and I’m grateful forever to him for his crucial contribution to Romeovoid’s success."
Although the attention lesser-known musicians' deaths receive isn't commensurate with the impact their music has on our lives, social media -- for all its cons -- sure is a nice place to commiserate at times like this. (Howie Klein's blog post about Larry's death was a nice source of comfort yesterday -- as was Tombotee in Portland's "Undercover Kept" shoutout.) What I'd have given for Twitter when I was crying alone in my bedroom the day Kirsty MacColl died back in 2000.
RIP, Larry.
Because "Never Say Never" was already SOTD, I chose this one from the four-song "Never Say Never" EP, each more haunting than the next.
1 comment:
ugh...I had a little bit of a crush on that drummer when as a spirited teen I saw that great never say never video....RIP.
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