Even Worse (pt. 3) - Mouse or Rat, Steve Jones, the end

When I joined Even Worse, Jack already had a few songs from the previous incarnations of the band and he played them on the piano to show me the chord changes. He played the classics like "Last Night's Blimpie" and "Mouse or Rat." I then turned around and taught Tim how to play them on bass and then showed Thurston the chords on guitar.

I don't remember the exact date that Even Worse went in to the studio to record the aforementioned "Mouse or Rat" but I do remember that we literally went underground that summer day to lay down the tracks and the studio was both claustrophobic and hot. Oh, yeah, I don't think that Thurston was actually there for the recording so I played both guitar parts. Jack was friends with a great graphics artist (Sumishta Braun) who designed the record sleeve.

The last gig I ever played with Even Worse was at Irving Plaza. We played with Adolescent Youth (with members of the Beastie Boys), Heart Attack and Kraut. Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols was doing some recording with Kraut at the time and he planned on joining them on stage that night. Early in the day, while we waited to soundcheck I had a little chat with Steve about his days in the Pistols. I was curious as to how a band that claimed to be poor could afford such grand equipment (top of the line guitars and amps) and clothes (leathers from head to toe). He quite matter-of -factly told me that they stole everything and then went in to some detail about breaking in to Keith Richards' house and coming out with his guitars (at least that's the way I remember the story - though it could have been a lie). Later that night Jones broke a string on his guitar and leaned in to the mic "Can Steve from Even Worse come to the stage, I need to borrow your guitar." I don't think so!

Earlier that night Jack and I got in to an argument about getting paid for the gig. He said that he needed to use the money from the show to pay for the pressings of the "Mouse or Rat" single. I told him that I needed the money to buy food. He gave me an ultimatum. Either I contributed my portion of the gig money or this was the last show I'd play with Even Worse.

My last show with Even Worse was a doozie. I remember Adolescent Youth playing a punk rock version of the "Can Can" for about 15 minutes with all of the young girls from the hardcore scene up on stage with them. I wore army pants tucked into Wellingtons that were turned over at the top. At one inglorious moment, one of the kids in the audience raised his Heineken to salute to me and then turned it upside down and jammed the bottle into my boot. It turns out he hadn't drunk a drop from the bottle. That was the most expensive soaker of my life.

Even Worse went on without me. This was Jack's band after all. I went to see them play a couple of times and it was fun to watch my friends rile up the crowd. Thurston and Kim were an amazing couple and I wished I had stayed friends with them over the years. I think that their success has been incredible. I stayed in touch with Kenny for a few years while he began his career and started his family. Tim and I caught up with one another about 13 years ago when, as an A&R exec at Atlantic Records, he signed Hootie & The Blowfish. And finally, there's Jack Rabid. I hadn't spoken to Jack in 25 years and then last year, on the off chance that the Big Takeover still existed I looked him up online. He was good enough to send me a copy of "Mouse or Rat" (which you can try to find online for $150, ha!) and he took the time to correct some details of my story (that remain clear as fuzz to this day).