Road Trip To Oblivion by Abattoir 3000

" explains Messer regarding the book.

To avoid further confusion and misinterpretation, a name change to "Road Trip to Oblivion" was in order for the book and its' accompanying soundtrack.

The music on the soundtrack is written and performed by ABATTOIR 3000. This power trio is comprised of musicians Ray York II, Darin Scott and Kent Messer himself, along with guest performances by David Asher of The Process and many others.

The 11-song CD, featuring lyrics from the book, takes you on a musical journey by itself or with the novel. Tracks like "Do You Remember" "Paranoia" and "Wildly Unsuccessful Lives" capture the music and feeling of the 80's era and are still relevant today.

ABATTOIR 3000 THE SECRET HISTORY [EXPLICITE]DON'T TELL MOM!

The history of Abattoir 3000 begins in 1972 with Trevor Trevor Thompson. Born in 1952 to Belinda and Barry Thompson of Newark, New Jersey he was the second of three children; older brother Steve Steve and younger sister Cheri Cheri. "Mom had a serious speech impediment," Trevor Trevor explained in a

1977 interview.

In 1972 Trevor Trevor, who was touring as Trevor2 promoting his solo album "Take It Baby!, met lyricist and street artist Marty Mendelssohn. Marty shared Trevor2's unique passion for a hard driving beat, injectable drugs

and misogynistic lyrics. By 1974 the duo were touring as "Spin On It Marty!" Punk's answer to Simon and Garfunkel. "Bloody Nipples and Teeth" an alternative

paper that covered the New York Punk scene in the mid-1970s described them this way, "They are Punk's answer to Simon and Garfunkel, if Garfunkel were wearing a rubber glove and buried it in Simon up to his elbow."

Such glowing reviews followed the duo through out their North American Tour. By 1976 the duo had added drummer Bob Balderack and Bass Guitarist, Guy Pousant. With their next album the group transitioned from a duo to a hardcore punk ensemble. The new album brought a new name, "Candy's Quivering Quim." The album did well in the states and a UK tour in late 1976 started off well enough. However, the band ran into problems outside of London. It turned out that there were three other bands in the UK using the same name.

The legal battles, which had been going on since 1974 and did not end until 1993 when the last remaining members of the competing bands died of cirrhosis within twenty-four hours of each other, meant that Trevor Trevor and Marty had a choice, get tied up in a protracted legal case in the UK or come up with a new name. "Pounding Penny's Pussy," went on to complete a successful tour of the rest of the UK and made select appearances in Germany and France.

By 1977 the larger American labels were signing punk bands as the UK sent wave after wave over. "Pounding Penny's Pussy", signed a huge contract for their next album and within eight weeks Trevor Trevor was dead.

At the Memorial service Marty Mendelssohn would say of Trevor Trevor, "He was a man of intense passion and extreme appetites." Trevor Trevor Thompson, barely twenty five years old had chocked to death on his supermodel

girlfriend's underwear.

The band would fulfill its contractual obligation and release an album "Presenting - Pounding Penny's Pussy, minus one dead dick." Many, thought the irreverent title to be an appropriate tribute to Trevor Trevor. However, the album was little more than a twenty-minute rant by Marty about the fact that Trevor Trevor had been a hack who he had been carrying for the last few years. Album sales were nonexistent and "Pounding Penny's Pussy"

was all but done.

Marty Mendelssohn, without Trevor Trevor's rubber glove to his Paul Simon, was despondent and took to a hotel room where he spent his remaining money on prostitutes and heroin. Three separate tell all book were released in

1978 by individuals claiming to be the person who had been pinned under Marty after he died during his final binge of sex and drugs. Two of the books were by prostitutes Marty was known to have hired. The other book was by a bellboy who had helped Marty to his room that evening.

The remaining band members, Bob Balderack and Guy Pousant, hired singer Dave C. Bassco and guitarist Pilton Mann. In 1979 they toured as a tribute to "Pounding Penny's Pussy." They learned very quickly that punk audiences were

not given to sentimental reminiscent for dead stars. The group performed for the last time in the VFW hall in Flint Michigan in January 1980. Bob Balderack and Guy Pousant formed a new group in 1981, Abattoir Mach 1. The new group would feature punk tunes mined from the old Trevor Trevor days as well as Guy Pousant's newly minted communistic rants. A succession of singer and guitarists would join and leave the band over the next two years. In 1984 guitarist Darin Scott, who was already a touring and studio guitarist heavily in demand in Los Angeles, was regularly sitting in with the band for shows on the west coast. He would explain in a 1987 interview, "Basically I

was slumming. The music was simple, the chicks were freaky and it didn't interfere with my studio or touring work."

By 1985 Guy Pousant, frustrated by the general lack of interest in Abattoir Mach 1, set out an ambitious fifty state tour. "He really didn't care where we played," Darin explained, "he just wanted to be able to say we had played

all fifty states."

It was while playing in a living room in Salt Lake City Utah that the band received devastating news, they were being sued. The tour, titled "Fuck You Too!" had come to the attention of one of the major record labels that

determined it would "aggressively pursue any and all legal avenues necessary to protect its financial interests." Their financial interests were, quite obviously in a band by the name of, "Fuck You Too!" The Welsh group, who's

political protest songs explored the plight of the Welsh during King Edward (Blah, Blah, Blah), failed entirely to catch on in the US pop market.

After several letters, which made clear to the record label that Abattoir Mach 1 was largely irrelevant as a cultural force, the suit was dropped and the tour continued under the new banner, "Screw Ronnie!"

"They were in Delaware playing in a Unitarian church when I saw them, " Kent Messer recalls of the 1985 tour. "Guy was standing in the pews, ranting about the Catholic Church. He didn't understand why he wasn't getting a rise

out of some of the congregation members." Guy would do a similar rant about the Pope at the American Atheist hall in New York to tepid applause.

"Guys not good at the 'Political' thing. He wants to be controversial, but he is mostly incoherent," Kent said, shortly after joining the band on its fifty states tour.

The former keyboard and lead vocalist for "Acey Boy and the Four Flying Fucks" described his role in the band as being, "tits on a bull, really. Why Guy wanted me for the group I have no idea. There was no call for keyboards

and Guy did all the vocals. That left me to stand sipping mineral water and reading the paper for two sets a night."

While dissent from within was threatening the future of Abattoir Mach 1, a terrible scandal was about dash all hopes of fame for the group.

"It wasn't something people talked about in polite company," Ray York II observed when the first rumors started to circulate. "I was living in Toronto at the time, being a more open and tolerant community it was

something that people tended to take in their stride. But outside of Toronto and maybe Ottawa you didn't discuss it in polite company."

In March of 1987 Guy Poussant held a press conference where he made the shocking announcement. "I am from Quebec and I am a French Canadian!"

"When Guy came out it really opened the door for other artists," Ray said in a 1992 interview. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I am not from Quebec or anything like that...and I'm not French Canadian. Not that there is anything

wrong with being French Canadian."

The controversy blew over quickly and Ray York, drugged by the bands roadies and thrown into the trailer with the equipment, was the last member join Abattoir Mach 1.

In late 1987 the band entered its final and fateful leg of the fifty states tour. "What we were doing in Canada earlier that year I have no idea. Guy wasn't very sharp on geography," Kent told reports after the tragic events

that ended the bands tour.

Besides not being sharp on geography, politics or music, Guy was also a poor judge of crowds. "Guy had a real knack for taking a stoned, happy group of dancing fans and pissing them off."

Guy had taken to interrupting the show to read the New York Times Opinion section to the audience. "We would go out back for half an hour or so, play some cards, get a snack. When we returned he was still reading. Half the

crowd would leave and the other would be ranting and throwing things. Some would yell 'Sing, damn it!' and he would say, 'This is what I do! This is part of who I am!' So we would leave for a while longer."

On November 23rd, 1987 the band would leave Guy for an hour during a show in Washington D.C.. It would be the last time they would see him alive. They would return to find the audience gone, and Guy Poussant, dead, beaten to

death with hundreds of copies of the New York Times. The bands alibi that they were at a nearby soul food restaurant was verified. No charges were ever filed. Police speculated that alienated fans from across the United States and Canada, incensensed at having paid to be read at by a French Canadian singer, gathered at the final show to seek their bloody revenge.

In 1998, band members Kent Messer, Ray York and Darin Scott would reform the band as Abattoir 3000. "We are looking toward the future," Kent said when the band returned to the studio.

When asked why, with the bands tragic history, marred by death and controversy they were getting back together they answered unanimously, "for the money.

WHO IS ABATTOIR 3000?

Kent Messer - was born in Champagne-Urbana, Illinois. He grew up in rural Southeastern Pennsylvania where he performed with New Wave and Punk cover bands in the early 1980's, inspiring the novel, The Rocket's Red Glare, and its lyrics.

Kent has worked as a writer, disc jockey, banker, bookstore owner, and illustrator. From the mid-nineteen eighties till the early nineteen nineties he was a regular contributor to alternative press publications.

Ray York II - As a musician, Ray's influences can be traced to the classical roots of his family. His mother being a classical pianist and brother a jazz fusion bassist/composer. Simplicity has always been the focal point of writing and playing different styles of acoustic and electric music for him. For the past 18 years Ray has dedicated himself to writing original music concentrating on the more rhythmic and ambient sounds instruments can produce live and in the studio.

In 1996 Ray received Bay Area's Review Magazine award Musician Deserving Wider Recognition in the category of rock. For the past five years Ray has been working (as a partner) with Dick Wagner as an audio engineer and graphic artist at his downtown Saginaw studio. Ray has also trained with Bob Dennis (a former mastering engineer of Motown) from the Recording Institute of Detroit.

Darin Scott - As a guitarist he has recorded and/or performed with Jack Wagner, Eddie Money, Jeff Beck, Steve Hunter, Eddie VanHalen, Earl Slick, Dick Wagner, Jeff Porcaro, Lita Ford, Laura Morris, Kent Messer, Ray York II, Bob Hausler, Gregg Barber, Jeff Hall, Andy Taylor, Great White, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Pat Kelley, Brian Bennett and many others.

He hasplayed on platinum & gold records, TV Shows, Movie Soundtracks, Commercial Jingles, and has performed all over the world.

He has been featured in Guitar Player, Guitar World, Guitar School, Downbeat, & LA Music Network, magazines.

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