Life isn't fair. Learn it. Live it. Accept it. For if it was fair Thelonious Monster and Bob Forrest would be just as well-known as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and X would be just as rich. The same can be said of Fishbone, Redd Kross, and Lone Justice. All local '80s bands who had just as much talent and chops and soul. It was just different soul.
LAist was there in 1986 when Thelonious Monster opened for The Replacements in a packed Roxy on a school night. Bob Forrest took to the stage with what seemed to be five guitar players, all dressed totally differently, a bass player and a drummer. The blasted into a tune and then Bob insulted the crowd, the city, the 'Mats, and probably even Jesus Christ. And then the band went into a second tune and won us all back again.
Then Bob opened his mouth and lost us, and then the band won us back. You wanted to hate this fucker but even on first listen the words cut through the thick wall of guitars and bit you. Even once the Replacements took over and knocked out their best show ever in LA, the next day LAist went back to work at Licorice Pizza and sold every Thelonious Monster album and cassette that we had in stock. And everyone asked the same thing: "Who the fuck was that asshole? I'll take one, please."
Tonight's Midnight Movie is from 1992's "A Beautiful Mess", which included help from the likes of Tom Waits, Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum, Al Kooper, Michael Penn, and Tom Petty Heartbreaker Benmont Tench.
You can get it for a penny on eBay.
Life is so not fair.
