Richie Parsons
Musician-Unnatural Axe
My name is Richie Parsons. I discovered the Boston Rock scene shortly after I was exposed to music that was to guide me thru my teens and beyond. Arena rock did not interest me, but discovering music did. Post early teen affinity for glam came The Ramones, Dictators, Clash, Sex Pistols, Damned etc. At my job in Filenes Basement was my secret Boston Rock connection, Denise Donahue. She inspired and mentored me and encouraged my passion for photography and music. She introduced me to The Real Kids, Nervous Eaters, Willie Loco, Jonathan Richman, Baby’s Arm, and more.
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Soon Cantone’s, The Rat and The Club became regular haunts for me. Taking pics of all these rock heroes whilst the NY and British Punk scenes exploded. My first night going to the Rat was 3/77 and I saw Thundertrain and the Runaways, and met Iggy Pop!!
In September that year I took pics at the day long Marc Thor benefit at the Rat 9/11/77. I saw La Peste open one night at Cantone’s and promptly exited the club to hop on the Red Line back to Dorchester to start writing songs. If these guys can play at a club ….so can I …the Unnatural Axe was born. I kinda stopped taking pics and started playing rock, Boston Rock with a punk attitude.
Unnatural Axe broke up in 1980 and played our first reunion in 1981…and have played every year since.
ASK RICHIE A QUESTION:
Who did the “art work” for the Axe flyers?
What is the story behind the Axe target practice poster?
That Axe at Cantones for a Halloween Masquerade show with La Peste and featuring the Infliktors. Sounds horrifying, can you tell us about that night?
The colored flyer of the Axe at the Rat is a beauty, who did that and did it raise a few eyebrows with the storm trooper illustration?
What are your favorite posters from the Boston Flashpoint Gallery and why?
The Unnatural Axe at the Saloon looks like another early Axe Masterpiece! What is the back story on that poster?
The craziest place you ever found a band or event poster?
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