The Midnight hour The Creeps celebrate a blistering new disc BY BOB GULLA

The Midnight Creeps, Providence’s answer to the Cramps, is a classic rock ’n’ roll horror show, the kind your mamma always warned you about. With frontbabe Jenny singing like a convergence of Johnny Rotten, Julian Cope, and Lux Interior, Heather spewing out riffs a la Poison Ivy (only more punk, less rockabilly), and Jeff and Jonas playing it hard but straight, it’s without a doubt one of the city’s most toxic concoctions. And while they’re making inroads nationally and internationally, they haven’t been able to get much of their pandemonium on CD.

Well, the drought is over. Sort of. The good news is that the Creeps have a new disc out. The bad news is it’s not a full-length. They just split a release with Capo Regime, a blistering UK punk act that the Creeps befriended as tourmates both Stateside and over there.

"We decided to do a split release with them because they are very dear friends as well as being an exciting, kick-ass rock ’n’ roll band," says Jeff. "This is something that we’ve been talking about doing for quite some time."

Featuring five songs from each band, the new album is the first disc from the Creeps since the end of 2002. It was recorded in January of last year in a freezing Boston basement studio. "It was a nightmare," says Jeff. "It took forever to get warmed up and get everyone into the groove because you had to kind of fight the elements. I don’t think I was even at normal body temperature until the last song."

That last song, "Kids Are Screaming," is a blood-warmer if the Creeps ever wrote one. Opening with a chant and a classic galloping drumbeat followed by a thunderous guitar riff, it’s three minutes of glorious, volcanic rock. "That song has been in our set for a long time and is only played at all-ages shows," Jeff says. "Its great seeing a couple hundred kids going crazy to it when you’re 3000 miles from home."

This Saturday (the 13th), when the Creeps invade the Green Room, there will be plenty of screaming. That’s when the band will celebrate the release of their EP, and it’s bound to be one helluva of whacked-out bacchanal.

"We’ve been playing together three and a half years," says Jeff, "and we’ve gotten very tight, especially on stage. With Jenny, you always have to know where she’s going to be or you’re likely to catch a mic stand in the face."

All in good fun, we’re sure.

Next up, the Creeps will embark on their fourth US tour in April, which will take them out West and back. "We’re doing a leg of the tour with one of our heroes, TV Smith from the Adverts," says Jeff, "where we’ll be doing two sets a night, first a Midnight Creeps set and then we’ll be his backing band." Further plans include an extended Euro tour, culminating with a slot on the Wasted Festival in Morecambe, England. Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense.

The Midnight Creeps will celebrate the release of their CD on Saturday at the Green Room with Benny Sizzler, UK rockers Superyob, the Elders, and Chris Evil & the Taints.

FOLK HERO. Rhode Island icon Joyce Katzberg, co-founder of Stone Soup, has been singing, organizing vigils and rallies, and producing cultural events throughout New England for more than 35 years. In addition to years of volunteer activism, Joyce has been a union organizer, a waitress, a ship’s cook, and a substance abuse counselor. She worked for Common Cause of Rhode Island, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the District 1199 New England Health Care Employees Union. The last six years of her work life were spent as a legal secretary for the Rhode Island public defender’s office.

Joyce’s name has appeared three times in this paper’s list of "most influential" Rhode Islanders for her contributions as an artist and as an activist. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, this very, very good egg has been forced into early retirement. After a 16-year struggle with declining health, Katzberg was diagnosed in 2001 with neurological Lyme disease. It is for this reason that her many many friends in the local music culture have banded together to put on one very exciting acoustic music show.

On Sunday (the 14th), Pete Seeger, one of the world’s best-loved folk singers, will be in Providence to star in a benefit concert for Joyce. Katzberg and Seeger have worked together on several occasions and are members of the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle.

"Hope springs eternal even though this has been a challenging winter health-wise," says Katzberg in an e-mail statement. "I am moving rather slowly these days — getting around to do a few things but not as much as I’d like to. As it now appears that I have Lupus in addition to neurological Lyme disease, I am learning to be more patient with myself. Anyone who has lived with chronic illness knows that it can be very difficult to admit to being ‘undependable.’ It’s also hard for those who are family, friends, and otherwise close to the ill person.

"I am honored far beyond what I can express to have such generous (and talented) friends. I admit I feel a bit awkward about needing a benefit. The good friends who are organizing this event have impressed upon me that I need to ‘get over it.’ I know that there will be a lot of good music and good energy generated by this very special concert and that many people will benefit from having gathered together during this particularly strange political ‘selection’ season."

Bill Harley will serve as master of ceremonies. Other performers include Paul Geremia, Phil Edmonds, Valerie Tutson, Tom Perrotti, Otis Read, Cathy Clasper-Torch, and Chris and Meredith Thompson.

The concert will be held at the historic First Baptist Church of America at 75 North Main Street in Providence. The doors open at 2:30 p.m. with the program starting at 3 and ending at 5. Seating will be on a first-come/first-served basis with a suggested donation of $10 (more if you can and less if you can’t). Promoters request that people attend as fragrance-free as possible. The church is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call Jean Ito at 724-0997 or Esther Rogers at 624-2356. Or write to: Friends of Joyce Katzberg, P.O. Box 187, Warren, RI 02885. Tax-deductible contributions may be made out to FBCIA (First Baptist Church In America).

WANDERING EYE. On Saturday (the 13th), there’s a great night of rhythm and roots at Jake’s to help ward off the chill. The Old Howards and the Twilight Ranchers will be playing along with headliner the Sean Mencher Combo. Mencher is from the legendary Austin band High Noon, and were named Austin’s Best Rockabilly Band seven years in a row. Also on Saturday at Cats in Pawtucket, Pete Rock throws an early St. Patty’s Bash with K’nypshun, Routine 8, Medicine 4 Tim, and Moso. AS220’s monthly Songwriters In the Round series hosted by Ryan Fitzsimmons continues on Sunday at 7 p.m. Mary Bue, Anna’s House, and Craig Weitzman will perform, as well as Fitzsimmons. The show will run for two hours and include four rounds of original songs.

Providence roots-rockers the Essentials are back in action. The E’s will play a special St. Patrick’s Day gig (on the 17th, of course) at Fitzy’s in Woonsocket. Opening is the new act RiVerSion, a bluegrass, rock, and Irish sorta band.

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