Human Fly (song)
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| - | '''The Cramps''' are a [[punk rock]] band originally formed in [[1972]]. Their line-up has rotated much over the years, with [[Lux Interior]] and Poison Ivy, the lead singer and lead guitarist respectively as the only permanent members. They were part of the early [[CBGB]]s [[punk rock]] movement that had emerged in [[New York]] and are best-known for their song "[[Human Fly]]". | + | '''Human Fly''' was the nickname of at least three stunt entertainers of the 20th century who would scale the exteriors of tall buildings in the United States: |
| - | ==Characteristics== | + | * [[Harry Gardiner]] (active 1905 - 1918) |
| - | Their music is mostly in [[blues]] form, played at varying, (though usually fast) tempos, with a very minimal drumkit. An integral part of the early Cramps sound is dual guitars, without a [[bass guitar|bassist]]. The content of their songs and image is [[sleaze]], [[trashy]] [[Americana]] (much in the style of filmmaker [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]]), [[sexual fetishism]], clever bad jokes, and [[cheap]], [[horror film|horror]] [[B-movie]] [[cliché]]s. | + | * [[George Polley]] (active 1910 - 1920) |
| + | * [[George Willig]], who climbed the [[New York City]]'s [[World Trade Center]] in 1977. | ||
| - | Their sound was heavily influenced by early [[rockabilly]] and proto-rock'n'roll like [[Link Wray]] and [[Hasil Adkins]], 1960s [[surf music]] acts such as [[The Ventures]] and [[Dick Dale]], 1960s [[garage rock]] artists like [[The Standells]], [[The Gants]], [[The Trashmen]], [[The Green Fuz]] and [[The Sonics]], as well as the post-[[glam]]/early [[punk music|punk]] scene from which they emerged. They also were influenced to a degree by [[The Ramones]] and [[Screamin' Jay Hawkins]], who is often credited for having pioneered their style of theatrical horror-blues. | + | The '''Human Fly''' can also refer to: |
| - | + | * [[Rick Rojatt]], a costumed Canadian stunt rider active in the 1970s | |
| - | In turn, they have strongly influenced subsequent punk and rockabilly revival bands, even creating a genre in their wake. "[[Psychobilly]]," a style played by bands like [[The Meteors]] and the Sharks, is a term<sup>†</sup> coined by the Cramps, although Lux Interior maintains that the term does not describe their own style. The Cramps also influenced or anticipated acts like [[The White Stripes]], [[The Gun Club]], [[The Fuzztones]], [[James Chance|James Chance and the Contortions]], [[The Birthday Party (band)|The Birthday Party]], [[Flat Duo Jets]], and [[Queen Adreena]]. It is also widely acknowledged that The Cramps inspired the more recent Psychobilly subgenre, [[Gothabilly]] — which focuses even more so on the monster/horror themes. | + | * [[Human Fly (comics)]] is also the name of two fictional characters in Marvel comic books (one of whom was based on [[Rick Rojatt|Rojatt]]). |
| - | + | * "Human Fly", a 1978 song by [[The Cramps]]. | |
| - | <sup>†</sup> It is debatable that the Cramps coined the phrase [[psychobilly]]. It is perhaps mentioned for the first time in [[Johnny Cash]]'s song "[[One Piece at a Time]]," released in 1976. | + | |
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Revision as of 12:46, 5 February 2009
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Human Fly was the nickname of at least three stunt entertainers of the 20th century who would scale the exteriors of tall buildings in the United States:
- Harry Gardiner (active 1905 - 1918)
- George Polley (active 1910 - 1920)
- George Willig, who climbed the New York City's World Trade Center in 1977.
The Human Fly can also refer to:
- Rick Rojatt, a costumed Canadian stunt rider active in the 1970s
- Human Fly (comics) is also the name of two fictional characters in Marvel comic books (one of whom was based on Rojatt).
- "Human Fly", a 1978 song by The Cramps.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Human Fly" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
