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‘We said yes to everything!’ John Reis on his blistering punk career, from Hot Snakes to Rocket from the Crypt
He went from San Diego’s DIY scene to mega-budget albums and Top of the Pops. Now, grieving late bandmate Rick Froberg, he explains why he’s still punk’s hardest workerJohn Reis has lived as if there’s no tomorrow. Over the last 35 years, the hardest-working man in punk rock has recorded more than 25 albums and an avalanche of singles with groups including Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, the Night Marchers, Sultans and more; as Swami John Reis, he’s about to put out a blistering new LP, Time to Let You Down. But lately, the 55-year-old has been particularly haunted by the finite nature of existence.It began when the pandemic forced Hot Snakes off the road mid-tour early in 2020. “It came at a time in our lives where, even though it was just a couple of years we couldn’t tour, we could feel how precious those years were. We’re getting older, and we’re already thinking, ‘How much longer will I be able to do this?’” Reis pauses. “And then my friend Rick went into th...
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