kp: So what are the positive things?
dl: Indirectly responsible for settling the feud between THE DEAD BOYS and THE DAMNED and introducing Stiv to Brian James in the dressing room at CBGB's and henceforth we got THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH.

One night I was talking to Brian James and Captain Sensible and I introduced Brian to Stiv Bators and Cheetah, cause there was equipment borrowing every once in awhile. And I broke the ice between them. So you might say I'm responsible for that. And hip hop culture.

kp: You are responsible for Hip Hop culture?
dl: Oh, excuse me the implant is going off in my head. I NEED DRINK...(cackling laugh)

I went to school in the South Bronx, where the 7 is. I remember people cutting up records, "Walk this Way", way before Run DMC came out with it. It was a 'Break Record' they called them. We would get out of school and 'Break Up'.

Grand Master Flash went to my school. And me, I did my simple nursery rhyme poems.

kp: Is this true or are you feeding me a line of shit?
dl: I used to hang with my posse before it was called that. Jamming on turntables and stuff. And then I started performance art.

kp: You started performance art?
dl: That I can document. I have me playing at Club 57 and what I'm doing, there's no description for it. I guess the closest thing would be performance art.

kp: Was this a David Bowie, "Spiders from Mars" type of thing?
dl: What does that have to do with? Oh wait, oh, I'm sorry you're saying that Bowie might as well have started it.

kp: I'm just asking, were you aware of what he was doing? Are you saying he stole it from you?
dl: Bowie? Yeah, Bowie stole everything from me. I seen Bowie play piano with Iggy.

That was a great show, everybody in New York was at that show...It was March of '77, Iggy came back with "The Idiot", Bowie produced him and Bowie played keyboards. BLONDIE opened up for them.

kp: Your cat looks really tiny. Is she ok? What's her name?
dl: Maybeline.

kp: How long have you had her?
dl: 14 years.

kp: You've been able to keep something alive besides yourself for fourteen years?
dl: She's the girl, she's the girl.

A legend in his own neighborhood and a cult figure in his own mind, Lama thrives at frequent shows at CBGB's. Recently his 1979 album with MALONEY'S TOUCH, "Don't Kill Us", was re-released on vinyl 45 and can be found on Rave Up Records' "American Lost Punk Rock Gems Vol.2", a must for anyone thirsty for the glory days of Max's Kansas City.

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