When MDC formed and started playing the Dicks were already going pretty good and since Dave and I were pretty good friends we put them on lots of our shows. so when they got the tour thig going on and played in SF they pretty much got us on the shows with them. we shared a lot of political views so we got lumped together as the benefit bands. we played so many shows for so many causes. I was always happy to do sshows and give money to things i believed in. i wam especially proud to play for the John Brown Anit-Klan Group. It's funny to think back and realize their was no Aids back then. Lots of fucking and sex was going on. ths did not hurt our timing using sexual images as a political motivation and enjoying the time.
Dave came to me one day and said MDC was moving to SF. I wanted to go too. I always felt the Dicks could move up and really start writing and playing big shows. when i brought it up to the other guys they all thought it could be fun.
so in Oct. a few days before Halloween we moved to San Francisco. it was 1882.
Buxf and Pat were staying with Barry Gavin who also had moved to Oakland. My dearest friend Phillip Guilbeau had moved out as part of the whol Texas migration a couple of months before me. He, being a talented office worker, got a job at SF State and was staying with our old friend Scott from the Palo Alto days. He had made some great friends who went to school there. Dtella and Debbie became his week end buddies. when he told them The Dicks were moving out Debbie told him she was moving in with Stella aand we could move into her apartment. Glen was hanging with our friend Cindy so they drove out and moved in with Phillip in the new place.. i flew in and they all met me at the airport. it was a happy reunion and we stopped and got a few six packs of beer and headed to out new home. a big surprise waited for me.
First it wa up a huge hill in the outter Mission. once up the hill there were about 70 stairs to climb. as a fat guy me and stairs never got along to well anyway. Opening the door once to the top i walked into a tiny space. the "bath room" was a toilit with bar room swining doors....just big enough to hide the body but the legs showing. a tiny shower stall. not really a room but a cornor.
a small kitchen and then the bedroom. we all spept in the one room....on the floor. after the beers and as i was passing out i could only think...."san francisco open your golden gates..". i was home, though, and i knew it.