Carnival Crash

Carnival Crash was a relatively short-lived band whose members scattered into a veritable Who’s Who of New York post-punk bands: Swans, Live Skull, Ritual Tension, Chavez and others. Their legacy of recordings, compiled on “It Is A Happy Man” (Obelisk Records), stands the test of time. Born out of the late-'70s punk scene, the band emerged during the vibrant early-'80s New York City post-punk movement. John Griffin brought the Brooklyn streets, heavily steeped in doo-wop and rock’n’roll but with Captain Beefheart and Rimbaud in the mix. Norman Westberg came from Detroit, and brought that sensibility and an eagerness to plunge in. Ivan Nahem was the drummer in late-70s San Francisco punk band The Situations. All the players had been on board with the first wave of punk, but were now searching beyond that for something different in New York City, which, by 1980, was turning in a new direction. Without trying too hard to be earnest, and not lacking a sense of humor, the newly formed band had a certain darkness and intensity that fit the member’s new geography perfectly. Carnival Crash’s music isn’t anti-rock or Noise; there is melody and dramatic dynamics in the instruments and voices. Important influences, besides Beefheart, were Alice Cooper, Joy Division, The Birthday Party, Wire, Bush Tetras and The Contortions. The seeds of Carnival Crash were planted on the west coast. Ivan and his brother Andrew Nahem, along with Tom Paine and Mark C., had formed the band Crop while in California. Ivan, Tom and Mark then migrated to New York City in 1980, and soon began auditioning guitar players. But there were disagreements over direction, and Ivan eventually left the band, which later became Live Skull. He went on to form Carnival Crash with John Griffin, and recruited guitarist Norman Westberg, whom he had met at a Crop audition. With Norman in the band, they began gigging as a trio around their East Village home base. They performed at loft parties and the seminal noise rock/second generation punk venue A7, as well as more established and now legendary clubs, like CBGBs and Tramps. John and Ivan were both writing lyrics and singing, but were looking actively for a lead singer. When auditions didn’t turn up anyone, Ivan got up from behind the drums and became the band’s front man. Future Live Skull alumnus James Lo was brought in to take his place. In the short history of the band, there were two recording sessions. Still in trio formation, the first was in 1981 at George Kaufman’s loft rehearsal studio, employing his TEAC 4-track recorder. Ivan and John shared vocal duties. In 1982, when the band was a four piece, they went into Noise NY to record more tracks. Unfortunately, during these sessions the band split up. Ivan decided to release two of the tracks as a single (Edge of Night b/w Tell Tale Heart), which was critically lauded at the time. He used the moniker Ivan X. Norman Westberg went on to join Swans, which would become his home for many decades. These days he’s performing and recording solo. His work has been well-received and has a strong following. Ivan and his brother Andrew (who, incidentally, are the sons of major league baseball pitcher Sam Nahem) formed Ritual Tension with Michael Shockley and Marc Sloan. They persisted through the Eighties and into the early 1990s, releasing four records: I Live Here LP / Hotel California EP (Sacrifice/ILA), Blood of the Kid (CBGB/Celluloid), and Expelled (Safe House). Ritual Tension has recently re-formed. They are playing out and just recorded a new album at Mark C’s Deepsea Studio in Hoboken. The new album, called “It’s Just The Apocalypse, It’s Not The End”, will be released this Fall on Arguably Records. John Griffin continued producing work as a painter and musician; his most recent efforts can be accessed here: https://thegriffinmorrisseycatastrophe.bandcamp.com/track/crow . His goat Moondog was chosen as 2018’s WFMU mascot. Besides Live Skull, James Lo has played in the acclaimed band Chavez.