Storming the stage like a perverse, sweaty missile, Iggy Pop set the stage for Toledo’s Human Darts.
“It was 1974. He was dressed in lime green thigh-high boots, with matching hot pants and bow tie. Iggy was this frightening thing hurtling at the crowd. Today, no one bats an eye at stage diving, but that day the crowd ran screaming. Early punk was like that. It was awesome and we wanted to be like Iggy,” said Mark Van Winkle, vocalist for the Human Darts.
“Well, Iggy hit the ground and the bouncers had to carry him away. That’s allegorical for The Human Darts.”
Great aim
Iggy & the Stooges, the MC5 and the Sex Pistols inspired three kids from Sylvania who had one hot single. That 45, just a pair of songs, got them an early gig with a new group of upstarts from New York called The Ramones. Unfortunately, like Iggy’s impactful stage dive, the Human Darts quickly crashed.
In the late 1970s, Toledo bar patrons wanted rock covers. The band broke up on the cusp of hitting it big. It took some time for Toledo and the rest of the world to be ready for punk and a band like the Human Darts. Today, the Human Darts are recognized for their cutting edge sound. Originals of their only single, “Slave/Dressmaker,” sell on the collectors’ market for over $100.
Jump ahead to 2016. After years of playing in bars with other bands, as session players and stand-ins, the band is back together. Today’s Human Darts consist of Shane Close, Jon Arduser and Mr. Zelk, with Van Winkle providing extra vocals. October 25 heralded the Human Darts’ first release of new material since the ’70s.
Straight shot
“Explicit Thoughts was put together as a modern high-quality studio work with that original and unique Human Darts sound,” explained Mr. Zelk.
Think classic punk with a rockabilly tinge and deceptively clever lyrics that would make you laugh. Explicit Thoughts’ standout is “Zombie Man Chant,” which features a Hammond B3 organ sound. The Cole Porter classic “Hey Good Lookin’” could have been straight off an old Blasters album, with some fun piano playing linking the song back to punk’s roots in early rock and roll.
Good conceptual art is still good years later and the Darts’ early bit of weirdness is still part of the show. Think about the antics of the Dead Milkmen hit with a shot of classic surf punk. That’s some good driving music.
Pick up the new four-song EP, Explicit Thoughts, at Culture Clash Records. A full-length LP with 10-12 songs is set to be released in March with more new material. Remember those bootlegs and the original 45? That stuff is being cleaned up with modern digital tools for a proper re-release.
