[kj] Lance Hahn RIP

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

I posted about this 3 days ago. As an Austinite, it's big news here. 
Here is what I posted on Oct. 23:


"Death comes in 3s"

All 3 died within the past week or so.


I wrote this piece about all 3 of them, with one video of each of their 
bands in action:


http://www.cultpunk.com/?p=202


-Oliver



PS. If you're not familiar with Lance Hahn of J Church, he was a punk 
music journalist, wrote for Maximum Rock n' Roll for almost 20 years, 
was in the 80s punk band Cringer and started J-Church in 1992, in San 
Fran, but relocated to Austin; the band and Hahn was extremely prolific, 
all the while writing columns for Maximum Rock 'n Roll. Info on J Church 
here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Church_%28band%29

They were an Austin punk institution, where I live, and Hahn's death, at 
age 40, has been big local news. J Church also have a MySpace page: 
http://www.myspace.com/jchurch



Change wrote:

> Sadly Raven of Killing Joke wasn't the only person

> that died last weekend

>

> R.I.P Lance Hahn

> Sunday, October 21, 2007, 10:20 PM 

>

>

> Austin-based musician, journalist and punk rock icon

> Lance Hahn died Sunday after a long illness brought on

> by complications from kidney disease. He had been in a

> coma since collapsing during dialysis treatment on

> Friday, October 12th. He was 40.

>  

> According to Liberty Lidz, Lance's longtime

> girlfriend, his collapse was due to a sudden, drastic

> drop in blood pressure, probably caused by a

> recurrence of an infection he had in September

> combined with the stress of dialysis. He received

> immediate CPR from medical professionals at the

> dialysis center, but it took more than fifteen minutes

> to resuscitate him. Lance suffered neurological damage

> from lack of oxygen to the brain, leaving him in a

> coma from which he never returned.

> The specter of failing health followed Lance in his

> last months. Like so many musicians and artists in

> Austin, he did not have health insurance.

>  

> Hahn was best known for the prolific rock band J

> Church, which since its inception in 1992 produced

> dozens of singles, EPs, and albums of sharp, melodic

> songs mixed with punk attitude. As Hahn was quoted in

> 1995, “A lot of people write trying to keep track of

> all the records we put out. I can’t even remember.”

> (The band was only three years old at the time.)

> Hahn also played in the punk band Cringer from 1984 to

> 1991, played guitar for the rock musician Beck in

> 1994, owned and operated the Honey Bear record label,

> was a long-time contributor to the international punk

> rock magazine “Maximum Rock n Roll,” and published the

> zine “Some Hope and Some Despair.” Many unfamiliar

> with Hahn’s music knew him as a manager at the Vulcan

> Video store on South Congress.

> At the time of his death, Hahn was near completion on

> a book about the history of anarchist punk bands,

> portions of which have been excerpted in “Maximum Rock

> n Roll.”

>  

> Born in Hawaii, Hahn was of the generation for whom

> punk rock was neither a just a genre nor a passing

> fashion, but a way of looking at the world. “He

> claimed to be the first person in Hawaii with a

> Mohawk,” said his partner Liberty Lidz. 

>  

> After Hahn, by then a California resident, formed J

> Church, the band became a staple of the San Francisco

> punk rock community. The group’s catchy music,

> do-it-yourself work ethic and Situationist leanings

> were both a sharp contrast and perfect fit with

> hundreds of heavier or poppier acts. 

>  

> Throughout his life, Hahn wore many hats: punk

> chronicler and freelance writer, record and video

> retail rat, Honey Bear Records kingpin, member of

> Cringer from 1984 to 1991, and since 1992, the

> lynchpin of J Church. But for all that Hahn had on his

> plate at any given time, his biggest role in life

> seemed to be “nice guy,” judging by the outpouring of

> kindness shown to him during setbacks in his life and

> from the reactions of friends and admirers upon news

> of his death.

>  

>

> With Hahn’s medical bills escalating this summer, a

> group of forward-thinking labels (No Idea, Cat Food

> Money, Vinehell, Jerk Off, and Tic Tac Totally) banded

> together to issue the J Church/Cringer tribute album

> Let’s Do It For Lance! to help him out financially.

> When Hahn and partner Liberty Lidz’ apartment and

> $40,000 worth of possessions were destroyed by a fire

> in 2002, benefit shows were quickly put on in Austin,

> New York, San Francisco, Japan, and England. He added,

> talking to the Austin American-Statesman in December

> that year, “There was something in Luxembourg also. I

> keep getting these checks in the mail from these

> shows. At first, I felt a little awkward about

> accepting cash, but people wanted to help.” The punk

> community has a stellar record of always helping

> friends in need, but Hahn’s status has sparked eager

> calls to arms whenever immediate action was needed.

>

>  

>

> Lance's final blog entry, on Oct.7th was short, to the

> point and as close to a good-bye as we will get. "Even

> with the drugs I feel like I've got needles in my

> stomach. I'm about to run out of Vicodin and I'm

> pretty nervous about it. I know I've said it before

> but I don't mind dying or getting hurt. It's the pain

> I can't handle."

>

>  

>

> No death is inconsequential, but there is something

> truly sad when the music community loses a vital mover

> and shaker. In a world where fashion unfortunately

> always eclipses passion, Hahn’s dedication to

> genuineness, in his life and music, will be sorely

> missed.

>

>

>

>

>

> --- Jap <miho4001 at yahoo.co.jp> wrote:

>

>   

>> http://www.paulraventribute.com/ 

>>     

>

>

> INTERZONE

> http://www.augustineleudar.110mb.com/Interzone.htm

>

> RTX, Kristin Hersh, Githead, Shellac, Michael Gira & the Dirty Three interviewed here:

> http://www.perfectsoundforever.com

>

> Polysics interviewed here:

> http://www.cultcargo.net

>

>

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