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Nu Kats Newsletter.
March 3, 1981

Dear Devotees:

   Those of you who attended the NU KATS Starwood performance on January 15th saw two riotous sets, but backstage after the second set, there was a real riot!!!

   One of the Starwood bouncers forcibly removed Scooters Guitarist-Luke Zamparini's beer from his mouth, causing an excitedly alarmed reaction by Luke, who soon found himself pinned to the floor by a brainless ape man. Larry Lee (of the Scooters and also NU KAT producer) ran to investigate and was intercepted by yet another bouncer, and pinned against the wall... That's when all hell broke loose, resulting in a riot with NU KATS, SCOOTERS, and members of the band the MOTION, battling it out with the Starwood heavies. Quite a few injuries were sustained (on both sides). The Starwood later phoned to apologized for their brutes...

   The NU KATS are now "bi-coastal"!! "Plastic Facts", the NU KATS' ten-inch Rhino Record was just picked up by a NYC Radio promoter...

   A video tape of the NU KATS performing "It's Not A Rumour" is now in the editing stage. "It was just like old time Hollywood with gaffers, key grips, and slate men." exclaimed Freddy of the mammoth production. "I felt just like Cary Grant."

   Saturday, February 7th, NU KATS played all 9 of their new tunes at Wong's Chinatown. From the audience's reaction, they appear to be great!!! I wouldn't know, let me explain: at Wong's Chinatown, the light console is located behind the band, so not only is it difficult to hear the music, but all I see is their rear ends!!! Butt, I had a good time anyway...

   Friday the 13th of February was good luck for all of us who showed at Wong's West. The NU KATS were in rare form, and the crowd couldn't get enough. Suffice to say a good time was had by ALL (including some record companies)...

   NU KATS plan to hit the recording studio soon with producers Larry Lee and Fred Mollin, to lay down their NINE new songs...Possibly TEN nu songs...

   When Dennis Peters noticed Allen had his own song to sing ("I'm No Good") he threatened to tie Freddy Moore to the wheel of his motorcycle with used bass strings if F.M. didn't write a song for him to sing. Since Freddy is a cyclophobiac, he immediately retorted, "I'm already working on a song for you called "I'm The Life Of The Party, because I'm The Only One That I Invited To The Party!"

The band hasn't learned "Life Of The Party" yet, but if Freddy's demo is any indication, we're talking Hitsville, U.S.A.!!!...

   The band requests you readers to send me a list of your top ten KATS songs, (in order of your preference), so that they can have your input as-to which songs to record since they now have sixty-one original songs to choose between. Also, NU KATS are considering changing their name back to THE KATS. Send your opinions on that as well...

  During the past week, I was rummaging through my collection of press clips and found several items of interest:   The seminal version of THE KATS was acknowledged by CREEM magazine as "One of the first power-pop bands known to man."

   After the articles piqued my interest, I asked lead vocalist Freddy Moore to help me piece together a sketch of the KATS past...

   Frederick George Moore was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (as were all of the NU KATS). Although he spent his adolescence in San Francisco, Freddy eventually ended up back in Minneapolis fronting a group known as "SKOGIE AND THE FLAMING PACHUCOS" (which at times included D. Peters and A. Galles). SKOGIE eventually attained "Star" status in the upper-midwest. "Being big time in Minnesota just wasn't enough." claims Freddy. Relocating and disbanding SKOGIE in Hollywood, Freddy and Company decided to form a new band called "THE KATS".

   Over the past two years the membership of the band vacillated between 4 to 6 players, eventually settling on the 4 present and original members, (Trivia #4: there are 4 ex-KATS: 1. Mark Goldstein, 2. Gary Dunn, 3. Guido Charles, and 4. Pete McRae).

  Freddy grew up writing songs inspired by his childhood heroes (Beatles, Kinks and Who). "I couldn't get enough of the songs I liked so I wrote my own." confessed Freddy. "Everything I write is a strictly emotional reaction. It's all from the heart and basically represent my thoughts and feelings."

   As in the case of "Lost My TV Guide", "You have to realize," stated Freddy, " I came home and couldn't find the T.V. Guide, so I literally ripped the house to pieces. Then I thought, how absurd, you know, the power of Machine over Man!!"

   When he's not beating up keyboard players or dressing in drag, Dennis J. Peters (Bass player extra-ordinare) is found in front of his 21" inch SONY. Dennis has a memory like an elephant. I thought I had stumped him when I asked him to sing the old "Mr. Ed Show" theme song... No way, he recalled every verse, word for word.
When asked about his own musical preferences, Dennis replied, "I like everything from Bach to Rock, but not too much Bach." His favorites include The Cretones, Elvis Costello, and Soul Music. Dennis also added, "If it's really good, it's good, and if it's really bad, it 's good."

   Speaking of really bad... we come to drummer Allen J. Galles (only kidding Al!!). Allen's father was a drummer. "I guess it runs in the family." says Al. "My musical tastes are similar to Denny's. Dennis and I have known each other since grade school." recalls Allen. "Because we've been together so long, people tend to think we're brothers, but Denny's father won't admit to it!!"
"I've known Allen for twelve years," divulged Dennis, "but he's only been awake for 3 of them!"

   Bobbyzio Moore, Freddy's little brother and the KATS most diverse musician, was the latest addition to the group. Before joining the group as a performer, Bobbyzio was SKOGIE'S roadie. During a U.S. tour, Bobbyzio totaled the equipment truck by accidentally driving off an embankment while simultaneously trying to take a nap. "We had no choice but to put him in the band," admits Freddy, "because he never would have paid us back!" Offstage, Bobbyzio is the shyest NU KAT, so I asked Freddy for a comment on his sibling: "People tend to think Bobbyzio doesn't like them because he's so quiet offstage, but it's not that he doesn't like them, it's just that he's bashful!"

   With his spiky-kooky hair and herky-jerky moves, onstage Bobbyzio is anything but shy.

   When describing the Moore Brothers in the Herald Examiner, Ken Tucker wrote,
"Is it possible that these boys issued from the same poor mother?" ...

   Hopefully, in this newsletter, we've put to rest all those questions you've wanted answered.
Remember NU KATS love it when you come out and support them, so see you at the gigs and keep those cards and letters coming!!!

Sincerely, Kevin Newton.

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