Chrome sparkles in Detroit

PREVIEW
	Chrome Tonight at 8 p.m. The Magic Stick

Bands are like families. They have complicated, and often bitter, interpersonal dynamics. And Chrome has as complicated a home life as anyone.

Cobbled together 20 years ago into its classic incarnation with the song writing duo of Helios Creed on guitars and vocals and Damon Edge on synthesizer Chrome was a major force in the creation of electronic music today.

More rocking and organic than Kraftwerk or Gary Numan musically, the band has achieved more in its primary five years than most bands could in decades. Creed put it best when he said, "We are the true alternative."

From straight ahead bluesy songs like "Pharaoh Chromium" to apocalyptic stompers like "New Age," the band was efficient and entertaining. In 1983, Edge moved to France, essentially breaking up the band.

"He did the 'Damon' Chrome records, four or five of them," said Helios Creed in a recent interview. "He took over the band when he left the U.S. and I did the solo thing, strictly. When he died (in 1995), I felt the urge, him being out of the way and all."

"We were going to do a reunion album," Creed said. "I wanted to do one with him, John and Hillary (Stench, drummer and bassist on several Chrome albums) but he couldn't; he didn't want to do it except through the mail. I could only do it with all of us in the studio, so that never came together, and after he died - that's what I mean with him out of the way - then I sought to get John and Hillary and Gary (Spain) or whoever is still alive to do a semi-Chrome reunion. Because really me and Damo

Courtesy of Sub Pop Helios Creed of "Chrome" will perform at the Magic Stick tonight at 8.

n were the only original members, really. And Gary Spain. And Damon's dead and I don't know if Gary's still alive. I tried to find him and I couldn't. Actually I'm the only real original member (still around)."

Helios's new Chrome is far more true to the original band's sound than anything else under Chrome's name in the past 15 years, although more in the modern electronic music idiom. It has, after all, been two decades.

"I wanted to pump some life into it because it was dormant," Creed said. "And I'd like to pump some life into it, not to make a bunch of money, it's just what I want to do. Money is nice, but it's not the motive for doing it. Solely," he laughed.

"I don't really want it to be like the way Damon did it. I want it to be not featuring anyone, really, just try to make a band, be a part of a band. Maybe I do a little more than everyone else, but I still want it to be a band."

Creed said that playing by himself creates too much pressure and attention for him, and also takes away from the diversity that comes with a group.

"Because how your solo records sell, it all weighs on your shoulders," he said. "I just thought it would be neat to do something that didn't feature or limelight me. There's actually another guitarist in the band, Nova Cain, and he's holding down a lot of the rhythm stuff. It's really different from (my solo work) in a lot of respects."

Chrome is finally touring America, and Creed say that this is the way to go.

"It's very simple, actually. We're just playing the bigger cities, and skipping most of the small towns ... Chrome has never toured in the States. We did a show in '83 or '82 in San Francisco, and that was it. (For) seventy-five percent of the show I'm going to play the old classics, and twenty-five percent will be the new stuff... It's gonna be about an hour and a half set, maybe two hours. We're trying to sound exactly like the old albums as we can. It's easy to do the new albums, since we just recorded them," he said.

And new material there is. With two full-length Chrome CDs, an EP and two solo albums out within the last year, Creed has been quite prolific, even if distribution of the material hasn't been great.

"I try to stick to the old school of Chrome. Whereas Helios has some almost jazzy-like beats, Chrome was always old-school rock. Not jazz, but you know what I mean. Chrome is more primal, machine-kinda thing, if that makes any sense."

Oddly enough, this material, although all out in a fairly short period of time, has been on a slew of labels.

"It's just because it's what I'm doing at the time. It's mostly a money thing, if you really want to know. About a year or two ago when I wasn't touring, I tried to get all the money I could and make all the records I could," Creed said. "And now that I can tour again, I don't feel I need to do that. It's almost like I have too much product now."

Never one to get overly comfortable, Creed isn't ready to rest on his laurels quite yet.

"I don't like to live in one place for too long. I'm already wanting to move from here, but I really can't right now. Touring will probably get it out of my system. I just need to go somewhere. See something else. I don't know why. Bored."

Touring is never entirely good, of course. "I hate cigarettes. It's terrible. I have a hard time doing shows, 'cause I'm allergic to cigarettes. You've got to breathe all this smoke at shows. I get used to it towards the end, but I don't really like it ... You're a lot better off without all that crap."

Well, although Creed will have to suffer through the noxious cancer cloud at the Magic Stick tonight, there will be a form of Chrome gracing our area.

If Chrome has some kind of family relationship with its fans, then this must be Christmas.

Chrome will perform with Silver Apples. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show is for those 18 and older. Tickets are $8. For more information call (313) 833-9850.

04-08-98