#Fred Sonic Smith

[blackros78]

MC5 circa 1970

#mc5 #1970s #proto punk #classic rock #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith #rob tyner #michael davis #dennis thompson

[creaminmybones]

Patti Smith and Fred Sonic Smith by Seiji Matsumoto, 1988

#beautiful #patti smith #fred sonic smith #photography: seiji matsumoto #1988 #80’s

[manitat]

LIVE: MC5

#mc5 #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith

[undergroundrockpress]

Sonic's Rendezvous Band / Fred « Sonic » Smith in 1977.

#rock photography #fred sonic smith #Sonic's Rendezvous Band #1977 #1970s

[newplaces2drown]

MC5 by Alexandre Morillas Marques

#mc5 #wayne kramer #rob tyner #fred sonic smith #classic rock #punk rock #proto punk #1960s

[musickickztoo]

 Fred "Sonic" Smith *September 14, 1948

#fred sonic smith #mc5 #sonic's rendezvous band #patti smith #september 14

[pbr-street-gang]

Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith - MC5

#Fred Sonic Smith #MC5 #Sonic Rendezvous Band #Punk #Rock N Roll #White Panther Party

[nwonitro]

MC5 Live at Tartar Field, July 1970

Wayne Kramer 1948-2024

#mc5 #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith #Youtube #punk #proto punk

[guerrilla-operator]

#sonic's rendezvous band #fred sonic smith #scott asheton #rock and roll #punk rock #garage rock #punk #rock #punk flyers #flyers

[turbo-l0ver]

in memory of wayne kramer, i wrote a post about MC5, one of my favorite bands ever. rest in peace, wayne. hope you're kickin' ass with rob, mike, and sonic wherever you guys are

#hard rock #60s bands #punk rock #mc5 #rob tyner #wayne kramer #michael davis #dennis thompson #blog #rocknroll #rock n roll #fred sonic smith #classic rock #1960s

[spilladabalia]

MC5 - It's a man's man's man's world - Live 1970

#mc5 #it's a man's man's man's world #james brown #cover #rob tyner #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith #dennis thompson #michael davies #garage rock #hard rock #proto punk #live 1970 #Youtube

[blackros78]

The MC5, circa 1970

#mc5 #1970s #proto punk #classic rock #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith #rob tyner #dennis thompson #michael davis #group shot #1970 #hard rock

[creaminmybones]

Patti Smith and Fred Sonic Smith live in 1978

#patti smith #fred sonic smith #live #1978

[interzonedrone]

“The Hard Stuff” Wayne Kramer Memoir Review

Recently on my grand adventures of going to my local second hand bookstore shopping that i try to do as often as I can, I came across Wayne Kramer’s memoir. As an avid Punk rock and MC5 fan, I did not know that this existed and so I was Intrigued to pick it up and read it for myself. 

A Little background on Wayne Kramer for anyone not familiar with him or MC5, Wayne was the Guitarist of Motor City Five (MC5). The band formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1963. The band Consisted of Members Rob Tyner (Vocals), Wayne Kramer (Guitar) , Fred “Sonic” Smith (Guitar) , Michael Davis (Bass), and Dennis Thompson (Drums). MC5 Established their sound with anti-establishment lyrics which innovated them as Pioneers of the Punk Rock Movement. Their Most well known song is “Kick Out the Jams”. 

First Impressions: My first impressions reading Wayne’s Memoir, I was unsure of what to think. Many people were very Critical of the memoir as they felt like Wayne didn’t really talk about Much of what like most documentaries would talk about bands like the history of the bands. They felt like him talking about his life at parts were boring. To me however, the purpose of a memoir, particularly for a musician to talk about their experiences for a band it needs a background on how they got into that band. For Wayne in particular, it happened to be his environment he was in, growing up in Detroit at a town where a city where crime was at it’s peak, everyone was getting arrested for the littlest things. Racism was also very common in the 60′s and this made Wayne Frustrated by that. he couldn’t understand why everyone couldn’t be treated equally. being around this environment as a teen and in your 20′s is what is the particular background for the lyrics behind MC5 and the lifestyle they wanted to show in their music. They wanted to be raw and Original as Possible. 

My favorite parts: 

One of my favorite parts of the Memoir without spoiling it for anyone, is how much Wayne didn’t realize how much of a impact his band had on the Punk Movement until He Met Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of The Clash. Wayne had never considered himself a punk legend in his his own mind, as MC5 to him had crashed in and burned due to the fact that they couldn’t keep a steady band together, the band was very political and Labels were afraid to have them. Also the fact that Wayne also had a few drug charges and to his name. I also think the coolest thing about this is that the clash had a song called “Jail Guitar Doors” written about Wayne. 

throughout the years, Wayne talks about the many musicians he has played with for charity concerts some being musicians such as William Duvall, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, Billy Bragg, etc. some of the performances have been playing for inmates. after concerts, he tries to talk with inmates and hearing their stories and telling them about how music can be as a coping mechanism and a source as an outlet for anyone to get them out of anyone out of trouble. 

Overall : 

If you want to learn more about the background of Wayne and who he is as a person, this is a good book to read. if you want to learn about the lyrical background of MC5, this isn’t the book. this book is particularly one member’s experience of a good and a bad experience of a band at their high and their lows. 

Book Start: July 30, 2022 

Book End: August 20, 2022 

Rating: 8.5/10    

This picture was in Wayne’s book. He was at the white panther’s headquarters, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1969. Photo: Leni Sinclair

#wayne kramer #mc5 #rob tyner #fred sonic smith #michael davis #dennis thompson

[dinosaursr66]

Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith tore a hole into Rock n Roll. Motor City goodness.

SONG OF THE DAY - Monday, April 14, 2024

#song of the day #MC5 #wayne kramer #fred sonic smith #rob tyner #motor city #Detroit #michigan #Sinclair #revolution #Youtube

[musickickztoo]

Fred "Sonic" Smith † November 4, 1994

#fred sonic smith #mc5 #sonic's rendezvous band #patti smith #november 4