MULLETUDE, MULLET HISTORY, FISHING N' HUNTIN MULLETS and the PIGS
Greco-Roman civilization looked down on androgynous hairstyles. Men wore their hair short; women wore it long. When the Romans conquered Gaul and Britain, they dispatched barbers to cut the hair of the defeated barbarians. This created a festering hostility in the hearts of the conquered Mullet Heads, who eventually grew their hair back, sacked Rome and ushered in the Dark Ages. After the fall of Rome in 476 AD, the Church created confusion by requiring monks to shave the top of their heads and weave the cut locks into awful hair shirts. Important men like Charlemagne (742-814 AD) said to hell with this noise and grew their hair as long as they liked, as did the dreaded Visigoths, Vikings and others who held feral sway over this demanding era. Not until the Renaissance did resurrected classical hairstyles replace medieval styles, but while the newly emerging middle class embraced this revival, the ruling classes again clung to the Mullet. Thus the newfound wealth of nations only produced more elaborate Mullet variants in the elite salons of Europe, and by the seventeenth century, in pre-Revolutionary France, the first example of an entire culture succumbing to pre-Mullet awareness came to the surface. In America, meanwhile, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson wore strict ponytails, mostly out of politeness to the Mullet laden European powers they despised. And with the emergence of close-cropped haircuts like that of Thomas Paine, America declared its independence and the Mullet was almost completely abandoned. By the early 1800s, the lawlessness of the Wild West and the Native American fondness toward the Mullet led to the extremely modern bi-level worn by Buffalo Bill, as well as other oddities like the coonskin cap. As the twentieth century approached, moppy hairstyles like those of Andrew Jackson and Mark Twain became common along with bushy beards, mutton-chop whiskers and the cookie duster mustaches later worn by Teddy Roosevelt. Finally, in the mid 1800s, the American hotelier Hiran Ricker busted out what appears to be the first true Mullet. The feathered tresses framing his face, however, were simply an enormous accumulation of whiskers, an effect later popularized by sci-fi author Isaac Asimov. The origins of today’s modern Mullet are traceable to the point in time where the demise of the hippie era overlapped with the first rumblings of the glam rock/punk revolution. It is easy to imagine the confusion among men and women. Should it be cut short? Should it be left long? Maybe get a perm like Barbara Streisand and Mac Davis. Maybe just cut a little off the front and take some off the sides. This dilemma only intensified when punk rock finally formalized what glam had only started, a complete rejection of the longhair movement. Quite simply the compromise that arose out of this conflict was the Mullet, pretty much as it is know today. A perfect example is the case of Led Zeppelin. In 1976, after Presence was released, they were still as unashamed in their shagginess as they'd always been. By 1979, however, with the release of In Through The Out Door, the full effect of the punk revolution had showed itself in the band's new wave look. While none of the members were exactly sporting Mullets, even drummer John Bonham had finally agreed to lose the headband, cut his bangs and exchange the ponytail for barely shoulder-length hair. Ironically, he died soon after. Though it would be another five years before second-generation Zeppelin bands like Rush began sending out a distant early warning to their easily influenced fans, the history of hair and the very nature of the male mind had been drastically altered forever. Beginning with Rush's five-night stand at Radio City Music Hall in September 1983 (where Geddy Lee debuted his Mullet), it was only a hop, skip and a jump to such later '80s phenomena as Red-Rocks era Bono, Keifer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, Lou Reed, Richard Marx, The Oakland A's and, the Philadelphia Phillies. Conceptually, the Mullet is as much a state of mind as it is a haircut. It is possible, therefore, to not have a Mullet but be a Mullet Head, just as it is possible to have a Mullet but not be a Mullet Head. Technically, the Mullet is several haircuts in one, "the best of both worlds," as Roller Derby fanzine puts it. For kids, it's the ultimate Woodstock II do: new wave on top, a bit b-boy on the sides and rock steady in back. Those adults who wish to party and live life in the fast lane on weekends but be effective workers on weekdays also favor the Mullet. From their nine-to-five, Monday-through Friday work week where the back can be hid in the shirt collar or pony-tailed out of sight and mind, to the Saturday morning tailgater/football game, to the Eagles concert later that night where the hair can be let down, to church and Sunday brunch at the Sizzler, the Mullet Head is never ill at ease. In short, or rather, in both short and long, the Mullet is the only hairstyle that allows the post-modern man to live a full life with his parents' approval.
This Sweet Mullet Picture is of Sweet Mullets creater "the Captain".
Here is Big Bri showing off his most Sweet Mullet, your Momma must be soooo proud...
Fishin’ N Huntin” Mullets
Every Summer Big Bri, my Cousin Brett and I take a drive up to “Porky’s” cabin to do a little fishing and hunting, but it was more than that, it is a commune with nature. The following is a bit of Mullet, a bit of Fishing and a little bit of Hunting……
Our Commune With Nature
"Spend time in nature. I find a great way to engage in strategic refueling is being out in the woods. Walking in the woods nurtures your soul. It relaxes your mind. It opens your heart." Robin Sharma
“Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven” Rabindranath Tagore
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” William Shakespeare
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
The woods were made for the hunters of dreams, The brooks for the fishers of song; To the hunters who hunt for the gunless game The streams and the woods belong. Sam Walter Foss
“Nature is man's teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence.” Alfred Billings Street
“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” George Washington Carver
“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” Eleonora Duse
“Some people say a man's best friend is the dog. Mine is Nature.” Ward Elliot Hour
“Drinking nature is an unquenchable thirst.” Berri Clove
Vicious Pigs
Vivian Vicious and Nigel Pig During the punk revelution two young star from the Midwest shot into the seen, Vivian Vicious and Nigel Pig. The boys started out playing small gigs throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and quickly invaded the growing Chicago Punk World. Their band, at the time was the short lived “X-Junkies”. As they plowed through the punk club in Chicago they were quickly picked up by EMI records, signed and record deal, and flew to England to begin recording and a European tour.
European Tour Vivian and Nigel were quickly getting restless in Europe, Three months into their tour the two quite the band and ended the X-Junkies forever. During an interview, post X-Junkies, with Vivian and Nigel in A Hashish Bar in Amsterdam, Vivian was quoted, “Well Nigel and I were talking, and we just could see ourselves as “X-junkies” since we are practicing junkies.”
Back in the US After a six month drug educed stooper throughout Europe the two found themselves broke and back in the United States. They hitch hiked back to Wisconsin and ended up in Vivian’s parent’s basement. A few months went by the boys were back practicing and itching to get back on stage.
The two desperately looked for work in the music industry but the death of the X-Junkies still left a bad taste in the mouths of most, but all was not lost. In a bar just outside of Milwaukee the two ran into an old friend, Stiff Kitten, lead guitarist from the Glam Rock band Witchcraft. Stiff offered them a roadie gig and the two graciously accepted and went on tour with Witchcraft.
Roadies for Witchcraft Nigel was quoted, “Well fuck, Stiff had the best drugs, and was always willing to share”
Vivian was a natural born Roadie and worked well with all the others, seen here “shootgunning” a beer before unloading the equipment truck.
Months went by and the two seemed content with being roadies, but they never lost their desire for the limelight. They often found themselves during sound check playing their old songs from the X-Junkies.
As luck would have it, in Phoenix, Arizona The opening band for Witchcraft, “Shit Brick House” was delayed and they had no one to open the show. Vivian picked up Stiff’s guitar and handed it to him saying, “Man, we can’t let the fans down! What if you me and Nigel go out there and open for Witchcraft, man?” Stiff agreed and the three went on stage and blew the audience away.
That fateful night in Phoenix was the birth of the “Vicious Pigs” Every opening the three opened for Witchcraft until the end of the tour. Little did they know that they where well on their way to making music history and changing the world of music forever.
At the end of the tour with Witchcraft the two where signed with “Wicked Man” records and put out their first album titled “Crazy”. When it Crazy hit the streets it had cold reviews. The critics had nothing good to say about this first effort. The Chicago Sun Time wrote, “This album is a sad combination of poor lyrics, bad cords, and no talent. You would have to be CRAZY to buy it.” The L.A. Time wrote, “I would rather hear a cat being gutted alive than listen to another note.” Rolling Stone Magazine,“ Who farted and put an album cover over it?”
Despite the poor reviews sales quickly rose and within months Crazy went gold and the cover song, “Crazy for me” made the top one hundred. The boys started enjoying the fame.