The Real World Boston's Real Kids are rockin' on the big screen by Chris Parcellin
The live music scene in Boston in the mid-'70s was mired in the soulless thud of disco and "Top 40" bands playing Foghat and Grand Funk Railroad covers. The primal urgency that had spawned rock'n'roll in the Fifties seemed to be a thing of the past.These dire circumstances meant that anyone wanting to see bands playing original music had to go to a venue like Boston Garden and sit a block away from the stage--as arena dinosaurs like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin gimped through their programmed set lists. But what was there for the kids who just wanted to go down to the local bar and rock?

Right smack in the middle of the "Me Decade", the kids salvation came at a club called the Rathskeller (a.k.a. "The Rat") in Kenmore Square. The Rat started booking hard-edged local bands who played their own tunes. These were groups who didn't care about what was on the radio. They were more interested in emulating '60s and '70s garage punk icons like the MC5, the Stooges, ? and the Mysterians, and the New York Dolls. They were raw kids with more balls than musical chops who comprised Boston bands like DMZ, Willie "Loco" Alexander & the Boom Boom Band, the Nervous Eaters, La Peste and the Neighborhoods. All of these bands were great live and went on to make influential records, but perhaps the group who made the finest album of all was The Real Kids--a band who got their name from New York Dolls. guitarist Johnny Thunders.

Lead by singer/songwriter John Felice, the Real Kids exploded onto the club scene playing long-forgotten tunes from the '50s by the likes of Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly. As well as Felice's dazzling, punky originals such as "Solid Gold (Thru and Thru)", "Taxi Boys", "Just Like Darts" and the classic anthem "All Kindsa Girls". All of these tunes were captured on their self-titled debut release for Marty Thau's Red Star Records in 1978. "The Real Kids" remains one of the best debut albums in the history of rock'n'roll.

As for Felice, he's continued to bounce around the Boston rock'n'roll scene for thirty years--ever since he was the 15 year-old guitarist in Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers. His various bands (including the Taxi Boys, the Primevals and the Devotions) have played to much critical acclaim and cult worship, but little music biz success.

Luckily, Beantown scenester and fledgling filmmaker Cheryl Eagan-Donovan has seen fit to attempt to chronicle the story of Felice and the Real Kids in her upcoming documentary "All Kindsa Girls". Capturing the power and urgency of the band's music and their story--which has been tumultuous--should be no small feat. But Eagan-Donovan certainly seems to be up to the challenge.

What inspired you to undertake this project?
I met John Felice and Billy Cole in 1980 when I was managing my first band, The Frantics, and John had formed the Taxi Boys, and both bands were playing Cantones and the Rat. In 1991 John and I put together the The Devotions, recruiting members of the Piranha Brothers, the band my agency Miss Management was promoting at the time. Working with John on the Devotions was challenging and although it was an important step in both of our careers, neither of us was pleased with the results, and we didn't have much to say to one another for several years. He wrote some great songs during that period, and when I first heard them on the radio (released on the Real Kids EP "Down to You") I experienced a mixture of melancholy and elation. I followed John's career as he did a series of Real Kids reunions in the nineties, and in 1999, I saw him play upstairs at the Middle East with a line up that included Billy Cole on guitar and Chris Barnard from the Queers on bass. I told Chris after the set that it was the best I had heard the band sound in years, and I said to John, "It's time to do the film," almost as a dare, and he said "Okay." At the same time, I was working on a memoir about my experiences in the Boston rock scene during the 1980s and 1990s, and I had loosely structured it around the deaths of significant figures in music: John Lennon, Johnny Thunders, Mitch Cerul (doorman at the Rat), and it became apparent that John Felice was a major character in my story, and I think it was that realization that led me to actively pursue the idea of doing a film with him.John and I talked about it some more and were ready to start shooting earlier this year when Howie left the band. We had planned to document the band recording a new album in the studio and going on tour in Europe. John was determined to find another drummer, and it was that determination, his relentless pursuit of his goals, that inspired me more than anything else.

What did it take to pull this whole thing together?
I am still trying to "pull this whole thing together," actively seeking investors and funding. I found a great production assistant in Paris, Ben Cohen, through Jeff Grantz, one of filmmakers in Laurel Chiten's guerrilla documentary workshop in BFVF. In May, I went to the club where the Real Kids played in 1983, Le Bataclan, interviewed the club manager, and then interviewed Patrick Mathe, the band's manager at the time. Patrick gave me a copy of the live concert footage of the Real Kids Bataclan performance. I used the Paris interviews and the archival footage to put together a trailer with the assistance of Vilma Gregoropoulos. I had worked with Vilma on Zack Stratis' musical comedy COULD BE WORSE as a publicist. I also worked with Roland Tec on his feature film ALL THE RAGE, Helen Stickler on the documentary CHERRY BOMB, and Kaylyn Thornal on her music documentary PAYOFF. I started working on local independent film productions about seven years ago, after being invited to attend John Pierson's Cold Spring Filmmakers Workshop, sponsored by Miramax, in 1994. It was there that I met Roland Tec, as well as Kevin Smith, Michael Barker from Sony Classics Pictures, Bryan Singer (THE USUAL SUSPECTS,) and lots of other indie filmmakers and producers. I am hoping that my cumulative experience in the local music and indie film communities will assist me in pulling together the resources I need to complete the project. To date, I have been very fortunate to have some really talented people working with me: Stephen Maing, an award winning cinematographer; Doug Cabot, a grad student at Emerson College, as Sound Recordist; and Morris Beverly of AV Presentations and Kevin Lawson of Bluetones Productions as technical consultants. In addition to being creative and professional, the crew members have all worked in the Boston rock scene and/or are musicians currently playing in Boston rock bands.

Are you going the digital video route or shooting on film?
I am shooting on mini DV now because it is relatively low budget, but I would love to shoot some footage on film if my fundraising efforts allow it and I can effectively integrate it into a broadcast quality production.

What are the elements that make the Real Kids story one that's compelling enough to make a film about?
The Real Kids story works on a number of different levels: as a pioneering Boston band that never attained commercial success, the Real Kids are emblematic of the entire Boston garage/punk scene in the late seventies/early eighties. A passionate juxtaposition of angst and exhilaration characterized the music of the Real Kids and their contemporaries, including The Lyres, Mission of Burma, La Peste and The Girls. The Boston garage rock sound, born in the sixties with Barry and the Remains, perhaps culminating in the early eighties, survives today, virtually unaffected by changes in the global music market. Like a lost civilization, it remains undiscovered by a large segment of the outside world, and that isolation has helped to preserve the music's integrity, making it as fresh, vibrant, and original today as it was twenty five years ago. On another level, it is the story of the songs, which have had a truly international impact on music. Bands from around the world have covered John Felice's songs, and he says every time he goes on tour, kids from new bands give him copies of their cds with Real Kids covers included. Parasol Records' "I Wanna Be A Real Kid," showcases the songs' ability to stand on their own. So while the sound remains firmly rooted in its Boston based origins, the music seems to translate well in any culture. Finally, and most importantly, it is a character study of John Felice, a charismatic, complex artist, who at first glance appears to embody the rock and roll male archetype. Beneath the tough guy exterior is a romantic, a poet in the tradition of Baudelaire and Rimbaud. John says he's still the same kid as he was at fifteen, and it's that genuine, unaffected self regard that empowers him with so much charm. Felice is an enigma, personifying the clash between rock icon and real kid.

In the '70s, the band seemed to have everything it took to make it big. Great songs, energy, charisma, a fantastic debut album. What happened?
John is quite open about the fact that the band made some bad decisions, including those regarding its career, early on, and says that the initial missed opportunity has made for an uphill struggle ever since. Still, their lack of commercial success cannot be attributed to bad decisions alone. I am convinced that a number of other factors played a part in their failure to achieve what seemed like a certainty at one point in time. More than bad decisions, bad timing and bad luck needs to be added into the equation, and it is my goal to discover those other factors through the making of the film. I went to France to begin the process of discovering what happened there, another point when the band seemed on the brink of making it. negative aspects of the band's history, but I do not intend to focus on it. I am committed to portraying the artist and the music.

What's the band been like to work with?
They have been great. John has completely supportive and has been very generous in terms of giving me complete access to his life and the band. Billy Cole is great because he loves to tell stories, and Chris Barnard is very enthusiastic, and Judd Williams, the new drummer, has been especially tolerant of the intrusion, given that he just joined the band. It has been great fun, something we all agree is a critical element in music.

Is there going to be a lot of live footage? They are one of the all-time great live acts.
Yes, I started shooting at the Abbey Lounge a few weeks ago, and will shoot more live shows including September 22nd at Lilli's, November 2nd at T.T. the Bear's, and then some dates in New York and California, hopefully Europe next summer.

Were you able to dig up any archival footage of the band?
Yes, I am working with Artie Freedman who has tons of footage in his Boston Rock Archives collection, as well as other individuals who have performance footage like the Bataclan concert. Did you interview other people from the Boston rock scene for the film? I am going to interview all of the former band members who are available, lots of other local musicians, as well as deejays, rock journalists, and nationally known musicians. The list includes Jonathan Richman, Marky Ramone, David Johansen, David Robinson, Paul Westerberg, Lars Frederickson, Walter Lure, Dave Grohl, Clint Conley, Roger Miller, Frank Rowe, Jeff Conolly, George Condo, Barry Tashian, Joe Harvard and Billy Ruane.

The title song is, of course, an underground classic. Why do you think it still resonates with people today?
Its simplicity resonates pure joy and that is still infectious and infatuating. My son, who will be five years old in October, knows all the words to the song, and is always singing it to his cousins, who only know "Oops, I Did it Again!" John says his biggest thrill is playing for young kids who weren't even born when the songs were written (ALL KINDSA GIRLS 1973) but who genuinely love the music.

What surprises have you encountered in the making of this documentary?
The entire music community has been totally supportive. Even rival bands and former band members have been incredibly enthusiastic and have expressed their genuine affection for the film and its subject. The most surprising thing, however, has been the depth and complexity of the main character, John Felice. Although I suspected there was more to the story than most people know, I am finding that there is a wealth of material here. He is nothing like the stereotype that has been created by the mythic aspects of the band's history. The ongoing process of discovering the REAL John Felice has been the most rewarding aspect of making the film, and has exceeded my expectations even at this early date.

How do you think the band fits in with what's going on in music today?
The music still appeals to young audiences because it is rooted in that teen world which juxtaposes angst and exhilaration. John is still in touch with that energy and that keeps the music real and prevents the Real Kids from being rock dinosaurs.

What message would you like to get across with the film?
That John Felice is a great American songwriter and that music is power.
© 2001 Chris Parcellin & D-Filed, All rights reserved.
Bottom three photographs © 2001 Eric Law, All rights reserved.