Vanity Plate No. 7: Interviewed for the YWCA Saskatoon Blogsite

Story and photo by Lyndall Mack

Note that there are no ads on this site, so I do not profit off other's work

This article / interview was originally published on the YWCA Saskatoon Website/blog on February 13, 2018. Its original title was "A Heart of Gold: Passion for Working at the YWCA.” The link to the original article is HERE. 

Robert Francos is a team member at the YWCA Employment and Learning Centre, a YWCA staff long service award recipient with a passion for his chosen career. He shared what makes his role at the YWCA so rewarding, not only to the clients he helps, but also for him.

Francos, who has been part of the YWCA team for since 2012, highlights the skills and experience that can be gained through the resources offered at the Employment and Learning Centre and illustrates some of those services through the multifaceted nature of his own role.

“I have two positions,” said Francos. “The first is the Computer Lab Instructor. I teach a number of different classes: Introduction to Computers, Internet & Email, two levels of Word, two levels of Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Social Media, and Job Search Online in a non-judgmental, patient way. My second job title is Skills Coach, where I help people look for jobs online, assist with wording and formatting of résumés and cover letters, and aid with emails and applying for online jobs.”

Improving employable skills

The YWCA’s Employment and Learning Centre supports both women and men who are seeking skills that will further them in finding a career. Francos speaks on the variety of resources at the centre, which has something for anyone who is trying to improve their skills.

“Everyone who comes into my computer lab is different, and the challenge is to figure out what they need, and what is the best way to help them approach their search,” said Francos. “Some people are desperate, or scared (scared of computers, or scared about where their next rent payment is going to come from), and it’s my job to figure out the best path in how to help them.”

A newfound satisfaction

Prior to joining the YWCA team, Francos worked for a Fortune 500 management consulting firm. He admits the corporate experience was draining at times, but now he has a newfound satisfaction in directing others on their own search for the right career by giving them the tools and teaching them the skills that will ultimately aid in their success.

“Here, I get to help people find jobs,” expresses Francos. “As for the most rewarding? First, when I am instructing a computer class and I see someone get it, that makes me feel great. My favorite thing to hear is when someone tells me, ‘I wish I would have known this when . . . It would have made my job a lot easier.’ Second, when I’m out and about in the city, and I run into a former student working at their job, and they tell me that I helped them learn the skills to get that position. That really feels great.”

Conquering the fear of technology

Francos teaches skills that are beneficial in each step of the job hunt process. This starts with résumé help, and then continues with training in computer programs like Excel and PowerPoint, considered valuable skills by companies who are seeking a well-rounded candidate to fill a position. Not surprisingly, many of those sought-after skills are technology-related. Francos asserts that there is something for everyone who is willing to learn and enhance their chances of starting a career.

Something for everyone

“There are many resources in the Employment and Learning Centre,” explains Francos. “For example, beyond what I do, there are a number of Employment Counselors who do one-on-one services for job searching, résumés and email; a comprehensive program called Trade Journey to help women begin careers in the trades; a library of job search/résumé writing/interview questions books; a three-week program called the Job Finding Club; and shorter workshops. I’ve been through many of the other programs in the city, and have found that the YWCA is incredibly comprehensive and suited to most people.”

The Trade Journey program Francos describes is a 16-week program that assists women in beginning and succeeding in construction trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, welding, electrical or sheet metal. The program teaches participants the necessary skills and knowledge in order to advance in their chosen trade.

Keeping an open mind

Searching for the correct job or career path can sometimes be a job within itself. Francos’ words of advice? Perseverance and keeping an open mind are keys to success when it comes to finding the right career.

“Nearly every job I’ve had has started as part-time, temporary, or casual, and has grown from that, including this one,” confesses Francos. “It’s important to not be intimidated by a lengthy job posting, because there are a lot of transferable skills you already possess that may make you more suited for that job than you realize.”

Vanity Plate No. 6: Interviewed by Gary Pig Gold for various blogs

Text © Gary Pig Gold
Introduction © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2015

I was friends with Gary Pig Gold way before I actually met him. He had his Pig Paper fanzine out of Mississauga and Hamilton that started in 1973, and I had my ‘zine, whose first date was 7/7/77. We quickly started exchanging ‘zines and stories. He published some of my articles, and I had his highly regarded “Pigshit” column in mine.

A part of the indie music history most people don’t know is that when I received copies of albums by the cult Texan musician Jandek, they came in twos, so I sent a bunch of the doubles off to Gary. In turn, Gary (who enjoyed them way more than I did, honestly) lent them to a radio DJ named Bruce “Mole” Mowat (also now a friend), who played them on the air, creating a Canadian tidal wave of fans.

Gary is also a phenomenal musician, as well as studio engineer, and I had a chance to see him play a couple of times in New York: once in the Country/Beach Boys themed Ghost Rockets, and another when he performed with The Cheepskates’ Shane Faubert, who backed up the legendary Dave Rave DesRoches at an International Pop Overthrow show in 2007 (HERE).

An internationally known rock historian with his writing appearing in many blogs Gary interviewed me via email and this one showed up in a number of them around 2008. It is part of a series of "Eight Questions" Gary did over the years. 


Check out Gary's site at:  https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/gary-pig-gold  – RBF, 2015

 

Gary Pig Gold Has Eight Questions for Robert Barry Francos
By Gary Pig Gold

Robert first walked into CBGBs circa Spring of 1975 with the Good / Mystic Eyes founder Bernie Kugel, a high school chum, to watch (along with about a dozen other prescient folk) Talking Heads open for the Ramones. Now since Bernie and he were so straight-edged they went for the music rather than the imbibing (nursing a single beer though a twelve-hour show, much to the chagrin and ire of a certain CBGB's waitress) they were able to peruse the scene from an almost objective, outside view. Consequently, RBF tried to write about his tastes and musical preferences for various college papers, but they wouldn't hear of it (being much too disco and Billy Joel-focused). So in the ultra-DIY Spirit of '76 he just started his own fanzine, which he called FFanzeen. Why? As the man himself says, "I figured to name the publication after its very genre, so I chose Fanzine. But Bernie Kugel suggested that I call it Francos Fanzine. While I thought that was too egotistical, I did like the double-F at the beginning, since FF is the sign for fortissimo, or "faster and louder." Then another friend, Alan Abramowitz, who produces a cable access show, suggested I change the spelling of the end part, a la Monkees, Byrds, So FFanzeen was born." See? Simple! It ran a wonderful run from 1977 to 1988. Throughout that entire period, Robert also took many photographs of many good bands, and continues to do so, plus since FFanzeen's demise Robert's continued to work the pen for such over the counter fanzines as Shredding Paper and Oculus. That didn't stop him, however, from revealing to us all today--

1. "Munsters" or "Addams Family": Which one's for you, and Why?

Tough choice, but in the long run, I'd have to go for the Munsters because they had The Standells on the show once. In fact, that whole episode, with the Beat poetry, was a gasser.

2. Who in the world, living or dead, would you most like to play a game of "Twister" with?

Easy. Either 1963-67 Ann-Margret, or 1966-70 Pamela Franklin (how's that for opposites?)

3. How many Sid King & The Five Strings records do you own?

None. But I have this great EP (7-inch, 33-1/3 rpm) of a doctor describing problems of the heart, with sound effects. Picked it up at a Sally Ann (no one in the US of A seems to know what Sally Ann means). In pride, I went to Buffalo, took it with me, and played it for Bernie Kugel. He reached over and pulled out a sister EP with respiratory problems. Who knew there was a series?

4. If you had been working the front gate at The Dakota that night back in 1980 when nasty Mark David Chapman showed up, pistol in hand, to avenge the Chief Beatle for his "Bigger than Jesus" wisecrack, what would you have done?

Well, let me start off by stating that Mark David Chapman and I were born on the same day. Not just the same date, but the same day, May 10, 1955. Of course, on December 8 (also, my brother's birthday) 1980, I would not have known that fact, so after rumination about it, I've come to an answer:

Being a native New Yorker, used to many weird and strange things, I honestly think I would have shat my pants.

5. "Ginger" or "Mary-Ann": Which one's for you, and for How Long?

Easy. Definitely Mary-Ann. Not only is Dawn Wells a cutie, but she STAYED a cutie. Tina Louise is too testy. Got to see Dawn Wells in a dinner theatre production of a Neil Simon play in Calgary.

My spouse even bought me tickets for my birthday!

6. What single song, living or dead, do you most wish you'd written-- and Why Didn't You?

The song would probably change, or I'd want it piece-meal. I love the keyboard on Del Shannon's "Runaway." Then there's almost any early Simon & Garfunkel (yes, the secret is out, I'm a S&G fan). But then there's most of Ellie Greenwich's catalog (best American pop songwriter, bar none). Then there's some stuff by a Winnipeg native named James Keeleghan whose songs can make me cry. Etc.

And the reason I haven't is simple: I'm not talented -- that way.

7. Whose guitar kit would you most like to be reincarnated as?

See number 2.

8. In 2000 words or less, Your Hopes, Aspirations and Goals, musical and otherwise, for your life and your country?

Not to have to listen to any more disco, techno, rap (as a wise Canadian I know once said, "Remember, rap is three-quarters of the word crap"), hip-hop, boy-band, Britney-Christina-Pink-Eve-etc., etc.

Vanity Plate No. 5: Queens College and Newsbeat

Introductory piece © Robert Barry Francos, 2012
Main body text and photo by Mark Spector, in Queens College’s Newsbeat newspaper, 1977

For a year and a half in the mid-1970s, I was Arts Editor of the Kingsborough Community College newspaper, The Scepter. In fact, I joined on a Thursday and was elected to the position on the following Tuesday. When I graduated, I figured I would continue the trend and write for one of the newspapers at Queens College, since my work at KCC was such a positive experience, but found it to be a very tricky and painful at Queens, due to their cliquish nature (I have learned since that this is more common than not). First I tried the Phoenix, and wrote two dozen pieces for them, of which they used, in total, one paragraph. After hearing them talk about me when they thought I wasn’t there about how I wouldn’t write about disco so what was the point of my existence, I went next door to the other, competing major on campus paper, Newsbeat. I tried the same tactic of writing first and hoping they would print me, and managed to get about a dozen pieces published, such as LP reviews of Blondie’s first album on Private Stock, Loretta Lynn’s Somebody Somewhere, and Tanya Tucker’s Here’s Some Love. One day the editor, R___ R___, said that he had enough writers (who were his friends), thanked me for my time, and said buh-bye.

This is when I started FFanzeen. I figured, if I couldn’t get anyone else to publish my stuff, I would do it myself. And I did, starting out as a 15-page one-sided ‘zine (though it would become much larger and more professionally printed as the years progressed). I was already somewhat well-known across campus for various reasons, one being I was one of only two people who knew anything about the punk rock scene at Queens; the other was a die-hard Ramones fan, but he was more metal oriented. Another reason was my kicking in the door of the radio station, but that’s a tale for another blog.

The ‘zine and my limited notoriety led to someone from Newsbeat informing me that his editor (the same one who canned me) wanted an article about me and my publication. From the beginning, as he interviewed me in the school’s teacher’s cafeteria (where he also took the photo, above), it was clear that this writer had no interest at all in either me or what I was about, and took as many snarky jabs as he could. He also got a lot of the information wrong, which I will currently comment on via [brackets]. It should be noted for clarity that at the time, the term “new wave” was being used to describe the New York Underground scene, and “punk rock” was the British contribution.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that we were so young then (you never realize it at the time), and therefore had enormous chips on our shoulders. I said some things I look back and feel squeamish about, too. Now, I actually smile when I read this, despite the tone from either of us. We were just in two parallel worlds occupying the same time frame.

At this point I should point out that I did shortly become Arts Editor of a Queens College newspaper, The Globe, which was focused on the Third World politics (many on the paper were Marxists and revolutionaries).

Please note that there is a follow-up to this story at the end of the article! – RBF, 2012

FFanzeen - New Mag for New Wave Rock
By Mark Spector, July 26, 1977

What do you do when the editors of college newspapers frustrate your attempts to publish esoteric reviews of “new wave” Rock and Roll? Well, if you’re Robert Barry Francos, you publish your own magazine and hope somebody buys it.

The first issue of FFanzeen, which sells for $1 at the [campus] record co-op and some record stores in the Village, features interviews with Tom Petty, Blue Ocean [sic], and – are you ready for this – the Cramps. Never heard of any of them? They all have a following that comes to see them regularly whenever they play CBGBs, and Max’s Kansas City.

Francos looks like your typical burnt-out freak who’s trying to keep his brains functioning after taking one hit of acid too many [his insinuation of my drug taking (not something of interest to me before or after his pronouncement) was because I was so naturally thin, at 115 lbs. My aunt cried when she read this part, dude]. His short, skinny frame is clothed with torn jeans held together by safety pins [never have I worn safety pins to hold my clothes together in my life; however, I did occasionally wear a huge laundry pin in my jacket lapel in 1979 after Sid died in his honor] and a Roxy Music tee shirt. In last Thursday’s 104 degree temperature, he was the only person on campus wearing a dungaree jacket. Holes on the sleeves, underarms, and back provided the air conditioning.

But in spite of his appearance, Francos is not heavily into drugs [heavily?!]. In fact, his disfavor for most of today’s popular bands revolves around their appeal to drugged audiences. “Hard rock is for potheads,” he says. “I’m not a heavy pothead” [what I said was, “I am not a pothead”]. He describes new wave music as just basic rock and roll. “If you strip rock to its barest commodities, rip it to its guts, you’ll have new wave.”

Francos first became interested in new wave music, or “punk rock” as it’s sometimes called, in the summer of 1975 while hanging out at CBGBs. The people sitting at the table next to him got up, plugged in their instruments, and started to play. That group was Talking Head [sic]. After they finished, four guys got up and did the same thing. They were the Ramones.

Since then, Francos has amassed a huge collection of albums and singles by groups like Blondie, the Ramones, the Dictators, Sex Pistol [sic], etc. He recites the lyrics with the same enthusiasm and feeling with which teenie boppers in the 60’s [sic] recited Beatle lyrics. But these lyrics are definitely nothing like what would come from the McCartney-Lennon song factory. For instance, one song on the Dictators’ new album goes: “I’d rather slash my wrists / Cut my throat/ Than have to spend a night with you.” [Not only did he get the name of the band wrong – yes, I knew it was Tuff Darts and told him so – but he got the lyrics partially wrong, as well; and as for the “Lennon-McCartney song factory,” what about “Run For Your Life”?] Like any avid fan, Francos knows the meaning of the song and which groupie it’s dedicated to [sic].

Also, like any fan of anything, Francos knows the complete history of the music he loves. New wave music had its roots in England [I said no such thing; it started in New York City and was adapted in the U.K.] where it was known as punk or “dole rock.” Dole is the British equivalent of welfare and most of the original purveyors of punk rock were on the Dole [Under Margaret Thatcher’s government, a large percentage of youth were on the dole, not just punkers].

Punk rock came to America when Richard Hell (that’s right) and Tom Verlaine approached the owner of a small country blues place in the Village and asked him, “Why don’t you showcase rock and roll?” Hilly Kristal liked the idea and changed the name of his club from Hilly’s to CBGBs. Hell and Verlaine were in a group called Television and that became the first group to play at CBGBs. They were followed by Patty Smith [sic], the Ramones, Talking Head [sic], and Blondie.

As punk rock became popular in New York, the record companies came down. The New York Dolls became the first American Punk Rock band to record [years before the opening of CBGBs, Mark]. Neither of their two albums sold very well. The next group to record was Patty Smith [sic] and Francos is certain to point out that she quickly “rose above the new wave.” He explains that many of her followers from the CBGBs days still consider her new wave, but musically she leans toward jazz-rock.

The Dictators’ first album, Girl Crazy [sic], sold only 6,000 copies but their second album, Manifest Destiny, is doing better. Francos insists that “they’re both great albums.” Other new wave bands to record include Television, Talking Head [sic], and the Ramones. “Glitter rock was dying,” Francos observed. “The only thing that was coming out was disco and a lot of people hated disco.”

Francos insists that there is a strong difference between punk rock in Great Britain and what he calls new wave rock in the United States. “In new wave music, the violence lies in the music and the lyrics,” he says. “In British punk rock the groups get physically violent on stage.” English punk rockers are not afraid to throw beer bottles across the nightclub or at each other while on stage. One girl performs with a safety pin through her pierced cheek [I don’t know who he was talking about, and it didn’t come from me].

But still this music is popular. Recently, Sex Pistols released a song called “God Save the Queen.” With lyrics like “God save the Queen / And her fascist regime / She made you all morons / potential H-bombs,” the song was quickly banned from the radio. However, that didn’t stop the song form rising to the top of the British charts.
While Francos was developing his taste for new wave music, disco was becoming popular, and college newspapers refused to print his stuff. At Kingsborough Community College he was restricted to writing movie reviews and he claims that when he came to Queens, neither Newsbeat nor Phoenix would print his material. “When they did,” he charged,” they butchered it up to the point that I couldn’t recognize it as my own.” So, Francos became publisher, editor-in-chief, layout man, photographer, and the only writer for FFanzeen [that was mostly true for the first issue]. “I just figured that if nobody will publish me, I’ll publish myself.”

FFanzeen is a standard fanzine style publication. It consists of 15 mimeographed pages held together by a staple in the upper left-hand corner. Francos hopes to come out every other month and expects to have a larger staff for the next issue. Friends in Boston, Buffalo, California, and Long Island have all offered to write for him.

In the meanwhile, though, Francos has no trouble filing the magazine himself. Getting interviews is easy. “Most of the performers,” he points out, “don’t even take their music seriously. They’re just out to have a good time and they’re easy to talk to [what I actually said was that many bands are more interested in having fun that being considered serious artists].” Francos pointed out that the Ramones still live with their parents in Forest Hills. “The Dictators have a song – ‘(I Live} For Cars and Girls’ [sic]. That says it best.”

Publishing your own magazine can be a big move and if you’re successful you could make a lot of money. Francos’ ambitions are simple. “I’m giving myself five years to buy the Playboy Mansion, kick Barbie Benton out, and replace her with someone else who looks decent” [while I don’t remember saying that last bit, and am a bit embarrassed by it in hindsight, it is a period piece from when I was very, very young…].

2011 Follow-up
As I was preparing this, I managed to find Mark on Facebook, and we had a pleasant exchange about the whole thing. He now runs his own advertising company as a marketing consultant, copywriter, and creative consultant at markspectorwrites.com. There were no hard feelings from either of us, and he seems to have turned out to be an okay guy.

When approached about my reprinting the above, Mark wrote:

Well, Robert,
I'm glad you didn't let that antagonistic and condescending jerk discourage you. It sounds like you had a nice run and a lot of fun with FFanzeen and continue to do so. Very glad to see that! I have no tear sheets (and very few memories) from that period. Though a (big) part of me dreads coming face to face with Mark Spector 1977, none of us are the same people we were back then and hopefully I, like you, can put it in context. I've long since learned to be less full of myself. And congrats on the success and fun you've had with FFanzeen.
Best,
Mark

Vanity Plates No. 4: Webshots

Text and photos © Robert Barry Francos, 2011

I had tried a few of the other Web photo hosting sites, and found problems with most of them. Sometimes the problems were minor, such as where the pictures were put up in the opposite order, you could not change the order once the pictures were on the site, or you could only load one at a time, but I found this to be frustrating because I wanted my photos to be in order so they could tell a story. Yes, sometimes I manipulate the order to tweak it, but most of the time, they’re chronologically correct within the event(s). There is one I had been using and was happy with it, but it was absorbed into another software, and became cumbersome and miserable (perhaps we can call it the MySpace Syndrome).

But I found a home with Webshots. I liked the ease with which the photos could be edited, and the large number it could hold. Heck, I even went for the $30 per year premium because I wanted to see the stats of all the viewings. With a click of a button, I can see how many photos have been viewed, which have been downloaded by the viewer, and where it stands in a particular category. Sure, since Webshots was bought out by American Greeting there have been issues, but I still find it better than what else I have found out there. They do charge to download (of which I receive nada), but the images are free to view.

My general site is here: community.webshots.com/user/ffranzos2006v1 , which has a total of 292,975 views as of date of this publishing.

So, here are the top half-dozen viewed folders from my Webshots collection, in ascending order:

No. 6: Peggy O'Neill's Xmas Show 12/10/05
10,396 views [Ranked 1,021 in the Music category]
One of the many great showcases put up by Brooklyn band, the Nerve! That December day in Coney Island, the Peggy O’Neil’s bar had a leaky pipe, so rather than use the stage, the bands played on the floor level to a very enthusiastic crowd (who appear in many photos, as well). The bands that performed, in order, are Inanimate Girl (young teens), Object (wonderful spousal duo who play guitar/vox and drums), Rubber Molding, Honest to a Fault, Hello Nurse (very physically active group who sounded good, but would send so many notices on MySpace – remember MySpace? – that I had to de-friend them, which was a shame), Good Grief (cousin guitar and drum twosome who had such a large sound that they appeared to be a full group if you closed your eyes; they were joined by a bassist that night, and did an all Nirvana set), the Marianne Pillsburys (way underrated all female pop punk band), SQNS (aka Status Quo No Show, who are big GG Allin fans; they cover “Bite It You Scum), and headliners The Nerve!, an excellent band. Most of these groups are gone now, having morphed into different forms, but it was an exciting evening.
entertainment.webshots.com/album/544794675WCPomm?start=0

No. 5: Wigstock 2005
11,264 views [Ranked 349 in the News category]
New York’s Wigstock was not just a drag show, it was the drag event of the year, and yet it is no longer staged. Held at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, it was a ribald chance for the community (and fans) to get together and strut. Started by Lady Bunny, in part, she was still MC-ing it in 2005. Meanwhile, the Poisoned Aeros, a band based in Toronto, were in town, and we met up at the park and hung out all Wigstock day and had a blast. After, we went to Trash & Vaudeville and Dojo’s (which has since also bitten the dust). The photos reflect the show, the backstage, and the audience (which amazingly included little kids, despite the nudity and sexually suggestive language). Included in this folder’s photos are Lady Bunny, Perfidia, the Fabulous Floyd, Amnesia Sparkle, and of course Buckshot Bebee and Ro the Knife of the Aeros.
news.webshots.com/album/546380516hwqItt?start=0

No. 4: 1970s Musicians I Have Photographed
12,655 views [Ranked 153 in Music category]
This is a loose collection of photos taken in clubs like CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City during the period of 1976-1979. There is a lot of see, such as the Ramones, Blondie, Dead Boys, Cramps, Heartbreakers, and other luminaries of the New York scene. There are both minor and major acts mixed together, including some of my AC/DC at CBGB shots. Before the days of everyone having a cell phone camera, it was rare to find people with 35mm capturing bands. Having started FFanzeen and the need for photos to accompany the articles, I talked my parents into buying me a camera, and the rest is, well, right here. Some day I’ll scan all these negatives, and hopefully produce a book of them.
entertainment.webshots.com/album/574418104RnIvMa

No. 3: Dock Street Xmas Show 12/17/05
23,567 views [Ranked 312 in the Music category]
You may notice that quite a few of these are dated from 2005, but that’s surely because it takes time to get that many views. The Dock Street Xmas shows were run by Jay Miller, who fronted one of my favorite post-punk bands, Monty Love. Situated in Staten Island, Dock Street bar was consistently packed with fans (who were photogenic). Luckily, I had a “spot” to stand where the slammers couldn’t reach, and I could just enjoy the music as I snapped photos in relative safety. One good thing about getting there early was I got to see (and snap away) the whole setting up of the show. On this evening, in order of appearance, Victims of a Drive By (fronted by the ex-singer of the ska-laden Washington Riot), Shatter Me Silent (their last show), the screamo local legends Quantice Never Crashed (who had to change their name twice for legal reasons), local legends Folly, the amazing punk emo singer-songwriter Kevin Devine, and then Monty Love hit the stage for their high energy set.
entertainment.webshots.com/album/541560332eYeZJz?start=0

No. 2: IPO Opening Night, Baggot Inn, NYC, 11/8/2007
37,995 views [Ranked 112 in the Celebrities category]
Since it’s inception by David Bash, the International Pop Overthrow shows have been not only gaining audiences in New York, but have toured around the US and Canada; now they even play other continents across the globe. Each year there are various shows with rotating artists that play to welcoming audiences. I feel lucky to have seen it at an early stage, and to see the artists performing, some of whom I’ve known for years. In order, they were the Voyces, Bibi Barber (her recordings are quite enjoyable), Jesse Bryson (and band), Jake Stigers and the Velvet Roots, the Dukes Jetty (from England), Twenty Cent Crush (which included guest bassist Nancy Street, who played in Cheap Perfume – and whose picture from back then appears in the 1970s Musicians folder), the Attorneys, and the Next Big Rave (consisting of theDave Rave, musician/rock historian Gary Pig Gold, and ex-Cheepskates leader Shane Faubert), who were joined for a few songs by Michael Mazzarella of the Rooks and Chris Mehos of the Big Up). It was an incredible evening.
entertainment.webshots.com/album/561419322HXSBcd?start=0

No. 1: Monty Love Xmas Spectacular, 12/22/2006, Dock Street, Staten Island
38,820 views [Ranked 139 in the Music category]
The most viewed album is due in part, I’m sure, to some of the musicians that came to the show. Plus, many of the musicians who played are from Staten Island or close by, so there is definite hometown pride (S.I.N.Y., as they say). This was the last Monty Love show before they broke up (despite a couple of reunions gigs), and I was happy to be in the audience, as I’m a Monty Love fan, as well as liking many of the other groups playing that night. There is a very cool video of a few of the songs from the show on YouTube (search Monty Love Xmas Spectacular, and ignore the introductory minutes until the music truly starts). On tap that night were, again, in order, Racing Exit 13 (for those who don’t know, exit 13 on the New Jersey Turnpike leads to the Goethals Bridge, a major entrance way to Staten Island), rappers Bullfrog Reunion (meh), Dead Set on Destruction, Folly (yes, the same band as in No. 3, above; as I stated earlier, they have a very strong fan base), once again the legendary Kevin Devine (solo, without the Goddamn Band; he also used to front Miracle of 86) who shared a stage with cult fave Jesse Lacey (of Taking Back Sunday, the Rookie Lot, and Brand New), and lastly, the over-the-top energetic Monty Love. As the YouTube video shows, it was a great show, and Monty Love will be missed by many in the tri-state area.
entertainment.webshots.com/album/556922658RQmDEF

Vanity Plate 3: The Peat Marwick Mitchell Newsletter

Introductory piece © Robert Barry Francos, 2011
Main body text and photo from Park Avenue Peat Newsletter, 1980

When I worked as a proofreader for the Fortune 500 accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell [PMM], I had already started publishing FFanzeen, and with their kind permission, I personally typeset the ‘zine in their in-house production department where my desk was also conveniently located (in exchange for filling in when the company’s typesetter was out), which was located in the basement of the Park Avenue building (they have since moved to New Jersey). I also learned how to use the Vydec word-processor, but that’s another story.

It was the early days of FFanzeen. I had recently graduated from college and had moved on from a local Bay Ridge newspaper in Brooklyn called The Weekly (though due to missing a couple of missing letters on the sign outside the storefront entrance, it was known to us as The eekl), where I had learned to photo typeset on a machine that had a screen that displayed only 13 lines of only text and cues (looking much like HTML codes). As it was not WYSIWYG, one had to imagine what the final output would look like until the copy was pulled out from the processor (full of concentrated photograph developing chemicals) in long strips that would then be cut to the size needed.

One day while at my desk, comparing pages upon pages of lists of numbers, I received a call from someone who worked on the company newsletter, Park Avenue Peat, named such because the company was on Park Avenue and 50th Street; it has since moved to New Jersey. She said he had heard about my independent endeavor, and would I like to be interviewed for the newsletter. Sure, why not?

We met in the company cafeteria (as I remember it) and talked during a lunch break. After, we went outside where she took some photos of me sitting cradled in a large modern sculpture that stood on the south side of the building. Unfortunately, I don’t remember her name, but she made it very easy. In October 1980, the article came out, with the photo, which follows:



Francos puts out music mag for fun and maybe profit

Nobody has ever said publishing a magazine was an easy and profitable vehicle to fame and fortune. Putting out one’s own tabloid can be, however, fun, creatively rewarding, and a great way to write about whatever one wants, and perhaps break even in the process.

Robert Barry Francos, 25, a proofreader in the word processing department, spends his spare moments editing and publishing FFanzeen, a New Wave rock‘n’roll tabloid with a circulation of about 5,000. Robert created FFanzeen in 1977 while getting a degree in communications at Queens College. Since then he has produced six issues, circulated mostly in Greenwich Village, but with some national distribution – copies are now appearing in still limited number in places like Berkeley, Chicago, Toronto, and Greensboro.

Robert’s passion for New Wave music began about 1975. “I saw bands like The Talking Heads and Blondie before they became famous. I’ve interviewed The Ramones and Tom Petty, and have an interview in the next issue with Ronnie Spector – remember the Ronettes? I really only interview the bands I like, but if I wasn’t impressed with the group I’ll say so. Most of them are very nice and more than willing to talk to me, but every now and then, they’ve been giving so many interviews they’re tired and bored, and don’t say too much.”

Unlike many rock n’ roll magazines with little content and an artsy style, Robert puts as much information into each issue as possible. “I hate magazines that don’t have anything in them but pictures and white space. Some people don’t like our layout, but they always say there’s plenty to read!”

Robert does most of the photography himself and his own typesetting, which he learned while working for the now defunct Bay Ridge Weekly. His friends donate their time and talent to help get each issue off the presses. “I can’t pay anybody now, and the most I’ve ever been paid for an article is five dollars,” he said with a smile. “I guess a lot of writers getting started have to be content with only a byline.”

The name FFanzeen is a derivation of the term “fanzine,” which is any magazine put out by fans, for fans. There are a good number of such magazines across the country, and their editors exchange issues, ideas, and sometimes even stories. “Sometimes if I need a story, I’ll call one of the other fanzine editors,” Robert said, “and I’ve been published in several magazines across the country that way. It’s also made me quite a few friends, many of whom I’ve only met over the phone.”

Though not yet too financial lucrative, editing FFanzeen does have its little perks – often Robert gets in free to various New York nightspots, and he receives lots of promotional records. He estimates his current record collegian at around 1,000 LPs, and 2,000 singles, some of them New Wave collectors’ items.

Robert, with true entrepreneurial spirit, is confident of FFanzeen’s success. “People are reading it, and I’ll just keep putting it out,” he says matter of factly, “and hope that someday I can make a profit.”