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The Party at Marty's
It wasn't always violence and crime with Huncke and his friends. It was usually just inno-
cent debauchery.
DIMITRI MUGIANIS
Once there was an insane party at Marty Matz's house for Herbert Huncke, and I
knocked on the door. Johnny Thunders 52 answered the door!
Queens-born Johnny Thunders, stage name for Johnny Genzale, played lead guitar for the
New York Dolls. Formed in 1970, the Dolls, with their coiffed hair, thigh-high, high-heel
boots and androgynous makeup, looked like glam rockers but their sound was garage rock.
In fact the Dolls—who named themselves after a toy repair shop called the New York Doll
Hospital—deserve credit for helping launch both punk rock and metal. Their sound marked
a return to old-fashioned rock and roll, yet was also influenced by bands like the Stooges
andT-Rex.Theband'scorecomprised ofThunders,equally deftatpiercing guitarsolosand
power chords, and lead singer David Johansson, whose jellyfish lips and prancing charisma
recalled Mick Jagger.
By the time Johnny Thunders opened the door to Marty Matz's room for Dimitri Mugi-
anis, Thunders' substance abuse and self-sabotage had taken their toll.
DIMITRI MUGIANIS
Thunders was half dead. He was carrying around a carton of Haagen Dazs™ like
it was a drink. His pancake makeup was smeared on his shirt collar, and he had
these two Eurotrash chicks following him everywhere and cleaning up after him.
Gregory Corso loved Thunders. He loved that Thunders always had these girls
with him. I remember Corso calling over to Thunders:
“Hey, Thunders, do you get a lot of pussy?”
ROBERT CAMPBELL
When I saw Johnny Thunders at Herbert Huncke's party, it must have been just
weeks before he died, and he did look like death with a couple of rich bitches fol-
lowing him around.
The party was in a Chelsea apartment that belonged to this couple—the hus-
bandwastheoldbeatwriterMartyMatz.Hiswife,Barbara,wasaconcertpianist.
On the walls, they had this amazing collection of beetles from Africa. There were
three or four hundred of them. Man, these beetles looked like reindeers with their
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