R.I.P. David Thomas of Pere Ubu, 1953-2025

Sadly, Pere Ubu mainman David Thomas has passed away at the age of 71. He'll be greatly missed. 

David Thomas

June 14, 1953 - April 23, 2025

David Lynn Thomas, lead singer of Pere Ubu, Rocket From The Tombs and multiple solo projex, has died after a long illness.

On Wednesday, April 23 2025, he died in his home town of Brighton & Hove, with his wife and youngest step-daughter by his side. MC5 were playing on the radio. He will ultimately be returned to his home, the farm in Pennsylvania, where he insisted he was to be “thrown in the barn.”

David Thomas and his band have been recording a new album. He knew it was to be his last. We will endeavour to continue with mixing and finalizing the new album so that his last music is available to all. Aside from that, he left instruction that the work should continue to catalog all the tapes from live shows via the official bandcamp page: https://pereubu.bandcamp.com/. His autobiography was nearly completed and we will finish that for him. Pere Ubu’s Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/pereubu will continue as a community, run by communex.

We’ll leave you with his own words, which sums up who he was better than we can -

“My name is David Fucking Thomas… and I’m the lead singer of the best fucking rock n roll band in the world.”

You'll find a couple of David's performances with Pere Ubu and some interview clips below. Toronto photograper Rick McGinnis has shared a few sweet snaps from the past right here. 

Happy Birthday David Thomas!

Celebrating the birthday of David Thomas with an informative hour-long chat about Pere Ubu and a VPRO special from 2001. 

The third letter to popular late 70s underground rock zine Back Door Man #8 is from Crocus Behemoth. 

Protruders opening for Sheer Mag, Tweens @ Lee's Palace, Tuesday

The Protruders' Poison Future gets the thumbs up from Rocket From The Tomb's Craig Bell, Da Slyme's Wallace Hammond and Eddie Flowers too!

"After four self-released cassettes, Montréal's premier art-punk/neo-proto-punk band Protruders makes its vinyl debut with a 25-minute 12-inch of very groovy sounds. The sound is a bit clearer and maybe a little beefier—some of the noise gives way to a more relaxed and expansive approach. The psych quotient is higher. But the heart of the band is still beating for the sort of raw open-minded non-generic punk that once came from the likes of Rocket From The Tombs, Swell Maps, Dead Moon, Dancing Cigarettes, etc.

"'Fruit Hang' has a perfect mid-70s style garage feel—like a Boston pre-punk band tearin’ it up at the Rat! This could be the hit, kidz! Skronky sax gives 'Hydrophytol' a kinda Hawkwind/no-wave feel. And dig “No Stone”—a slower one, catchy as hell—I swear it could pass for an outtake from the Saints circa 1978. Solid—another hit! At five minutes, the title track stretches things out a bit. This one has a definite Ubu/Voidoids vibe—nasty angular spazz-punk with a little more sax blat added. Very nice guitar stuff happening here.

"We get some weirdo HC action on 'Stabilizer' and more hot guitar squiggles. 'Tax 101' is maybe a 'typical' Protruders song—that means good! “Wrong Way Sign,” pushes things over the six-minute mark, with a strong psych-punk feel (Wipers?) and some totally swell rock-jam stuff at the end. Wow. This record is a significant step for the band and an impressive way to start their vinyl career as they gain the higher visibility they deserve. Most excellent!"  – Eddie Flowers (Vulcher Magazine/The Gizmos)

Massive Peter Laughner 5 LP box due from Smog Veil in August

The 56-song Peter Laughner retrospective is available for pre-order as a 5 LP or 5 CD box set with a 100-page book. Check the details below.  

Here's the scoop from Smog Veil Records...
UPDATE MAY 22, 2019:  Smog Veil Records have been working for the last 10 years to create the definitive Peter Laughner retrospective. The five LP box set is in the final stages of production. Test pressings have been approved; all art and layouts have been completed by the team of Johnny Dromette and Ron Kretsch.  All art and book proofs have been approved.

Peter Laughner was a singer songwriter from Cleveland like no other.  Before his untimely death in 1977, he played in numerous bands, most notably Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu, and also as a solo performer.  He wrote for a variety of weekly newspapers and Creem, where he was a contemporary of Lester Bangs.  He famously told Jane Scott of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he wanted to do for Cleveland what “...Brian Wilson did for California and Lou Reed did for New York.” In many ways, Peter did in fact put the Cleveland underground on the map.

In cooperation with Peter's estate and his many collaborators, the box set will contain the definitive statement of Peter's musical talents and additionally showcase his writings and the many works he created with a variety of talented friends.  Smog Veil's research team has looked in every basement, attic, and corner to uncover numerous gems and we are pleased to be able to place Peter's work on display.

Many of the 56 songs contained in the release are seeing the light of day for the very first time.  All songs have been carefully mastered and sonically upgraded from the best possible sources by the Grammy-nominated team of Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering.  The box set also contains a 100 page hardbound book of photos and writings.  Two box set formats will be available: 5 LPs or 5 CDs, and both formats contain an identical box, book, and track listing.

Pre-order a copy of the 5 LP or 5 CD set here. Note: Pre-sale ends June 16. In stores August 2.





Peter Laughner (Smog Veil SVLP150)

Record One: 1972 (Fat City Jive)
Side One:
01. Hesitation Blues (Billy Smythe)
02. The Sidewalks of New York (Blake/Lawler arr: Laughner)
03. Willin' (Lowell George)
04. Solomon’s Mines (Peter Laughner)
05. Please Mrs. Henry (Bob Dylan)
06. Mean Ol’ Frisco (Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup)
07. Drunkard’s Lament (Terry Hartman)
08. T For Texas (Jimmie Rodgers)
Side Two:
09. Good Time Music (John Sebastian)
10. Love Minus Zero (No Limit) (Bob Dylan)
11. I’m Waiting For The Man (Lou Reed)
12. Eyes Eyes (Michael Hurley)
13. The Eyes of A New York Woman (Ogden/Pynchon)
14. It’s Saturday Night (Dance The Night Away) (Peter Laughner)
15. These Days (Jackson Brown)
16. Fat City Jive (Terry Hartman)
17. That’s The Story of My Life (Lou Reed)
From:
1 – 8, 16: The Original Wolverines (Peter Laughner, Mike Sands, Pete Sinks), WMMS “Coffeebreak Concert”, Cleveland, September 20, 1972 Host: Shauna Zurbrugg
9 – 15, 17: Peter Laughner and Mike Sands, WMMS “Coffeebreak Concert”, Cleveland, November 15, 1972 Host: Kid Leo

Record Two: 1973 – 1974 (One of The Boys)
Side One:
01. Rock & Roll (Lou Reed)
02. One of The Boys (Hunter/Ralphs)
03. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
Side Two: 
04. Heroin (Lou Reed)
05. I’m So Fucked Up (Peter Laughner)
06. White Light White Heat (Lou Reed) / Call The Ambulances (Cynthia Black)
From:
1, 3, 4, 6: Cinderella Backstreet, The Cellar, Sandusky, June 24, 1973
2: Cinderella Backstreet, JB’s, Kent, March 23, 1973
5: Cinderella’s Revenge, Viking Saloon, Cleveland, May 11, 1974
Cinderella Backstreet: Cynthia Black, Albert Dennis, Rick Kalister, Scott Krauss, Peter Laughner.
Cinderella’s Revenge: Peter Laughner, Lachlan McIntosh, Eric Ritz, Susan Schmidt, Deborah Smith.

Record Three: 1973 – 1977 (Pledging My Time)
Side One:
01. Cinderella Backstreet (Peter Laughner)
02. Down At The Bar (Peter Laughner)
03. Baudelaire (Peter Laughner)
04. 32-20 Blues (Robert Johnson)
05. Rain On The City (Peter Laughner)
Side Two
06. “I Must Have Been Out Of My Mind” (Peter Laughner)
07. Pledging My Time (Bob Dylan)
08. (My Sister Sold Her Heart To) The Junk Man (Peter Laughner - Adele Bertei)
09. First Taste of Heartache (Peter Laughner)
10. Sylvia Plath (Peter Laughner)
11. Lullaby (Peter Laughner)
From:
1: Peter Laughner, solo home recording, circa 1975
2: Peter Laughner and Deborah Smith, WMMS "Coffeebreak Concert", Cleveland, October 11, 1974
3, 10, 11: Peter Laughner and Albert Dennis, 4-track recording, East Cleveland, 1976 (circa August/September)
4: Peter Laughner, solo home recording, Cleveland Heights, 1976 (September or October)
5: Peter Laughner and Wally Wefel, home recording, 1973 (circa November/December)
6, 11: Peter Laughner, solo home 4-track recordings, circa 1976
7: Peter Laughner, solo home 4-track recording, Cleveland Heights, December 15, 1976
8, 9: Peter Laughner, from the “New Songs” tape, solo home recording, Cleveland Heights, 1977 (circa January/February)

Record Four: 1974 – 1977 (Rock It Down)
Side One:
01. What Goes On (Lou Reed)
02. Ain’t It Fun (Laughner/O’Connor)
03. Amphetamine (Peter Laughner)
Side Two:
04. Prove It (Tom Verlaine)
05. Dear Richard (Peter Laughner)
06. Hideaway (Peter Laughner)
07. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (Bob Dylan)
08. Pablo Picasso (Jonathan Richman)
09. Rock It Down (Peter Laughner)
From
1: Fins, block party, Coventry, Cleveland Heights, July 27, 1974
2: Rocket From Tombs, The Agora, Cleveland, February 10, 1975
3: Peter Laughner and Don Harvey, from “The Ann Arbor Tapes”, Ann Arbor, February 1976
4, 8: Friction, rehearsal, Cleveland, October 31, 1976
5 – 7: Friction, The Pirate’s Cove, Cleveland, November 2, 1976
9: Peter Laughner and Adele Bertei, from the “Secret Session” tape, 4-track home recording, Cleveland Heights, 1977 (circa March)
Fins: Robert Bensick, Scott Krauss, Peter Laughner, Lachlan McIntosh, Deborah Smith.
Rocket From The Tombs: David “Crocus Behemoth” Thomas, Peter Laughner, Cheetah Chrome, Craig “Darwin Layne” Bell, Johnny “Madman” Madansky.
Friction: Anton Fier, Peter Laughner, Susan Schmidt, Deborah Smith.

Record Five: 1977 (Nocturnal Digressions)
Side One:
01. See No Evil (Tom Verlaine)
02. Come On In (Whatcha’ Doin’ On Them Stairs?) (Tom Verlaine)
03. Everything I Say Just Goes Right Through Her Heart (Peter Laughner - Adele Bertei)
04. The Next Room Of The Dream (Peter Laughner)
05. Do It (Jesse Winchester)
06. Slim Slow Slider (Van Morrison)
Side Two:
07. Blank Generation (Richard Hell)
08. Wild Horses (Jagger/Richards)
09. Isn’t That So? (Jesse Winchester)
10. Me And The Devil Blues (Robert Johnson)
11. Pale Blue Eyes (Lou Reed)
12. (Going To) China (Peter Laughner)
13. Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran)
From:
"Nocturnal Digressions", solo home recording, Bay Village, June 21, 1977

Special pre-order bonus EP will be included and will not be sold separately or in stores.

Bonus 45: 1973 – 1976 (Easily Excited)
Side A:
01. Drugstore Cowboy/I’m So Bored (Bangs/Laughner)
02. Venus De Milo (Tom Verlaine)
Side B:
03. Heart (Section 2) (Michael Hronek)
04. Who’s Been Here? (Bo Carter)
05. Instrumental (fragment) (Peter Laughner)
From: 
01:  Peter Laughner and Lester Bangs, from “Critic’s Choice”, Creem offices, Walled Lake, MI 1975 (circa February/March)
02: Peter Laughner and Don Harvey, from “The Ann Arbor Tapes”, Ann Arbor, MI, February 1976
03: Michael Hronek, Peter Laughner, Robert Bensick, Albert Dennis, and Scott Krauss, from “Fall 1974” tape, Cleveland 1974 (circa October) (NB: Laughner’s guitar work here is the origin of “Ain’t It Fun”)
04: Peter Laughner, David Krauss, Alan Echtler, Spa John, and Carl Woideck, Hillel House, CWRU, Cleveland February 10, 1973. Soundperson unknown.
05: Peter Laughner, solo home recording (mystery 4-track session), circa 1976

Happy Birthday Peter Laughner

Remembering Rocket From The Tombs co-founder Peter Laughner on his day with a couple of amazing tunes.