Archive: That time Bun E Carlos witnessed a murder (1989)

Carlos, who looks like anything but a rock star with his balding pate, drooping cigarette and understated antics, was walking to his hotel in the early morning while on tour in the US when an argument broke out in a deserted street.

“These two Koreans were shouting at each other across the street and one pulled out a gun and killed the other one,” Carlos said.

“Then the guy started looking at me ’cause I was the only one who saw it. I just started running.”

Carlos survived to take part in Cheap Trick’s major commercial comeback last year which began here when the single “The Flame” soared to the top of the Australian chart during the band’s first trip Down Under in nine years.

The single subsequently topped the US chart and a second cut – a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” – made the top 10 in both countries.

The band returned to Australia to pay tribute to the audience which fuelled its revival.

“I didn’t think Flame was that good,” Carlos said.

But things haven’t always been so rosy for the American hard rockers, whose debut album was released in 1976. Five albums in the early 80s were commercial flops and Cheap Trick became embroiled in constant battles

with their record company Epic.

“We sued them for $52 million and they sued us for $48 million, but in 1981 we decided to get back down to the business of making records,” Carlos said.

“We’re not yelling now, we’re working, and we’re not being forced to do anything we don’t want to do.”

Carlos, despite often being mistaken for the manager, has become one of the doyens of rock and roil drumming, his off beat appearance only enhancing his appeal.

“Rick (Neilson) and I look more like real people than Robin (Zander) and Tom (Petersson).

“When we go to do interviews the disc jockeys say ‘Come in, make yourself at home’ and turn to me and say ‘you, stay here’.

“I like it when they come up and apologise later.”

Carlos says he constantly gets calls from young drummers with big reputations who need help.

One band he’s had some contact with is new sensations Guns N’Roses, who are being compared in some quarters to the Rolling Stones because of their passion for self-abuse.

“Guns N’Roses are for real, I’ll tell you. They are serious party animals and they’ll be big if they’re not dead first.

“We partied with them when we got home from Australia last year and we had to punch one of them out because he was getting a bit rude.

“They’ve been in and out of drug rehabilitation centres, and they boast about it I like them, but I hope their fans don’t emulate them.

“When you’re in a rock band, everyone treats you like a God; everyone’s working for you and telling you how good you are. In that atmosphere, occasionally things get wrecked.”