Where Are You Christmas?

 "Where's Christmas this year?", "Are you doing your'e annual party?". The questions keep coming, but the answer is, No. I really have no desire. I've been doing the Punk Rock Santa routine for almost a decade now. I loved it. I loved gifting strangers things and giving everyone a place to go. I love the Christmas Spirit. The problem is that no one else seems share that love anymore.

 I started the yearly X-Mas Bash with my friend Darlington. We started small, having no idea if anyone would come. Singing a few Christmas tunes in our regular sets and wrapping up whatever we could find around the house to give away.

 People loved it. We loved it. It grew. We added bands, I took on the Punk Rock Santa persona. Learned Christmas Carols. Put all my funds into making it bigger. Making sure everyone was fed and making sure everyone left with a gift. 

 It grew bigger. Outgrew the location I was at. People wanted me to charge. I found a place that didn't try to make me monotize it. We moved. It grew again.

 I saved all the spare funds I could get my hands on to make sure it was bigger and better every year. It was no longer gifts from around the house. I hand wrapped tons of presents to give away. Books, Movies, Toys, Comics. Some inexpensive, some very expensive. Did this without sponsors every year. Other than some gifts donated for contest prizes this all came from me.

 I decorated the entire building. To the point of physical collapse. A few friends would help. Clean up would come and everyone would bail. All the trash left behind. People get something they weren't interested in and just throw it away. Gifts thrown on the floor. Items that cost $60 or more just thrown in the trash. Someone came in to the building and pull out my sound equipment I packed waiting for when I could get help to move it and drank the remainder of my alcohol days after the party. 

 This last year my friend had a meltdown on stage. Caused drama and told me to "Just go enjoy my party", as if I've ever had time to enjoy it. I'm hosting and making sure things run smoothly. Running sound. Stage management. Performing. Decorating. Making sure the catering is going well. Now I'm off schedule an hour and trying to make it work. It's now been a year and my friend hasn't spoke to me since that.

 All of this, other monotized "Punk Rock Santa" events popping up that I have no involvement in, people rudely yelling "Where's the presents?" when I play a Christmas song. Why would I want to do this anymore? That's why I ask, "Where are you Christmas?". Someone please show me there are people who still care...

The 8th Annual Norman X-Mas Bash!

 The Annual X-Mas Bash is back! We've brought back a few of our favourite bands, added even more Drag performances and threw some new songs in the set! Make sure to mark your calendars for Saturday December 21st. We'll be returning to The Resonator in Norman and the doors will open at 7pm. 

When: Saturday December 21st 2024 at 7:00pm
Where: Resonator, 325 E Main St, Norman, OK 73069
Price: Free Entry. Bring a Gift, Get a Gift. (https://www.ticketstorm.com/e/30666/t/)

The Annual Norman X-Mas Bash is back for our 8th year! Come out and party with us again. We have all the things you expect and maybe a few more surprises.

*The Original Punk Rock Santa will be here to take pics and hear your X-Mas wishes.

*White Elephant Gift Exchange. Entry is free, but please bring a wrapped gift to put under the tree and make sure to take a wrapped gift for yourself.

*Ugly Sweater Contest with killer prizes from some of our favourite local businesses.

*Glam City Skates Raffle. Make sure to enter the raffle to win one of these awesome skateboards from GCS!

*Drag Performances from:
Skaði Jötunn
Keché Paige
Ami Rhetto
Jenny Cyde
Lilith

*Live Musical Performances from:
The Love Donations
Psychotic Reaction
Sedona Crystal Bitch
Darlington

This has been Norman's best Christmas Party again and again. All the carolling and merriment you can handle and then some. Don't miss out! 

X-Mas In July/Tim's Last Show/Limnited Edition T-Shirt/New Vinyl!

 Okay, there's a lot to unwrap here... First off, coming up July 19th at 89th St. OKC Christophe and The Love Donations will be playing a special show with a few of our regular songs and a few of our Christmas songs. This will be our "X-Mas in July" Event. So mark your calendars for that! All Ages. $10 at the door. 8911 N. Western OKC.

 This will also be Tim's last show with us, and his last show in Okla for a while, as he is moving back to Georgia the following day. So, come wish him well and send him on his way!

 Now a lot of you are saying to yourselves... "WhO tHe F@cK iS tIm?" and that's okay. He gets that a lot. So much in fact we made a limited edition t-shirt for this show that says "Who the fuck is Tim? and has his face on it.

 

This shirt will be available in very limited quntities at the X-Mas in July show. You can preorder yours to ensure you get it by sending $20 via PayPal at ChristopheMurdock@gmail.com Make sure to send your name and size. Then come pick it up at the show. These will be black shirts with white ink and available in sizes Medium through XXLarge.

The other cool thing about this show is we will be releasing "Ho Ho Ho" on limited edition vinyl! These Clear Lathe Cut Vinyls are numbered to only 24 copies. The art features various pics from our Annual X-Mas Bash. Features the lineup of Love Donations with Christophe Murdock, Andrew Yoon, Adrian Fallwell, Rachel Curl and Jeffrey Stevenson. These will be available at the show for $25, but if you want to ensure you get your copy you can prepay through PayPal and pick up at the show!

Local Earshot Podcast Christmas Episode

 Check out the latest episode of The Local Earshot Podcast. Interviews with Punk Santa and listening to local Christmas Music. LocalEarshot.com

Ho Ho Ho - New Single

  Christophe and The Love Donations cover of Sia's "Ho Ho Ho" is out early today on our bandcamp. Hit's all the digital outlets on 12/15. Hope to have vinyl back before our X-Mas Bash. Enjoy!

Christmas Shows Are Coming!

  Originally planned on bringing the Christmas Music on the road this year, but unfortunately the promote I'm working with fell ill and the shows ended up  falling through. So we have two local ones this year. A small one in OKC on the 9th and our big one in Norman on the 16th!

 On Saturday December 9th at Grand Royale in Oklahoma City we we be celebrating a Merry Christophe-mas with Diatribe Productions and ROckabilly Legend Brian Parton! This show is 21+, $10 and starts at 8pm.

 On Saturday December 16th it's our 7th Annual X-Mas Bash in Norman! We will be returning to The Resonator. Live music from The Love Donations, Darlington, Kinda Creepy and Cunt Puncher. A Drag Performance, Photo Ops with Punk Santa, Ugly Sweater Contest, and as always our gift exchange. Bring a gift and get a gift. This show is All Ages within reason. (Meaning, use your judgement. You know what debauchery your kids can handle witnessing) Doors at 6pm. Music at 7pm. 

 We look forward to seeing you all. #TheWarOnChristophe #PuttingChristopheBackInChristmas 

Neckbeard Noose Weasel Box Music Show Episode #76

 New episode of The Weasel box Music show is out with a song off of "The Love DOnations Do Christmas"! Check it out.

New Christmas Episode of Seeking Human Victims Out Now!

  The Seeking Human Victims podcast from One Good Scare Productions has released a new episode about Silent Night Deadly Night 3 and they also included a song of Christophe's new Christmas Album! You can listen to this just about everywhere you listen to podcasts at, so look it up!

An After-Bash Note From Christophe

  It's hard for me to write this. My brain is full of static. I put this off several days because of that...

 We just finished our sixth year doing Christmas shows. It's gotten bigger and better every year. I put so much of myself into this. It's been the most important thing I've had going on for a while now. I announced my retirement from live performing at the beginning of the year and the bash was my final performance. Bittersweet. Still didn't have things the way I want them... but, for what it was, it was good.

 As with any big show, I really get into my head afterwords. I don't really have friends to talk to. People I can share with. I suffer from a list of things including severe depression. It always gets worse during this season. That's part of why I do this show. So people with similar feelings have somewhere to go, to let loose and unwind... Somewhere they can go and get a gift and maybe have Christmas feel a little bit like it did when we were still children... if for a brief moment. Afterwords everything begins to crash down for me. I keep trying to pull through for everyone. For my family, my cat and my birds. 

 This year, it seems like a few people really "got" what I was trying to do. There were some nice compliments online and I'll share one below. These make me want to try this again. I want to make it through another year and come back to perform for Christmas again. I hope I can and I hope I'll see everyone there again.

- Christophe

 Photos Jesse Edgar took of the event are up in my gallery now here: https://christopheonline.com/galleries/963413/jesse-edgar-photography-6th-annual-x-mas-bash 

 This post really made me feel. I wept when I read it. My friend Ana Gram posted this on Facebook along with a video of one of the songs from my set. See the original post here: https://fb.watch/hzJeyTSWeI/ 

"Last night was the 6th annual Xmas Day Bash, put on by Christophe Murdock and Darlington. If you've never been to one of these shows, ya gotta. These two put these shows on every year. They wrap dozens of gifts, and make sure every single person who walks through the door gets a present. Everyone gets a hug and something to eat. This might seem kinda normal for the season, but it isn't, really.

For some of us, this is all the holidays we have. There's no family. There's no traditions. For some, no home. All we have is eachother and that means *everything*. Christophe and Darlington have made sure all us punk kids here in OKC have had *something*, every year for the last six years. This is what community looks like. This is what scene feels like. It doesn't matter what body you're in or where you came from. We're connected through the music, art and each other, and everyone's welcome. Everyone's safe. Everyone's protected.

I know that people often associate punk with scary things and anarchy, but I gotta say, if you had been in the room when everyone walked in and saw a hundred hand cut snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and a 9 foot tall tree, you might question that. It was babes in Toyland! The smiles. The joy. Even my jaded heart had to love Christmas a little today.

This is a video I took last nignt of when the snowball fight happened on stage. The snowball fight was *still going* an hour later, and is one of my most favorite things to ever happen at a live show on stage. Ever, and I've been to so many shows I forget I've actually seen the band I've "always wanted to see" on a regular basis, so that says a lot.

Thank you, Christophe and Darlington for all your hard work, for the bands that came out and played, Kinda Creepy, Christophe and the Love Donations, Darlington and Psychotic Reaction for a great show and for giving all of us a space to come together, be as we are, be accepted and feel wanted. After all, the most rebellious thing a person can do in this day and age is be happy and share love in spite of everything. "

The Love Donations Do Christmas Vinyl Now Available

  Received the test copy of "The Love Donations Do Christmas" and it looks and sounds great! These will be available to order as of today. They will take a few weeks to come from the manufacturer when you order so don't expect these in time for Christmas this year, but the songs are so good you can rock them out year round! 

Order yours here: https://christopheonline.com/album/2342098/the-love-donations-do-christmas 

New Album: The Love Donations Do Christmas

 Christophe has a new album out with The Love Donations! Some of the classic Christmas songs performed every year at the Annual X-Mas Bash! 

 The CD is available now and you can get it at shows or from the website HERE.

 Vinyl is in production. As soon as we get the sample copy back we will add it to the website store!

 The digital will be available at all Digital Retailers starting December 9th!

New Music - A Gift For Christmas

  A new CD of Christmas Music recorded live on the Local Earshot Podcast is out today! Get a physical copy at the 5th Annual X-Mas Bash in Norman tonight or download it from Bandcamp!

New Track: Christophe "White Christmas"

New Free Xmas Track.

OKC EDGE MUSIC EXCLUSIVE: CHRISTOPHE MURDOCK

 Christophe was interviewed by The OKC Edge! You can read it on their site or below!

Music Exclusive: Christophe Murdock!                                                               Oct 8 2018

Photos courtesy of Christophe's Facebook! Written by Will Harrison   Hey guys and gals! It’s that time of year again, where the leaves fall and the pumpkins rise! So Happy Octoberween!   So as a special treat this month I have an interview from an old friend of mine, in fact we grew up in the same home town of Shawnee! He’s a tall drink of water and well known in the local Halloween scene/music scene. It's Christophe Murdock!   He has a few big shows coming up and asked us to be a part of the promotion area, I was down to help out an old friend. So here you go, enjoy!   Will: First of all, tell us drives you as a musician, and what keeps you going?   Chris: Well, pardon me for getting real here right off the bat, but what really drives me and keeps me going is just the constant battle with my own personal demons. Fighting against depression and mental illness. That's what keeps me going. When I slow down too much or stop is when things are getting really bad. As long as I have shows to play, promises to keep, I'm doing okay. I also have a lot of songs about the subject too, not all of them have been released or get played that often... but I do sprinkle them in from time to time. My stuff is always dark and I like to try to keep it from getting too emotionally heavy all at once, not just for the audience, but for myself.   Will: Do you have anything special planned for your next show?   Chris: My next performance is a special one. I have not done a full on rock show in years. I've been mostly playing my country stuff with just a few of the rock songs sprinkled in. So, when I open for Doyle I'm doing the full on rock show. I have the guys that have been with me for the past year backing me up with Keith from Kinda Creepy filling in on drum duties. We will be playing a few classics from my back catalog, a few no one has ever heard live and a couple of my newer ones from the country set... but punked up.   Will: Tell us about your upcoming shows?   Chris: This month we have two great shows. I will only be performing in one though. 10-17-18 will be The Independents 25th Anniversary Tour. I helped get this booked with Big Bill & Knots Productions. ​We will be hosting this at the new Your Mom's Place 919 N. Virginia Ave. OKC. The Independents (www.theindependents.net) are an amazing Horror-Punk meets Ska band from South Carolina that have been touring for years. They used to be managed by Joey Ramone and even played with him a few times. They are bringing with them another Horror-Punk band from Pittsburgh called Children Of October (www.childrenofoctober.bandcamp.com) We will have local monster rock band Fire Bad (https://www.facebook.com/firebad666/) opening.   10-27-18 I will be opening for Doyle (http://officialdoyle.com/) of the Misfits.  This will be held at the 89th Street Collective 8911 N. Western in OKC. Doyle is legendary in the punk field. With his new side-project he leaves behind the sound he helped create in the Misfits with new Heavy Infectious Riffs brought to life with Alex Story from Cancerslug on vocals. Truly an amazing band to see. Aside from my band openers also include Paid In Spades (https://www.facebook.com/paidnspades/), Justice Keeper (https://www.facebook.com/JusticeKeeper359/) and Arkhon (https://www.facebook.com/ok.arkhon/).   I have a few other gigs on the horizon. Starting in November I will be doing a monthly acoustic gig at Kendell's in OKC. December 10th is out annual Christmas show with Darlington (https://darlingtonrocknroll.bandcamp.com/). We even do a gift exchange with everyone in the audience at this gig. Always a blast. December 16th I will be doing my country duo at the  Lost Highway in OKC.   Will: Tell us about your creative process?   Chris: This does vary, but usually it is when I am alone. Sometimes I pull things straight from the ether. I just start playing and singing and what comes out is the song. Usually my soul trying to work it's way through the problems I'm having at the time. Other times I do write things for fun or for a project. I wrote“Pray To The Saw”, an upcoming single of mine, for a film I worked on with my friend (4) from God in a Machine. We bounced ideas for a film back and forth one night, he wrote the script and I wrote the theme song same night. The film is called 'Son of the Saw' and is in the festival circuit now but you can watch the teaser trailer on YouTube or find the film's page on Facebook. (https://www.facebook.com/sotsfilm/)   Will: Are you a fan of Halloween? How do you celebrate?   Chris: Halloween is my favorite day of the year. I used to try to do a show every year on the date, but just always seemed to have bad luck when I did. Now I try not to work on the actual day and just have fun. Usually end up doing a lot. I try to trick or treat with some of the kids, either family or friends, You're never too old for free candy. Then head out to parties afterword.   ​Will: What would you like fans to know most about Christophe?   Chris: Just that I'm always working. Don't listen to what you've heard from someone else. Give me a listen and form your own opinion. If you've heard one project, you have not heard them all. I've played and recorded Punk, Country, Metal, Electronica and Hip-Hop. I'm always trying to do something new with new people every chance I get. Check out my films I've worked on too. It's not all horror. I've been a part of a lot of different things.   Will: What do you feel is missing in the local music scene?   Chris: This is a hard subject. I've been around the local scene since the mid 90's. I've seen it grow andfall many times. There is always too much in-fighting and people trying to bring each other down. Too much of bands trying to one-up each other. This shouldn't be an issue, but it is. Usually bands that sound nothing alike too... so why try to battle each other when you should just support each other.   Will: Where can we follow you online?   Chris: You can find me at my own site here: http://ChristopheOnline.com   I'm on FaceBook at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422610694628720/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardcoreOkieBoy  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophemurdock/

Merry Christmas from Christophe and The Ramones!

 Christophe covers The Ramones "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)". This month only you can download and stream this track from bandcamp. This was recorded December of 2010 in Sweet Home, OR. Enjoy!

The DAMAGED Hearing Playlist for 12-21-10

"Caught the end of Live at Lunch... ugh... glad to hear the dulcet tones of Mr. Fowler!" - Mike CadaverLab

Louis Fowler, Scott B. and Lyle Allen-"A KRFC Christmas Carol"
Cheekyboy-“Biggie's Last Christmas (Puff Daddy and Notorious BIG vs. Wham!)”

Before the show, Hoogie had photoshoot for the COLORADO PAW PAGES magazine--he being featured for his work on DH--so I was in an extra happy mood because that meant that Hoogie would be co-hosting a VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS episode with me! One that would be full of tacos and cheer and goodwill and all that.

"I'm listening even as i type. The miracle of the Interweb!" - Douglas

Ben Prytherch-“DAMAGED Hearing”

Every Christmas, DAMAGED Hearing has numerous traditions. The first of which is, by adding a jingle bell sound effect in the background, you can turn any song into a Christmas song. Last year it was "Fancy" by Reba. This year? A two-fer you guys:

R. Kelly and Louis-“Bump N' Grind (XXXmas Mix)"
Tag Team and Louis-"Whoomp!There It Is (Whoomp! It's Xmas Mix)"

"I am a big supporter of both "bumping" and "grinding" -- especially around the holidays." - Matt

I'm left winded, but I'm still in good enough spirits to annoy the piss out of my audience. My Christmas gift to them? Eight different versions of "Feliz Navidad", the greatest Christmas song of all time!

Jose Feliciano-“Feliz Navidad”
Boney M.-“Feliz Navidad”
David Hasselhoff-“Feliz Navidad”
Công Thành and Lynn-“Feliz Navidad”

"Feliz navidad!" - Kristy

Charo-“Feliz Navidad”
Kathleen Ohlsson (Slitz)-“Feliz Navidad”
El Vez-“Feliz Navidad”
Aqua Teen Hunger Force-“Feliz Navidad”

I brought my guitar into the studio today, and the fact that I am by no means a good singer or guitarist doesn't stop me in the slightest from performing a (I'm pretty sure) ten-minute long version of "Feliz Navidad" that is fueled by a non-stop sipping of Sparks holiday cocktails.

"you got a great set o' pipes on you mister." - Mike Wing

Charo-“(Mamacita) Donde Esta Santa Claus?”
Raphael-“La Última Navidad”
Speedy Gonzales-“The Hat I Got for Christmas is Too Beeg”
Patton Oswalt-“My Christmas Memory”
The Chipmunks-“The Chipmunk Song (Slowed Down)”

The Sparks that Hoogie and I are ingesting is sending this part into lampshade-mode. Hoogz gets on the mic and starts barking everytime I ask him if he wants a taco for Christmas. Boy does he! He requests that we sing a duet of Wham's "Last Christmas". It is very heartfelt.

"I think Hoogie WANTS SOME TACOS!" - Freddy NOTLP

Jimmy Buffett-“Christmas in the Caribbean”
Hernando Hopkins and Orchestra-“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Cha Cha)”
Los Del Rio-“Macarena Christmas” (When I played this, everyone in the station came inside the studio and started Macarenaing. It was mildly embarrassing.)
Big John Greer-“We Want to See Santa Do the Mambo”
Peter Rugolo Orchestra-“Jingle Bell Mambo”

Let's give back and get serious and remember the reason for the season with this slow jamz...

New Kids on the Block-“This One's For the Children”
MC Hammer-“Have You Seen Her? (Looking for Xmas Mix)”
Norwegian Recycling-“Miracles”

My other Christmas tradition? A replay of Andy B. and mine's cover of Cheech and Chong's stoner Xmas classic. We recorded it, live on the air, about five or so years ago. It was one of the first times I was on the air and people seem to love it. At least people who like weed.

Louis Fowler and Andy B.-“Santa Claus and His Old Lady”
Christophe-“Merry X-mas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)”

Here's to hoping that each and everyone of my listeners had a Merry Christmas. Seriously!

Freddy Fender-“Vaya Con Dios”

"You’re the best thing on the radio...no lying!" - Freddy NOTLP