"Well, there's this 10-year old singer from Elma, Washington. He's really cool. His mom calls him Travis
but his real name is Human Skab. Picture this: the Skab zips around the living room shooting toy guns.
He hits the family piano with his fists. He tries real hard to play guitar. He makes up songs about terrorism
and radiation and throwing rocks at windows. Cool!" -- Bruce Pavitt, "Sub Pop" zine, 1987
uman Skab was Travis Roberts of Elma, Washington, when he was 9-11
yrs old. His Uncle heard him banging on pots/yelling during a family
picnic, and started recording him in 1985/6. Skab called it "African
music." That lead to tapes being made by the Uncle. "Thunder Hips &
Saddle Bags" is the first one I'm going to reissue as a CD. Bunch
others were made, like "Eat My Skabs" "Fight of the Century." WFMU
will play the tapes now and then.
Nearly all of the lyrics are wrapped in major cold war fear, Russians
nukin' the US, He-man, dead babies, drunk neighbors, and more war
fears, lotsa radiation talk. Impressive piano playing, toy guns,
pot/pan percussion, pals running around yelling at his sister. But
overall, quite meloic in the vocals. You could imagine a kid doing the
same thing now, but he'd be talking about 9/11.
For yrs I was told that Skab was offered a opening spot on a DKs tour,
but Jello said it ain't true... I wish it was.. Also, that he opened
for Pere Ubu in Olympia. When I asked Dave Thomas about that a number
of years ago he said he'd never play with a child. So, who knows...
Others say its on film.
The reissue CD will be out in early 06, with the whole story explained
by the Uncle and others. Tim Barnes mastered it and it sounds
fantastic, like the Skab is in your house breaking the windows.
pretty unbelievable stuff from those two mp3s. can't wait to hear more.
― brock (brock), Saturday, 28 May 2005 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)
Holy cow, I'm amazed people even remember this. I bought it after reading a review in Sound Choice. It's some scary shit - I mean, a preteen boy performing an opus about "Mining the Radiation" is enough to cause nightmares.
― mike a, Sunday, 29 May 2005 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)
I actually heard from his brother last week. I think he's surprised to hear about people playing his music, I have no idea if he knows there's a reissue, I didn't tell him....
― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)
eleven months pass...
Hi. I am the "uncle". Actually I am Travis's cousin. Thanks to FV for finally re-releasing this material. Yes, it is true, HS actually opened for David Thomas for a show in Olympia. No, there was never an offer from Jello for a tour, just rumors of a conversation that he was interested. Travis is currently in Afghanistan, "mining the radiation" and "killing the communists" or whatever it is they call them these days.
― Frank Gunderson, Saturday, 13 May 2006 14:06 (twenty years ago)