I have known Tom Scully for quite some time. I remember Tom back in the daze/days of New York in the '80s. I remember him having wild roof top parties on top of his building on Chrystie Street in Chinatown with films being shown, bands playing and Tom DJing all with the background of the glittering Manhattan skyline. Things always seemed about to go out of control, but somehow when the sun started to rise, it calmed down and everyone was pleased that the roof did not collapse. I recall that there were several casualties at those parties. One person fell off the roof and another walked into the elevator on the 12th floor. The elevator was not there and he fell all 12 flights down the elevator shaft. Surprisingly, both people survived. Tom organized the Psychedelic Weekend Parties at The Cavern. I had my own small bar in the basement. Tom gave me the name of The Reverend (Or The Rev) and named my small bar The Confessional Booth. I was given a punch bowel with a glowing blue liquid in it. I was instructed to give a glass to anyone who gives me a bell. This special brew was spiked with an unknown quantity of acid/LSD. The night got stranger and stranger with bands like The Fuzztones and Certain General playing as crazed painted day-glo blue go-go girls danced out of control. People did not confess at my confessional booth that night because most of them could not speak or were too busy bouncing off the walls and dancing. At the end of the last night, the blue go-go girls kidnapped Tom. He woke up the next morning to find himself painted all blue and had to find his way home. He could not get the blue off his skin for a week.
Tom was a premier revolutionary DJ throughout the clubs in New York and he eventually started to DJ in Europe. Tom in his day, was a true mover and shaker in New York. In my opinion, he has not been given proper credit for what he accomplished during his time in New York. In 1978, he and Susan Hannaford created and produced the New Wave Vaudeville show at Irving Plaza. Ann Magnuson was the director of the show. This one of a kind vaudeville show was a cultural changing point in New York. It eventually gave birth to the new creative clubs that mixed performance with art, film, music, theme parties and went onto inspire so many creative souls of that time. It was Klaus Nomi's premier performance at the New Wave Vaudeville Show, that amazed people with his other world visuals and sound. From this point, Tom, Susan and Ann went onto to create the infamous Club 57 in the basement of a Polish church at 57 ST. Marks Place in the East Village. Although, let me make it clear, Stanley Strychacki was the original Club 57 founder and also sponsor the sponsor from beginning to the end.It mutated into a warped creative playground for wacked-out kindred artistic spirited funsters. Tom and Susan created the weekly Monster Movie Club and Ann Magnuson was the manager of the club. Ann was able to experiment and develop her ideas and performances. Susan was at the entrance accepting the donations for entrance, looking very much like Morticia Addams from another planet. Tom took his role very serious as the Monster Movie Club curator. He would organize all screenings and was the projectionist. Tom would organize low budget B monster/horror films to be shown to an eager East Village audience. He would organize the filmmakers to come and speak about their films. If I am not mistaken, he even got Russ Meyers to appear, speak and answer questions. Tom was the Monster Movie Club professor whereas Susan encouraged people to talk back to the films, laugh, have fun and create scenes. This upset the professor side of Tom, but after a few drinks he even got into the fun of it. Tom inspired and encouraged lots of people on the scene at that time to be true to who they are and not be afraid to perform and look silly. He always said, "If you can't be silly and idiotic sometimes, what is the sense of it all?"
Tom eventually moved out of New York with his french wife Sybille. They lived in Paris and then Montpellier. They created two beautiful and talented daughters named Camille and Charlotte. Tom and Sybille live with Camille in Berlin. Charlotte lives in Paris and is a make-up artist for films and photo sessions. She is also pursuing her interest in film and photography. Sybille is a photographer. Camille is presently completing her studies in Berlin and is active in photography with the help of her mother. Tom is involved in numerous art projects and plays in a fun punk band called (what else?) Monster Movie Club! The photo above is Tom after a Monster Movie Club performance in Berlin and the photo below is Tom with his daughters Camille and Charlotte.