Nikola Acin (of The Hellboys) RIP

When you're into music from the '50s and '60s, you kinda get used to your heroes passing away. Syd and Arthur Lee went within days of each other and you kinda beat yourself up for a while before realising that they had a decent enough run and, most importantly, had enough time to leave their artistic mark.

However, what happens when someone goes who didn't have the time to fulfil the potential? This is why I'm so beat up by the passing of Nikola Acin, main-man of French garage-rockers, The Hellboys.

I first heard The Hellboys on comp' 'Paris Calling' and was pretty much knocked out by 'em. They had the fuzz, the lip-curl... that thing that makes garage so fuggin' great. They were a little older than their compilation counterparts, but man, they had more moves, more attitude and the best riffs...

...but now Nikola has gone, with a legacy is far too short.

Nikola, by all accounts, was a really good guy to know. Funny, witty, an avid enthusiast of art and music. He wasn't just a trouble maker in a rock group, but he was also a rock critic. Whereas most rock critics make rubbish blues, here was a man who lived it, breathed it... he could do both equally well, with the same verve and (s)punk. He also wrote great articles on comic books and was the son of filmmaker Jovan Acin (Hey, Babu Riba).

Nikola was a ball of energy who would charge headlong into what he loved. Everything he did came straight from the heart or the hip. After my review of Paris Calling and started chatting to Nikola and he was as stupidly enthusiastic about some-dumb-record-or-other as me. I was so chuffed to find that there were people in the 'industry' that still cared... that still gave a shit.

...and now he's no longer with us. Tributes are few, but those that have paid dues have spoken about Nikola as being one of the good guys... one of those people who light up your life by just being them. I'm still kinda hoping that this is a massive joke and he's reading all these obituaries somewhere and laughing like a drain. He'd do it too.There's no info on how he went, but whatever... our thoughts are to those closest to him.

In tribute, watch him at work with The Hellboys.

Comments

[Murray]

The Hellboys are my favourite band on the "Paris Calling" compilation by a long way. I'm not anti-drugs, not at all. But what a stupid way to die. I dunno what Nikola overdosed on. But, hell, what a waste!

[Matt Reese]

Nikola used to visit me and my friends in San Diego. He really was a great guy. He wrote an article for a French magazine about the band I was in at the time (Jalopy). We had some crazy adventures. I had just recently gotten back in contact with him. So sad. I just always figured we'd see each other some day as if no time had passed. Really depressing news.

[tim foster]

I met Nikola way back in about '92 at the san Diego Comic con... we shared a love of old EC comics and rock and roll and we started a friendship that lasted until, apparently, may 2008.

We hadn't spoken in a couple of years.. no intentional break, I just think we both got busy and neglected to say hello. I decided to touch base last night and saw the news. I guess I can't say I'm surprised.

Nikola was a good guy-- a man completely motivated to follow his passions. Unfortunately he also had a self-destructive streak that eventually played itself out. He was proud of it... he showed the knife scars on his arms with pride, and when he started to get into drugs I'm sure he dove in with his typical conviction.

i spent some of the best times in my life with Nikola, goofing around in Paris and California. he embraced life and never seemed to find any limits. he was amazingly clever and not shy with his opinions. You had to love that about him... Nikola was no bullshitter.

it was a happy accident that we both managed to put Rock and Roll bands together at about the same time. I dragged my band the Trouble Makers to paris to play with the Hellboys in 1999, and never imagined that i'd never play music with Nikola again.

Most of nikola's heroes are dead, so it's no surprise that he followed them along far too soon. And, he never really dealt with the death of his Dad, his biggest hero of all.

I'm sorry for all of his friends who miss him each day. Here in california I'm sad, but i can almost pretend that he's still in Paris, still living his dreams out every day.

Almost.

RIP Nikola... You've gone away far too soon.

tim foster

[Mike Dolan]

It was 1993. I was working at
Starstruck vintage clothing in the West Village.NYC I had been
playing bass for a rock band called "groovepusher". We had
just changed our name to the Turbo A.C.'s.
This young cat comes into the shop. Slicked back hair and a
blazer, looking sharp. He had a paper bag that was literally bursting
at the seams with LP's. I automatically asked him what his
new acquistions were. He opened the bag and flipped through
each disc with excitement and glee commenting on each record
how much of a steal it was, how cool the band was, etc. That
is how I meant Nikola Acin. We hit it off. Instantly. We
were playing our debut show at Maxwell's (of all
places) with Mojo Nixon (of all people). Nikola didn't object
to a trek to Jersey for some rock and roll and was at our
first show. He was an important figure for years to come.
I'd like to call him the first Turbo A.C.'s fan.

Nikola was living in Paris; Son of the great filmmaker Jovan Acin.
He was refined. Charming. Electric. He could trace the rock and roll
family tree from Robert Johnson to the present without
batting an eye. He was writing for a French magazine called
Rock & Folk the equivalent of Rolling Stone. The
magazine would fly him back and forth to The States to cover
different acts. Nikola was no average music journalist. With
his Tiger Beat good looks and his passion and drive for all
things rocknroll. He was the music. He was the lifestyle. He
was the personification of it all. He was like James Bond.
This globe trotting smooth talking lady killer. With every
hair in place and dressed to the nines 24 -7. What a perfect
career for a music fan! How is that a job!?

Pre-Internet era Nikola and I wrote to each other back and
forth. I wrote a long letter to him describing a
backbreaking US tour and all the drama that ensued. Nikola
took the letter to the magazine. He was such a friend he had
Rock and Folk translate it to french and it became a full
spread article. Here was my dinky greaser punk band in this
huge magazine with stadium filling artists on the cover. I
was so thrilled. That was an impressive piece to have in our
press kit when we were trying to get going.

Nikola eventually started his own band "The Hellboys"
after the comic book character of the same name. The
Turbo's/Hellboys wound up doing a split seven inch on bubble
gum pink vinyl. I eventually made it to Paris in 1996 .
Nikola was at our show. Got us the most amazing place to
stay with his bandmate Adan. His Dad is Alejandro Jodorowsky so
the "apartment" was immense , with a live in maid.
I guess these film kids stick together.
Nikola took us out sight seeing and for dinner.
He was a gracious host indeed.

I saw that Nikola had a tiny room cluttered with Lp's
books and comics. There were tacky exotica records all over the
walls. Eventually he started getting tiny tattoos that he
could easily cover for fear of his mothers judging eye. I
would see him from time to time. Sometimes we wouldn't be
close enough for him to catch us in France.

We finally got a chance to play together a few years ago.
It was a threadbare little show that Nikola put together
himself. Much to the chagrin of our German tour manager who
was quick to point out all the flaws in the whole set up. It
didn't matter to Nikola. Not one bit. He just wanted to
play. At one point in his set he was on his knees channeling
Rob Tyner. Local sideshow girls were breathing fire. Nikola
was smiling. He was happy. It was epic. Pure joy.
There would be a phone call from time to time, postcards.
Then emails. He dropped a line on myspace to me about
visiting NYC. That was 2 years ago.

I guess with me quitting
the AC's in 2005 I wasn't in Europe every year. We lost touch.
Well, I was scanning pictures. I saw one of the two of us
on the Arc de Triomphe. I thought I would
check up on him on facebook.
I stumbled on a memorial site. I couldn't believe it. At
first I thought it was a site to remember his band,like they
broke up. Nope. I started seeing Nikola RIP, over and over.
I was in complete disbelief. I did some investigating. I
found out he OD'd. What a waste. I don't even remember
anything about drugs at all . Ever. We went out to the bar
one night and he was drinking a fucking gimlet fer Christ's
sake. ONE.

I read a lot of testimonials from people who knew him. His
passion was relentless. He would go off a mile a minute on
the things that he loved. He supported so many bands;
befriended so many musicians. I was impressed when he told
me he got in tight with some influential people. I
can't believe he is dead. I have met lots of people and
don't get me wrong, some rock and roll types, you expect them
to crash their car , get stabbed , etc etc. Not this kid. No
way. I spent a lot of my day mourning. Sad. In shock. Trying
to dig up more pictures out of my boxes. Shutting off any
youtube or music player that would play his band as I tried
to dig up more info. I just can't hear his voice right now.
It's too overwhemling. I don't know what else to say. I'm
heartbroken.