Dead Kennedys - 1984 - Los Angeles

This is some quality footage from 1984 of the Dead Kennedys
roaring through a killer set at the cavernous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Dig it!

Suburbia (1984)

Released by Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Penelope Spheeris wrote and directed Suburbia (1984) after making The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) and prior to filming The Boys Next Door (1985). Using a cast of almost all LA punks and non-trained actors while shooting in an area of tract housing set aside to be demolished to make way for a highway into LAX, Spheeris's film is sometimes referred to as punxploitation in reviews and I dig that handle. It's downbeat, but very watchable. Thanks to NOTANANUS4k for posting the movie on Youtube.




The trailer




The feature

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The Plugz - early L.A. punk

From Los Angeles, The Plugz were among the first Mexican/American punk bands. Fronted by Tito Lariva, they formed in the late 1970s and brought together traditional Mexican music with the sounds and attitude of punk rock. Their first single, "Mindless Contentment" featured backing vocals by Exene from X. Several of their songs were used in the 1984 film Repo Man. Most notable to myself is the song "Reel Ten" which plays at the film's conclusion. A sonic tribute to the esteemed work of Ennio Morricone, this track brings spaghetti western sounds to the forefront. Another cinematic use of Plugz music came about in 1985 when "Electrify Me" was used in the XXX feature New Wave Hookers, also notable for starring a then underage Traci Lords.




In early 1984 The Plugz hooked up with Bob Dylan and performed for a short time as his backing band, including a March 1984 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman where they performed three songs. Later in 1984 Tito Larriva, Tony Marsico, and Chalo Quintana of The Plugz welcomed guitarist Steven Hufsteter into their fold. They then changed their name to The Cruzados and the music took on a more reflective and blues influenced sound. Hufsteter was replaced by Marshall Rohner after one album and The Cruzados continued until disbanding in 1988. Around this time a slightly altered line-up performed in the knuckle-sploitation 1989 film Roadhouse.

The members all continued in music and Larriva went on to form the band Tito & Tarantula in 1992. Horror film fans should note that it is Tito & Tarantula who are the house band at the Titty Twister cantina in Robert Rodriguez's 1996 film From Dusk Till Dawn.


Mindless Contentment


Achin' / La Bamba


Reel Ten (1984)


El Clavo y La Cruz


The Plugz "Elizabeth" - New Wave Theater


The Plugz "In The Wait" - New Wave Theater


backing Bob Dylan - Jokerman
1984 Late Night with David Letterman

Screamers - 1979 Whiskey A Go Go, LA

You may not be familiar with The Screamers music, but their Gary Panter designed logo of the stylized spiky haired screamer is recognizable to many. Along with others such as the Germs and the Weirdos, the Screamers were standouts in the first wave of LA punk. For a combo consisting of two keyboards, a drummer and a singer; they were successful in generating a sound that was every bit as forceful and robust as their guitar centric peers.

One of the most startling facts about the Screamers is that they never recorded a properly released single or record, leaving only demos and videos in their musical wake. Their legacy also includes their influence on fellow musicians and artists. Jello Biafra (whose San Franciscan hardcore heavy hitters the Dead Kennedys played often with The Screamers early on) heaped grand praise on the band and in Don Letts 2005 film Punk: Attitude, Jello again highlights the Screamers impact on the DKs and describes them as one of the great unrecorded groups in the history of rock music.

They were fronted by Tomata du Plenty, an exciting and colorful fellow who spent time as a member of the San Francisco psychedelic drag troupe The Cockettes in the late 60s as well as being involved with proto-punk combos while living in Seattle in the early 70s, eventually forming The Tupperwares in 1975 with Tommy Gear. A move to LA in 1977 found the pair changing the name to The Screamers and hooking up with new members David Brown (often credited with providing the synth direction) and drummer K. K. Barrett.

The band gained quick notoriety in the burgeoning LA scene and was soon able to headline multiple night stands at flagship clubs such the The Masque, Whisky a Go Go and The Roxy. The band incorporated a theatrical element into their music and live performances with Tomata working the stage in a possessed frenzy of excitement. Video presentations often accompanied the shows. Prior to the MTV explosion, the bands love of video became apparent when they pressed the idea of their first album being released only on video. Would have been a hell of a thing if they could have made it happen.

Along with this blog, I've also posted additional footage of The Screamers at blogs.myspace.com/gotankgo.

Screamers - Meet A Head

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Screamers - I Wanna Hurt

Screamers - Nervous

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Screamers - Give The Future A Break (Hail To The Chief)

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