Butthole Surfers - Nov. 1987 - Los Angeles

Butthole Surfers

Variety Arts Center
Los Angeles, CA
11/7/1987

The beautifully demented sights and sounds
from a stop during touring
in support of their 1987 release
Locust Abortion Technician.

1) -noise-
2) Something
3) Rocky
4) Sweat Loaf
5) Ricky
6) Graveyard
7) Paranoid
8) 100 Million
9) Backass
10) scream sequence
11) Julio
12) Cherub
13) Gary Floyd
14) Psychedelic Jam
15) Pittsburgh To Lebanon
16) Johnny Smoke
17) Jimi
18) 22 Going On 23
19) X-Ray

Don't Answer the Phone! (1980)

The 1980 horror film Don't Answer the Phone! is a grim, sleazy, and violent entry into the slasher horror genre. Filmed on a low budget in Los Angeles, most of the outdoor, public scenes were captured guerilla style without permits. This fact, along with the fashions and hairstyles, portrays a curious time capsule view into the city as it once was.







Lead actor Nicholas Worth, who bears a resemblance to a completely unhinged George Constanza, holds nothing back in his portrayal of Kirk Smith, a deeply troubled Vietnam veteran who earns a living selling photos of naked women to a cigar chomping, bottom feeder publisher played by Kirk Smith, known to many as the title character from the Porky's film franchise. Increasingly unhinged, Kirk Smith begins a path of psycho-sexual violence and murder brought down on female strangers and potential models as the dim witted police detectives attempt to apprehend the serial murderer.

the trailer

the feature

X: The Unheard Music (1986)

X: The Unheard Music (1986)

Filming took place from 1980 to 1985, chiefly around the Los Angeles area, documenting and interviewing the band X as well as the separate individuals involved. Great footage and music!

Songs in order of performance

• "Los Angeles"
• "Year One"
• "We're Desperate"
• "Because I Do"
• "Beyond & Back"
• "Come Back to Me"
• "Soul Kitchen"
• "White Girl"
• "The Once Over Twice"
• "Motel Room in My Bed"
• "The Unheard Music"
• "Real Child of Hell"
• "Johny Hit & Run Paulene"
• "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts"
• "The World's a Mess; It's in My Kiss"
• "The Have No

Urban Struggle: Battle Of The Cuckoos Nest (1981)

Urban Struggle: The Battle Of The Cuckoos Nest is a documentary focusing on Jerry Roach's music venue around the year 1981. Facing ongoing pressure from both a nearby "cowboy" bar and the police, the film includes interviews with hardcore punk fans and bands such as: Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and T.S.O.L., who are also shown performing at the Cuckoos Nest.

Urban Struggle: The Battle of the Cuckoos Nest by YorkShackleton

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) was funded by some folks usually in the business of producing porn, but director Penelope Spheeris instead created this imperfect but classic documentary of the Los Angeles hardcore/punk world of 1979/80.
Interviews and performances from the Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X all provide a fascinating look at that period in musical history.

The full movie has been removed from Youtube,
but here are a few bits...

Attention!


Penelope Spheeris, John Doe + Lee Ving interview


Circle Jerks

Black Flag - 1983 - Culver City

Dig on this footage of a truncated 1983 Black Flag show in an unconventional venue. Here's the description that was posted with the video:

"This is all the video available from this incredible BLACK FLAG performance at a garage party in 1983. The clip begins with a few moments from the song MY RULES then goes into DEPRESSION, SCREAM, NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, THIRSTY AND MISERABLE, and just the intro to SIX PACK.

The Black Flag lineup at this time had Ginn, Dukowki, Rollins, Stevenson, and coincedentaly the last performance with Dez Cadena on 2nd guitar. Contarary to even Rollins own memory, this party was not in Mike Muir's garage, but was in the garage of one of the Suicidal Tendencies roadies (Albert, his grandmas actually) in Culver City, West Los Angeles, California. Black Flag played this party in the middle of the day as a favor to then Suicidal manager and often Black Flag photographer Glen E. Friedman. The occasion was to attempt to get as many of the suicidal kids with their hand drawn shirts into one place so they could be photographed for ST's debut LP cover. Black Flag played a tremendous set, Suicidal followed and could barely get through one song due to the insanity of the rabid suicidal followers, it was a nice afternoon."

Butthole Surfers - 1987 - Los Angeles

Butthole Surfers 

April 1987 

Variety Arts Center, Los Angeles, CA 

Witnessing the Butthole Surfers as they brought their Locust Abortion Technician tour to Chicago in late April of 1987 remains one of the most absolute favorite live performances I've ever attended. The sights and sounds blew my mind and I quickly realized this was not just another hardcore show and the naked dancer, smoke machine, weird films projected behind the band, etc. proved this point repeatedly.

Thanks to 1966Sickman (+ Credits to: Hothcanada, Notsaved & weldermatt) for posting the clips below which document the Butthole Surfers as they highlighted songs from the then newly released Locust Abortion Technician record at a show in Los Angeles in early April 1987.

Set list:
[01]. U.S.S.A.
[02]. Sweat Loaf
[03]. Julio
[04]. Creep In The Cellar
[05]. Psychedelic Jam
[06]. To Parter
[07]. Johnny Smoke
[08]. Pittsburg to Lebanon
[09]. Graveyard
[10]. No Rule
[11]. The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harveys Grave
[12]. Mark Says Alright
[13]. Roky
[14]. Jimi
[15]. Comb