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DID YOU KNOW:
Darby Crash was born Jan Paul Beahm The hardcore LA punk scene, Darby Crash, Pat Smear and The Germs can be seen in the 1981 documentary Decline of the Western Civilization.
These original Data-Boy Music columns have been collected in a book with LOTS of new material and photos - it's the story of Data-Boy magazine and the LA Punk / Post-Punk scene!
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Obscure 70s music & more! |
"I was appalled that the San Francisco ethic didn't mushroom and
envelope the whole world into this loving community of acid freaks.
I was very naive." llustration
by Shawn Kerri
The
reason that Judy and Eye are sharing the honors here is because neither
of us wants the sole responsibility of meeting another deadline every
two weeks. So
we'll see how it goes.
This
may be our only article.
You'll
know me when you see me out in the clubs, I'm in the darkest corner
with a drink in one hand and one leg propped on the wall. I'm watching
the bands, listening; not
standing in judgement . . . I'll just offer my observations to you.
I have a deep appreciation for artists with the talent and guts to express
themselves onstage, and I want to try to bring some of that enthusiasm
from the club scene to you. And there is a lot going on right now.
It
looks like The Masque is dead. For a year or so, this
dilapidated, spray-painted basement/dungeon in Hollywood was the underground
place for punks to congregate outside of east LA and listen to music
by bands like Fear, The Plugz, Black Flag, Circle Jerks
and X.
Police
and fire departments have shut it down for good, just as the scene was
gaining momentum. A common tactic lately - punks are herded out of the
club as it's closed by the fire department for overcrowding. Meanwhile
a line of cops wait outside and start swinging their clubs at the young
patrons as they exit. The next day it's reported as a riot but it's
really a sadistic training exercise.
1980 L.A. TV interview w/ Black Flag's Chuck Dukowski on that very subject. The Garage popped up in the hidden wastes of forgotten downtown Los Angeles to take the place of Masque, and it too may face extinction. The dark confines of an unused parking garage sets the stage for seedy fun and hardcore music, and The Garage attracts a seething crowd on the weekends. Don't be surprised by what you see, or who you see, doing what in the dark. More than just the music is hardcore, the scene is as well, the crowd is extreme in look, sexually-charged and ready for everything.
The Circle Jerks 1980 Al's Bar (on Hewitt Street Downtown) is a hangout for people who like their raw new sounds in a more intimate setting, it's dark and comfortable, and all the coolest downtown-scene bands play there. There are also clubs opening for single nights to showcase the downtown and Hollywood bands as well. Vex happens among the ruins of Downtown LA, on Brooklyn and Cage, every other Friday. You can see Eastsiders like Los Illegals, The Stains, The Stilletos, Why Nut, and Thee Undertakers. It's a happening every time and draws a big crowd, brought to you by some of the guys from Los Illegals. Clubs
like The Whisky and even the Troubadour have booked leather-clad-boot-jacked
bands like one of my favorites, The Germs. The Germs'
lead singer Darby Crash is known tear a club up if
he's not restrained, patrons soon join in, fights break out and men's
room toilets become gushing fountains.
Madame
Wong's East and the Hong Kong Cafe (they are
right down the street from each other) battle it out for New Wave-Punk
scene domination in Chinatown; both clubs are booking the best bands
they are presented with - including local favorites Fear, The
Blasters, Angry Somoans, Youth Brigade and others.
Well,
that's kind of a quick overview of the landscape I'll be covering. One
aspect anyway - I'll clue you in to the flipside of the scene
in two weeks! I'm
hoping that enough of you out there in our reading audience have a fearless
and total addiction as I (we) do to rock and roll & use the resource
of the live club scene to constantly recharge your cells' supply of
energy.
This
past week I've just been treating myself with the fresh blue warm-sunned
breezy skies and have been recuperating from the smog-ridden period
recently when it was best to stay home.
The
groups I did get to see at The Blue Lagoon Saloon and Blackie's
this week are better left uncredited (for their music did no justice
to my ears, therefore they are meaningless and better left out of this
column). There are some great shows coming up in the near future that
I'll be telling you about. Talking Heads on October 20th for
one... I'll be there.
Will
you? (maybe?) Well, Okay!!! See ya next issue!!
NOTE: Judy Zee devoted one of her articles to the death of Darby Crash in December, but it has not been found. |
The
New Wave is here
Hello.
I'm Billy Eye and I will be writing half of the rock and roll column
for this magazine that nobody reads. I'll cover the downtown music scene
and the illustrious Judy Zee will cover the Westside, and we'll both
overlap in Hollywood.
The
Underground
Darby
Crash
Over
the last three years, in addition to inciting actual riots, Darby
(also known as Bobby Pin) is famous for cutting himself and flinging
his blood across the audience, food fights and occasionally just singing
to the back wall in a generally incoherent manner. That's why, lately,
club dates have been so scarce for this popular band. The Starwood
is about the only club in Hollywood that will book The Germs anymore. 
Darby's
wild drunken gyrating, spitting and vocal angst, combined with the furious
guitar playing of the incredible Pat Smear, helped make The Germs
the band to slam to, when a venue is brave enough to book them.
I
understand that Darby Crash is trying to strike out in new directions
and broaden his musical horizons. He played an excellent solo billed
gig at The Starwood in August. Someone told me it was an attempt to
distance himself from The Germ's raucous reputation, but it was Darby
that gave them the rep!
If you want to experience hardcore for yourself, Black Flag
will play the venerable Whisky on Wednesday, October 8 and their
feral fury will be fully matched, no doubt, by opening act D.O.A.
out of Canada.
On
Wednesday, October 15, look for The Brat, Hey Taxi!, and Thee
Undertakers at the Hong Kong Cafe.
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