Sunday, July 26, 2009

Friday Flashback

Yes, I know it's actually (at this point) quite technically (who's counting?) Sunday.

Let me remind you whose name is hanging on the placard out front: Moi.

Yes this is the "Friday" Flashback.

Some history: I DVR'd the movie: What We Do Is Secret. A biopic of the influential early LA punk band, the Germs.

The plan was to watch said flick and get a post ready by Friday. Well, here we are over 24 hours later trying to get our act together.

The Germs. Love 'em, hate 'em, there are what they are. (Or were, thanks to a very timely Darby Crash suicide/OD):

First off the REAL s**t:



And an interview for Germs fans:



Realize that Darby died in 1980; the Youtube catalog is somewhat limited:







Now go get in-freekin-infected by some Germs. Oh, one more:



You'll thank me later.

~Sham, Quixotic Referee

3 comments:

Sham aka Dave said...

PS: For the past 15+ years I thought of Green Day as "the Clash Jr", but after hearing Lexicon Devil (which by all rights should be a damned RNR classic) I now realize that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Don't get me started on their later Gang of Four period.

Darby RIP.

David Larkins said...

Totally agree with you on your assessment of Lexicon Devil. I remember the first time I heard it, I thought, "Why have I never heard this song before, on the radio, TV, anywhere???"

Also, I think it's somehow fitting to post a Sunday-night Friday Flashback featuring the Germs. Seems very Darby-ish.

Couple of my favorite Germs anecdotes:

- When the band recorded the first version of "Forming" on their basement 2-track, they sent it in for record pressing. When they got the case of vinyl back from the factory, some tech had written a note on the box: "Warning--this record causes ear cancer."

- This is from Wikipedia: On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood hosted a final live show of the reunited band, including drummer Don Bolles. In spite of Crash's favorite LA band X not showing up for their opening gig, the Germs played what was, by all accounts, one of their best shows ever. At one point, Darby told the amazed kids in the audience, "We did this show so you new people could see what it was like when we were around. You're not going to see it again."

Sham aka Dave said...

Richie Dagger's Crime and Lexicon Devil, to me, are Punk Rock classics.

According to the screen take, Darby went into that particular show with the foresight that it was to be the final Germs show (as if he had planned to OD).

Check out the movie when you can; we might never know the whole story but it is still worth seeing the "official" version.