We Got the Neutron Bomb The Untold Story of

Taking us back to late '70s and early '80s Hollywood-pre-crack, pre-AIDS, pre-Reagan-We Got the Neutron Bomb re-creates word for word the rage, intensity, and anarchic glory of the Los Angeles punk scene, straight from the mouths of the scenesters, zinesters, groupies, filmmakers, and musicians who were there. "California was wide-open sex-no condoms, no birth control, no morality, no guilt." -Kim Fowley "The Runaways were rebels, all of us were. And a lot of people looked up to us. It helped a lot of kids who had very mediocre, uneventful, unhappy lives. It gave them something to hold on to." -Cherie Currie "The objective was to create something for our own personal satisfaction, because everything in our youthful and limited opinion sucked, and we knew better." -John Doe "The Masque was like Heaven and Hell all rolled into one. It was a bomb shelter, a basement. It was so amazing, such a dive ... but it was our dive." -Hellin Killer "At least fifty punks were living at the Canterbury. You'd walk into the courtyard and there'd be a dozen different punk songs all playing at the same time. It was an incredible environment." -Belinda Carlisle Assembled from exhaustive interviews, We Got the Neutron Bomb tells the authentically gritty stories of bands like the Runaways, the Germs, X, the Screamers, Black Flag, and the Circle Jerks-their rise, their fall, and their undeniable influence on the rock 'n' roll of today. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Marc Spitz's writing on rock 'n' roll and popular culture has appeared in Spin, The New York Times, Maxim, Nylon, Blender, and Uncut (UK). He is the author of How Soon Is Never?; Too Much, Too Late; and Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day and coauthor with Brendan Mullen of We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk.

Brendan Mullen founded the Masque, the Hollywood underground club/rehearsal space hailed as the birthplace of the Los Angeles and Orange County punk scenes. He was a contributing writer for LA Weekly until his death in 2009.

Acknowledgments

xiii

Introduction: Let's Get Rid of New York

xv

Prologue: The Boy Looked at Jimbo

A case is made to declare Jim Morrison of Los Angeles, California, the godfather of punk

1

(5)

``The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man'': Rodney's English Disco and the Glitter Rock Deca-Dance (1971-75)

The glitter rock invasion provides L.A.'s outcasts with an alternative to the singer-songwriter's stranglehold. David Bowie is king. Rodney's English Disco is his court

6

(15)

Trouble at the Riot House: L.A. Glitter's Downward Spiral (1974-75)

The Stooges and New York Dolls burn out on smack and sickness, as Babylon's glitter kids' pretty faces go to hell

21

(9)

Back Door Man and the New Order (1974-75)

From the ashes of glitter and in anticipation of punk, a new hard rock (exemplified by Stooges bass player Ron Asheton's New Order) and a zine to celebrate it, Back Door Man, are born

30

(4)

``Young Americans'' (1975-76)

The teenagers who missed out on glitter rock's heyday discover lggy and the Stooges' Raw Power and find each other at the Sugar Shack

34

(10)

Queens of Noise: The Rise of the Runaways (1975-76)

The Runaways, hypemeister Kim Fowley's all-girl, American teenage Beatles, are formed. Dismissed by most, they're warmly embraced by the kids in L.A.

44

(13)

Radio Free Hollywood (1976-77)

Rodney Bingenheimer takes a job on the radio at KROQ and begins broadcasting punk. The Motels spearhead a DIY movement, and Kim Fowley's new find, the Quick, is poised to become the next American teenage Beatles

57

(6)

Forming: The Screamers, the Weirdos, the Zeros, and the Germs Kick-Start the Scene (1976-77)

As the Sex Pistols' media blitz reaches southern California, the Germs, the Weirdos, and the Screamers get their own thing going

63

(14)

So This Is War, Eh? Slash Magazine, Flipside, Lobotomy, and the L.A. Punk Zines (1977)

Slash magazine is launched and soon becomes the new scene's paper of record

77

(9)

``Punish or Be Damned'': The Rise of the Screamers (1977)

The origins of L.A.'s great, lost synth punk pioneers. Fronted by the spike-haired Tomata du Plenty and his foil, Tommy Gear, the Screamers blend high-camp theatrics with aggro keyboards. The world catches up twenty years later

86

(5)

Getting Devo-ed (1977)

Five spud-boys from Akron, Ohio, move to Los Angeles, capture some national attention, and make life hell for every funny-looking punk

91

(3)

``Landlord, Landlord, Landlord, Clean Up the Mess'': The Birth of X (1977)

A drummerless X, featuring two poets and a former rockabilly star, forms in an old Hancock Park mansion adjacent to the mayoral residence

94

(8)

Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie: A Few Words About Black Randy (1977-78)

A testimonial to Los Angeles punk's original demonic prankster coprophile, the inimitable Black Randy: band leader, would-be street hustler, unapologetic worshiper of Idi Amin, and erstwhile office-supplies salesman

102

(6)

Welcome to Liverpool `77: Punksploitation, the Indie Boom, and the Incredible Singing Dickies (1977)

Kim Fowley gets his hooks into L.A. punk rock. The media catch on but miss the boat. Discounting the Dickies, the record industry remains indifferent

108

(14)

The Masque and the Plunger Pit (1977)

The Masque, an illegal basement club off Hollywood Boulevard, becomes L.A.'s first all-punk venue/rehearsal space/crash pad. The Plunger sisters come out

122

(9)

``I'm Darby Crash'': In and Out of Control (1977-78)

As the Germs learn how to play their instruments, their leader, Bobby Pyn (formerly Paul Beahm), re-invents himself as Darby Crash, L.A.'s most notorious punk

131

(8)

Talkin' `Bout the Hillside Strangler (1978)

A serial killer's rampage hits close to home

139

(6)

Misfits and Cheerleaders: The Go-Go's Go Punk (1978)

Up and down with the early, dirty Go-Go's

145

(6)

``Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated?'': The Sex Pistols in California (1978)

The Sex Pistols refuse to perform in Los Angeles. A punk convoy heads upstate to witness their very last show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom

151

(7)

Trashin' and Bashin' (1978)

Punk gets a bad rap as the Troubadour is trashed, and Fear injects cartoon violence and metal chops into the genre

158

(8)

The Canterbury Tales (1978-79)

Dirt cheap and walking distance from the Masque, the Canterbury, a ravaged apartment complex off Hollywood Boulevard, becomes a punk rock dormitory

166

(6)

Mutations: Power Pop, New Wave, Art Punk, Psychobilly, and the Seeds of Hardcore Split the Scene (1979)

Proto-hardcore acts like the Middle Class and psychobilly transplants the Cramps help L.A. punk mutate. The proprietors of Madame Wong's and the Hong Kong Cafe provide venues outside Hollywood while simultaneously trying to destroy each other

172

(11)

Rockabilly Cats at Disgraceland (1979)

British imports Levi and the Rockats lead a brief rockabilly invasion. Select punks embrace the requisite quiffs, tattoos, and sharkskin suits, then stop

183

(5)

``I Totally Hate Cops to the Max'' (1979)

The LAPD declares war on punk rock at the Elks Lodge riot on St. Patrick's Day

188

(4)

This Is Hardcore (1979)

Louder, faster, and angrier, Black Flag makes its mark. Straight outta Hermosa Beach

192

(9)

Strung Out (1979)

An influx of heroin takes the fun out of everything

201

(3)

Gl (Germs Incognito) (1979)

Slash magazine morphs into Slash Records. The Germs record their first (and only) full-length album, the Joan Jett-produced classic Gl

204

(7)

Population One: The Fall of the Screamers (1979)

The Screamers disintegrate after pouring their energies into a misguided film project

211

(6)

Vicious Circles and Face Plants: Orange Country Ultraviolence and the Skate Punk Book (1979-80)

Orange County hardcore gets ultraviolent. Skate punk is born

217

(16)

``We Got the Beat'': The Go-Go's Hit the U.K. and Return as Pop Stars (1980)

The Go-Go's travel to England and return a pop act. Founder Margot Olaverra is jettisoned

233

(4)

Los Angeles (1980)

X records their classic debut album with producer and former Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek

237

(5)

``Preaching the Blues'': The Roots Revival (1980)

A booze-soaked roots rock revival hits the scene, fueled by the Blasters, Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, and Los Lobos

242

(4)

The Vex: Los Lobos and the East L.A. Scene (1980)

East L.A. goes punk. Los Lobos plays Hollywood

246

(4)

Fire of Love (1980)

Jeffrey Lee Pierce forms the Gun Club, raises hell, and records another classic debut. The Zero Zero Club

250

(7)

``Amoeba'': The Adolescents, Social Distortion, Agent Orange-Fullerton's Pop Hardcore (1980)

Bad-rapped as suburban hardcore punks, Fullerton's Big Three, the Adolescents, Agent Orange, and Social Distortion, have pop chops to burn

257

(4)

The Decline of Western Civilization (1980)

Penelope Spheeris invades punks' space and documents the Hollywood scene's twilight

261

(4)

``I Want Out Now'' (1980)

Darby Crash dies before he gets old

265

(9)

``This Town Is Our Town'': X Sells Out the Greek, the Go-Go's Hit Number One, and MTV (1981)

The Go-Go's hit the top. X sells out the Greek Theater without a record deal. Video kills the radio star

274

(6)

Epilogue: No Apologies (1981-2001)

Pat Smear joins Nirvana. L.A.'s original punks bury their own

280

(7)

Source Notes

287

(3)

Cast of Characters

290

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We Got the Neutron Bomb The Untold Story of L.A. Punk

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials