Band History
Here's a great idea, let's get the guy in the band who smokes
the most pot to write a band history. That's me. The guy who
couldn't remember what was said five minutes ago if his life
depended on it. You try and write down the last 16 years of
your life and make it seem relevant…
First Practice 1983 Here's what I do remember. I was sitting
with a kid named Dillon in our usual spot with the other punkers
during lunchtime at Fairfax high school. He was a drummer,
and we were dissatisfied with the bands we were in. My band
consisted of me and my one and only Punk Rock friend both
playing guitar and singing and that was it. Neither one of
us had finished any songs. Not quite a recipe for success.
So
I sez to my friend, let's start a band. A real band, a band
that does stuff. A band that writes songs, practices, puts
out records, and goes on tour. We talked about who else we
wanted in this band. We knew lots of good people from going
to punk gigs around LA. He knew a Bass player named Mike who
used to be in a band called False Alarm. We both knew a guy
named Steve from Orange County who we agreed would make a
great front man. We made some calls and arranged to meet and
have a first practice.
That's
when I first met Mike. Mike was a huge Misfits fan. He looked
like a Misfits fan. His hair was long in front and it was
all hairsprayed together to a point down the middle of his
face in what was called a "Devilock". Mike had some songs
for us to play. I had written a song called "Take Part". It
sounded an awful lot like Minor Threat's version of the Monkees'
Stepping Stone. Steve didn't go to that first practice, he
couldn't get a ride up from Orange county. After that first
practice Dillon quit and Mike called up Erik. Mike and Erik
had met a couple of years earlier while skateboarding around
Hollywood. Erik liked Mike's Black Flag skateboard. It was
Punk. Mike had asked Erik to join False Alarm back then, but
Erik's mom wouldn't let him do it 'cuz he had no driver's
license yet. Later on, when we asked him to play drums with
us he was in a band called Caustic Cause. Erik joined us but
his other band would have to have priority. We were supposed
to be a 4-piece but practiced as a 3-piece, Steve hadn't made
it to one practice yet.
