We have teamed up with Bazillion Points Publishing from New York City to tease you a little for a new book titled “WE GOT POWER!: Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980s Southern California“, by Jordan Schwartz and David Markey. It’s the first book depicting the early 80s LA hardcore punk explosion that launched the ADOLESCENTS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MINUTEMEN, and more great acts.
Order the book at this location. The book is scheduled for an October release.
Scroll down to see the exclusive gallery of amazing classic hardcore punk shots.
The book contains all issues of classic SoCal punk zine WE GOT POWER, as well as essays by people like Keith Morris, Henry Rollins and Pat Fear, and also almost 400 photos from the very beginning of SoCal hardcore punk. It really is the definite story of the scene as told by the people who lived it.
It features essays by members of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, The Vandals, the Adolescents, the Minutemen, Suicidal Tendencies, White Flag… All listed as follows: Henry Rollins, Chuck Dukowski, Dez Cadena, Jennifer Schwartz, Keith Morris, Jack Brewer, Joe Carducci, Cameron Jamie, Mike Watt, Daniel Weizmann, Pat Fear, Steve Humann, Jula Bell, Sean Wheeler, Louiche Mayorga, Eugene Tatu, Janet Housden, and Tony Adolescent.
The book includes the complete color reprints of We Got Power fanzine 1981–1983 and beyond, presenting hundreds of photos from the forming years of hardcore punk in greater Los Angeles: Minutemen, Saccharine Trust, Black Flag, Circle One, White Flag, Sin 34, The Gun Club, Overkill, Circle Jerks, The Descendents, Red Cross/Redd Kross, Firehose, Jello Biafra, Youth Brigade, Suicidal Tendencies, JFA, Big Boys, Nip Drivers, Butthole Surfers, D.R.I., Government Issue, Social Distortion, Red Scare, Gone, M.D.C., Vox Pop, Symbol Six, Wasted Youth, RF7, the Go-Go’s.
Here’s an exclusive picture gallery with caption:
Mike Roth at We Got Power headquarters—Dave Markey’s bedroom—1982. Mike became a Calvin Klein model after being stolen from We Got Power by fashion photographer Bruce Weber. DAVID MARKEY
Onetime Sin 34 guitarist Bob Bitchen, sporting a clean punk haircut, shows off a photo of himself in longer-locked days. DAVID MARKEY
The Go-Go’s, the Whisky A Go Go, January 1, 1981. This was one of my first times going out in Hollywood, as a 17-year-old kid. They didn’t let cameras into the Whisky, and I had to sneak in my Pentax K1000 35mm. DAVID MARKEY
Red Cross playing an upstairs bedroom at a Hollywood house party. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies with skanker on his shoulders. The youngest kid behind him is Junior. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
The black-light posters identify this space immediately as Bob’s Place in Watts. You risked your life by going there, but that was where the gigs were happening in 1982 and 1983. The last show there was raided by some locals who were clearly miffed that suburban white punks had taken over their dance hall. They raided the gig, mugging punks for their cameras. A girl was raped in the bathroom. That was the end of Bob’s Place. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Jello Biafra as the president of the United States in Lovedolls Superstar, occupying an empty office adjacent to SST/Global, 1985. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Dez Cadena checking out the Minutemen at the Grandia Room, 1982. Oftentimes, nobody was going to see these bands except their friends in other bands. The Minutemen didn’t really have a crowd until Double Nickels on the Dime in 1984. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
The Minutemen, house party, Hollywood, 1982. Mike Watt playing Earl Liberty’s bass. The hepcat in the glasses to the left of Watt is Spot, producer of all the early SST records by Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, the Minutemen, Meat Puppets, and many others. The blonde woman is Janet Housden from Red Cross, the guy in the checkerboard jacket is David Markey, the guy behind Watt with the Aunt Jemima bandanna and raised fist is Henry Rollins, and the heavy-lidded fellow with glasses on the right is celebrated Black Flag roadie Davo Claassen. Earl Liberty looks on at far right. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Milo Aukerman and the Descendents, Glen E. Friedman with his camera visible in audience. 1982
Jordan in his porkpie hat at the Punk Shack, Santa Monica. Jordan wrote PRESS on the back of a business card and stuck it in the brim of his hat like a character out of a 1940s movie. He used this to scam his way into shows in Hollywood. He would stare dead seriously at the person in the ticket booth: “I’m Jordan from We Got Power fanzine, and I’m here to review the show tonight. I need entrance plus one. Thank you very much!” DAVID MARKEY
Marlon Whitfield in leather cap and Joe Baiza in fedora, Mari Castelli caught somewhere in the middle, Santa Barbara. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Punk mom with injured son and daughter—the family that stage dives together stays together. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Left to Right, Greg Ginn, Henry Rollins, and Chuck Dukowski of Black Flag, SST Phelan office, on Phelan St. in Redondo Beach. DAVID MARKEY
The Minutemen, Grandia Room, Hollywood, CA, 1982. Most of the few people in the crowd played in other SST bands. At left is Earl Liberty from Saccharine Trust, center is Henry Rollins, and at right (in trucker hat) is Chuck Dukowski from Black Flag. JORDAN SCHWARTZ
Fresh ink on Henry Rollins, the birth of an icon, 1984. DAVID MARKEY
Youth of America Unite! The rear of the Punk Shack during demolition. Local anti-punk surfers crossed out our Black Flag graffiti as part of an ongoing war. A year or two later, these same culprits would cut their long surfer hair and don Suicidal Tendencies shirts. DAVID MARKEY
Go here grab the full photo album.
