Alison Braun started taking photos in Los Angeles at the advent of the 80s, documenting the local punk and hardcore scene and having her work published in Maximumrocknroll, Flipside and other punk zines of the time. Many a band she saw through the lenses of her camera, from local heroes Black Flag, Descendents, Circle Jerks, Bad Reliigion, Dickies, Fear, Social Distortion, Youth Brigade, Adolescents,β¦ to international acts that would roll through the town (GBH, Exploited, Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Adicts, DOA, Bad Brains, Discharge, Misfits, SNFU,β¦), not to forget countless other βsmallβ bands that populated SoCal underground scene in those years (Battalion Of Saints, Channel 3, Aggression, Decry, Wasted Youth, Dr. Know, 45 Grave, BlΒ΄ast, Shattered Faith, Sin 34,β¦). Today, in conjcuntion with the new re-release of her book “In The Pit”, we’re giving a nod to her amazing work through a special first hand perspective of the βbest ofβ ten years of her work.
Condensed into 86 pages packed with photos and relative gig flyers, the book is available at THIS LOCATION. The European edition comes in 21.5 x 28.5 cm format with hardcover plus dust jacket, thanks to Goodwill Records and No Plan Records. The first 100 copies are numbered and come with a book sized photo of one of the ten bands listed. The book costs 25 euros with the postage (cheaper for distributors) and can be ordered at www.goodwillrecords.net. The publishing date is January 20th, 2021.
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A story of live punk photography, by Alison Braun:
I grew up in Studio City, California. My father got me interested in photography and bought me my first camera. He was very accommodating and would often drop me off at shows before I could legally drive. Sometimes he would venture inside and saddle up to the bar, regaling people with his war stories.
The first show I photographed was Circle Jerks and Wasted Youth at the Whisky A Go Go, August 3rd ,198. I donβt remember the ticket price, but it was cheap. I was friends with the Circle Jerks drummer, Lucky Lehrer and was on the guest list. At the time we would hear about shows by either seeing a flyer at a record store or looking in the L.A. Weekly (newspaper) at the club listings.
I shot this show from 2 vantage points: One stage and from the balcony, which, was one of the best places for group shots.
My father helped me set up my own darkroom and for the most part I developed my own film. My early images turned out worse than expected and I continually changed my approach until I came up with a good way of shooting the show (with Flash). Flipside magazine was the first publication to use my work. It was a photo of Danny Spira of Wasted Youth from the first roll I ever shot. It was an unsolicited submission that set up a long relationship with the magazine. I also gave photos to bands for exchange for a spot on the guestlist.
At first, I shot every band on the bill even if I hated them, or never heard of them. I was aware of the historical significance of what I was capturing. Over the years that changed slightly because my hobby was getting expensive. Eventually people would hire me to go to shows and shoot their band.
Shows were easy to get in. I had a philosophy that as long I was shooting for free, I would not pay for a ticket. Goldenvoice Productions who promoted a lot of the larger shows were particularly gracious. They would always provide me with a photo pass. Other shows, I would sneak into and find a band I knew and get a pass that way. The trick was to be both enterprising and invisible at the same time.
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On September 6th, 1981, the audience rushed the stage, forcing me to climb up onto the monitors. Eventually the monitors were shaking so I gave up and went into the audience to shoot, which was not much better.
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They had one roadie who was particularly hostile to me and would try to rough me up whenever he saw me with my camera. I never understood what he found so threatening about a 16- year-old. As a result, I have very few images of the band.
There are a few shows that stand out as memorable for me, both as a fan and as an artist:
- Dead Kennedys Florentine Gardens. September 6, 1981 β Intense Audience
- Dead Kennedys, Whisky July 4,1982 β Great venue
- Discharge Florentine Gardens October 2, 1982 β First time I ever saw Discharge and was blown away. And the Misfits opened.
Aside from the hostile roadie for Black Flag, I felt welcome most everywhere I went. The one time some simian tried to grab my teenage ass while I was onstage taking pictures, the bouncer next to me grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him out the back door using the poor guyβs body to open the door.
The only time I got hurt was at a Butthole Surfers show. Someone dove off the stage and ripped the flash off the hot shoe of my camera, and knocked me out cold. Some people dragged me to the back of the venue and propped me up against the wall with all my gear next to me.
After shooting over 200 bands, I can say my experiences have been positive. Honestly, most problems at shows were caused by the police not the fans.
I was still in high school when I was nationally published. I have shot over 200 bands and have amassed a large collection of images.
Film photography is for the most part now extinct. I am currently scanning my archive and making it available for future fans to discover. I have compiled some of my favorite images into a portfolio book.
I moved to Seattle in 1990. I was 24 years old, out of college and it was time to move out of my parentβs house.
I had friends in Seattle, and it was the right time to start my life as a grown up. I am mostly retired from taking photos around 1994β¦.that is unless some old friends tour through town. In that event, Iβll dust off the old kit and show up.
