The Deadbeats – Live At The Masque, Hollywood – 1977
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Ending up our tour of the L.A.Punk/post-Punk/Experimental scene of the 1970s and 1980s with a set by The Deadbeats, in a performance at The Masque in Hollywood in 1977.
David Brown has a few words in this article from the Munster Records website:
‘The musicianship of the young men who comprised the Deadbeats was a joy to behold. Scott Guerin and his brother Shaun played as extensions of the same self, and the band also served to unleash Geza X and Pat Delaney on the world. Their stage act musically and visually confounded every cliche and preconception about what “punk rock” meant. Their unique, driving sound consisted of treated sax and fuzz guitar layered over flawlessly executed intricate rhythm patterns’. (David Brown)
And the Monorail Music website has this:
“In the beginning there was a lot of musical talent that was going to unrecorded waste. Whereas the English musicians had been set upon by some of the top producers in the business, the very lack of commercialism implicit in LA punk seemed to drive away potential resources. Those were culturally weird times, “Saturday Night Fever” and burned-out super group remnants filled the airwaves. Clearly SOMETHING was better than nothing. The early groups (like the Screamers, Germs, Weirdos, Black Randy) were very good at manipulating the local venue owners and press, and were able to almost immediately fill clubs and halls with folks who were just plain bored and curious.”
Just barely scratching the surface in what was a very inspired and committed scene in Southern California. It’s often gone overlooked, as many of the “backbone artists” of just about any movement are in favor of the broad stroke bands that made the bigger splash and the broader appeal. Still, it was these bands; the quirky, insane, dissonant, snotty and downright deranged conglomerations of musicians that were an integral part of the big picture. And that’s an important consideration to make when you’re investigating any genre – or any musical movement – it’s the sum total of all the parts that were crucial in making any movement as vital as many have wound up being. It’s an invitation to go digging and make your own discoveries, there’s a lot to be had.
And on that happy note – crank this sucker up.
