THE FREEZE: HARRISBURG, PA. 9.18.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

The Freeze were permanently misfits in their own time and place; they originated from the isolated location of Cape Cod, were not clandestine about their consumption of party favors contrasted with a fervid Boston straightedge scene, and never became an overt heavy metal failure. I suppose it’s these differences that allocated these guys the independence necessary to the defining their sound and image in their own terms. Cliff Hanger’s lyrics often packed a clever tongue-in-cheek sarcasm whilst more hard line Boston groups took themselves way too seriously and couldn’t write self-referential material to save themselves from the oncoming hard rock fatality. This so called crew (read: clique) considered the Freeze to be Cape Cod high school townies that weren’t hard because they didn’t live in the big city life. Although the Freeze’s lineup over the last 30 years hasn’t remained consistent (Hanger is the only current original member in the outfit), they have outlasted nearly every one of these naysayer groups, performing live with regularity, not simply for chic reminiscence-trip gigs like some of the other classic Boston hardcore groups.

This excellent soundboard recording was captured on September 18. 1983 when the Freeze played Harrisburg, PA, presumably right before their killer “Land of the Lost” debut album was released in ’84 on Modern Method. The performance here is solid; I think this gig is a really accurate sketch of what the Freeze were like live on stage during the early (and best) part of their career.

Track list:

1. Sickly Sweet

2. Nazi Fun

3. The Megawaki Cult

4. Time Bomb

5. Violent Arrest

6. No Exposure

7. Gardener and the Maid

8. Days of Desperation

9. Broken Bones

10. Refrigerator Heaven

11. Go Team Go

12. Neat Neat Neat (The Damned)

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nmwx761num4va66

CIRCLE JERKS: SPACE II ARCADE,WASHINGTON DC. 5.13.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

Adjacent to two other majestic seaside cities, Hermosa Beach provides the world with numerous pearls of culture: surfing, beach volleyball, sunbathing, and the birth (arguably) of hyperkinetic genre known as hardcore punk. Clearly it must have been the South Bay’s gentle westerly sea breezes that influenced the formation of both Black Flag and the Circle Jerks.

Yeah right.

Considering the delightful surroundings, gorgeous people, and general Pollyanna-glaze good vibrations of the beach, it makes sense that the blueprints of hardcore punk were first sketched here. Defining itself in opposition against all creatures with perfect white teeth and Lacoste polo shirts, these embryonic agitators had a great deal to unite against. The dichotomy of this stark schism gave the world the “Nervous Breakdown” 45 and the “Group Sex” 12” amongst countless other classic records that generally haven’t matched up to these two epitomes of the emerging style of hardcore punk when considering both quality and legacy.

As captured on celluloid in “The Decline of Western Civilization” and in countless photographs, singer Keith Morris can regularly be seen clutching a lone Budweiser while he stalked the lip the stage. I always thought this was such a cool gimmick that he implemented; Keith sold the synchronized image of a rabble rouser dodging a continual barrage of anarchic bodies in search of teenage release and a lonely barfly nervously clasping the only inebriant that he can afford at the end of a local dive bar.

This show (recorded during the spring of ’83 at the Space II Arcade in DC where a slew of hardcore gigs took place) is a solid document of how the Circle Jerks had grown from an act toying initially with the draft of a nascent genre of music to a full-time touring powerhouse and inspiration to many new homegrown hardcore punk acts. This set is from a soundboard source and shows a slight generational loss when played back but largely the quality is excellent. The furious pace of this set is heightened by the fact that the master tape was edited so that between song space is removed. Normally I hate it when it tapers take such liberties but this edit job really adds to the absolutely unyielding rapidity of the set. Chuck Biscuits also demonstrates an impressive one-man drum clinic behind his maple colored Ludwig that he was presumably demolishing at the time with each stroke of his trademark percussive supremacy. His workout on "When The Shit Hits the Fan" is considerably awe-inspring.

Track Listing:

1. Red Tape (cut)

2.I Just Want Some Skank

3. Beverly Hills

4. Operation

5. Wasted

6. Up Against The Wall

7. Bad Words

8. Under The Gun

9. Behind The Door

10. Stars and Stripes

11. Question Authority

12. Moral Majority

13. Letter Bomb

14. In Your Eyes

15. Defamation Innuendo

16. High Price On OUr Heads

17. Paid Vacation

18. Trapped

19. Coup D'etat

20. Wild In The Streets

21. Parade of the Horribles

22. Deny Everything/When the Shit Hits the Fan

23. Leave Me Alone

24. Don't Care

25. Live Fast Die Young

26. Junk Mail

27. Just Like Me

28. Put A LIttle Love In Your Heart

29. World Up My Ass

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?jt2himgrdjl

HUSKER DU: GOOFY'S UPPER DECK, MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 8.12.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

This performance was recorded shortly before the ambitious double-full length “Zen Arcade” was released in 1984 on SST. Having already released "Everything Falls Apart" on their own label Reflex and "Metal Circus" on SST, the Huskers were making titanic leaps forward. If "Metal Circus" was a collection of anthems both slow and fast, "Zen Arcade" was the "Tommy" of underground music. As a themed record about a kid leaving home for the first time to run away to the big city where he finds strange (and often disturbing) adventures, it covers more ground than a Greyhound bus over it's four sides of wax. The songs alternate from raucous angry assaults (nearly all of side 2) to psychedelia to unrepentant pop songs to straight up rock classics. Of course there's some some self-indulgent filler (thirteen and a half minutes of "Reoccurring Dreams") on the record, but nearly every classic needs such a throwaway for good measure.

Goofy’s Upper Deck is a defunct hardcore punk club that was situated in downtown Minneapolis. This venue lasted for only 2 years and shut down in October ’83. The bar was a working class drinker’s den and strip club until the owner employed a broad-shouldered bouncer named Dan Cotlow who was a nascent hardcore punk. Fred Gartner began booking hardcore punk shows on the second floor while Cotlow managed the strip club downstairs. The six-inch stage at Goofy’s Upper Deck hosted such classics touring bands such as Black Flag, Minutemen, Discharge, DOA, Code of Honor, Social Distortion, and Battalion of Saints. Bob Mould was setting up shows at Goofy’s by November of ’82. Goofy’s saw it’s end as a hardcore venue when Final Conflict played there in August ’83 when a full-scale riot ensued. A toilet was ripped out of the floor and thrown two floors below to the floor.

This Husker Du show is almost certainly the preeminent live document of them during their “Zen Arcade” phase in trading circulation that I’ve heard. This performance is also one of the most commonly circulated Huskers shows out there. This soundboard recording isn’t perfect, but the band’s performance is enormously sweltering. Mould’s fervent vocals are equals parts talking, shouting, and singing. His masterful guitar work is laden with feedback that it’s a striking jolt of cacophony. The only word to describe Grant Hart’s drumming on this recording is excessive. Greg Norton’s straightforward bass playing (and Rollie Fingers moustache) rounds out the sound.

John Clegg plays saxophone on “What’s Going On” and “Drug Party”. He was a jazz musician who was on the periphery during the early days of Husker Du. He worked at a record store with Grant Hart in St. Paul and would occasionally jam with the band. Clegg’s saxophone wail adds a psychotic edge to these two tracks that adds to already existing sense of sonic supremacy.

Track list:

1. Something I Learned Today

2. It's Not Funny Anymore

3. From the Gut

4. Wheels

5. Everything Falls Apart

6. Chartered Trips

7.Sunshine Superman (Donovan)

8. Eight Miles High (Byrds)

9. Broken Home, Broken Heart

10. What's Going On?

11. Newest Industry

12. Pride

13. I'll Never Forget You

14. What Do I Want?

15. Data Control

16. Drug Party/ Punch Drunk

17. Out On a Limb

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zrnm0nqj1id

DIE KREUZEN: 1983 DEMO.

Occasionally, an extraordinary band will relinquish a cluster of demos prior to recording a proper release that simply rule, and even rival overshadow the release they were intended to prepare for. Perhaps the best example I can cite here would be the demos Black Flag cut in 1982 prior to recording "My War". Similar to these demos, before Die Kreuzen bestowed us their renowned self-titled debut full length they cut a batch of demos that rival most official releases from the time period and genre.

Like the 1982 demo that preceded the “Cows and Beers” EP, these 1983 demo recordings are an astonishing appetizer for the LP from 1984. These demos are equipped with an antagonistic attitude and a penchant for speed. One of the best things about Die Kreuzen is that could they could play hyper thrash while the songs remained surprisingly articulated. The playing is crisp while Dan Kubinski’s vocals are utterly illegible in the best manner possible.

The world would greatly benefit from having these demos come out officially on LP. If anyone knows how to contact the band, please drop me a line at the email I have posted.

Track list:

1. Sick People
2. No Time
3. Pain
4. Hate Me
5. No Name
6. Don't Say Please
7. In School
8. This Hope
9. All White

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?w3d4m12awyn

BAD RELIGION: T-BIRD ROLLERDOME, PICO RIVERA, CA. 1.15.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

Out of the multitude of hardcore groups that performed around Los Angeles in the early 1980s, Bad Religion may be the last band you'd ever select for everlasting fame. The band was marked by frequent personnel changes and quality-fluctuating performances. Then high school senior, Greg Graffin, imitated the inceptive Brit-isms of other Orange County groups such as Agent Orange, The Crowd, and the Adolescents with neither the same pop craft or hardcore vitriol. "How Could Hell Be Any Worse" in hindsight is regarded as an Los Angeles hardcore classic but doesn't deviate from the then norm of the relentless polka beat that seemed to fade into the background of ten-band hardcore shows of the period.

Bad Religion released "Into the Unknown" and still regarded as the ultimate LA hardcore embarrassment. How is a teenage kid with chain-laden motorcycle boots supposed to get into a Rush modeled, synth-heavy platter anyway? After this release caused the band to demobilize for a few years, they returned stronger than ever. The mid-1980s saw the birth of the band's strongest period of albums: "Suffer", "No Control", & "Against The Grain". As all of the first-wave and second-wave LA hardcore punk groups broke up, Bad Religion was really starting to get their bearings.

This short 26 minute, 9 song recording boast soundboard quality. This is a respectable live document of the first incarnation of the band and and also a fun listen. Enjoy!

Track list:

1. Latch Key Kids

2. Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell

3. Slaves

4. Pity

5. New Leaf

6. Doing Time

7. Bad Religion & Politics

8. Damned To Be Free

9. Faith In God

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?tmbjifcm0nz

NO TREND: HOLLYWOOD, CA 11.19.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

No Trend are easily one of my favorite bands of the hardcore era. They were rejects in a scene comprised of so-called misfits. Defining themselves in opposition to the narrow hardcore acts of their day, No Trend seemed to despise everything in their path. For example, they didn’t make many friends when they were crammed flyers that read: “No Trend, No Scene, No Movement” into all the Coke machines that the Georgetown/Washington DC straight edge types bought soda from. Ultimately, the goal of No Trend was to turn the hardcore scene inside out in an effort to expunge the narrow-minded types from ever turning up. This dialectical approach served to alienate the insular factions within the scene while finding smarter people who were still into the dictates of aggressive music.

Their approach to music was more akin to Flipper or the Butthole Surfers. The first demo, the “Teen Love” 7”, and the “Too Many Humans” 12” are all superb examples of abrasive and sardonic deviations from the dim-witted hardcore norm. These records probably confused a great deal of people at the time, but those who liked it understood what it was all about.

Taking the road in a damaged ’76 Ford ambulance, they played all of the major venues on the hardcore map in 1983.This live recording is a great soundboard of a show played in Hollywood on November 11, 1983. This soundboard recording is crisp and clear. From what I recall, this recording is better than the live tracks on the official No Trend CD. Unfortunately this set is not complete as there are only 4 songs included here. It’s highly probable that a complete recording of this show exists. If you have a complete recording of this show, please get in touch.

Track List:

1. Do As You're Told

2. Fashion Tips For the 80's.

3. Mindless Little Insects

4. Mass Sterilization Caused By Venereal Disease

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?mlynynmwdhm

MINOR THREAT: VFW, CAMBRIDGE, MA 3.4.83 SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

There is truly little left to say about Minor Threat that hasn't already been expounded on incessantly. They achieved something truly extraordinary when considering the near cavernous catalog hardcore punk acts of the 1980s: they managed to define a genre of music while never surrendering to it’s many shortcomings.

According to a flyer for this specific show, Minor Threat shared the bill with SS Decontrol, the FUs, the Necros, and the Meatmen. This being said, it seems they had no choice but to rise to the occasion and deliver a tremendous performance. The quality consists of a mono soundboard recording that generally features a decent mix. Hearing Springa’s backup vocals from the crowd during “In My Eyes” are fodder for goose bumps. Someone loses a tooth and Ian tries to return it to it’s rightful owner. Enough said. Just download it, already!

“No Reason” is incomplete on this recording. This show was released on the “12XU” bootleg LP that surfaced in 1991.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zmclnidjm1m

JERRY'S KIDS: WERS-FM, BOSTON, MA 1.5.83 FM RADIO BROADCAST

From the second this recording begins with a harsh scream stating the band's name, you know you're in for a breakneck set of fearless hardcore detonations. This set is comprised of songs of songs from the legendary "Is This My World" album.

The quality of the recording suffers slightly from overall distortion. It's logical to surmise that this problem stems from the recording process when the band cut this session at WERS-FM. This seems potentially unlikely as the FU's WERS-FM broadcast is considerably cleaner sounding. It's possible that this tape is the victim of a being dubbed from a multi-generated source. This radio broadcast may not be a flawless sounding recording, but I feel that it correctly showcases what a Jerry's Kids set was like in 1983: one part vigorous wall of sound and one part white lightning. It's actually quite rare when the abrasiveness of a bootleg recording can add to it's overall charm and I feel this is the case with this recording. This is an enjoyable recording and should be downloaded without delay.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?53tjbytyjun