THE GO-GO'S: THE WHISKEY, HOLLYWOOD, CA. 10.4.78. AUDIENCE RECORDING.

Despite their ubiquitous presence in the annals of new wave and 1980s cultural consciousness, the Go-Go’s began life as a punk rock group. Sharing the same circuit as influential Los Angeles punk groups such as X (they shared a rehearsal spot with them early on), the Germs (Belinda Carlisle was even a transitional early member under the pseudonym of “Dottie Danger”), the first 18 months of the band showed they hadn’t yet reached the seraphic lullabies of their debut album and what was to follow. This lineup featured Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Margot Olaverra (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). They were a Masque stage mainstay and lived at the Canterbury Apartments, a Los Angeles punk flophouse hangout for key scene players and a variety of criminals, pimps, junkies, newly arrived immigrants, and crazies.

Here they are in all of their coats of glorious baby fat, the Go-Go’s in their infancy, way before they were a visual 1980s new wave affirmative action outfit featuring an array of two sassy punk rockers, two cheerleaders, and one tomboyish metalhead. This performance was recorded live on stage at the world famous Whiskey a Go-Go (fitting, isn’t it?) located in West Hollywood. Perhaps what is most interesting is how this shows you the great contrast between what the group was when they started when compared to when they gained mainstream prominence.

The recording is from an audience source and the quality is rough but listenable. This show consists of several unreleased tracks that have not been (officially) reissued in any form. Part of this show has been bootlegged onto vinyl as a double 7” entitled “Kellogg’s Punk Tarts”.

Track list:

1. We're Here Now

2. B-Movie

3. London Boys

4. Robert Hilburn

5. (Remember) Walking In The Sand

6. Don't Hang Up

7. Fashion Seeker

8. Screaming

9. Party Pose

10. Our Time Has Come

11. Just A Number

12. Living at the Canterbury

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wkv1vd69jhse5cb

THE AVENGERS: AITO'S, BERKELEY, CA. 10.27.78. AUDIENCE RECORDING.

The Avengers began allegedly as an excuse to display then stylish punk fashion. When all was said and done, they were arguably the best pure punk band in all of San Francisco, let alone all of California. Like fellow Dangerhouse artists X without any of the artistic pretentions, Penelope Houston and her savage backing band elevated a simplistic form of rock and roll to a considerably higher potential. Houston was America’s indomitable rock and roll woman of the late 1970s before Chrissie Hynde came along and dethroned her. Regardless of the fact that the band never stuck around long enough to collect conventional mainstream achievements, they left a great posthumously collected album in their demise. It’s a minor tragedy that producer Steve Jones never actually wound up fully mixing it’s tracks.

This audience recording was made shortly before the Avengers folded in 1979. The recording quality is respectable, stemming from an above average audience source. The performance is ferocious, with Houston’s voice being the strongest point throughout. It’s interesting to hear the handful of songs that were excluded from the full length performed live. Some of these tracks have made it onto the two different collections that have come out since 1999. "Second to None" is introduced as "Baby", thus giving it yet another song title considering the Jones' Professionals called it "1-2-3" on a single B-side.

Overall, this show is a nice glimpse of what the Avengers could deliver live on stage.

Track list:

1. The American In Me

2. Open Your Eyes

3. Uh Oh

4. No Matyr

5. Lonely Girl (Jones)

6. Thin White Line

7. Promised Land

8. End Of The Word

9. White Nigger

10. Second To None

11. I Believe In Me

12. C'mon Everybody (Eddie Cochran)

13. Car Crash

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?iyfqnry1vle

BLACK RANDY & PAUL RAT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, 1979. HOME RECORDING.

This is the second Black Randy telephone call featured on MORE THAN A WITNESS and is a total riot.

Before Black Randy and the Metrosquad performed in San Francisco for their first ever gig there, they contacted Paul Rat (aka Paul Bachavich) who promoted punk shows in the city at Temple Beautiful. Knowing the importance of aligning himself with other bands that would further his own infamy, Randy demands that the Metrosqaud share the bill with the Mentors and Wall Of Voodoo. He claims that this package bill is akin to going to a porno store and purchasing a three pack of magazines: “one is little girls on the front, the one in the back is dogs, but the one you can get in the middle, you’re never sure. It could be people crapping on each other or it could be a nudist book.” This is one phenomenal metaphor for booking a punk rock show.

It gets better. The cringe that Randy lets out after hearing that Paul Rat wants to book Tuxedomoon on the show is hilarious. Randy goes on to refer to the Go-Go’s as “halloween punk shit” and compares sharing the bill with them to the “brothers in the jungle wearing alligator shoes.” Joe Nanini from Wall Of Voodoo can be heard in the background and is clearly encouraging Randy’s behavior. The comedic value of this phone call is off the charts and should be downloaded immediately.

This tape belongs to Dangerhouse founder/Black Randy and the Metrosqaud member David Brown. Special thanks to Ryan Richrardson of Break My Face for this recording.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?x3wmrznjm2g