Integrity is in every image, interview, editorial and advertisement.
The project of creating the first Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 Ten Year Anniversary issue is a scan of issue one through fifty. Different technology back in 1987 but our HP Laser printer in office and camera, set up in our garage, both helped in the scanned copy layout of images. Both printer and camera made this issue happen. It was Flipside Fanzine magic.
Each issue presents selected interviews and stories that zigzag together vivid accounts and insights from the punk rock scene. Although some readers have expressed nostalgia for the letter and classified sections—once vital hubs for community interaction—the publication prioritizes detailed narratives about bands of the era. This editorial choice underscores a distinctive aspect that captures the passion and intensity characteristic of punk rock. By focusing solely on musicians, their experiences, and the cultural influence they exerted, the publication seeks to give readers a deeper view of the punk movement, ensuring its legacy endures for new generations and honoring its genuine spirit of punk rock.
Our new Commodore 128 computer was a revolutionary thing at the time. I painstakingly did all the layout for the first issue. We took highlighted interviews from each issue along with editorials. I did it then and I did it again with this replica issue.
The only difference being is that the technology for this replica is a hell of a lot better. As well as the programs use to get Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 the way that it is. My dream was to come out with a paperback copy of this issue.
I adore this issue, so I preserved it.
The new cover is a picture by Al Flipside. Symbolic of how we bugged the bands and ran a punk rock fanzine together.
It was a sin from AL Flipside’s perspective to have our faces in Flipside fanzines. So, I challenged this sin with my mug on the cover. It is not so much about this. More than that it reflects a time when I was a gal amongst many guy punkers. Which was and is still a turn on for me. Very punk rock.
Subhumans (Canadian Band) and Angry Samoans. Greg Turner, Metal Mike, Wimpy, Hud, Gary and Jim.
This is one of my favorite pics of the early punk scene with…
I am holding Flipside’s tape recorder. Our # one staff … with us the whole time.
We recorded all of our band interviews included in each issue on this tape recorder.
We were always in the middle of bugging the bands. So, to me it is symbolic of us. Al and I as we ran a Fanzine. It also shows you the world through Al’s eyes. We literally had thousands and thousands of negatives and pictures in our office.
The yellow patina is gone, and the pages are all straight. This issue of Flipside # 54 was originally printed on newsprint paper, so the pages did yellow.
I put a great deal of time into making this paperback into the sweet little punk rock number that it is. Some punks have told me that this was their punk rock bible. It is Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine issues one through fifty. A lot of punk voices. The integrity of what punk was at any time during the original punk rock scene is shared here.
Flipside Fanzine # 54 captures the continuity and real experience and thoughtful wild exuberant expression of many interesting individuals. It was a passion of mine to share in this documentation of a scene. It still is which is why I continued over the years with this project to have a new handheld Flipside # 54 for anyone who wants to hold it too.
I think it is incredibly special, in a punk kind of way, I hope you will enjoy it too.
Within this paperback book is our history of the early punk rock scene. We at Flipside covered that scene thoroughly, what we wanted to cover that is. It is best you read the editorial included at the beginning of this paperback to get a real sense of who we were. Ten years of documenting a scene included in issues one through fifty is a great deal to read. A magnifying glass may be needed.
I always say the proof is in the pudding. Shit workers who worked on each issue are clearly defined in each issue. This is what I mean by proof. Always a lot of hands in the cookie jar at the Flipside house. Suffice to say I will let this spectacular punk documentary speak for itself from the giant community of punk voices. The true punk rock narrative.
I recommend my memoir My Punkalullaby as a sidekick to Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine # 54 Ten-Year Anniversary Issue (replica) 1977 to 1987 because both are my punk rock opus, and I am very proud of publishing these editions through my publishing company The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing.
Click on Image takes you to Amazon where this is sold.
Click on Image takes you to Amazon where this is sold.
Both issues are for purchase at Amazon with a click.
The Avengers, The Dils and The Alley Cats + many special guests (A Celebration of the Life of Jimmy Wilsey) at Echoplex
Before the show I went to an Italian Restaurant nearby. I sat at the bar and had a Guinness and a plate of pasta.
Part of my DNA
It will be the time to join with punk comrades and celebrate our originators and characters of the early California punk scene. The Avengers, the Dils and the Alley Cats.
Before The Avengers went on a DJ at the event played The Saints – (I’m) Stranded. The sound went on and I swear the earth moved as the song grabbed my spine… an earthquake…. it was a Saints’ Hallelujah “amber” moment.
Just got this from a friend… a nice treat that makes life bearable. (signed copy and 2024 November The Saints Tour)
Once someone dies, their life becomes a story, infinite, Like a song forever more.
Back then it was a tight underground, alternative punk rock scene. Bands were unclassified and their songs unique. I found myself melting into a wild alchemy of youths that had something new to say.
We were finding our voice. All the unknown characters were there. Nobody creates a scene alone. Seeing punk bands during the early Los Angeles punk scene, I was not always aware of all the members in the band.
Instead, the feel of drums, bass and guitar grabbed me into a wild joyful submission. After a few times seeing a band, the lyrics and the vocals brought depth and understanding to any band’s song.
I was shaking to the sounds, wanting to go to all the shows. After getting involved with Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine all the players, in the bands, became focused and clear. I listened to their voices.
I got to know them on a personal level. I went from being a face in the crowd to writing about punk bands and getting to know band members as friends.
The sound of the Avengers was my grounding or anchoring into that early punk scene. Those first days I awoke……
It was fantastic! The Dils I learned about indirectly through other Flipside staff writers.
The Alley Cats was the band, they were the heart of the early punk scene which I got to know the best at that time.
Jimmy was a part of that scene.
I did not know him personally but indirectly. Yet his sound moved me into states of wild frenzy. I am grateful for all the vinyl records that contain that story, song, or sound of our youthful rebellion. Of Jimmy’s youthful rebellion.
Yet a “live” band is always best. It is great to still be here, currently, part of our punk rock history. Thanks to Randy and Penelope for letting me speak today. To show my love and respect.
We were wild and knew all the songs by heart by The Dils, The Alley Cats and the Avengers.
I will be there handing out some badges joining in the event in memory of our youthful rebellion that is still the heartbeat of this crazy continuity of punk rock that still drives our DNA onward.
The author reflects deeply on their feelings of trauma after watching the 1988 film The Accused, which starkly depicts a brutal rape. This cinematic portrayal of violence against women evokes a profound emotional response, prompting the author to draw parallels between the character’s harrowing experience and their own past encounters with trauma. It highlights the notion that trauma, once inflicted, can leave an indelible mark, echoing through the myriad facets of one’s life.
The author elaborates on the persistence of trauma, emphasizing how it can shape thoughts, emotions, and relationships long after the initial event has passed. By sharing personal reflections, they cultivate a deeper understanding of the emotional turmoil experienced by survivors, marking a call for empathy and recognition of the lasting effects of such violence.
Moreover, the author expresses unwavering support for the Roe v. Wade ruling, reflecting a broader concern regarding women’s rights and bodily autonomy. They articulate their anger over recent political attempts to undermine this landmark decision. In their view, such actions are not merely political maneuvers; they are seen as barbaric and regressive, marking a significant setback in the quest for gender equality and the rights of women to make choices about their own bodies.
The author is particularly incensed by the June 2022 decision, which, in their eyes, represented a profound failure by the U.S. Supreme Court. They argue that this ruling declared there is no federal constitutional right to abortion—abandoned the court’s duty to protect fundamental rights. This verdict, they assert, will echo through generations, potentially endangering not only women’s rights but the very fabric of personal freedoms that many have fought tirelessly to secure. The implications of this decision serve as a call to action, urging society to confront the ongoing struggles faced by women as they navigate the complexities of autonomy and choice in an increasingly hostile environment.
Christine Blasey Ford water color by Hudley Flipside.
Julie sang a Doors song to me. We were on the hill playing. She acted like she made it up. I knew that she did not. This song marked a change in the neighborhood. The 16 and 17-year-old boys were smoking funny cigarettes.
Confronting ghosts from years ago and feeling much better.
I am writing this because of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s story. Maybe her narrative was not successful in stopping the nomination to the supreme court of Judge K. I believe she told the truth and with great risk to her family and to herself. I admire her honesty.
So, in support of her naming those who assaulted her, I will name mine. Mike Hansen and Michael Myers (and more). Dr. Ford is free now yet the lies and darkness within Judge K’s being will continue to manifest until it destroys him. Maybe not today or tomorrow but eventually. That is how karma works.
Roman Polanski
The mid 1970s and early 1980s held wild times. A new sexual revolution that became dark fast. I did not live far from where Roman Polanski was arrested, at Jack Nicholson’s home, for the sexual assault of 13-year-old. I knew the girl who was drugged and then molested. I never imagined something like that would happen to me.
Drugs, sex and fun was fundamental at that time. Luckily, my mom and dad kept guard. They were not always interested in school stuff, but they did keep guard. I was protected from the house down the hill. A single mom with an empty nest most nights. Except for the teenage boys.
The endless drug parties were unchecked by the adults in the neighborhood. Michael Myers, no relations to the character from the film Halloween, ruled there. Any girl 13 to 16 was not safe from his advances. The peer pressure was enormous!!
Once he was 18 he continued to make his moves. That is where Mike Hansen came to my aid. He was my boyfriend who protected me from the age 15 to 17. Until Mike cheated on me and we broke up. I started going out with another boy. We dated on and off for about 6 months.
Mike Hansen wanted us to get back together. One night he invited me to a party where he was living with Mike Myers. They lived in an old apartment next to a local Catholic Church. It seemed safe enough. A few friends were over and someone handed me a beer. The next morning, I awoke naked and alone in Mike Hansen’s bed.
I did not remember anything from the night before until years later. This narrative gets worse because I became pregnant. As a 17-year-old my voice was invisible. I was confused and overwhelmed.
Pregnant with two boyfriends. It was not a good place for a 17-year going on 18 to be. The bad words spoken, tension and moral pressure made me crazy. Mike Hansen wanted to entrap me into marriage. I said no. The other boy was helpful, but he soon broke up with me. I blamed myself. It was not until years later that the images of that night came forward. Memories became clear to me. Around the time after giving birth to my first son at 34. Yes, slowly it was clear to me. I will not go into the years of grief and despair that I worked though.
Looking back, I remember Mike Hansen was mad at me, so I assume he or another drugged me and let me be raped by whom ever was at the party. I feel that they planned it with intent and foresight. In a sense I felt relieved that I remembered this. I felt sad too for a long time. I did not regret the abortion back then. It was intuitively the best thing to do. I realize that now.
The window from Mike Hansen’s room
Today I went back to the apartments. I don’t live far. The apartments have expanded. There are more parking areas. The apartments are now secured and closed from strangers. The apartment where Mike Hansen and Mike Myers lived are at the corner of Serrainia Ave and Ventura Blvd. or De Soto Ave and Ventura Blvd. The streets change as one crosses Ventura heading west.
As a kid I knew this area. I walked by these apartments everyday, Jr. High School and later in High School. A few of my friends went to the Saint Mel Catholic School right near the apartments. Across the street, where there is now a Wells Fargo Bank, there was a 7- Eleven. My friends and I could get a Slurpee for 10 cents. Why wouldn’t I feel safe there. It was where I grew up? My dad owned a building only a few blocks down on Ventura Blvd.
My family had history here, a history intertwined with both cherished memories and painful realities. That history includes my rape, an experience that has shaped not only my life but also the legacy I carry. With each visit to this place, the echoes of the past resonate within me, reminding me of the strength found in vulnerability and the resilience required to reclaim my narrative.
Julie Myers was a good friend, but I had trust issues with her, similar to those I had with her brother. She shared revealing late-night stories about her brother and Mike Hansen, which made me feel jealous and uncertain. Although I listened to her tales, I struggled to believe them, questioning if I should have trusted her more. They were raping young girls. I was just another one.
Audience members stand up to listen during a Senate Judiciary Committee markup hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 28, 2018, for the nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. – Kavanaugh’s contentious Supreme Court nomination will be put to an initial vote Friday, the day after a dramatic Senate hearing saw the judge furiously fight back against sexual assault allegations recounted in harrowing detail by his accuser.
(Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Flopside Comics supports the political satire of ‘Trump Baby’ blimp to fly over London.’
On Friday the 13th, 2018.
Don’t forget we have been spreading the satire for years… and have a few bubblegum Flopside COmics that highlight this complete unenlightened asshole of extreme degrees…
Four Flopside Bubblegum cOmic editions that challenge the status quo…. dripping dropping satire political cartoons…
Check all 13 on Friday the 13th 2018 … your fucking luckiest of days…..
Azoth is “all-inclusiveness” and the spiritual ray of Neptune which is the higher octave of Mercury.
How this all came together is a current event of our times. Alchemical symbols and studies are something I do. I have worked with images and ancient insights for years. Not always understanding the full meanings yet trying to embrace them with a current and contemporary heart and mind-set.
I believe as the ancient Egyptians taught, that to understand these ancient alchemical symbols one must “think with the heart and feel with the mind.”
A Grand Trine is a call to see the influence of cosmic realities. To observe the world around oneself and try to make sense of it.
We are all in this together even if we are unbelievable.
I’ve been working with this image for some time. I put my praying mantis spin on the study. The alchemical symbol is based on a sixth century woodcut from the series in Basil Valentine’s Azoth.
Neptune is speaking loudly… I think we all might listen!
A hierarchy of Neptune. Azoth is the measureless spirit of life. The original spiritual fiery water comes through Eden (vapor) and pours itself into the four main rivers of four elements. “Elixir-vitae.”
The spine, a gas that is like steam which may be condenses when exposed to outside atmosphere.
But it may also be super-heated by the fire of purification and regeneration and become a brilliant and luminous fire.
“Between the gods and the plant kingdom stands man, a being endowed with intelligence, creative power and free-will use it for good or ill.
Between the chaste plant and the pure spiritual gods who both turn their whole creative power upward towards the light.”
Rockin’ in my rockin’ chair
Rockin’ in my rockin’ dreams
We all are elder punks now
The first of the punk rockers
A youthful explosion…
March 28, 2018
The Dream Last Night
The dream was long but what I remember is we had a big back yard. In the back yard were big beautiful old trees. So big that artists would come to visit so they could sit under the trees. They’d sit under the shade of the old trees and make art. They enjoyed the big trees.
Two people I knew came to visit us. Two old friends I knew in my rebellious youth when I had a punk fanzine. Band members I championed as we grew from youth to adulthood. First was Mike Palm.
He was sleeping under one of the trees. I saw him there. Next son said that another one came to the door. He went back to the big trees. He told son he knew me. Son let him in and he went to the trees. He had his painting art supplies and a sleeping bad rolled up behind him. I went back and saw that it was Mike Ness .
He smiled warmly at me. I felt all those friendship, close, intimate feelings come back to my heart. The feelings of loyalty and belonging to something bigger than ourselves. He was fine. So, I left him alone under one of the old trees. In the house I made him a sandwich. We always made sandwiches for our art guests.
Dreams like this hurt me. I still somehow feel connected to these punk charmers of my youth. They made a big impression on me. I still love them both so much. Though our lives are not intermingled as they once were. They are still beholding to me. They hold value in myself, my psyche. It is nice when they come to visit, even if only in my dreams.
I wonder if they ever find my face smiling up at them in their elder punk dreams. I hope so… somehow there is still a heartfelt remembrance and shared values from our youthful rebellious days. Long gone by days…which we will always share together.
Life is about change. Old things die away, new things break into the world. I just wanted to hold on to this memory of two family couches that we got as hand me downs from Marge and Fred. Thank you, we love you and you are both still in our memories.
Neighbors’ blooms under California rain 2018
It was about 11 years ago when Marge passed away, it was on the day of the Mardi Gras. Her things ended up being sold and given away. We were given one of her many couches. A rustic beige couch with embroidery running all over it and white lines moving over it. I sat on it a few times at her home in Tarzana California. She lived in the hills next to Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Gazebo where the character Tarzan was created. There was a time when the hills of the San Fernando Valley were once sparsely populated. One might reflect upon nature and come up with all kind of stories to tell.
The couch was originally bought for a trailer. Marge was then married to Fred Ahern. He was an American filmmaker and worked with Alfred Hitchcock and Quinn Martin. Fred and Marge originally purchased two couches for a trailer in the desert. Bullhead city Arizona. Marge did not like living there so they moved it back to the home in the Tarzana hills. They were both my husband’s grandparents. Marge was his maternal grandmother. She married Fred after my husband was born. He remembers when they purchased the two couches.
Fred was a good man and always treated my husband as his own grandson. Today we are letting go of the hand me down couches. The couches supported our two sons and us for about 11 years. Fun years. Colorful years with a room full of young boys, gamers, and sleepovers. The couch has been a good best friend. I say couch but there are two. A long couch and a love seat couch.
When we first put the couches in our home they smelled dusty. Now they are covered with hippy colored blankets, my mom’s knit and crocheted blankets and a hand full of cats, books, and laptops. Right now, youngest son is asleep upon the love seat. I think he is feeling a need to be close to it now. It will be gone soon. He does not usually sleep on it like this.
Today is the day we will put the couches outside for bulky item pick up. I never meet Fred but somehow, he has been close to us the last few years by way of a couch he purchased. I think my husband feels a closeness to the couches. It is not until this morning that I realized this. The sadness and grief of loss is always a sober wake-up call… yes always. Two couches are a connection to my husband’s past. It holds memories and moments before I entered his world.
We purchased two new couches last week. Today is delivery day. Marge and Fred’s couches are going away forever. The couches will be rained upon today.
We named our first son partly after Fred. When the hospital nurse handed me a document to sign for his birth certificate, I surprised my husband by sneaking in the Fred in Johnfred. I was completely in a ‘after giving birth’ trance I guess. I am glad I did it!
Football kitty is not letting go of her couch as a little Bodhisattva might naturally do!?
I got the riding on a swing feeling in my belly! March is here, we are waiting for a rain storm.
Reflecting over the last six years and after 1,000 posts I have come to realize what The Seminary of Praying Mantis is all about. I can break my blog into four parts; Humor, spirituality, punk rock, and free fall.
I do embrace the creative shadow archetype. I like to make humor of culture and politics. For me it is the third path of satire. I do not shy off from it being considered stupid.
I am naturally a spiritual person. I have become more comfortable with sharing this about myself. My favorite books are biographies. So why not share my story.
Humor and honest nastiness is part of my Flopside Comics. Also, in The Daily “FUCK” Gazette and Flopside Bubble Gum comics one can find the absurd. I do admit defeat now and then when it comes to current events.
Punk Rock has cursed me. When I try to escape it, it always finds me. So, I now embrace it as part of my rebellious character. I love to share my history and stay current as shown in my ‘do it yourself ‘ projects.
I like intimacy. friendships and the integrity that comes with the core punk rock experience. I don’t do the festival punk thing.
That is way more profitable for the bands. I can dig that. If one of the many bands, I’ve known. wants to take one of my Punk@lullaby journals and help promote my work that is cool by me. Kind of like we use to do for them with Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine.
My free fall is a merger of all the three parts including my art and poetry. I must create. It is a calling that I cannot ignore. I promote my own work and have true friends help me along the way.
One of my happiest days …
S.W. Lauden, Hudley and Danny Gardner at
“Poems, Songs & Stories-A Literary Lounge by the LA River”,
on September 10th 2017.
A great day !
The Frog Spot photo by Michelene Cherie.
Now to move on to a current event. I like reading Steve Forests’ writings on astrology. His latest post is on Mars, Mars out of bounds !!
You may not believe in the stars but even if you don’t he takes an honest look at what it is to be a male or female this month. A very good read.
Androgyny or the hermaphrodite archetype is part of my perspective on what it is to be a human being. Honesty and integrity are how I frame my world. It sometimes leads me down a confronting and angry dark path. Yet at age 60 I think I can be of service to others by doing my good work. I am walking a new path back to university.
I am interested on where this will take me. Will I be accepted for who I am? I want to help others. I may become distant here blogging? I may change my posts favoring one over the other? I will be more discerningly present !
Therefore, I am sharing the insides of my Flopside comic here. It makes me laugh. Hopefully bringing some adult toilet paper humor upon a heartless subject in current politics. The original Flopside Bubble Gum comic was published as Mr. Trump grappled a hostile takeover of our poor whimpering white house. How it has changed!!
Mr. Fuck the wild card the androgyny person. He is the “satellite of love”. He can help all men and women….with pink hat and hard on. I love the androgynous!
It seems strange now but at 21 I thought life would not go on much longer. We were wild nonconformists ready to take on the status quo. Here we are years later. Some of us are still creatively pulling strong and talking about our wilder days.
Na, Na, Na, Na, Nooooooo ! !
August 1981: In this interview it was very exciting to talk to a co rebel, music wise. When we did this interview the Flipside crew included Pooch, Al, and myself. Mr. Lydon would see only one for the interview. Al got it. The interview went on for some time. Pooch and I got tiered of waiting in the car. It was a hot summer day in Hollywood. I went in the hotel lobby and walked into the pool area where the interview was taking place They were sitting under a large pool side umbrella. Mr. Lydon saw me. He frowned. I told Al I was sick of waiting! Pooch and I were thirsty and hungry. Mr. Lydon said,
“Oh, that is just an excuse to see me!”
The interview ended. He walked away. I guess he was 50 percent correct. Jerk!
This post is in celebration of Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine’s 10-year Anniversary Issue 1977 to 1987. which I will be presenting at Curating Resistance: Punk as Archival Method February 9 – 10, 2018 University of California, Los Angeles.
Astronomical, astrological, metaphysical ~ trinity. Saturn: Time, Philyra: Form and Chiron: Solar egg sack.
It seems that people are talking about…
Saturn on steroids since ascending to the high land of his home. As Capricorn alerts the master !
Chiron to take on the power A healing of this shadowy world … much more beyond our knowing.
I am not worried because of my years of friendship with Saturn and Chiron
Education and evaluation I am stimulated with wonder and energy.
Keeping myself grounded becoming impassioned with life.
Philyra or Phillyra (/ˈfɪlərə/: Ancient Greek: Φιλύρα means “linden-tree“) is the name of three distinct characters in Greek mythology. Philyra, an Oceanid and mother by Cronus of Chiron. Philyra, one of the names given to the wife of Nauplius, who was the father of Palamedes, Oiax and Nausimedon.
Punk Rock Historian, Colleague and professional Consultant
Hudley Flipside
Pat Fear and Other Stories
A few years on, the narrator describes a composed evening at home, enveloped in a soft blanket beneath the gentle illumination of the living room lights. The steady background hum of the news provides a familiar atmosphere during this tranquil time.
A moment of levity occurs as the narrator observes Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken unexpectedly playing guitar at the White House—a noteworthy illustration of how even prominent public figures engage in moments of lightheartedness.
As the broadcast continues, the mood shifts: the familiar figures of friends Bill, Dennis, and Mike appear, their presence lively and encouraging the narrator to “fight for their rights.” This visitation is both reassuring and thought-provoking, merging humor with deeper personal reflection.
The experience prompts the narrator to consider the enduring nature of friendships, as memories of shared conversations and laughter resurface, fostering an environment filled with nostalgia.
This interplay between camaraderie and introspection highlights the continuity of influence that friends exert, transcending physical absence. In this comfortable setting, the convergence of past dialogues with current experience underscores the lasting bonds between those present and those departed.
The evening thus becomes a period characterized by both reminiscence and contemplation, affirming that the pursuit of rights encompasses not only advocacy but also the celebration of relationships that continue to shape individual lives.
My talk today is a comparison essay about three characters from the early punk rock scene. A punk rock GHOST Special!
Dennis Danell, the original bass player for the punk rock band Social Distortion, Pat Fear, the eminent singer and guitarist of the mockery punk band White Flag, and Mike Conley, the vocalist of the renowned punk band MIA, are notable figures in the punk rock scene.
I call them the PUNK HUB MASTERS
To move my essay into the realm of where I am looking from, I will be using a concept from my favorite psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. Now for a short Jungian psychology concept.
“The specific role of the archetype in synchronization-phenomena seems to be to serve as or constellation hub of a situation across time, and to be the factor of [inner order] that gives this distinctive set to the situation.”
Punk rock is a phenomenon which created a situation of order as a constellation or hub. A hub is a focal point a center around which other things revolve from which things radiate. I am applying this concept to the origin of punks and to punk rock…
We were nobodies of the underground, sitting on a youthful explosion, that was a riptide of good-fella punk friends. The early individual punks found each other through the hubs we created. Back in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, as you know the punk scene created a network of hubs that worked independently from each other yet depended on each other to sustain the punk scene. Examples of hubs were Fanzines such as We Got Power or Flipside Fanzine.
Also, every punk band had its own hub. Record labels, music recording studios and record store hubs. The major places to make the scene!
Such as Licorice pizza, ZEDS, Tower Records and Moby Disk Records and our own Whittier Record hub Lovells Records. Without forgetting the college and underground radio program hubs where the innovative music played. These were the greatest of supportive hubs such as Pat Hoed’s Adam Bomb (KXLU), Stella Stray POP and Rodney on KROQ.
The major hub that brought us all together was an amazing force known as gigs. The garage to Club 88, the Masque to the Whisky A go go and beyond. Where the fans, bands and promoters met! The focal point here was the paper flyer. These papers were handed out at gigs. Unique band flyers with local and logo band art. Mostly Xerox copies. Xerox machines a revolutionary major hub for the punk scene. The US Mail and the ring ring telephone press buttons or circular dial extenuated the positive communication hub…remember? Punks spent a great deal of time alone…creating, practicing, and thinking in our own hubs! Coming together via shows, the phone, and the mail.
This is where the hub masters such as Denis, Pat, and Mike were found. They shined there. They masterly brought all the HUBS together. These three punks were genius hub masters. Networking was their punk underground gift, and they are authentic examples of the early punk rock phenomenon. Dennis, Pat, and Mike are a part of the Southern California punk scene.
They influenced a generation of fans and often are not known or acknowledged for their influence. They infected my little hub of a bedroom converted into a fanzine office. I often felt overwhelmed working on Flipside and under a big wave of stuff always about ready to crash. These guys showed me the skills of synchronizing things together. Making it seem easy.
Punk Hub Master: Dennis Danell
Punk Hub Master: Dennis Danell
I first saw Dennis when I was living with my sister in Fullerton Orange County. It was 1978. I was working at a local Dry-Cleaning Business as a cashier. Staffing on Flipside Fanzine on the side. He was riding a sting-ray bike sporting a spike haircut.
At that time, he was unique. We were speaking the same language. I looked similar with my partial shaved hairdo with orange hair color. A year later we met at the scene and became friends.
Dennis taught me loyalty of friendship. I witnessed his expansive heart that made his band stay tight. This is the work of the hub master. Dennis still visits me in my dreams.
Always polite, honest, and his happy Dizzy self. He had the ability of synchronizing punks together in a charming way. He will not ever be taken for granted. He was at the right place at the right time.
I will read some quotes from Flipside 20 A Social Distortion interview. I feel these short quotes embrace his character.
“Dennis: We wanna sound like no one else, We wanna sound like us!!”
“Dennis: Tommie’s chilly burgers. I ate one of those and didn’t have to eat for 2 days and I was shitting for 3 weeks!”
Dennis Danell (rip), Mad Dog (rip), Mike Ness and Tony Reflex
OC Kids image by “The man from MONK” (rip).
Hub Master: Pat Fear.
As you know Pat was a force to deal with. He lived in Riverside which was not far from Whittier Ca where Flipside Fanzine was based. Flipside put out a few music vinyl fanzines on Flipside / Gasatanka Records. Pat was the hub master and helped bring it all together. Was it only a few years ago I argued on Facebook about his hate for Sahara Palin? I would ask him to slow down and redirect his energy.
White Flag played a show with the Simpletons around 2008. They played a Saints Song, Demolition Girl. A nice dedication to me. Yet that was Pat… he always tried to make his friends happy. He was humorous in an irritating and funny way. He had the gift of inclusion. He is a constellation hub across time which brings us all here together today.
I will read some quotes by White Flag Tape 6 Flipside Music Fanzine. I will try to read them the way White Flag said them. Pat Fear’s high degree of sarcasm.
This is a White Flag moment.
“What is the purpose of White Flag?”
“To create an illusion of creativity. Because we are too good to be believed.”
“White Flag is a band that’s done everything done before… but better.” “There are two kinds of people in the world, people who are in White Flag and all those who wish they were.”
“White Flag is more than just a band it is a concept of how to live your life.”
“We look like women, talk like men, and play like mother fuckers. (Twisted sister quote.)”
Pat wrote a theme song for our video fanzines. I would like to share a short description from our catalog describing the beginning of Flipside Video Number Two,
“Now if you want to see the good old video monster in action you just got to catch this video. So, if you get it, and put it in your VCR, you might just die. Because the opening Flipside Video Number Two is the band White Flag. Gutsy and pure, Pat Fear will knock your block off while he plays guitar for the opening theme song called “Flipside” with backup singers including some Redd Kross members and one Bangle member …”
“I’ll Blow You a Kiss in the Wind” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart … seeing Steven McDonald from Redd Kross, who does a brilliant cover, I imagined Pat Fear singing the song on top of the dinning table before us… giving a ghostly performance!
I enjoyed seeing many gathered thinking about a unique wild guy who brought friends and colleagues together today!
Also .. Pat Smear affirmed what I knew but don’t hear often enough that Becky Barton (Donna Rhia) was the first drummer of the Germs. “Where is she now?”
A very enjoyable afternoon/ evening! Thanks Tony!
The Old Spaghetti Factory, October 22/23
Tony. B Band the Adolescents, Cake ( Carlos Numez) 1990s Flipside Fanzine crew, Pat Smear the Germs and beyond, David Markey We Got Power Fanzine and beyond, Don Bolles the Germs and out of this world beyond.
Hub Master: Mike Conley
It was great to promote many bands and enjoy time with friends Mike and Nick. The whole band MIA.
Mike originally came from Las Vegas and then stationed his band MIA in the Orange County beach area. He brought punks tighter together. He did this at parties, gigs or at the Flipside House. He could wheel and deal the punk zone. Back stage Mike would make me laugh. He would follow me around saying,
“Want a cocktail, Hudley,” while rolling his eyes round and around. Just like Groucho Marx.
In 2008 when editing my memoirs about the punk scene I came across some Mike comments in a Flipside Fanzine Interview with his band. Unbelievably I received a call at that moment from Nick Adams, a member of MIA, telling me of Mike’s demise. A week later at his funeral his oldest daughter told us a short story.
She said that when they were traveling in his car her dad always had the music on too loud. She told him he could use headphones like everyone else. He never did. That is punk.
An excerpt from My Punkalullby.
Recently, at a benefit show for the passing of Mike Conley of M.I.A., a slam pit broke out at the Detroit bar in Costa Mesa. After about 19 years my natural feelings of irritation and perspiration filled with moisture above my brow. In the past, the slam pit became a testosterone-filled ring of jock bodies circling round and round before the stage. Bouncers and bands tried to control it. They could not stop this wildfire. I grew to hate it. Yet, the recent show again proved me wrong. There were some women but mostly men dancing around having a great time. Yes, their firm bodies now had become a little soft around the edges, as one middle-aged guy stopped and said to me, as if Mike Conley for one moment materialized,
“…enjoy this moment, it is the best time of your life!”
This guy was beaming with youthful glee.
~ From the Pogo to the Slam Pit, by Hudley Flipside
Flipside produced one of MIA’s albums entitled After the Fact. I will read lyrics from a song that Mike wrote. A Quote from the Song, Whisper in the Wind,
“In my eyes you’ll see a thousand memories, He said stare into my soul, All of me you shall know, Live your life full, live your life free, Tomorrow’s but a vision, Yesterday is a dream…”
Mike had the quality of inner order. A quality of depth and control that was not always easy to access.
This concludes my essay on three punk rockers of the early Southern California Punk Scene. Denis, Pat, and Mike were extraordinary. They were our friends! SCREAMING,
