Germs - Live at the Starwood Dec. 3, 1980 2LP NEW Germs - Live at the Starwood Dec. 3, 1980 2LP NEW

Germs - Live at the Starwood Dec. 3, 1980 2LP 

NEW. SEALED.

Run Out Groove Records

The Germs were a punk rock band from Los Angeles, originally active from 1976 to 1980. The band’s early line up consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album during their short tenure – 1979’s “G.I.” produced by Joan Jett and were featured in Penelope Spheeris’ 1980 documentary film, “The Decline of Western Civilization” which chronicled the Los Angeles punk scene. Crash and Smear decided to form a band after getting kicked out of high school for allegedly using “mind control” on fellow students. Their original band name was “Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens” but they decided to shorten the name as they could not afford that many letters on a t-shirt! The Germs initially drew musical influence from Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Ramones, the Runaways, Sex Pistols and New York Dolls. Early on, Smear was the only musically experienced member; Doom survived early performances by sliding a finger up and down the fretboard of her bass while Rhia generally kept a minimal beat on the bass drum, periodically bashing the cymbal. Early performances drew raucous crowds made up of the band’s friends. As a result their gigs became notorious for being rowdy and usually verged on a riot. The band eventually developed a sound that was very influential. Throughout their career they had a reputation as a chaotic live band. Crash usually arrived onstage incoherent from drugs, singing everywhere but into the mic and taunting the audience between songs. Yet they delivered intense, theatrical and increasingly musical performances. Smear was a remarkably talented and fluid player and after his death, critics finally acknowledged his lyrics as poetic art. Following the release of their only studio album, GI on Slash Records, the Germs recorded six original songs with producer Jack Nitzsche for the soundtrack to the film, “Cruising,” starring Al Pacino. Only one of the six tracks found its way onto the soundtrack but the others were later released on MIA: The Complete Anthology. In 1980 Crash contacted Smear about doing a “reunion” show to put punk in perspective for the punks on the scene. Smear has said that Crash told him privately that he only wanted to earn money for heroin with which to commit suicide. On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood hosted a final show of the reunited Germs. At one point, Crash told the audience “we did this show so you new people could see what it was like when we were around. You’re not going to see it again.” Crash committed suicide on Dec. 7, 1980 at age 22. He had overdosed on heroin in a suicide pact with friend Casey Hopkins who ended up surviving. He wrote a short suicide note to David “Bosco” Danford that stated, “My life, my leather, my love goes to Bosco.” Rhino Handmade officially released Live at the Starwood, Dec 3 1980 in 2010 on CD. The live set was previously unavailable in its entirety. ROG is issuing this classic live set on vinyl for the first time.

Track Listing:

Side A

1 Circle One 2:08

2 Manimal 2:15

3 Caught In My Eye 2:52

4 Lion’s Share 2:23

5 No God 1:51

6 Our Way 2:48

Side B

1 Strange Notes 2:05

2 What We Do Is Secret 0:54

3 Richie Dagger’s Crime 1:56

4 Land Of Treason 2:08

5 My Tunnel 3:01

6 Media Blitz 1:30

7 Communist Eyes 2:46

Side C

1 The Other Newest One 3:32

2 Let’s Pretend 2:00

3 Forming 1:47

4 Lexicon Devil 2:19

5 Shut Down (Annihilation Man) 7:33

Side D

1 Public Image 2:52

2 American Leather 2:39

3 We Must Bleed 2:34

4 Richie Dagger’s Crime (Reprise) 2:11