Under the Big Black Sun..
Just read John Doe’s latest writing, Under the Big Black Sun, a history of sorts related to the LA punk scene of the late 70s/early 80s.
We saw him at The Tractor a few weeks ago – great show and they were promoting the book at the show, so got it from the library.
This is an interesting read for a number of reasons – it definitely brings back memories of that time, when those of us not living in LA (nor old enough to be punks in a band anyway) could only observe things from afar through local record stores and mags like The Rocket. It’s also definitely a window into a crazy mishmash of misfits and aspiring musicians, poets and outcasts seeking their own kind of community, with vignettes written by many others in the scene besides Doe (Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Henry Rollins of Black Flag, Mike Watt from The Minutemen (whom we saw at the Tractor last year, too) – the list goes on. Finally, to me it was a bit eye-opening to all the drug and alcohol abuse that seemed to accompany the scene, at least according to the book. It’s obvious that sort of thing goes with the territory – but does it have to? Being on the outside I guess makes that a bit hard to relate to.
In any event, X has always been a fave band since that time, and they were one of, if not the first, band I saw play live. This book only serves to continue their legacy for both LA punks then and since – and is a love letter to all longtime fans. Thanks, John Doe.
Tags: '10s, 70's, 80s, bands, freaks, fun!, los angeles, music