THE SECOND DEMO (1986)
lineup: Baxter/Rowland/Sharp/White
WHITEY'S DEAD (1997)
lineup: Baxter/Frederick/White
PUNK IS DEAD (2001)
lineup: Baxter/Downure/Frederick
IT WILL NEVER DIE (2003, compilation)
1985/1986 lineups: Baxter/Daniels/Rowland/Sharp/Welsh/White
MANY THANKS TO PAT FONTES AND DALE STEWART FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT DOCUMENTING THE OLDSCHOOL FRESNO PUNK AND HARDCORE SCENE ONLINE.
Courtesy of Pat Fontes @ WWW.PUNKSTORY.COM
The Fresno Scene was a happening place to be in the 80's. The raw tension, nervous excitement, and pure adrenaline that came with being a punk rock kid 20 years ago was real and unadulterated. Back then we made our own studded belts, one stud at a time. We went down to the local military surplus outlet and bought indivual bullets to have bullet belts. We couldnt go down to the Hot Topic and get the right mainstream punk look.
These images represent all that the punk scene was in the 80's: Bands, brotherhood and family, violence, beer-guzzling teens, mohawks, mini-skirts and lots of leather. As a historian I cannot reinterpret the 80's scene to fit into modern socially accepted and politically correct viewpoints. For instance, you might balk at the section "Skins" and ask why they are given their own gallery. Whether you like it or not, Skinheads were a part of the punk rock experience in the 1980's. Back in the day skins and punks co-mingled in Fresno in a way that has been lost in today's scene. The 1990's would witness a rift in the two scenes as bad blood came bewteen long-held friendships. Two distinct Skinheads scenes would also emerge in the 90's: OI skins that revolved around the band Boot Party and a Nazi contingent that were far less punk rock and more like bald Klansmen.
The 80's! Teachers hated us, cops messed with us and our parents cried and prayed for us. And the Violence! It was a dangerous time to be a punk.
This Website will be a tribute to all our old friends - some are dead, some are in prison or have already served time, some are still strung out and some are just hard working family people now.
Most of us never graduated - so here's your yearbook.
If you were in the scene during this time, this is your story. If you have flyers, pictures, ticket stubs or a story you want to tell... please send them to mypunkstory@hotmail.com
Courtesy of Dale Stewart @ WWW.STAGEDIVE-RECORDS.COM
Formed in 1983, this band really captured the spirit of the cool British
punk bands of the day like DISCHARGE and GBH. But the really interesting thing about this band was Loren White, guitarist/leader.
Loren was quite a guy. Talented and goodlooking, he drove a cool '62
Chevy hot rod. And he played in a happening punk band. He had to
beat the girls off with a stick.
At some point, he started bleaching his hair brilliant white. And I think
he had it permed, too. Some people started calling him "Whitey." Jocey and I were pretty good friends with Loren as we lived near him. We always just called him Loren cause we would see him in between the bleach jobs.
I remember going to San Francisco with HR to record at Tom Mallon
Studio, January '85. They recorded 10 of the best versions of their best
songs.
In the late 80's, the band was put in a holding pattern while Loren
searched for something else. A few years later the band had a great
reunion show at the Cadillac Club. Also on the bill was the
S.A.D. BOYZ and BURNINBOB. What a great show that was! We can
thank Jon Hanks for that one. That gig in '94 went so well, Loren
started back working on HARSH REALITY all he could. But, this time
the band was a 3-piece with Loren as guitarist and singer. Years
had passed and his influences changed. I remember him telling me
about his new favorite band, MARILYN MANSON. And I could hear it
in the music, too. No longer the simple British punk direction but a
death-metal influence.
The most outrageous thing is how Loren checked out. A security
guard for several years, he mentioned his 9mm to me a few times
though I never saw it. He meticulously planned his own suicide to
coincide with the release of his newest album! Photos were taken
of him doing the act, holding the very same gun he would actually
use to do himself in. Some months later he finally did it.
A few months after that the other guys from his band put the
album out with the photo of Loren on the front feigning suicide!
Outrageous morbidity. Loren planned it that way.
I like to remember the positive stuff about Loren. The stuff I
mentioned at the top. A guy that seemed to have the world on a
string. But I guess, inside he was a very unhappy guy.
Catch me and my bands Death Of Planet Earth & Bullets N’ Blindfolds at these upcoming shows… Also catch me & Death Of Planet Earth on July 16th at Babylon with Deterrence & Destruction of a Rose and July 31st at Babylon with Hostility
My band Voodoo Fly recently recorded our Ghost Rider inspired song called "Dark Rider". We would appriciate your opinions and/or comments. Do you love it? Hate it? Kind of like it? We want to know!!! Thanks! ~Voodoo Fly
