The Angry Samoans is an American punk rock band from the first wave of American punk, formed in August 1978 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, by early 1970s

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

writer "Metal" Mike Saunders, his sibling lead guitarist Bonze BlaykBad Trip Records
"Bonze Anne Rose Blayk (F/K/A 'Kevin Eric Saunders')"
includes scans of publication of change of name from Kevin Eric Saunders and court order effecting the change; Retrieved 2011--09-01 and Gregg Turner (another rock writer, for ''

Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential criti ...

'' from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s), along with original recruits Todd Homer (bass) and Bill Vockeroth (drums).

Background

In 1969 the Saunders brothers cut a 14-song high school

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

album ''I'm a Roadrunner Motherfucka'' in their hometown of

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

, under a twice-used local band name, The Rockin' Blewz. The album went unissued until the late 1990s. Mike Saunders briefly played in an embryonic backing lineup for 1950s rockabilly cult artist

Ray Campi Raymond Charles Campi (April 20, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an American singer and musician, nicknamed "The King of Rockabilly". He first recorded in the mid-1950s. Campi's trademark was his white double bass, which he often jumped on top of an ...

during 1975, before moving back to Arkansas for two years (pursuant to a second college degree). Bassist Homer had played in 1977

Masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masque ...

-era band Jesus Prick, and drummer Vockeroth was a veteran of the

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

"backyard kegger party" cover band circuit (which also spawned

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

). During 1978, both Turner and Mike Saunders played with rock critic

Richard Meltzer Richard Meltzer (born May 10, 1945) is an American rock critic, performer, writer and songwriter. He is considered by some rock historians to be the first to write real analysis of rock and roll and is credited with inventing "rock criticism". B ...

in the Los Angeles punk band VOM, which issued a posthumous five-song EP ''Live at Surf City'' on White Noise Records in early summer 1978. Patrick "P.J." Galligan was formerly a member of heavy metal band

Cirith Ungol In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and ...

. Galligan died from throat cancer in 2014.

History

The first Angry Samoans gig was on October 30, 1978, opening for Roky Erickson and the Aliens in

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.

. Erickson was sick and did not make the show (Aliens band members covered for his lead vocals) but remained a lifelong friend and inspiration to Turner. The next night, the Samoans played an "all-LA bill" at the

Mabuhay Gardens The Mabuhay Gardens, also known as The Fab Mab or The Mab, was a former San Francisco nightclub, located at 443 Broadway Street, in North Beach on the Broadway strip area best known for its striptease clubs. It closed in 1987. History The Ma ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, opening for Shock and the Zeros. The Samoans' first release, ''

Inside My Brain ''Inside My Brain'' is the debut extended play by the American punk rock band Angry Samoans, released in 1980 by Bad Trip Records. The most infamous song on the EP, "Get Off the Air", was directed at influential KROQ-FM DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. ...

'', featuring P.J. Galligan on lead guitar as a replacement for Bonze Blayk, was one of the earliest

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

albums to come out of the 1980s LA punk rock scene. Between this recording and second album '' Back from Samoa'', the band released a four-song EP as "The Queer Pills", allegedly using the pseudonym for the EP to get airtime on

Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he also m ...

's KROQ radio program. Their 14-song, 17-minute hardcore album '' Back from Samoa'', released in 1982, featured lyrics with such themes as the trendiness of poking your eyes out ("Lights Out"), anthropomorphizing

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

's penis ("They Saved Hitler's Cock"), and dissing your father ("My Old Man's a Fatso"), sung over hyper-distorted guitars and early LA/ OC hardcore drum beats. In the mid-1980s, the Angry Samoans added guitarist Steve Drojensky, and returned to their roots in mid-1960s American

(they had long cited bands such as

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...

, the 13th Floor Elevators and

Shadows of Knight The Shadows of Knight were an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, that played a version of British blues influenced by their native city. When they began recording in 1965, the band's self-description was "the Stones, Animals and the ...

as among their musical influences). The next two releases recorded during 1986–87, the '' Yesterday Started Tomorrow'' EP and '' STP Not LSD'', were largely in this neo-1960s

garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...

/ psych style. Homer left at the end of 1988 and formed the Mooseheart Faith Stellar Groove Band with Larry Robinson, formerly of 1970s teen pop-soul band

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. In 2005, Homer formed free-jazz band the Hollywood Squaretet with comedian/drummer Larry "Copcar" Scarano, formerly of '' Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen'' (HBO) and the 1960s New York rock band, the Bougalieu. Turner left in early 1992, releasing an album, ''Santa Fe'' in 1993 with the Mistaken, which featured guitarist Sean O'Brien (formerly of

Come Come may refer to: *Comè, a city and commune in Benin *Come (Tenos), an ancient town on Tenos island, Greece Music *Come (American band), an American indie rock band formed in 1990 *Come (UK band), a British noise project founded in 1979 **Come ...

), bassist Heath Siefert (formerly of Backbiter) and drummers Elizabyth Burtis and Kelly Callan (formerly of

Wednesday Week "Wednesday Week" is the seventh single released by the Undertones. The song was written in December 1979 by the band's rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter, John O' Neill, during a Christmas break the band had taken while recording their ...

). Turner's next band, the Blood Drained Cows, issued two albums, and occasionally features autoharp player Billy Angel (née Miller) from the Aliens. During the mid- to late 1980s, Mike Saunders moonlighted in several electric/acoustic two-guitar duos (no rhythm section) such as the Clash Brothers (with Bob Fagan), the Sons of Mellencamp (with Turner), and the Gizmo Brothers (with Kenne Highland), performing at various small clubs during that period in San Francisco, LA/OC, and even

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

(with Krazee Ken Highland from the Gizmos and Hopelessly Obscure).

"Get Off the Air" controversy

In late January 1979, Mike Saunders, Turner and Homer wrote an infamous song about longtime LA/Hollywood scenemaker and KROQ-FM DJ

, titled "Get Off the Air". When the song was included on the band's first record ''

'', the Samoans were blacklisted at the

Starwood Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. was one of the largest companies that owned, operated, franchised and managed hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties. It was acquired by Marriott International in 2016. ...

, the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boule ...

, and other clubs in the Hollywood/LA area from mid-1980 through late 1982, seemingly due to Bingenheimer's strong influence within the LA/Hollywood club scene.

Recent activity

The Angry Samoans have continued from the late 1980s onward with Mike Saunders, original drummer Vockeroth and a wide variety of other individuals. They have performed mainly along the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

, aside from occasional out-of-state weekend trips and three short, successful tours of mainland Europe in 2003, 2007 and 2008. In 2010, they performed on the Legends Stage on four dates of the

Vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...

Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...

. Gregg Turner has toured in October 2019 with the Oblivians as a solo act, in anticipation of a re-release of the Angry Samoans discography.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Back from Samoa'' ( Triple X)(1982) * '' STP Not LSD'' ( PVC) (1988) * '' The '90s Suck and So Do You'' (Triple X) (1999)

EPs

* ''

'' ( Bad Trip) (1980) * ''Queer Pills'' (1981) - pseudonymous release * '' Yesterday Started Tomorrow'' (Triple X) (1986) * '' Fuck the War EP'' (Bad Trip) (2006) * '' I'm in Love with Your Mom'' (Bad Trip) (2010) - recorded in September 1978

Other releases

* ''Return to Samoa'' (1990) - unauthorized bootleg * '' Live at Rhino Records'' (Triple X (1990) - recorded in May 1979) * '' The Unboxed Set'' (Triple X) (1995) - first two EPs and first two studio albums on one CD

Compilation appearances

* ''Underground Hits 1'' (Aggresive Rockprodaktiones) (1982) - "Poshboy's Cock", "Right Side Of My Mind", "Pictures of Matchstick Men" * ''Annoy Your Neighbor With This Tape!'' cassette (Chainsaw Tapes) (1982) - "Steak Knife", "Lights Out" * ''Underground Hits 2'' (Aggresive Rockprodaktiones) (1983) - "Hot Cars", "Inside" * ''High Muck'' cassette (Didco Productions) (1983) - "Pictures of Matchstick Men" * ''Life Is A Joke Vol. 2'' (Weird System) 1986) - "Psych-Out 129", "Unhinged" * ''Passport Summer Sampler 1987'' cassette (Passport) (1987) - "Right Side Of My Mind" * ''Speed Air Play 01-12-1988'' cassette (Speed Air Play) 1988 - "Garbage Pit" * ''Triple X Records Compilation #4: Hear 'Em Spin'' ( Triple X) (1990) - "I've Lost My Mind" * ''Faster & Louder (hardcore Punk, Vol. 1)'' (

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

) (1993) - "Lights Out" * ''Slam Chops (Triple X)'' (1995) - "Right Side Of My Mind" * ''Son Of Slam Chops (Triple X'') (1997) - "Right Side Of My Mind" * ''The New, The Classic & The Unexplored'' (Visions Magazine) (1999) - "Haitzman's Brain Is Calling" * ''Sepultura + 11 Bandas Punk'' (Trip/

Trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

) (1999) - "Inside My Brain" * ''American Revolution 1 - More Hardcore Punk From Around the United States'' CDr (Killer Boat) (2000) - "Inside My Brain" * ''Exxxile On Main Street'' (Triple X) (2000) - "Lights Out" * ''For Those About To Rock - A Punk Tribute to AC/DC'' (Cleopatria Records, Cleopatria) (2002) "Highway To Hell" * ''A Punk Tribute To Weezer'' (Cleopatria) (2002) - "Buddy Holly" * ''Modern Rock Loud And Raw'' 2XCD ( Time Life Music/ Warner Special Products) (2000) - "Lights Out" * ''5 Years Dedicated To A Better Taste In Fine Music'' (

Cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...

) (2003) - "Inside My Brain" * ''Punk Story'' 3XCD (

Wagram Deutsch-Wagram (literally "German Wagram", ), often shortened to Wagram, is a village in the Gänserndorf District, in the state of Lower Austria, Austria. It is in the Marchfeld Basin, close to the Vienna city limits, about 15 km (9 mi) northeas ...

) (2004) - "Inside My Brain" * ''Punk Riot'' 4XCD ( BMG) (2004) - "Ballad Of Jerry Curlan", "Inside My Brain" * ''Welcome To The Anarchy Library Vol. 1'' (Gale Force) (2006) - "Lights Out" * ''Punk Goes Metal'' (Cleopatria) (2007) - "Highway To Hell" * ''High Voltage- The Ultimate AC/DC Tribute'' ( Redline) (2008) - "Highway To Hell" * ''The Most Explosive Tribute - AC/DC'' 2XCD ( Cherry Red) (2009) - "Highway To Hell" * ''Punk Legends Playing The Songs Of AC/DC'' 2XLP ( Delta Entertainment, Cargp) (2013) - "Highway To Hell"

Band members

Vocalists

* "Metal Mike" Saunders – vocals, guitar, drums (1978–present) * Gregg Turner – vocals, guitar (1978–1991) * Todd Homer – vocals, bass (1978–1988) * Bill Vockeroth – vocals, drums (1978–present) *

Jeff Dahl Jeff Dahl (born 1955, Stuttgart, Germany) is an American musician. In 1960, the Dahl family relocated to Hawaii. Dahl recorded his first single, "Rock N Roll Critic", in 1977, which was released on the Doodley Squat label. Dahl later performed ...

– vocals (1981)

Guitarists

* Bonze Blayk – lead guitar (1978–1979) * P.J. Galligan – lead guitar (1979–1984) * Steve Drojensky – lead guitar (1984–1988) * Alison Victor – lead guitar (1996) * Mark Byrne – guitar (1996–1998) * Jonathan Hall – lead guitar (1998–2003) * Kevin Joseph – lead guitar (2006–2010) * Landon Gale-George – guitar (2007) * Colin Alflen – lead guitar (2011–present) * Nathan Javier – lead guitar (2012–present)

Bass Guitarists

* Todd Homer – vocals, bass (1978–1988) * Scott Greer – bass (1988–1990) * Heith Seifert – bass (1990–1991) * Mike "Cyco Loco" Avilez (of

Oppressed Logic Oppressed Logic are an American punk rock, punk band from Oakland, California, United States, who formed in 1994. Currently, the band consists of vocalist Mike Avilez, drummer Jim Redens, guitar and bassist Jake Martinez, and guitarist Mike Fuen ...

) – bass (1996) * Adrianne Harmon – bass (1997) * Rick Dasher – bass (2005, 2008, present) * Dan Siegal – bass (2007) * Matt "Malice" Vicknair – bass (2009–2011)

References

External links

Official website
* * {{Authority control Hardcore punk groups from California Garage punk groups Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1978 1978 establishments in California Triple X Records artists