Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - D
    Artists - D Music - 1970s 3 Mins Read

    Dead Kennedys

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Formed in San Francisco in early 1978, the Dead Kennedys became American public enemy number one right from the start. A creation of Jello Biafra (real name Eric Reed Boucher), the band were primarily a vehicle for his raging, razor-sharp satire of America and everything it stood for.

    Major labels steered well clear of the band, leaving Biafra and co to form their own label – the legendary Alternative Tentacles – and to release their own debut 45, California Über Alles in late 1979.

    A scathing critique of California governor Jerry Brown, the record introduced the singer’s near-hysterical vocal undulations set against a pulverising punk/hardcore musical backdrop. The record sold like hot cakes.

    Also in 1979, Biafra stood in the elections for Mayor of San Francisco. He came 4th.

    The 1980 follow-up, Holiday In Cambodia, remains the Dead Kennedys most viciously realised moment, a dark, twisting diatribe on American middle-class liberal trendies.

    deadkennedys5

    Later in 1980, the group released their debut album, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables – an unexpected Top 40 entry in Britain – which contained the aforementioned 45s, plus perennial favourites Let’s Lynch The Landlord, Drug Me and the forthcoming UK hit, Kill The Poor.

    The album also offered a glimpse of Biafra’s twisted sense of humour on such surreal tracks as Stealing People’s Mail and Viva Las Vegas.

    In 1981, drummer D H (real name Darren) Peligro replaced Ted (Bruce Slesinger), making his debut on the bluntly-titled Too Drunk To Fuck, the only UK Top 40 charting single in musical history (up to that point) to utilise the “F” word.

    The band then released a 10″ mini-set, In God We Trust Inc (1981) with highlights being the self-explanatory Nazi Punks Fuck Off and a deadpan version of the Rawhide theme. In 1982 the group released their second album proper, Plastic Surgery Disasters, featuring the singles Bleed For Me and Halloween.

    Spending the ensuing few years touring, the Dead Kennedys resurfaced in 1985 with Frankenchrist, an album that finally saw Biafra’s upstanding enemies closing in due to the albums free “penis landscape” poster by Swiss artist HR Giger, depicting nine copulating penises.

    The artwork ran afoul of the Parents Music Resource Center, founded the previous year by Tipper Gore who, aged 37 and married to liberal politician Al Gore, did not seem an obvious proponent of censorship.

    deadkennedys1

    Although Biafra and his troupe were tried in court for “distributing harmful material to minors”, the case was subsequently thrown out after the jury deadlocked 7-5 in favour of acquitting them. The court swiftly denied motions for a retrial, sparing all concerned from the risk of fines or jail time.

    Unfortunately, the cost of the trial effectively put the band out of business, and the band’s poignantly-titled finale, Bedtime For Democracy, was issued late in 1986.

    The ever-prolific Biafra went on to protest against his treatment on spoken-word boxed sets No More Cocoons (1987) and The High Priest Of Harmful Matter (1989).

    He subsequently collaborated with a wide range of hardcore acts such as DOA, No Means No and Tumor Circus, although it was with Lard that he really came into his own.

    A late 80s mini set, The Power Of Lard, preceded a full-length album, The Last Temptation Of Lard, a minor UK hit early in 1990.

    On 7 May 1994 Jello Biafra was attacked and seriously injured by a group of young men at Gilman Street, a punk club in Berkeley, California. One of Biafra’s legs was broken and he suffered extensive damage to the ligaments of one knee, as well as superficial head wounds.

    Jello Biafra 
    Vocals
    East Bay Ray 

    Guitar
    Klaus Fluoride 

    Bass
    Bruce ‘Ted’ Slesinger 

    Drums
    D H (Darren) Peligro 

    Drums

    Related Posts

    • Mungo Jerry
      Mungo Jerry
      Little-known skiffle-cum-jug band, The Good Earth gained instant success and a new name overnight following a sensational performance at the Hollywood…
    • Scandal
      Scandal
      Australian band Scandal formed in Adelaide in February 1976 and by the end of the year had signed a deal…
    • Dead Boys, The
      Dead Boys, The
      The Dead Boys began life in 1975 as a Cleveland (USA) band called Frankenstein. When the band members relocated to…
    • Boomtown Rats, The
      Boomtown Rats, The
      The Boomtown Rats were formed in Dun Laoghaire (near Dublin), Ireland in 1975 by former NME journalist Bob Geldof (after he…
    • Dinosaurs, The
      Dinosaurs, The
      San Francisco Bay Area supergroup The Dinosaurs formed in 1982. The band originally consisted of Peter Albin of Big Brother and…
    • Records, The
      Records, The
      The Records are best remembered for their cult classic, Starry Eyes, a song that defined British power pop in the 70s. While they…
    • Promises
      Promises
      Promises comprised three Canadian-born siblings, Leslie Knauer (vocals), Jed Knauer (guitar and keyboards) and Benjamin Knauer (keyboards and vocals). Their…
    • Scaffold, The
      Scaffold, The
      The Scaffold - the name comes from a Miles Davis LP, Lift To The Scaffold (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud) - were formed in…

    Punk
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleDead Can Dance
    Next Article Deaf School

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Shadey (1985)
      Oliver Shadey (Antony Sher) is a funny little chap who runs a […]
    • Africar
      The Africar was the idea of Tony Howarth, an English journalist […]
    • Best Of Times, The (1986)
      Robin Williams and Kurt Russell play two of life’s […]
    • Peter & The Test Tube Babies
      With album titles like Pissed and Proud, The Mating Sounds of […]
    • Topper
      1 9 5 3 – 1 9 5 5 (USA) 78 x 30 minute episodes […]
    • Late Show, The
      1 9 6 6 – 1 9 6 7 (UK) 23 x 40/30 episodes Premiering on […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    17 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.