Show Date Reviewed By Venue City
June 12, 2009
NOISE
Harmony Festival Santa Rosa, CA
May 25, 2008
Room Thirteen
Academy 2 Manchester, UK
May 23, 2008
CD Times
Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, UK
March 9, 2006
The Anchorage Press
Chilkoot Charlie's Anchorage, AK
November 5, 2005
ConcertLiveWire.com
Rave II Milwaukee, WI
April 4, 2004
Terrorizer Magazine
Academy Bristol, UK
March 28, 2004 Plus One Magazine Rescue Rooms Nottingham, UK
January 24, 2004 Skratch Magazine The Malibu Inn Malibu, CA
August 19, 2003 Skratch Magazine The Key Club Hollywood, CA
June 21, 2002 Unbarred Magazine Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield, UK
May 17, 2002 The New Yorker L'Amour Brooklyn, NY
May 15, 2002 Metroland Saratoga Winners Albany, NY
April 22, 2002 Little Rock Free Press Jaunita's Little Rock, AR
April 19, 2002 Rock Zone Fitzgerald's Houston, TX
November 23, 2001 Ventura County Star Ventura Theatre Ventura, CA
November 8, 2001 Dead On The Web The Galaxy Theatre Santa Ana, CA

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Dead Kennedys @ The Harmony Festival, Santa Rosa, CA
Show Date:
June 12, 2009
Review By: Molly Freedenberg at
NOISE

Harmony Festival: Having your CAKE and eating it too!

Like most of us, I had a hippie phase. I wore Birkenstocks. I lived on a commune ... ahem ... in an intentional community. And I frequented festivals that featured jam bands and booths full of rasta-colored beanies. Then I graduated from college.

Some of my other interests and habits from high school remain with me: punk rock, cigarettes, skater boys. But my interest in festivals like last weekend's Harmony went the way of baggy jeans, ankh necklaces, and smoking pot. That is, simply, it went away. Until now.

This year, the annual Santa Rosa event expanded its usual granola-and-glow-sticks offerings (no offense to those of you who went for Michael Franti or The Orb) to include punk bands and a skate park. Be still my 16-year-old heart ... Dead Kennedys? Thirty-year-old men in low-slung shorts who dedicate their lives to a wooden stick with four wheels? I had to go. Plus, Cake - one of my all-time favorite bands - was headlining Friday night.

Upon arrival, I was struck first by how many booths there were. I remembered these festival being part concert and part mall, but it seemed Harmony was especially heavy on the latter. Too bad I wasn't in the market for a tie-dyed halter dress, rasta-colored wallet, or new cell phone plan. Still, all the vending made for plenty of eye candy, and at least the lay-out was based more on the idea of mini villages than a simple modular street plan. There were also plenty of resources for those interested in moving their lives towards a more healthy, holistic, or eco-friendly place. I might've spent more time in the Well Being Pavilion or in the Non-Profit Zone if I hadn't been so distracted by beer. (OK, probably not.)

There were several vendors/locations worth noting, however. I was particularly surprised and impressed by the Peace in Medicine Healing Center, a traditional Moroccan-tent dedicated to education about, and (legal) consumption of, marijuana. Though I wouldn't go within six inches of the door for fear of getting a contact high, I could appreciate the lush interior -- and the importance of recasting this useful substance as something requiring an Rx, not 12 Steps. Nearby was Ray Griswold, a metal sculptor who displayed the most inventive masks and fire tools I've seen in years, including a set of wings meant to be worn while burning. (Inexplicably, he doesn't have a Website. But you can email him at ray_c@tribe.net.) A booth in the Eco-Village (where experts gave lectures on fermentation and composting, and Julia Butterfly Hill spoke inside a geodesic dome), featured great deals on hemp clothing from Wildlife Works as well as gorgeous, whimsical, circus-inspired jumpsuits, corsets, and jackets from Sequoia and Gita. And near the main stage, Kucoon offered a dazzling new collection of soft, detailed, and well-tailored dresses and pants, along with gorgeously crafted feather earrings. (As for the food, beverage, and service vendors: $1 a minute for a massage is still too much, $8 for a beer is still way too much, and I don't care what flavor your oxygen is -- I'm still not going to buy air until it stops being free.)

The best part, by far, was the skate park -- a terrifying tall ramp (30 foot drop) connected to an only slightly less impressive half pipe down which lithe, athletic, and probably certifiably insane skateboarders rode, jumped, and, almost inevitably, slid on their knees. Smartly separated from the rest of the booths and stages, this area - with its black clad teenagers and rock like Rage Against the Machine piped over the P.A. - was a welcome respite from all the "health" and "harmony" everywhere else. And this, of course, also was where Dead Kennedys (back from their hiatus) played.

How were they? Well, we all know Skip Greer is no Jello Biafra, so we'll get that argument out of the way. But I was reminded again how well he can hold his own, managing to maintain the integrity of the band's ethos and sound without simply mimicking Biafra's famous voice and antics. And yes, East Bay Ray and Klaus Flouride are aging. But their playing, if not their clothes or their stage presence, is still as fresh and energetic as it ever was. Judging by the crowd of enthusiastic (though a bit, well, polite) moshers, the new DK did not disappoint - particularly when they launched into a rousing version of "California Uber Alles." (Side note: Die-hard DK fans should definitely get the re-release of "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables," particularly the DVD extras featuring footage of the original line-up. Check out my 2006 review.)

As for CAKE, the final main stage performance before the festival was turned over to electronica and mayhem (otherwise known as Harmony After Dark), they were exactly as could be expected: musically flawless and emotionally antagonistic (again). I still don't understand why John McCrea feels the need to mock the very people who've made him rich and famous. If he's so angry people only know the band for hits like "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" or "Distance," then why play them? More devoted fans certainly wouldn't mind hearing less popular songs. How about "Grand Piano"? "Mr. Mastodon"? Or, if that doesn't do it for you, then why keep playing at all? I'm not ungrateful for the chance to hear such an inventive band live - but I've had just about enough of McCrea making fun of the crowd.

Still, all was worthwhile. The fairgrounds were gorgeous, especially at night. My favorite bands did a great job. The people-watching was engaging. And I managed to leave without a single stick of nag champa. All in all? A success.

Click Here to View Original Article

Dead Kennedys @ Academy 2, Manchester, UK
Show Date: May 25, 2008
Review By: Andrew Latham at
Room Thirteen

Throughout the early to mid 1980s San Francisco’s Dead Kennedys were probably the best known and most influential of all the American punk bands. Extraordinary musical diversity, intelligent lyrics, incendiary live shows, not to mention their fair share of controversy all kept them firmly at the forefront of the punk scene.

So who’s in the band these days? Well (deep breath), original singer Jello Biafra is long gone, original drummer D.H Peligro left earlier this year, as did replacement singer Jeff Penalty, who himself succeeded Biafra’s replacement Brandon Cruz! Penalty was replaced by Skip and Dave Scheff took over on drums. All a bit confusing but the heart of the Dead Kennedys remains, the brilliant song writing of original guitarist East Bay Ray and the bass of Klaus Flouride (although rumour has it that Klaus is leaving later this year!).

The early stage time (8.30pm) seems to have caught a lot of punters out as the hall is only half full when they start and subsequently it takes the crowd a little while to get going. Vocalist Skip benefits from the fact that UK audiences haven’t had many opportunities to see the band in the last few years and with Biafra as the only reference point for many, he does a pretty good job. He interacts with the crowd well, remembers all the lyrics and hit’s the notes, yes I admit there is a part of me wishing it was Biafra up there but that soon passes. Early highlights come in the form of ‘Buzzbomb’ and ‘Let’s Lynch the Landlord’ but it’s the old classic ‘Kill the Poor’ that finally ignites the crowd. East Bay Ray may look like a sociology lecturer but his guitar playing is instantly recognisable and hugely underrated.

They only play for just over an hour tonight but manage to cram in a whole raft of classics, the majority of which have stood the test of time well, ‘ Too Drunk to Fuck’ , the excellent ‘Moon over Marin’ and the visceral fury of ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’ all lead up to the outstanding set closer ‘California Uber Alles’, which is just brilliant tonight and has pretty much everyone joining in on the chorus. The first encore is probably the highlight of the whole set with ‘Bleed For me’, ‘Viva Las Vegas’, and ‘Jock-O-Rama’ all leading into a superb and frenzied rendition of ‘Holiday In Cambodia’. The crowd go nuts and the band respond, rolling back the years and sounding as fresh as they ever did. They return for a second and final time to deliver a new song (which predictably the crowd use as an excuse to take a breather) followed by a storming version of ‘Chemical Warfare’.

It’s been short (all over by 9.35pm!) but brilliant and apart from those who turned up late nobody is disappointed. Whether we’ll see the band on these shores again is open to question but tonight they have certainly ensured that their legacy remains intact.

Click Here to View Original Article

Dead Kennedys @ Liquid Rooms , Edinburgh, UK
Show Date: May 2
3, 2008
Review By:
CD Times

The Dead Kennedys are one of the biggest Punk bands to come out of the US.
Originally formed in 1978, the band released their debut single "California Uber Alles in 1979, followed by album "Fresh fruit for rotting vegetables" a few months later. The band went on to release three more albums and numerous singles, touring the world to great acclaim, finally calling it a day in 1986.

The DK's reformed in 2001 minus original vocalist Jello Biafro with Ron "Skip" Greer currently handling singing duties. As a "small child" I was fortunate enough to witness the Dead Kennedys show promoting their debut album at Edinburgh's legendary Nite Club venue so I was curious to see what the group were up to playing in the same city almost thirty years later! I imagine several of the audience had also caught the Nite Club performance as the venue was full of 30 / 40 something ex Punkers however it was great to see a strong attendance from young fans too.

Original band members East Bay Ray on guitar and Klaus Flouride on bass were joined on stage by Skip and Dave Scheff on drums.

The Band's set was pulled from all points of their career with each song devoured by the manic hot and sweaty crowd down the front as numerous men old enough to know better performed topless chicken dancing in a playful mosh pit, slipping and sliding on pints of lager previously launched in the air or dropped from the balcony above!

Stand out tracks for me were all the earlier material, including astounding versions of singles "Too drunk to fuck", "Holiday in Cambodia" and "California Uber Alles" which heralded the moshpit arrival of a fairly prim looking woman in her 40's who proceeded to jump about and punch her fists in the air with a crazy look on her face, retreating to the side of the hall on the songs completion!

There were also some great album tracks to be heard, with "Nazi punks fuck off", "MTV get off the air", "Let's lynch the landlord" and set closer "Chemical warfare" all going down a treat with audience.

Although the music on offer was aggressive there was a fairly good natured atmosphere to the evening, something that was always lacking at the violent Punk shows in Scotland first time around. Skip worked well as a charismatic frontman, slightly resembling Biafra but doing his own thing too, leading to some humorous banter between songs.

I've been asked a few times since the gig if it's worth heading along to see a show with only two original members. I'd say it's certainly merits attending as it gives you chance to hear the legendary guitar and bass riffs from several Punk classics performed live with an enthusiastic front man keeping you entertained and amused throughout, leading to an enjoyable, exciting and fun evening.

Click Here to View Original Article and Pictures of the show.

Dead Kennedys @ Chilkoot Charlie's - Anchorage, AK
Show Date: March 9, 2006
Review By: The Anchorage Press

It was a restless crowd milling around the north side of Chilkoot Charlie's on Thursday, March 9. An odd mix of twenty-somethings and old school punkers waited for the Dead Kennedys to come onstage and bring down the house. 'Koots seemed prepared for some serious moshing, with the posts around the dance floor padded and taped and bouncers standing by.

Opening act Stuntcock did their best to warm up the crowd, but those in attendance were saving their energy for the act they paid $25 to see. And when Jeff Penalty strutted out, the response was immediate and intense.

Punk icons from the late '70s until they disbanded in 1986, the Kennedys were plagued with lawsuits, internal riffs (lead singer Jello Biafra left permanently), and general unrest. It seemed that they were truly dead. But they've proven the world wrong, jumping right back into the limelight with a 2001 release of live album, Mutiny on the Bay and the re-release of the 1980 album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables in 2005.

Former fan Jeff Penalty now fronts original members Klaus Flouride, East Bay Ray, and D.H. Peligro with his powerful vocals. Pure energy emanated from Penalty - he was literally hanging from the rafters at some points. The dance floor filled with sweaty bodies flinging themselves around and screaming stage divers. People sang along to hits such as “Too Drunk to Fuck” and “Kill the Poor.”

Penalty commented several times on what “crazy motherfuckers” the moshers were. “We appreciate anybody who wants to bleed for us!” he said upon noticing a few split lips and bloody brows.

The Dead Kennedys played for a little more than an hour, and it wasn't enough. Even with two encores (one was the crowd-frenzying hit “Holiday in Cambodia”) they left fans hungry for more.

- Jody Ellis-Knapp

Dead Kennedys @ The Rave II, Milwuakee, WI
Show Date: November 5, 2005

Story and photos by Phil Bonyata @ ConcertLiveWire.com

The Dead Kennedys became one of the defining hardcore punk bands in the 80s by marrying politics of revolution with music that was wrought with nihilistic abandon. Taking it's cue from the English punk scene, especially The Sex Pistols and The Clash, while eschewing the somewhat softer American punks, The Kennedys paved a new path for protest American style. The Kennedys formed in 1978 in San Francisco and brokeup after the controversy of their seminal album Frankenchrist. The album included a poster by Swiss artist H.R. Giger's, a glaring illustration of penises and asses. The band and it's record label Alternative Tentacles were prosecuted under California anti-obscenity laws. The ensuing court battle (in which they were finally acquitted) took it's toll on the band and lead singer Jello Biafra left the band to start a solo career. The band hobbled back together with original members guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Flouride, second drummer Darren H. Peligro and new singer Brandon Cruz. The band maintained much of its energy but lost the soul it once had with Biafra.

Now 27 years after the band formed The Kennedys still have a lot to say. New vocalist Jeff Penalty, at least half the age of the rest of the band, now has the strut while letting the venom and fire spew out of his lyrics. The boys ripped the veneer off of the classic from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - "Forward To Death" and then buried the hooks in "Winnbago Warrior" and "Police Truck."

While the originals seemed more content to settle into middle age gracefully with little stage antics - it was the young Penalty that was left to keep the energy level boiling over. Sinister sneers and lip raising snarls helped to buoy the somewhat comical side to his stage prancing. Bouncing from side to side off of imaginary walls he understood yesterdays punk ethos. Culling the raw energy of his revolutionary forfathers like Iggy Pop, The Clash's Joe Strummer, The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten and Biafra himself.

"Buzzbmb," "Moral Majority" and "Nazi Punks Fuck Off," all from Plastic Surgery Disasters / In God We Trust Inc. exploded with a choppy and beautifully limited chord structure. Guitarist East Bay Ray coolly led the charge while drummer Darren H. Peligro capped the assualt - all the while Penalty wickedly commanded the stage - taking some time to vault into the sweaty and manic audience.
The night blew away in furious fashion with powder kegs "Bleed For Me," "California Uber Alles," "Viva Las Vegas" and "Holiday In Cambodia." Finishing off the assualt were "Moral Majority" and "Chemical Warfare."
Battered and bruised - the next generation Dead Kennedys still know what it feels like to be a punk.

Dead Kennedys @ Academy - Bristol, UK
Show Date: April 4, 2004
Review By: Terrorizer Magazine

So, another year, another Dead Kennedys singer, but who's complaining when they keep scouting out talent this damn good? In fact, after tonight's performance I'm literally reeling at how great they actually are nowadays--a reformed '80s punk band just has no right to sound this fresh and vital without their established figurehead.

Even with the perennially amazing line-up of East Bay Ray, Klaus Fluoride and D.H. Peligro behind him (whose instinctive grasp of dynamics verge on the scary), new vocalist, Jeff Penalty, still has a lot to prove, but he instantly demonstrates himself a worthy and likable successor to his predecessor, Brandon Cruz, and maybe even to Jello Biafra himself. Wisely, the band haven't recruited a mere clone of their original frontman, but Jeff brings a certain eccentricity not to mention a very authentic SoCal warble that's most endearing.

Sure, Jello wouldn't approve of the occasional rock show cliches that rear their heads, but any such doubts pale in comparison to the urgent intensity of tonight's performance. As Jeff himself asks cockily but three songs in, "Anyone out there still need convincing?" Unlikely, but howzabout a brand new studio album?

- Ian Glasper

Dead Kennedys @ Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK
Show Date: March 28, 2004
Review By: Plus One Magazine

Whatever differences of opinion and reasons for attending Nottingham's Rescue Rooms today may hold, it is undeniably a moment of history. And despite the unusually early door time of 5pm and the 5 band line-up, it's DEAD KENNEDYS day for one and all. DEAD KENNEDYS 2004 that is. Some 26 years since the original band got together. And now, post Jella Biafra, post replacement singer Brandon Cruz, they cram in the curious, the diehards, and the not sures to bulging capacity.

So who do make-up DK 2004? Bassist Klaus Floride and drummer since the early '80s Don Perligo. Biafra's departure (well documented over and over so let's not go there) in the '80s left a question mark over them of course. Now they have recruited Jeff Penalty, who naturally injects new exuberance into DK, band and fans alike. But my, how he looks so young in between the two guitar legends. Curiously/sarcastically decked head to foot in boy scouts clobber.

And it's instantly a feeding frenzy down there. Mohawks have long since given way to receding hair lines but tonight the forty somethings are going to turn back the years and enjoy this opportunity to the max. Everyone wants to hear 'Kill the Poor', 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' and 'Holiday in Cambodia'. And as Klaus Floride later says, post encore, you ask you get. It's beer sodden, it's hot, it's pure party time. And their new hero, though never replacing Jella, is accepted. In and out of the swaying slamming bodies, throwing himself off the balcony onto a carpet of raised hands. Turned up a notch right to the back of the venue every time, there's a 'California Uber Alles', a 'Viva Las Vegas' or 'Rawhide', numerous encores and unquestionably 'Too drunk to Fuck'. It's a one off. Not the gig, but the whole DK story, and a band (with so much history) that can deliver delirium to so many.

- P.A.J.

Dead Kennedys @ The Malibu Inn - Malibu, CA
Show Date: January 24, 2004
Review By: Skratch Magazine

Hey, it's me again! Have you missed me? Grab your long board, dude, 'cause it's time for…Dead Kennedys in Malibu.

The Malibu Inn—ever heard of it? Neither have I. It reminds me of the House of Blues meets Frankie Avalon. A quick warning to all with a limp: the only parking they have is a tiny lot which is comparable to a Burger King bathroom. You are going to have to park on PCH, so plan on walking a marathon.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a little boy who dreamed of seeing Dead Kennedys. Okay, I am that little boy, and I have seen them enough times to know that they are beyond the fucking shit. Jeff Penalty, the new lead singer, is the best thing to happen to the band since "California Uber Alles." Peligro is the Mozart of the drums, Klaus is fucking insane, and East Bay Ray is still my idol.

After running to the bathroom to put on my Depends because I was pissing in my pants, I made it back in time to see the band take the stage. The crowd is going nuts, I am going nuts, you are going nuts, all of God's children are going fucking nuts. I had myself quite a chuckle when one of the fine idiots in the pit asked for a drum stick during the first song and Jeff so eloquently announced, "Why don't you wait 'til we finish playing? We kind of need them." Dead Kennedys must have read my mind, because they played all my favorites: "Too Drunk to Fuck," "Kill the Poor," "Let's Lynch the Landlord"—and yes, "Holiday in Cambodia." They played two encores, but I was wasted out of my mind at that point and can't really remember what they were. Sorry, momma, I will try harder next time.

The whole evening was basically a musical masterpiece, except for one band—but hey, let's leave the past behind us and focus on how great everything else was. The beer was ice-cold, three of the bands before DK were great, and, fuck, what do you think I'm going to say? Dead Kennedys were fucking awesome.

- Ian Wilkins

The Dead Kennedys 25th-Anniversary Show @ The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
Show Date: August 19, 2003
Review By: Skratch Magazine

I arrived at the Key Club in Hollywood just as the doors were opening. Their was a full moon out, and the night air was about 20 degrees above being really hot. As I walked into the club, I noticed three things: the air conditioning, the bar, and a huge turn out for all the bands. The place was packed even before the first band went on.

The Dead Kennedys have recently replaced Brandon Cruz with Jeff Penalty. He is from Philadelphia, and in my opinion he does a better job than Cruz. Jeff is young and brings a lot of energy with him. As far as the rest of the band, it's still East Bay Ray, DH Perligro, and Klaus Flouride.

The lights dim, everybody in the place is chanting "D.K., D.K." Then, on a movie screen above the stage, the show starts. There are images being flashed with music similar to that from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, then silence, followed by the arrival of one of the greatest bands on the planet Earth. It was standing-room only by this time in the evening, and you were lucky if you made it anywhere near the stage. They started the show with "Police Truck," followed by "Too Drunk to Fuck." During the whole show the crowd was going nuts, dancing in the pit, singing along to every song, and (of course) the ever-so-popular stage dives (hint to all who dive: make sure their is someone to catch you before you make your leap). Peligro's drums were on a raised stage, and he was banging the hell out of them. East Bay Ray was busy...well, being East Bay Ray. Jeff was climbing up and then jumping off the speakers, making sure the fans knew who he was and that he was here to stay for awhile. About midway through the show, D.K. stopped to let Klaus give thanks to all who have supported them, along with a little history of the past 25 years.

They played for a little more than an hour, then came back and did three encores. Total D.K. time: almost one-and-a-half hours. The show was so good that I'm really contemplating quitting cigarettes so I can make it to their 50th-anniversary show.

- Ian Wilkins


Dead Kennedys @ Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield, UK
Show Date: June 21, 2002
Review By: Unbarred Magazine

There’s one question on the lips of every punk, neo-punk, part-time punk, lapsed punk and married-with-children punk who’s made the pilgrimage to Sheffield tonight for the Dead Kennedys’ first UK tour in 20 years. How would they cope without lead singer Jello Biafra?

Since the Kennedys called it a day back in 1986, Biafra has kept a high profile, recording under various guises, and undertaking spoken word tours of universities and lecture halls, where he rails against injustices, mainly those perpetrated by the US government. The rest of the band, guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fluoride and drummer D. H. Peligro, disappeared into obscurity.

But after recently winning the rights to the Kennedys’ back catalogue from Biafra in a dispute over royalty payments (a decision Biafra is planning to appeal against), they’ve decided to get back on the road with new singer Brandon Cruz.

Who could imagine the Pistols without Rotten, the Clash without Strummer, the Exploited without Wattie Burps? So, no pressure then, Mr Cruz.

The initial signs aren’t good. The band amble on stage and launch into a couple of obscure album tracks with no real conviction. It’s all a bit tentative to say the least.

But they’re just playing with us. Next thing you know, Ray’s belting out the killer riff of ‘Police Truck’, one of the Kennedys’ absolute classics (and only a B-side in its day) and the gig really begins.

‘Police Truck’ gets a rousing response, and from here on the band barely put a foot wrong, wisely sticking to material from classic early singles and the first three Kennedys’ albums.
All the favourites you never heard on the radio are here: ‘California Uber Alles’, ‘Kill The Poor’, ‘Moon Over Marin’, ‘Buzzbomb’, and of course the legendary, ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’, a top 40 hit back in 1981.

Before long it becomes apparent that any doubts the audience might have had about the Biafra-less line-up have vanished; they’re too busy throwing themselves around with gleeful abandon.

It works because the Kennedys’ are obviously enjoying every minute of their revival. East Bay Ray’s guitar playing is thoroughly distinctive and so many of his riffs are instantly memorable. Klaus Flouride may look more like Harold from Neighbours than a threat to society these days, but his bass playing is still awesome and he bounces around like a teenager.

Brandon Cruz, for his part, sensibly avoids any Biafra-style proselytising, and merely gets on with belting out the songs and throwing himself about the stage.

D. H. Peligro, who hasn’t aged a day in 20 years, makes the evening’s most serious address, about the improvements made in race relations since the 80s and the long way to go. Cue another classic, ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’.

And just when you think it can’t get any better, the Kennedys pull out the ace in their pack. ‘Holiday In Cambodia’, one of the best punk songs ever, surely, still sounds as frightening today as it did in 1980. Apparently Levi’s wanted to use it in a jeans commercial, but were given the same advice as Nazi punks.

Encore favourites ‘Rawhide’ and ‘Viva Las Vegas’ are duly despatched, and the night finishes with a blistering version of a lesser known Kennedys hit ‘Bleed For Me’.

Afterwards the band emerge from backstage to chat to fans, and it’s good to see Cruz, who has had a tough time from some quarters, accepted by the faithful.

When Jello Biafra came to Sheffield last year for a spoken word gig, he gave his version of events surrounding his dispute with his former band mates. The Kennedys could have used this occasion to even things up, but they didn’t; they just got on with it. And how.

- Guy Harrington


Dead Kennedys @ L'Amour - Brooklyn, NY
Show Date: May 17, 2002
Review By: The New Yorker

NOT DEAD YET DEPT. - A PUNK REUNION

It has been twenty-three years since the Dead Kennedys released their first single, "California Über Alles" (which envisioned President Jerry Brown flanked by "the suede-denim secret police"), and since their singer, Jello Biafra, ran for mayor of San Francisco (his platform called for all downtown executives to wear clown suits during business hours) and came in fourth. And it has been sixteen years since the band broke up, after playing what was supposed to be its final show, in Davis, California. "We all agreed not to carry it on, but the thing about punk rock is, it's against having a set of rules, and here we are," East Bay Ray, the band's guitarist, said. This was the other night at L'Amour, a club in Brooklyn, where the DKs, touring for the first time since 1986, were about to play a midnight show. Their re- union is incomplete, however, as Jello has been estranged from the group since 1998, when Ray and the others-the bassist, Klaus Fluoride, and the drummer, D. H. Peligro-sued him for unpaid royalties and for the rights to license their music. (Biafra has accused them of wanting to let Levi's use the song "Holiday in Cambodia" in an ad. The band denies it.) In Jello's place, they have hired Brandon Cruz, who's on loan from a band called Dr. Know.

"My involvement is controversial, obviously," Brandon said, drinking a water in an unfinished broom closet that was being used as the greenroom. "Now Jello is suing Dead Kennedys, accusing me of impersonating him and emulating his stage act. I've had death threats from fans. I've been called a scab and a trust-fund baby-because of my background, I guess." When Brandon was six years old, he began playing Eddie in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," a sitcom that ran on ABC in the early nineteen-seventies and starred Bill Bixby as a widowed father. "Bixby was an amazing man," Brandon said. "In 1981, I did a Dick Clark special called 'Whatever Became of . . . ?,' and I showed up with green hair and he hugged me. He said, 'Are you on drugs?' and I said, 'No.' So I lied to Bill Bixby, but it was O.K."

Brandon, who has small eyes, tight skin, and short platinum hair, wanted to make it clear that, despite stories about Jello living in a large Victorian house in San Francisco while the rest of the DKs were going broke-Klaus had been driving a DHL truck-this tour is not just about money. He said, "I didn't write these lyrics, but I believe every fucking word of them."

"Surprisingly, most of the lyrics don't feel dated, because so little has changed," said East Bay Ray, who, like the other original members of the band, doesn't like to give out his age or his real name. "We took a line that goes 'When Cowboy Ronnie comes to town,' and made it 'When Cowboy George W. Bush comes to town,' but that's about it."
Ray disappeared and returned with a man and his daughter. "They were waiting in the audience, and I saw she had one of our old T-shirts," he said. "Check out this story."
The man, whose name was David Schachter (brush cut, chinos), said, "O.K., I work in a conservative financial field, but imagine it's 1981 and I'm just a kid from Queens, right? I go to Irving Plaza to see the DKs on a Friday, and I love them so much I have to see them again the next night. But I feel guilty. What, go out on Saturday night and leave the wife at home? So I stay home awhile, I give the wife a little something to remember, and then I'm out the door and at the show. And, exactly nine months later, we get Lisa."
"Hey, wow," Brandon said.

"I didn't drag her to the show tonight," David said. "She loves your music. Tell them what album you've been listening to all week."
Lisa (newsboy cap, artillery belt, dark eye shadow) said, "Dead Kennedys."
"But which album," David said hopefully. "Fresh . . . Fruit . . . ?"
"Oh, right," Lisa said. " 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.' "
"Cool," Ray said.

When it was time to perform, the group tore through the old standards-including "Police Truck," "Let's Lynch the Landlord," and a slightly altered cover of "Viva Las Vegas" ("Lady Luck's with me, the dice stay hot/Got coke up my nose to dry away the snot"). Brandon kept rhythm by pounding his forehead with his microphone, drawing blood. When he introduced the number "Too Drunk to Fuck," he said, "Beer can do a lot of good things for you. But this song is about how bad things can happen to you, too." They finished the set with "Holiday in Cambodia," their best-known song, a satire of bourgeois slumming. The audience chanted along with the coda: "Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot."

Afterward, the Dead Kennedys headed out into the rain. Brandon put on a jean jacket with the sleeves cut off and used a paper towel to dab at his forehead, which was still bleeding. "One guy just told me, 'You're not Jello, but you're pretty good,' " he said. "That's O.K."

- Eric Konigsberg

Dead Kennedys @ Saratoga Winners - Albany, NY
Show Date: May 15, 2002
Review By: Metroland

NOT EDDIE’S FATHER’S PUNK

The Dead Kennedys without Jello Biafra? You might wonder, wouldn't that be like the Sex Pistols sans Johnny Rotten? Biafra's spastic, bile-soaked voice is almost indescribably repugnant, even more repellent than his sarcastic, contemptuous lyrics. It's like the voice of Satan in a very low-budget 1960s horror flick. Simply put, it's a big part of what makes him compelling. Yet, the Dead Kennedys have hardly missed a beat after leaving their litigious former front man behind (Biafra sued, unsuccessfully, to prevent the group's reunion).

To finish the Sex Pistols analogy, while the musically shaky Pistols were unimaginable without Johnny Rotten (who was, after all, truly one of the greatest rock singers) the Dead Kennedys are such ferocious players that they get along without Biafra very well. Thunderous drummer D.H. Peligro, bassist Klaus Flouride and surf 'n' snarl guitarist East Bay Ray didn't seem to have lost much, either in their musicianship or commitment. No one was just cashing a check.

To be sure, Biafra's replacement, Brandon Cruz (of punk band Dr. Know, and TV's The Courtship of Eddie's Father), is nowhere near as fearsome. But, whether hanging from the rafters, stage diving into the seething pit, or singing the songs that made the DKs infamous, Cruz gave a performance that ranged from respectable to inspired.

That said, it's a peculiar thing when a punk show doubles as an oldies show. Snoop Doggy Dogg's words from the stage on his last tour came to mind: "Put your middle finger in the air, and let's go down memory lane." Still, the Dead Kennedys' songbook holds up very well: "Kill the Poor," "Too Drunk to Fuck," "California Über Alles" and covers of "Rawhide" and "Viva Las Vegas." Given the fact that we have another Bush in the White House, and that right-wing rhetoric is again in fashion, the political songs of the Reagan '80s are timely again. The mostly very young audience, who weren't even a gleam in their parents' eyes when "Holiday in Cambodia" discomfited the rock mainstream, loved the band.

Opening act the six-piece River City Rebels frantic combination of punk and ska, showcasing trombone and tenor sax players right there in the mix with the guitars, put folks in the mood to dive and surf. The Rebels came on like working-class heroes with an aggressive stage attitude that was just what people were waiting for.

Local heroes Nogoodnix opened the festivities with their growling, hook-filled, Irish-inflected punk. They were very happy to be there, and their joy was shared by the crowd.

- Shawn Stone

Dead Kennedys @ Jaunita's - Little Rock, AR
Show Date: April 22, 2002
Review By: Little Rock Free Press

DKs 4 LIFE

Last night, April 22nd, 2002, I witnessed the most amazing punk band that has ever sprung from American soil. The Dead Kennedys of course! We all argued in the Spa City [Hot Springs, AR] about this show. I knew it would be a good show, but no one else thought it would be. So no one showed up except me and Harp. We stepped foot in that club wearing the uniforms we made to demonstrate that we still stand for what they did back in the Jello days. We went upstairs to the Free Press office to get our word out on Drama Records and this punk scene so we could do something for this scene. They seemed interested and will be contacting us soon.

We went back downstairs and kicked it in the back of the club as East Bay Ray walked up to us looking at the button up shirts we were wearing, laughed and shook our hands like a true punk would. He didn’t reject that we hadn’t conformed to the modern day punk with piercings and liberty spikes wearing vandals shirts. We were creative and got respect for it from one of the most important men in punk music, ever! That is awesome to me.

I kicked it with D.H. Peligro at the pool table just talking about bands in Arkansas and my respect for DK. He was a gentle soul and very cool to hang out with. He got our email addresses so we could contact each other possibly to get DK or Dr. Know to play Hot Springs next year. He dug the shirts as well. After that he told me he had five minutes to be onstage and invited me along with some other people and cats to the after party. That’s when Brandon Cruz (Dr. Know) greeted me and told me he would like to play in Hot Springs sometime soon. He and I spoke of Jello. He said there was no need to talk crap on Jello because you have to respect the man for what he has accomplished. That changed my whole attitude towards the new vocalist. He didn’t think he was better than Jello. He didn’t even try to sound like Jello, his voice just naturally sounded like Jello’s, which was crazy.

They walked on stage and the crowd came together in a united pit of chants. DK! DK! DK! Then they played, the crowd was a spaced out hardcore slam fest. Brandon Cruz stood on the amp I was in front of and we sung almost every song together. When they played “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” I totally lost myself in the moment and got on stage three times, diving into the crowd. It was an adrenaline rushed punk rock show like I have never seen. The best I have ever seen.

I told Peligro this" Thanks for give me real punk rock!" He appreciated it. Klaus wasn’t really around all that much but he shook my hand and talked to us about our shirts which they all signed. You know what, Jello is doing his own thing and they’re doing their own thing and both are doing good.

We said our good-byes and left without checking out the drunken vixens of the after-party. All and all the greatest punk show I will ever see in my entire life. Now I am going to tend to these wounds from all the rage last night.

Keep it real...DKs 4 Life

- Jimmy “The Rot” LeCompt

Dead Kennedys @ Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
Show Date: April 19, 2002
Review By: Rockzone

DEAD KENNDYS

In 1986, the political punk scene lost the band that started it all. From the aftermath of the "Frankenchrist" trial, the Dead Kennedys called it quits.

Now it is 16 years later and the band has returned, minus estranged vocalist Jello Biafra, to resurrect their classic tunes.

Founders East Bay Ray, D.H. Peligro and Klaus Flouride return with new vocalist Brandon Cruz to spread the strongly political messages of the band to a new generation of fans. Despite looking a few years older, the same energy and conviction seemed to be in place, despite the negative words former vocalist Biafra had about the reunion.

As with most reunion shows, especially those that see original members replaces, the buzz surrounding the show was that an atrocity was being done by having the Dead Kennedys reform and tour. This feeling of betrayal disappeared from all in attendance as the band began its set, with the maniacal "Forward To Death."

An interesting aspect of the show was the attendance of entire families, which illustrated the validity and importance of the Dead Kennedys, not just to the music scene, but politically and intellectually.

Cruz, living with the burden of comparisons to Biafra, never looked back once the entire set. He exhibited a love for the music and a willingness to get the audience involved. Known for his between song rants, Biafra was a voice for the disenfranchised of the early-80s, while Cruz, also coming from the same era with band Dr. Know, spends less time talking.

These characteristics can be seen as a positive or negative, depending on the fan. In the end, Cruz catered to the fan who had spend years listening to Dead Kennedys albums and dreaming of being old enough to see the legendary San Francisco Bay Area band, with or without Biafra.

The only fault I could find with the show was the band's inability to update the song "California Über Alles." During the eight year life span of the Dead Kennedys in the 80s, Biafra updated the lyrics to attack the leadership of Ronald Reagan. At this show, the band went with the original 1978 version of the song, which attacks the then-thought to be future president, former California Governor Jerry Brown.

Some of the songs touched on current themes, even the dated "Holiday In Cambodia." With the relatively recent death of former Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, it was able to connect to the current world. Others were frighteningly relevant to the current state of the world, such as the police brutality based "Police Truck."

Despite the opinions audience members held before the show, as soon as the first note rang out, tolerance rang through with the feeling of excitement and the idea of seeing the band they, as well as their kids in some cases, had always loved and learned from.

Set list: Forward to Death, Winnebago Warrior, Police Truck, Government Flu, Let's Lynch the Landlord, Rawhide, Kill The Poor, Insight, Too Drunk to Fuck, Buzzbomb, Moon Over Marin, I Kill Children, Nazi Punks Fuck Off, California Über Alles, Chemical Warfare, Viva Las Vegas, Holiday In Cambodia

- Samuel Barker, Senior Editor


Dead Kennedys @ The Ventura Theater - Ventura, CA
Show Date: November 23, 2001
Review By: Ventura County Star

Kennedys Cruz into Ventura

Well, the fatigue factor was not a factor at all as that legendary punk band with the still-shocking handle, Dead Kennedys, played a set of loud and fast music Friday night at the Ventura Theatre.

The band broke up in 1986 but returned well-rested, headlining a punk extravaganza that included the legendary Oxnard band Agression.

Beginning with its name, Dead Kennedys was politically incorrect, but very political, during its stormy existence. Front man Jello Biafra wrote songs about war, racism, the final solution to the homeless problem, Nazi punks and being too drunk -- all screamed at a fever pitch while the other three guys played loud and fast.

Well, those three are still playing loud and fast, but Biafra's out and there's a new lead screamer: former child actor Brandon Cruz. After a long and acrimonious legal battle, the band members won and Biafra lost, at least so far. The band was allowed to use the name, reissue the back catalog, and even release a new album of old stuff, "Mutiny on the Bay." So what with a new album and with everyone all rested up, it's time to tour.

Up on stage Friday were the three originals, Klaus Flouride on bass, East Bay Ray on guitar and D.H. Peligro beating those drums, and Cruz, like a crazed bobble-head doll, prowling the stage.

The main difference with Cruz on stage was there was none of the between-songs political commentary that Biafra was known for. (Here was a man who ran for mayor of San Francisco on a free beer platform and came in third.)

Instead, Cruz emphasized the local connection; he was one of the original punk rockers from the Oxnard Nardcore punk scene, when he fronted Dr. Know about two decades ago. He went on to become a former TV kid star ("The Courtship of Eddie's Father") but has always had a band or two on the side, so his punk roots are as obvious as a bad green mohawk.

The mosh pit mosh started when the band did, rotating in dizzying fashion in the usual clockwise direction, stopping and starting depending on the song, but erupting into a mild uproar on the familiar ones such as "Kill the Poor."

The band was rocking, creating a visceral sonic assault, making livers quiver way in the back by the bar. They played about 15 tunes, saving their biggies for the encore, "California Uber Alles" and "Holiday in Cambodia," which cranked the mosh pit into temporary overdrive.

The band has played about 10 shows now with this lineup and are off for Chile, Brazil and Panama on a punk rock surfin' safari.

- Bill Locey, Correspondent

Dead Kennedys @ The Galaxy Theater - Santa Ana, CA
Show Date: November 8, 2001
Review and Photos By: Scott Harding @ Dead On The Web

Dead Kennedys are a band that took punk to new levels back in the 80's with their witty lyrics and political actions. Opening the eyes to all that witnessed them, they helped people understand that sometimes life isn't what they tell you it is and it's up to you to take things in perspective and to think for yourself. Now, unfortunately all good things must come to and end and this rule applied to DK as they broke up around 1986 for reasons of different interests in the members at the time. But now in 2001 most of the members decided to get it back going and give the people what they wanted, a DK reunion. But as you all know front man Jello would not be part of this reunion for obvious reasons and they would have to find a new front man thus making their comeback a huge controversy amongst all their fans.

When I first heard about this reunion I was extremely excited because I have been a fan of theirs since I canremember listening to music. Sure it might not be the same without Jello but the way I looked at it was bands have switched members in the past and were still very successful. And it gave people like me, who were too young to see them live the first time around, the opportunity to see them live in the flesh. I was really stoked to find out that they were playing at The Galaxy right down the street from my house. This gave me an opportunity not only to see them but to also have a contest in my zine to give others a chance to see them for free.

But that's when I really noticed the flack some people were giving them for doing this reunion without Jello. I received several emails asking me why I supported this reunion and some even told me that we all should boycott their tour to teach them some sort of lesson. People were telling me their reasons for not wanting the reunion like they are only in for it for the cash, or they were disrespecting Jello, or my favorite rumor about using Holiday in Cambodia in a Levi's commercial.

Well all I have to say to these people is this: Doing it for the cash? I don't think they are. But what about the whole Levi's commercial thing? Have you seen the commercial? No. Why? Because it never happened! And it never will. But what if they were in it for the cash? Is there something wrong with making some well deserved money off of the project they spent so much time and effort creating? I mean seriously, have you ever been in a band that helped create punk and it's history and because of the wrong doings of some band member you were not given credit for what you helped create? And disrespecting Jello?!? Come on people! I have news for you, if you do your home work you will realize that Jello was not all fair to the rest of the musicians that helped write the anthems of life that some live to each and every day. Did you ever think that maybe they are doing it for the love of the music and for the fans that have been dying for a reunion of this sort? I guess what I'm trying to say is if you are not all for this DK reunion then don't go to the shows. It's that simple. There is no need to be going out and trying to change the minds of the people that truly respect the band and support them as a whole. Just let it go. It's not going to hurt you. And believe it or not there are people out there that do want to see this including me. With that out of the way, on with the review!

First of all let me say that the show was sold out. I haven't seen so many people packed in the Galaxy in the history of me going there. The first band up was The White Trash Debutantes. The next band up to rock the stage was The Scabs. The Crowd have solidified themselves as a major part of the Orange County punk scene, and their crowd is still going strong after decades in this fickle business.

Now it was time for the Dead Kennedys to give the people what they have been waiting over a decade for - a good ass kicking by some hard hitting punk rock music! As they took the stage the eager crowd went ape shit, including myself. It was an awesome sight to see them there live in person. All of them standing proud as they got ready to bitch slap their fans with raw power and ear splitting tunes. And what better person to choose as their front man than Dr. Know's very own Brandon Cruz! Right before they started ripping the stage to shreds, Brandon mentioned how singing for the band was a dream come true for him.

I couldn't imagine how that must feel! Then they kicked the show off with "Forward to Death" and from then on it was utter chaos! From the first strum of Ray's guitar to the last snap of Peligro's snare drum, the Galaxy turned into one massive slam pit! People throwing their bodies into each other, people flinging themselves off stage and crowd surfers cruising on top of people like it ain't no thing! This is what true punk shows are all about. It was funny to see the bouncers shitting themselves not daring to interrupt the madness. Brandon did a great job on singing all the classic tunes. I was not sure how he was going to sound singing the DK songs but I was pretty shocked on how well he did. The best part was that he also gave the opportunity of some lucky fans, like myself, sing parts of the songs they played as he handed the mic to many all throughout the show. Klaus, Ray and DH were shredding it up as if the Dead Kennedys never stopped playing. You could see in their faces that they were fully taking in the moments and enjoying the show just the same if not more than the fans out there pitting to the songs they played. Some of the classics they played were Dog Bite, Government Flu, Lynch the Landlord, Nazi Punks Fuck Off, Police Truck, Moon Over Marin and they kicked off their encore with Holiday in Cambodia. All in all the whole night was a blast! I really do feel sorry for the people that felt that they were too punk to give the new Dead Kennedys a chance because they really missed out. There is a chance that they will be doing another US tour so keep your eyes peeled and trust me on this, you don't want to miss out!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SETLIST!

- Scott Harding