Let's discuss the difference between punk rock and hate music.

[GReedDiamond]

25. I'm not exactly doing "punk rock" now...

...like I was when Top Jimmy was hanging out at my first punk band's very first rehearsal in late 1979, in Pasadena CA - and who, the next evening, went on Rodney's show on KROQ, w/John Doe & Exene, and plugged us, or like the performance we turned in on the public access tv show New Wave Theater.

I've also been jumped and beaten by cops, and, yes, a Christian fundamentalist prayer circle - one of these guys burst into my recording studio where we were rehearsing, and demanded we quit playing because they were having a prayer circle - outside of my studio in the alley by a dumpster. I respectfully suggested they may want to relocate the prayer circle, and they jumped and beat me to the ground, whereupon they kicked/stomped me until my guitarist came out, at which point, they stopped.

There was one gig in Pomona where nazi skinheads acted out, spitting on us and throwing beer bottles at us as we performed in a very confined space in a strip mall, which deteriorated into a mini riot in the parking lot outside the venue - nazi skinheads vs "regular" punk rockers...those were the days.

I've also played with a (mostly) gay punk/alternative band - lead singer was a gay porn star.

It's been pretty interesting, and, most of the time, enjoyable being in the punk and otherwise "underground" music scene in L.A., especially in the years between 1977 through 84 or so...the Federal Building (Westwood) smoke-in in '83 w/Black Flag, the Rock Against Reagan show later that same year at the same location, w/Minutemen - there are two events we helped to organize and performed at which would likely never be allowed to happen today.