1978 OG LA Punk Rock

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Mau Maus and Punk Rock Riot at the Hong Kong Cafe

Mau Maus and Punk Rock Riots

Fear’s Lee Ving and the Mau Mau’s Rick Wilder and the Hong Kong Cafe 12/31/80. Photo by Edward Colver.

On New Year’s Eve of 1980, the Mau Maus played main support to Fear at the last night of the first wave of shows at the Hong Kong Café. Also on the bill were the Circle Jerks and Angry Samoans, and the ensuing punk rock riot was a fitting end to a legendary run of shows at the club. Now, PBS has done an episode of Artbound featuring the Hong Kong Café and its running battle with the competing Madam Wong’s Restaurant. The following is part of the episode’s preview.

Mau Maus and Punk Rock Riots

The Weirdo’s Dix Denny and Rick Wilder fight outside the Hong Kong Cafe

The shows and audiences could get chaotic, but it was all worth it to draw bigger crowds into Central Plaza. Bigger crowds meant more money spent at the bar and in the restaurant. And although it was mainly a business decision for owner Bill Hong, the Hong Kong Cafe ended up becoming hugely important to the punk scene. The blood-soaked shows were working — kids who had to be turned away at the door were scaling the roof and breaking in through the air conditioning ducts.

Chinatown punk wars One person who was not a fan of the Hong Kong’s chaotic, punk-loving vibe was Esther Wong. In the beginning, Esther was actually quoted in the LA Times welcoming the competition in Chinatown, but that attitude changed very quickly. Tensions grew. On one side of the courtyard was Esther Wong and her skinny-tie-wearing new wave bands, and on the other was the Hong Kong and the punks. The LA press got wind of this tension in Chinatown and stoked the flames of the feud. The local media gave the whole clash a nickname that was probably intended to be snappy, but exposed the underlying racism lurking below the surface: the Wonton Wars.

Mau Maus and Punk Rock Riots

The Mau Maus’ Nickey Beat, Rick Wilder, Scott “Chopper” Franklin, Michael Livingston at the Hong Kong Cafe, NYE 1980. Photo by Edward Colver.

Punk music in Chinatown burned bright, but it burned fast. Within a few years, the genre had evolved and by 1981 bands like the Bags, The Alley Cats, and the Dils who helped define the sound of first wave LA punk had drifted out of the scene. Punk wasn’t dying, but it *was* changing. The music was being overtaken by hardcore bands and audiences. It was faster, harder, more aggressive, and tended to bring in a very different crowd. Madame Wong’s managed to survive punk and the introduction of MTV in the early 80s, but the bottom line is that even if you were successful, there wasn’t a lot of money in running rock clubs. After a while, the hassle just wasn’t worth it anymore.

The Mau Maus of New York and California

We came across this article on owaahh.com comparing the Mau Maus of New York with the Hollywood Mau Maus. For those that don’t know the two histories, it should be an interesting read:

The image that comes to mind whenever you hear of the Mau Mau is that of Kenya’s dreadlocked freedom fighters. Not a gang of Puerto Rican thugs or even a Hollywood band, right?

In 1954, a brutal gang appeared in Fort Green, Brooklyn. The Puerto Rican gang called itself The Mau Maus, of course after the Kenyans. This was at the height of the State of Emergency and Britain was filled with headlines about a bloodthirsty savage group of ingrates who were roaming the forest and defying the perks of being subjugated by a foreign power.

Mau Maus of New York and California

Gang members: L-R Carl Cintron, Carlos Reyes, Melvin Torres & Israel Narvaez (most likely showing the middle finger)

The Mau Maus effectively died out in 1962 with the conversion of one of its main leaders, Nicky Cruz, and the arrests of others. Others moved to rival gangs, but the history of the Mau Maus as an exceptionally brutal gang remained set. Cruz had joined the gang at the age of 16; he rose through the ranks through violence and uncanny leadership, becoming Warlord of the gang only six months later. He later converted to Christianity and renounced the thug life [I had to say that, it was just opportune].

The Mau Maus was formed by breakaway members of the Apaches. They first sought permission from the established Chaplains, another gang, to set up a Puerto Rican gang in Brooklyn. The gang took the name the Mau Mau Chaplains, more commonly known as the Mau Maus. Their insignia was the crimson MM for the Mau Maus right on the breast of special sweaters made for members.

Although gangs had roamed New York before the Fifties, the Mau Maus represented a new wave of teenage gangsters who were less unbridled about brutality than their older counterparts. The gang has been termed as the most feared gang in New York between 1955 and 1958.

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There is another group, a music band, called the Mau Maus. The band was started in 1977 by Rick Wilder after the breakup of the Berlin Brats. It featured Wilder in the lead, Rich Sherman on drums, Roderick Donahue on bass and Greg Salva on guitar. The punk rock band was based in Hollywood, California. They appeared in the movies Rock n Roll High School albeit briefly, and Cocaine and Blue Eyes.

The band only has one album Scorched Earth Policies…then and now but is said to be working on the second one.

Mau Maus of New York and California

Mau Maus of Hollywood, Godzilla’s 1982

The band members changed often, but they all had a notorious reputation as trouble makers starting riots and shooting heroin. The group was, however, virtually unknown outside the LA punk rock scene because of Wilders aversion to major record labels. It fizzled out in the 1980s, although its members still play to date.

Ratchet Blade Records Offers Shipping Savings on Mau Maus CD

The Mau Maus and Ratchet Blade Records are aware of the insane International shipping charges and and have worked with their on-demand supplier to bring a cost efficient Mau Maus CD to international fans. They are offering a jewel case edition of the Scorched Earth Policies: The & Now CD, complete with a full color 2 panel insert, back cover and disc. These are shipping straight from the manufacturer so they ship separately from any other items in your order, but if you want these albums with just $6 shipping (as opposed to $17+ shipping for the regular release) this is the way to go. The CD orders also include a full digital download of the album. Get the  Scorched Earth Policies: The & Now International Shipping Super Saver today! (click HERE to order).

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“Formed from the ashes of legendary Los Angeles glam rock band Berlin Brats, the Mau Maus have proven to be one of punk rock’s more tenacious groups, with lineups having existed in five different decades now—and yet despite forming in 1977—prior to this CD, the only legitimate recordings one could find were two tracks featured on the second Hell Comes to Your House compilation. In an effort to both clear the vaults and make up for lost time, this features six tracks recorded in 1983 and produced by Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger (who also lays down a barnburner solo on one track), plus eight tracks of more recent vintage that meld fairly seamlessly with the earlier tunes, making this the definitive showcase for this band’s take on punk rock: one part Dolls, one part Stones, mix in a whole lotta attitude ‘n’ hostility and set the whole fuckin’ thing ablaze. An all-around swell collection complete with extensive liner notes, pics, and some of the finest punk rockin’ you’re likely ever gonna come across.”

Mau Maus LP & CD eBay Bundle

Ratchet Blade Records has put up a killer deal on a Mau Maus Lp and Cd ebay bundle, to get both the Mau Maus lp and cd (w/ a 20 page full color booklet on the Mau Maus notorious history) and 3 free fliers from the collection of lead singer Rick Wilder for one low price. Take advantage now and get this vital piece of Los Angeles punk rock history. Click HERE to check it out.

Here is an excerpt from the CD booklet biography:
“The Mau Maus have a reputation as one of the baddest of Hollywood’s bad-boy bands- and it’s no hype. Leader Rick Wilder, a local underground legend sings (and looks) like a Mick Jagger-Johnny Rotten clone created by some mad punk scientist. And like the New York Dolls (another Mau Maus influence), the band has a reputation for showing up in dubious playing condition, arriving late on stage and sometimes falling apart during it’s sets.
So it came as no surprise that the quartet, headlining a four-band bill at the Cathay De Grande Tuesday, had to wait on stage about 15 minutes before Wilder appeared. But once the band unleashed its classic raunch ‘n’ roll, the only question about the Mau Maus was why it isn’t a bigger success.” Craig Lee, Los Angeles Times 1/20/1983

Why indeed. The Mau Maus were the most notorious of the original 1970’s Hollywood punk rock bands, and there was no shortage of praise for their hellacious sound & fury. But they were also the band that had a street hustler’s stubborn suspicion of every opportunity, not looking but kicking the gift horse in the mouth, thus resisting management, agents and even record labels. And they rode that fuck-‘em-all locomotive right off the tracks and into the woods.
Volatile as a den of thieves, with members being fired and rehired at the blink of a bloodshot eye, you never knew if they would show up, but goddamn it, you knew when they showed up.

Mau Maus LP

 

 

Mau Maus’ Rick Wilder Featured on Pitchfork

Pitchfork did a great feature on the Mau Maus’ Rick Wilder, along with video director Grant Singer. Below is a portion of it, click HERE for the full interview.

When Grant Singer made “Dayzed Inn Daydreamz”, his third video for Ariel Pink’s album Pom Pom, the director relegated the singer to a cameo and gave the lead role to Rick Wilder. Shockingly thin, hair dyed marmalade orange, and a hoop through his right nostril, Wilder is an arresting figure. His character alternates between a dull job at a grocery store, drinking in a trailer park, and prancing on a bar’s stage in glittering silver pants.Though his sunken face is not familiar to most, Wilder once fronted the Berlin Brats, the group he founded in 1972 that Rodney Bingenheimer described as “the first real L.A. homegrown glam rock band” in the Los Angeles punk scene oral history We Got the Neutron Bomb. After the Brats broke up, Wilder lead the Mau Mau’s in various forms since the late 1970s, with sporadic recorded output. He is also interviewed in The Decline of Western Civilization III, the documentary made in 1998 but widely seen for first time with the boxset release of Penelope Spheeris’s series.

After Singer got the opportunity to do three videos leading up to the release of the Weeknd’s new album Beauty Behind the Madness, he again brought in Wilder and made him a through line in this trilogy. In “The Hills” Wilder looms in the mansion that Abel Tesfaye hobbles into, in “Can’t Feel My Face” he throws the lighter that ignites the singer, and in “Tell Your Friends” he catches a couple bullets. With his hair slicked back and in dark suits, some have taken his character to represent the devil or the music industry (same diff?), but in keeping with the Weeknd’s insistent opaqueness, Singer won’t really talk about the videos’ meaning or what it’s like working with the artist.Singer and Wilder have become friends over the past year and plan to continue collaborating in the future. At a restaurant in West Hollywood, the two talked about their relationship.

Mau Maus' Rick Wilder

New Mau Maus Merch Store

There is a new Mau Maus merch store where you can preview and purchase the historical LA Punk Rock release Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now, along with other Mau Maus merchandise. Click HERE to visit the store.

“The ones that impressed us in look had bad attitudes, like the Mau Maus. They were great. They were really hard… and that totally impressed me. And I thought, “That’s a great way to look.” So I always tried to look like one of those guys.” Spit Stix – FEAR

“Can we just tell the world what incredible groundbreakers the Mau Maus were?!  I first saw them in the late 70’s and I’ve been a fan ever since.  Back in the day when everyone was trying to be “cool,” the Mau Maus had everybody beat, hands down. No question, they were the absolute coolest.  Rick Wilder is always the strongest force in the room. There’s something unique and beautiful about him… I’m hoping in another life we can hook up.”   – Penelope Spheeris

Mau Maus LA Punk RockMau Maus LA Punk Rock

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Everybody knows the Mau Maus. Whether it’s some story of a chaotic back-alley Hollywood show, or dark tales of crimes real or imagined, the Los Angeles punk scene wouldn’t have been the same without Rick Wilder and the nefarious group. Reveled AND reviled, and taking the raw energy of Iggy & the Stooges and infusing an unhealthy dose of James Brown jive, the original Mau Maus (Wilder, Greg Salva, Rod Donahue & Earl Washington) sprang upon the emerging Hollywood scene in 1978. After tearing through the Masque and one-time pimp-hang the King’s Palace (as well as tearing through some member changes), a new line up of Wilder, Michael Livingston, Scott Franklin and Paul Mars shanghaied the Hong Kong Café, pounded down the Whiskey and uprooted the Mabuhay Gardens. They then proceeded to record the incendiary Robby Krieger-produced Mad Dog sessions, the little-heard, after-hour Paramount tapes and two songs for Hell Comes To Your House Vol. 2. A scene-stealing performance in the OJ Simpson detective movie “Cocaine and Blue Eyes” accented this “Joyride to the End of the World”…

Rick Wilder on Mike Watt Radio Show

Rick Wilder appeared on the Watt From Pedro Radio Show, the podcast of Mike Watt from the Minutemen, as well as the Iggy and the Stooges. Click HERE to listen to the interview.

Rick Wilder on the radioRick Wilder on the radio 2

PROGRAM NOTES:

Mike Watt (solo artist, Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Iggy Pop and The Stooges) playing some tunes and doing some spiel. Assisted by brother matt and coming to you from the wild kingdom at the pleasure point, in San Pedro California! TWFPS www.twfps.com

hour one: “abide with me” john coltrane w/thelonious monk “re-pulsion” kyoka (w/mike watt on bass) “all fall down” (live on target video) Rick Wilder mau maus “the street is my home” berlin brats “ticking beat” sandra vu “who tattled told?” sock-tight “houdini” cuz “good complexion” tobacco “sacando pecho y brazo” victor jara “inside looking out” omega is the alpha “tropically hot” berlin brats hour two: “(I’m) psychotic” berlin brats “talkin’ about my neighbors” san pedro slim “mujer metralleta” familea miranda “utsu” hobocombo “sun” in zaire “as they swim” tom gallo “objectivication” (live) peer group “peel the sticker off the apple” jee jee band “war baby” mau maus “clear the runway” wharton tiers ensemble “hang on” the gears “cannibalism is the future” toepunt “buddha’s hair” devin flynn hour three: “roadhouse blues” (live) mau maus w/robbie krieger “impaired nominee” scarcity of tanks “father’s day” (live) bob schriner “people” rewild “the manual” 208 talks of angels “blooms & blossoms” freescha “mechanical mammoth” mystical weapons

Mau Maus Are Appearing with the Avengers

The Mau Maus are appearing November 1st at Los Globos with San Francisco’s Avengers.

Mau Maus Are Appearing

The Avengers are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in San Francisco, California, United States. The band recorded an EP, We Are the One (1977), and after opening for the Sex Pistols worked with Steve Jones, but had not released an album before breaking up in 1979. After the breakup an EP with the Steve Jones-produced songs was released (The Avengers), and later an album, Avengers, in 1983. Their lead singer, Penelope Houston, is also a folk singer who has a solo career. Since 1999 a number of other albums were released with studio and live tracks, and the band has come together for various occasions.

Mau Maus & Dickies at the Whiskey on September 1st

The Mau Maus are appearing with the Dickies at the legendary Whiskey-au-go-go on Sunday Sept. 1st in celebration of Dickies singer Leonard’s Birthday Bash.

Mau Maus & Dickies

The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy melodies, harmony vocals, and pop song structures, with a speedy punk guitar attack. This musical approach is paired with a humorous style and has been labelled “pop-punk” or “bubble-gum punk”. The band have sometimes been referred to as “the clown princes of punk”.

Some artists eschew the term “pop punk”, perhaps viewing it as implying less authenticity than the label “punk rock” (for example, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong: “I’ve always hated the phrase. I think it’s a contradiction in terms. Either you’re punk, or you’re not”). Leonard Phillips, however, has said he “has no problem” with the label being applied to the Dickies, rhetorically asking “can I help it if we are musical?” Stan Lee once said of the early period of the Dickies: “We were a pop band masquerading as a punk band.”

Paul Mars has a new website check it out at www.paulmarsblack.com