1978 OG LA Punk Rock

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Mau Maus Interview w/ Ed Colver Slideshow

We’re posting the Mau Maus interview conducted by Stig Stench on June 29th 2012 in two parts, both are to accompanied by a Edward Colver slideshow of never seen before photos of the Mau Maus. The photos were taken between the years of 1980 and 1983 and are direct scans from Ed’s negatives. Here’s Part I, check back for Part II. Thanks to Stig Stench and Edward Colver.

Edward Colver is an American photographer, best known for his early punk photographs. Colver not only created a visual document of the birth of the hardcore punk in suburban Southern California from late 1978 to mid-1984, but also he greatly helped in defining the photography style and graphic identity of the American hardcore punk movement.

Mau Maus Interview - Edward Colver photo

Mau Maus 1983 (all photos by Edward Colver)

His early work is an authentic self-portrait of the Southern California hardcore punk scene in its golden years. His work was featured extensively in the book American Hardcore: A Tribal History (2001), written by Steven Blush, and in its documentary film version, American Hardcore (2006), directed by Paul Rachman.

Mau Maus Interview - Edward Colver photo

Rick Wilder

Essentially a self-taught photographer, Colver had a brief formal training during night classes at University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied beginning photography with Eileen Cowin. Largely influenced by Dada and Surrealism, Colver was most impressed in his early years by the art of Southern Californian native Edward Kienholz. In the late 1960s, Edward’s perspective on life and art was changed by his exposure to composers such as Edgar Varèse, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Krzysztof Penderecki and John Cage.

Three months after he began taking photographs, Colver had his first photograph published: an image of performance artist Johanna Went, featured in BAM magazine. Since then he has shot photographs for dozens of record labels including EMI, Capitol and Geffen. His pictures have been featured on more than 500 album covers and include some of the most recognizable and iconic covers of the punk era.

Jersey Beat Magazine Review

The Mau Maus – Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now (ratchetbladerecords.com)

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!! The missing link has been found Between The Dough Boys and The Dictators, and they’re here to rock yer socks off!! Listen to the first cut, first nasty lick, first fierce, nasal vocal from the new album (produced by the Doors’ Robbie Kreiger, Geza X, and the band) by the legendary 70’s punk/glam/rock ‘n’ roll band The Mau Mau’s, and you will be in Punk Rock Heaven (is there really a Rock ‘N’ Roll Heaven?). The guitars sound like shrapnel shards exploding from a landmine and the rhythm section is down and dirty like two whirling dervishes on a mission. Then there are the vocals: Warped, nauseating, gruff, and other-worldly. All total, just the right mixture for a goddamn, attitude-driven, snot nosed punk rock band!

I’m on my first of what willzbe several listens of The Mau Mau’s (they get a gazillion points for one of the best band names ever) first album in quite a few years, and I’m just… vibing!! My typing skills are minimal (two finger typing), but listening to this amazingly cool album I’m, “typing to the beat!” Something like a bazillion words per minute, right along with the manic beat that The Mau Mau’s have burned onto this party platter. Heavy stuff!

By the third go-round, I’m getting into the lyrics (the beat is STILL relentless), and they singing about being psychotic (“I’m Psychotic,”) the end of the world (“Joyride,”) rectums (“Rectum of Nefertiti,”) and – what else – ROCK ‘N’ FUCKIN’ ROLL (“Never Talk to Strangers,” “Doomdaze!”)

You might think that a band with so much road under their heels would rest on their laurels, or make an album with a couple of decent songs and the rest just mush. Well, Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now is ALL KILLER-NO FILLER!! You will not want to stop this disc from playing ‘til you squeezed all of the friggin’ musical mojo outta this mother!

Where the Dictators shouldered heavy metal as a means to commercialize their punky pop, and NJ’s Dough Boys gave us some of the heaviest punk riffage this side of the Ramones, The Mau Mau’s inject wit, economy, intelligence, and classic pop structure into raw, powered punk rock. Not that the other bands I mentioned didn’t possess the same elements, it’s just that The Mau Mau’s mojo is definitely their own. Period.

Bottom line, this album is a fun-filled blast of riffs and roars that rock like crazy! It’s a credible continuation of what’s come before, and a hard look into the future. It doesn’t get any more neanderthalic and fun than this .

Sparkplug Magazine Album Review / Geza X

Mau Maus Album Review / Geza XThe Mau Maus-“Scorched Earth Policies: Then And Now” Well this explains what Geza X meant when he said he was busy with something awhile back. Hard review to write. I should be able to just say, “What did you god damned expect?” and leave it at that. But I’d probably get in trouble.
First off, if you’ve never heard of the Mau Maus/Berlin Brats, turn in your LA Punker card to this magazine for shredding, you don’t deserve it.
The Mau Maus were the king gods of snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. Always finding a way to mess it up. Impossible to get in to the studio, pissing people off, in short Punk as Fuck. They managed to get booted from Decline And Fall Of  Western Civilization for the love of god. One of the anti-hero’s, one of the upper echelon of woulda, coulda, shoulda. Until now.
The classic 81 lineup somehow was corralled in to the studio, to actually attempt the completion of an actual album, with Geza X controlling the knobs, and probably locking the door to keep em the hell in there until they were done.
And what an album it is.
A combination of tracks from the ’83 sessions with Robbie Krieger (you might have heard about him from a Val Kilmer flick) and stuff recorded now.  This is, well, “What did you god damned expect?” If you have any affinity and love for Masque era punk, this is the album that’s been floating through your best nightmares for years now.

Mau Maus Album Review / Geza X

Mau Maus 1982

There are no hiccups and lacks in intensity between the ’83 tracks and the new tracks, if somebody didn’t tell you which were which, you’d have no clue they weren’t recorded all at once.
This is late 70’s LA punk. I’m not going to compare it to anyone. What’s the point? You don’t compare the influence to the influenced. If you don’t know what this sounds like, your loss buddy-o. Because you’re only getting what you should expect.

-The Right Wrong Reverend Paul Putrid
SPARK PLUG Magazine

Read it HERE

Permanent Records In-Store Review

The Mau-Maus
Permanent Records, Eagle Rock, CA
by Michael Essington

A couple of years back I wrote a review for a show I went to at the Redwood in Los Angeles. The show was Mau-Maus, Billy Bones and Symbol Six. Fun show, but I wasn’t overly enthused with the Mau-Maus performance. Now I didn’t fully slag them off, but I could have been a little nicer in my review.

Anyway, a year and a half, or so, later Mr. Rick Wilder shoots me an email saying that I was probably 99% accurate in my review. This surprised the shit out of me. Usually when a review doesn’t go a band’s way I get cursed at and told I know nothing about music. Not in this case. Mr. Wilder was a true gentleman and has become a bit of a friend. So, I told him to be fair, I’d come and check them out again next time they play.

On June 3, 2012, Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, CA created an event page on Facebook for an in-store show with the Mau-Maus promoting their new album, SCORCHED EARTH POLICIES: then and now.

Two or three weeks back I went to lunch with master photographer Edward Colver, and after lunch we stopped into Permanent Records. So, I knew exactly where it was. Great streamlined shop. Unlike most used records shops it’s not over-run with clutter.

Show is scheduled for 6:00, and I tried to take a shortcut which made me about twenty minutes late. I hate being late. Ran into the shop at about 6:25, 6:27. The shop was pretty empty. I figured Mau-Maus went on at 6:00, blew through their set and I missed the whole fucking thing. I went up to the counter, and asked the lady sitting there if “I missed the set?” She said, “No,” they were waiting for the opening band to set up. Whew.

I stood around and waited, no opening band. I bumped into a couple of friends who I saw the Mau-Maus with two years ago, Mary and Frank. Then a friend of my late uncle Rick’s comes up and introduces himself, Danny from Warning Label Records out of Boston. Small frickin’ world.

As I’m talking to Danny I hear the crowd start to buzz, “He’s here, he’s here.” The party has started. Rick Wilder, Michael Livingston, Scott Franklin and Paul Black did a few final tune-ups and they launched into a kick-ass set. My main complaint last time I saw them was I couldn’t hear Mr. Wilder’s vocals, not the case this time. The mike was held close to the grill throughout his performance.

Only problems they had was the mikes cut out once, then, I think, the amps cut for a minute. Both resolved quickly and then back to a powerful set.

Rick Wilder is a cool front man, people are drawn to him. You want to see what he’s going to do. And I have to mention Michael Livingston, he is such a great guitarist that it’s almost unbelievable.

Afterwards, Rick gave me a copy of their new album to review, and I hung out with him for a bit. The album review will be here soon, buy a copy. All in all, a great show.

Mau Maus Santa Barbara Show Announced

The Mau Maus will be playing Santa Barbara, Ca. on Sunday July 22nd at Whiskey Richards (aka Whiskey Dicks). You can get more details HERE.

Permanent Records In-Store Photos

The in-store at Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, Ca. went great, thanks to Lance of permanent Records and to everyone that came out. Had a great after party up the street that went on all night. These photos were taken by Janiss Garza for eaglerockscenes.com

Dive Bar at the Brixton Show Cancelled

Due to construction problems at the venue, the July 20th show at the Dive Bar in Redondo Beach has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for September. Check back for more updates, as additional shows will be added for the July West Coast tour.

The Mau Maus Live on Stench radio

The Mau Maus will be interviewed by Stig Stench of Stench Radio tonight, the show is out of Austin Texas but you can listen by clicking the link below:

http://www.stenchradio.com/

Mau Maus In-Store Saturday, June 30th

Mau Maus In-Store at Permanent Records

The Mau Maus will be performing a free show at Permanent Records in Eagle Rock, California on Saturday June 30th at 6pm. Come on down and catch the set and pick up a copy of “Scorched Earth Policies: Then & Now”. If you already have a copy, bring it down to get it signed, the address and phone is 1583 Colorado Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90041 (323) 739-6141.