Dead Kennedys were a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. Attacking assumptions of the political left and right with humor, their music mixed the more experimental elements of English punk with the energy of the American punk scene. Lead singer Jello Biafra was also responsible for releasing many other punk and alternative bands on his Alternative Tentacles record label.
Dead Kennedys: History
Dead Kennedys formed in June 1978, after guitarist East Bay Ray advertised for bandmates. The original DK lineup consisted of Jello Biafra on vocals, East Bay Ray and 6025 on guitars, Klaus Flouride on bass, and Ted (Bruce Slesinger) on drums. The band was initially known as "The Sharks" before changing to Dead Kennedys. They played numerous shows at local venues, and in October of 1979, released their first single, "California Über Alles", on Alternative Tentacles. They followed with a well received east-coast tour. 6025 quit after this due to musical differences between himself and Biafra.
Prior to the release of their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Dead Kennedys were invited to perform at the Bay Area Music Awards in front of music industry big-wigs to give the event some "new wave credibility" in the words of the organizers. The day of the show was spent practicing the song they were asked to play, the underground hit "California Über Alles". In typically subversive, perverse style, the band became the talking point of the ceremony when after about 10 seconds into the song, Biafra said, "Hold it! We've gotta prove that we're adults now. We're not a punk rock band, we're a new wave band." The band, who all wore white shirts with a big, black S painted on the front, pulled black ties from around the backs of their necks, to form a dollar sign, then tore into the previously unheard "Pull My Strings", a barbed, satirical attack on the ethics of the mainstream music industry. As well as containing the lyrics "Is my cock big enough, is my brain small enough, for you to make me a star", the song also sent-up The Knack's biggest new wave hit, "My Sharona". The song was never recorded in the studio but this performance, the first and only time the song was ever performed, was released on the posthumous compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death... and the band was never invited to play the awards show ever again.
After their debut album, drummer Ted was replaced with D.H. Peligro. Throughout the 1980s, they toured all over the United States as well as Europe, gaining a large following in the underground music scene. In 1981, the band released the single "Too Drunk To Fuck". The song caused much controversy in the U.K as BBC feared the single would reach the Top 30; this would require a performance of the song on Top of the Pops. However, this never came to be as the single peaked at #31. The EP In God We Trust, Inc. (1981) and album Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982) showed a development in musical style, and their music became a political force, pitting itself against rising elements of American social and political life such as the religious right and Ronald Reagan.
The release of the album Frankenchrist (Alternative Tentacles; Virus 45) in 1985 caused a fervor with the newly formed PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center), and in 1986, the members Dead Kennedys, along with other parties involved in the distribution of Frankenchrist, were brought to trial for "distribution of harmful matter to minors" due in part to an H.R. Giger illustration included with the album. Biafra says that during this time government agents invaded and searched his home. The band members were each faced with up to a year in jail and a $2000 fine. In 1987, the charges were dropped after a three-week trial. The album, however, was banned from many record stores nationwide.
After the release of Bedtime for Democracy in late 1986, the band called it quits. Biafra went on to become a highly active political force, appearing on numerous television shows and releasing a number of spoken-word albums.
Dead Kennedys: Internal Conflicts
It was discovered in the late 1990s that there were issues with the payments each band member had received from their record label Alternative Tentacles. Former band members claimed that Biafra had conspired to pay less than appropriate royalty rates to the band members. Although both sides agreed that the failure to pay these royalties was an accounting mistake, the Dead Kennedys took issue with the fact that Biafra failed to inform the band of the mistake. Biafra claims that the Dead Kennedys lawyers had told him only to correspond through lawyers and not directly with the band (which he did). Both sides claim they attempted to resolve the matter without legal action, but the dispute led to the courts, where Biafra was found guilty. He had to pay the outstanding fees, and was forced to hand over the rights to the majority of Dead Kennedys' back catalogue to the three, who found new distribution through another label, Manifesto Records.
This dispute was hotly contested by all concerned who felt passionately for their cause, and the case caused minor waves within punk circles. Many fans felt that Dead Kennedys lawsuit against Jello was motivated by greed, as the other three band members had numerous unsuccessful solo records after the band's break-up. In addition, Biafra claims that guitarist East Bay Ray has long expressed displeasure with Alternative Tentacles and with the amount of money he received from them. Some observers felt that although Biafra did not try to cheat his band in any way (as he does not take a salary from Alternative Tentacles), that his sneering, irreverant attitude did not endear him to jurors during the trial. Ultimately, these issues have led to a souring of relationships with the erstwhile bandmates, who still have not resolved their personal differences, as of 2005.
Matters were stirred up even further when the three bandmates invited Jello Biafra to "bury the hatchet" at a band reunion. Jello Biafra felt it was unprofessional because no one contacted him directly. Biafra has long expressed his disdain for nostalgia, and in this particular case he felt that the reunion was an exercise in greed.
Dead Kennedys: Reformation
In 2001, Ray, Peligro and Flouride reformed the group with Brandon Cruz taking Biafra's role as vocalist (due to the breakdown in communications detailed above). There has been much debate as to whether this is a reformed Dead Kennedys, or some form of tribute band, however they have played under the group name "Dead Kennedys" as well as the variant "DK Kennedys" (to make the distinction between the original line up including Biafra and possibly to avoid futher lawsuits such as the one filed against the new lineup of the Doors without Jim Morrison). Many promoters simply advertise them as "Dead Kennedys" regardless, and promotional material has featured pictures of Biafra. The reformed group has played across the continental United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and the Russian Federation.
More recently, Cruz was replaced by Jeff Penalty as lead vocalist. The new line-up has released two live albums on Manifesto Records of old performances - Mutiny On The Bay, an edited-together compilation of various live performances of varying quality from the San Francisco area, and Live At The Deaf Club, a recording of a 1979 performance at the Deaf Club in San Francisco. Incidentally, the latter performance was former band member 6025's final show with the band. These releases have caused more conflict among the band members and have been denounced by Jello Biafra as an attempt to cash in on the Dead Kennedys' legacy, who accuses the releases of being of poor sound quality and claims to not be receiving royalties from their sale or the sale of any Manifesto Records releases. The other band members deny Biafra's accusations of greed, despite having licensed Dead Kennedys music, traditionally an expression of anti-corporatism, for use with such corporate creations as Tony Hawk Pro Skater and The Manchurian Candidate.
Dead Kennedys: Lyrical Stance
The Kennedys are noted for the acerbicness of their lyrics, which generally take a harsh critique of contemporary America that is staunchly left-wing (Biafra claims to be a progressive). Unlike other leftist punk bands who use more direct sloganeering, the Kennedys' lyrics are generally satirical, often sarcastic. "Holiday In Cambodia" is a multi-layered satire which has both rich people and the Khmer Rouge as its targets (together with the US government who at the time of recording were tacitly supporting Pol Pot in his war against Vietnam). Songs such as "Kill The Poor", "California Über Alles" and "Police Truck" actually take the lyrical viewpoint of the right-wing enemies the band despises. In some cases in their early days the band attracted support from right-wing punks who took the lyrics of Kill The Poor et al at face value, missing the point. The Kennedys wrote a song in response to this element, tellingly titled "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!".
Other lyrical elements include deliberately over-the-top shock tactics, such as the genocidal imagery of "Holiday In Cambodia" and "Chemical Warfare". However, unlike many other punk and hardcore bands who play with such themes, the Kennedys usually have a clear progressive point to make when they shock.
Jello Biafra continues to be a noted critic of the American political establishment, embarking on lecture tours both before and after his time with the band.
Dead Kennedys: Members
Current Lineup
Jeff Penalty - vocals (2003-present)
East Bay Ray - lead guitar (1978-1986, 2001-present)
Klaus Fluoride - bass (1978-1986, 2001-present)
D.H. Peligro - drums (1980-1986, 2001-present)
Former Members
Jello Biafra - vocals (1978-1986)
Brandon Cruz - vocals (2001-2003)
6025 - rhythm guitar (1978-1979)
Ted - drums (1978-1980)
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