N.O.F.X

MoNkEyJaSoN

N.O.F.X

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First Gig
There was a club on Selma and Argyle in Hollywood called Cathay de
Grande. Some of the bands we would go see there were D.R.I., the
Stains, Reagan Youth, Minor Threat, Black Flag before Henry, the Bangs
who later became the Bangles, and Social Distortion. On Tuesday nights
new bands would play and it was one dollar to get in. Some friends of
ours from Pomona had a band called Justice League. They were having
their first gig one Tuesday and we asked them if we could use their gear
and play after them. We were all there, except for Steve. We played all 4
songs we knew. For years after, those Justice League kids swore that was
our best show ever. When Steve found out that we had played without
him, he quit the band that he was never really in.

So we were a 3-piece. Mike and I were going to trade off singing, but I
could barely even play guitar, let alone sing at the same time, and that's
how Mike became our singer.

First Demo
It was time to record our songs and put out a tape. By some freak act of
destiny, Don Bolles, of Germs fame said he would produce our demo for
us if we filled up his car with gas. We made flyers advertising our Demo
release and placed an ad in Flipside to send your own cassette and a self
addressed stamped envelope and we would copy it for you and send it
back.

Band History
Here's a great idea, let's get the guy in the band who smokes the most
pot to write a band history. That's me. The guy who couldn't remember
what was said five minutes ago if his life depended on it. You try and
write down the last 16 years of your life and make it seem relevant

First Practice 1983
Here's what I do remember. I was sitting with a kid named Dillon in our
usual spot with the other punkers during lunchtime at Fairfax high school.
He was a drummer, and we were dissatisfied with the bands we were in.
My band consisted of me and my one and only Punk Rock friend both
playing guitar and singing and that was it. Neither one of us had finished
any songs. Not quite a recipe for success.

So I sez to my friend, let's start a band. A real band, a band that does
stuff. A band that writes songs, practices, puts out records, and goes on
tour. We talked about who else we wanted in this band. We knew lots of
good people from going to punk gigs around LA. He knew a Bass player
named Mike who used to be in a band called False Alarm. We both knew
a guy named Steve from Orange County who we agreed would make a
great front man. We made some calls and arranged to meet and have a
first practice.

That's when I first met Mike. Mike was a huge Misfits fan. He looked like a
Misfits fan. His hair was long in front and it was all hairsprayed together
to a point down the middle of his face in what was called a "Devilock".
Mike had some songs for us to play. I had written a song called "Take
Part". It sounded an awful lot like Minor Threat's version of the Monkees'
Stepping Stone. Steve didn't go to that first practice, he couldn't get a
ride up from Orange county. After that first practice Dillon quit and Mike
called up Erik. Mike and Erik had met a couple of years earlier while
skateboarding around Hollywood. Erik liked Mike's Black Flag skateboard.
It was Punk. Mike had asked Erik to join False Alarm back then, but Erik's
mom wouldn't let him do it 'cuz he had no driver's license yet. Later on,
when we asked him to play drums with us he was in a band called
Caustic Cause. Erik joined us but his other band would have to have
priority. We were supposed to be a 4-piece but practiced as a 3-piece,
Steve hadn't made it to one practice yet.