Interview: Chip Kinman

Chip Kinman, along with his brother Tony who passed away in 2018, has had a rather colorful musical journey. Their band The Dils was a notable late-70’s punk rock band whose songs included “I Hate the Rich” and “Class War”. This was followed by Rank and File, a roots rock band which is heralded as one of the pioneers of the cowpunk genre. The Kinman brothers changed direction again for Blackbird, a drum machine-driven noise rock band. Then came their old-school Western music project, Cowboy Nation.

Which brings us to Ford Madox Ford, whose debut album This American Blues came out in 2018, and was produced by Tony. When I saw Ford Madox Ford at the Troubadour in April 2018, Chip kicked off the proceedings by saying, “We’re going to do something that’s never been done. We’re going to play some punk rock. We’re going to play some blues. And we’re going to do it at the same time.” They then launched into a cousin of the Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray”, followed by a punk-infused bluesy stomp.

This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the Ford Madox Ford performance at the Majestic Ventura Theater on 10/4/19, as one of the opening bands for the Dead Kennedys. It was done by email, with answers received 9/18/19. (“Taco” John Norman photo)

Interview: Klaus Flouride

Forty years ago, the Dead Kennedys released their first single “California Uber Alles”, which humorously warns of a New Age dystopia courtesy of then-Governor Jerry Brown.

“California Uber Alles” also appeared on the band’s classic 1980 debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, along with such satirical and darkly humorous songs as “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” – which is kind of self explanatory, “Kill the Poor” – a Jonathan Swift worthy proposal to use neutron bombs to kill poor people without damaging property, “Chemical Warfare” – a fantasy about gassing country club members, and “Holiday In Cambodia” – which manages to be critical of both the brutality of Pol Pot’s regime and Americans who seem more absorbed with their own so-called problems that they ignore atrocities elsewhere in the world.

The rest of the band’s core discography is the In God We Trust, Inc. EP, the Plastic Surgery Disasters, Frankenchrist and Bedtime for Democracy albums, and the compilation Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. Other notable songs include “MTV – Get Off The Air”, “Too Drunk To Fuck”, and “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”, the latter a not-so-subtle response to the punks who used Nazi symbolism as part of their style or, even worse, dabbled in neo-Nazi ideology.

The current line-up for The Dead Kennedys is original guitarist East Bay Ray, original bassist Klaus Flouride, drummer D.H. Peligro who joined in 1981, and vocalist Ron “Skip” Greer who joined in 2008. Original singer Jello Biafra is no longer performing with the band. Biafra was sued in 1998 by other band members in a dispute over songwriting credit and royalty payments, and the court ruled in favor of the other band members.

This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the 10/4/19 Dead Kennedys show at the Majestic Ventura Theater. It was done by phone on 9/13/19.

Concert Review: Enjoying the Coachella Spillover

Review of Coachella 2013 bands playing near Santa Barbara:

Concert Review: Dead Kennedys

Review of Dead Kennedys concert at Majestic Ventura Theater, 12/4/10.