Holy sczihizit – I LOVE THIS DOC!
How did I miss this band, Death? A 1973 Detroit African American proto punk band that pre-dates the Ramones!!! I was in an awful punk bank in 1982 in Canada called Truncheon Scars. We were suburban kids who just screamed and thrashed away. The rest of the time we listened to obscure punk records of bands like Personality Crisis, Stretch Marks, and Youth War. Yet Death’s band name, seemed to hinder their ability to catch the 1977 British Sex Pistols/Clash wave, even though their sound was superior. They were offered a massive music contract in ’76 if they changed their name. One brother held out, and the rest hung with him, and that led them into obscurity. You would think that the story would end there. But it doesn’t. This is a story of struggle, conviction, and redemption.
Holy sczihizit – I LOVE THIS DOC!
How did I miss this band, Death? A 1973 Detroit African American proto punk band that pre-dates the Ramones!!! I was in an awful punk bank in 1982 in Canada called Truncheon Scars. We were suburban kids who just screamed and thrashed away. The rest of the time we listened to obscure punk records of bands like Personality Crisis, Stretch Marks, and Youth War. Yet Death’s band name, seemed to hinder their ability to catch the 1977 British Sex Pistols/Clash wave, even though their sound was superior. They were offered a massive music contract in ’76 if they changed their name. One brother held out, and the rest hung with him, and that led them into obscurity. You would think that the story would end there. But it doesn’t. This is a story of struggle, conviction, and redemption.
And WHAT A STRUGGLE. These three brothers influenced by The Who and Jimi Hendrix more than the Motown sound forged a unique raw rock sound that was both garage grunge and pre-punk. David, the driving influence, was supported by the other brothers more for blood than for mutual musical tastes. His amazing belief in this band extended beyond his brothers, who later formed a reggae band and took night jobs to send their kids to college. David kept the tape masters from their failed record deal saying “one day the world will come for these.” And what is awesome, is that he was right.
The 500 45’s they pressed 1975 were a collector’s item in 2008. It was selling on eBay for $800 a pop and then the groundswell mounted. Major blogs were talking about it, and suddenly everyone was jumping on the discovery of an obscure ’73 punk band from Detroit. More amazingly is that their kids recognize the voices on the record while hanging out in the clubs in Silverlake, and then formed another band, “as missionaries,” for their dad’s and uncle’s band by doing covers of the ’73 classics.
I never thought that punk music would make me nostalgic by reminding me how music today lost its soul. This movie also reminds all of us, regardless of our medium, what it mean to be convicted in your talent, not to be discouraged, and even if you are THIRTY TWO YEARS ahead of the curve, one day the world will come to you. This is an amazing story of an amazing band with a amazing sound and amazing kids who took up the mantle of their amazing elders for an amazing resurgence in the music scene. It is to remind us all that a daily practice of our craft will one day connect you to your audience even if it takes over 30 years. Hang in there.
Dean Haglund
