Dead Kennedys

Dead Kennedys are a punk rock band from San Francisco, California. Attacking all the assumptions of the left and right political movement with humor. Their music mixes more of the elements of experimental music from the British punk music with the energy of punk from the United States. Lead singer of Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra, is also responsible for issuing the release of many punk bands and alternative bands through record label Alternative Tentaclesnya.

Dead Kennedys formed in June 1978, after guitarist East Bay Ray's search for other members to form a band. Early members of Dead Kennedys Jello Biafra of the vocals, East Bay Ray as lead guitar, rhythm guitar in 6025, Klaus Fluoride on bass, and Ted as a drummer. Their first appearance took place on July 19, 1978, at the Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco. They played many concerts at a local venue after that. Controversy because of their name, the band sometimes played by other names are disguised as "The Sharks", "The Creamsicles", and "The Pink Twinkies". 6025 out of the band in March 1979 with the reasons for differences in the music. In June 1979, the Dead Kennedys released their first single, entitled "California Über Alles", through the Alternative Tentacles label. This makes them a tour along the east-coast.

On March 25, 1980, the Dead Kennedys were invited to perform in the Bay Area Music Awards, in front of music industry officials, to get the "new wave credibility". On the show they were asked to play their underground hit song, "California Über Alles". In the habit to perform subversiv, and the opposing view, the event became the talk of the band after about 15 seconds before playing the song, Jello Biafra spoken on stage, "Hold it! We've gotta PROVE That we're adults now. We 're not a punk rock band, we're a new wave band. "Members of the band in performance using a white shirt with a picture of a big letter S in front of him, and use a black tie, to form the symbol of the dollar, then they start singing songs they had never played before "Pull My Strings", a satirical attack lyrical song on the workings of the mainstream music industry. The song also mentions the lyrics "Is my cock big enough, is my brain small enough, for you to make me a star", the song was also put on music song "My Sharona" by The Knack's, which is a hit song new wave of the largest. The song also never recorded distudio, this appearance is the first and only Dead Kennedys once sang, the song was eventually released on the compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death ... and the band, because it had never been invited to attend an awards show again.

In the spring of 1980, they recorded and released the song "Holiday in Cambodia". In the autumn they released their first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The album was ranked 33 in the UK album chart. In January 1981, Ted left the band to pursue a career in architecture and he assisted in the search for new members of the Dead Kennedys to fill the void where he left off. He played his last concert with the Dead Kennedys in February. Fill the gaps in the position of the drum is D.H. Peligro. In May, the band released a song "Too Drunk To Fuck". The song resulted in a lot of controversy in Britain when the BBC was afraid if the song will be on the Top 30 charts, this will allow them to do a show song on BBC TV show, Top of the Pops. However, these fears never happen, because the song just came to rank 31. EP In God We Trust, Inc. (in 1981) and the album Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982) shows the development of musicality Dead Kennedys, and their music became a political force, by putting himself in position against the elements of social and political life of the nation, such as the rights in religion and of course Ronald Reagan's policies. Dead Kennedys continued their performances throughout the state of America, as well as Europe and Australia, during the 80's and get the great man on tour.

With the release of the album Frankenchrist in 1985 led to an opposition from the newly formed organization, PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center), and in 1986, the members of Dead Kennedys, with people involved in the distribution of Frankenchrist album, was summoned to court to the demands of the "distribution of goods harmful to the crowd" to see a part of the album cover illustration was made ​​by HR Giger. Biafra says that during the period of these demands the government agents entered and ransacked the entire house. The band members are required to be languishing in jail for a year and pay a fine of $ 2000 per person. In 1987, charges were discontinued after the trial for three weeks. And the album however, was not accepted in all stores across America.

In January 1986, the members of Dead Kennedys decided to disband to pursue an interest in the field to another. They played their last concert on February 21. In the summer they recorded an album Bedtime for Democracy, issued in November. In Desembernya, Dead Kennedys announced the dissolution of the band. Jello Biafra continued his political activities, appeared on many television shows and in removing serial numbers spoken-word album. Ray, Fluoride, and Peligro also went on with his solo music activities.

It is lifted to the surface in the late 90's, that the news will break-up of Dead Kennedys payments resulting from the difference between each member of the band obtained by record label Alternative Tentacles. The former band members said that Biafra pay them a price that is reasonable from the average to become a member of the band. Although both parties agree that a calculation error in their royalty payments, the former band members took the other issue with the fact that Biafra was never told that the calculation error. Biafra said that the Dead Kennedys lawyers told him to just talk through lawyers and do not speak directly with the former band members. Both sides said that they plan to solve this problem is not with the law in force, but the problems continued the trial lasted until the table, where Jello Biafra at the hearing proved a lie. He was required to pay the entire fee other members who have perverted it, and handed the rights of the output of the Dead Kennedys had been former members of the other, which is where they find another label to release albums through the former Dead Kennedys Manifesto Records.

The case did not have much impact on the wave of the punk movement itself, even the Dead Kennedys fans feel that the charges against Jello Biafra is a motivation of greed, where his three other band members had not had many successful solo albums after the Dead Kennedys disbanded. On the other hand, Biafra claims that guitarist DK, East Bay Ray, have the displeasure of the Alternative Tentacles long, with not much money that he obtained from these records. Some observers feel that even though music Biafra never cheated on his band in any way (because he does not take a penny salary of Alternative Tentacles), this was never questioned during the trial. Even this has brought them to a crisp friendship with the band members after Jello Biafra, who still can not unite their personal differences until this year. This issue goes even further, when three members were invited to sing the Jello Biafra "bury the Hatchet" at a reunion of the band Dead Kennedys. Jello Biafra felt that the action was extremely unprofessional, as none of those who contact him directly. Biafra has long had a desire to reminisce with his band, but in this case he felt that the reunion is only based on nothing more than a sense of greed.

In 2001, Ray, Peligro, and Fluoride founded the band was again replaced by Brandon Cruz as the lead singer Jello Biafra. Reform the band has been debated among fans whether it is as a re-establishment of the Dead Kennedys, or as a cover band Dead Kennedys songs. However they have been playing under the name "Dead Kennedys", as well as several variations of the name, like "DK Kennedys" (to clarify the differences with previous members of the Dead Kennedys, including the possibility of Biafra demands). However, many promoters they introduce the name "Dead Kennedys", and promotional material from the promoter that also featured a picture of Jello Biafra. Re-formed band that has played in almost all states in America, Europe, Asia, North America, and Russia.

Brandon Cruz left the band, due to differences in terms of creativity. Position was replaced by Jeff Penalty Cruz as the lead singer. The band has released two live albums under Manifesto Records, contains material from their previous performances - Mutiny On The Bay, a re-edited compilation of the first variety of their appearance varied with the quality of performances around San Francisco, and the album Live At the Deaf Club, is a record of their appearance in 1979 at the Deaf Club, San Francisco. By accident, their public appearances are recorded next to the former members of previous band, 6025. The release sparked more conflicts between the members of the band again and and it was rumored that Jello Biafra trying to cash a legacy of Dead Kennedys name, which he then alleged that their releases sound very bad and said he did not get any royalties from album sales or selling album under the name of the Manifesto Records. Other band members deny the allegations of greed Jello Biafra, they are not trying to get a license from the Dead Kennedys music, they say that it is a traditional expression of the anti-corporate, but they use music in the creation of corporations such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater and the film The Manchurian Candidate.

Dead Kennedys considered because the use of the lyrics, which usually they take of everyday life of Americans who are very far from the left-wing views (Biafra himself was an anarchist). Unlike other left-wing punk band that uses the slogans of the movement directly, the lyrics Dead Kenndedys usually bernuansakan satyrs, and even more often sarcastic. The song "Holiday In Cambodia" is a song of satyrs and multi perceptions of where the lyrics were rich people and the Khmer Rouge as a target of the war the American government (at the time of recording the song American government is supporting tactical plans Pol Pot in the war against Vietnam). Songs like "Kill The Poor", "California Über Alles" and "Police Truck" actually take away from the sight of their enemies, the right wing. At first there are some cases where the band was supported by the punk movement of the right wing in which they took from the lyrics of the song "Kill The Poor", and so, in fact they are wrong perception of the song satyrs. Dead Kennedys and then write a song in response to the fallacy of these elements, the song they called "Nazi Punks Fuck Off".

These elements include the lyrics Dead Kennedys military tactics are shocking, like the imaginary murder in the song "Holiday In Cambodia" and "Chemical Warfare". However, unlike the punk bands and other hardcore play with the same themes, Dead Kennedys usually have a clearer view of the lyrics of their songs.

Jello Biafra himself forward as a prominent critic of the policies will American politics, he committed political lectures at various places either after or while she was with Dead Kenneys.