Sound Colour Vibration (Music | Art | Film)

Having been born the year The Dead Kennedys disbanded, it was going to be difficult to keep me away from a concert featuring seminal California punk rock groups X, The Dead Kennedys, and The Avengers. This sold-out event was a keystone moment in MOCA’s presentation of Under the Big Black Sun, an important piece in the mammoth undertaking that was Pacific Standard Time. The Avengers took to the stage first, laying down a song about Los Angeles, the classic “Fuck You,” and a rolling stones cover. The Dead Kennedys were up next, fanning the flames of satirical politics while playing through a setlist of songs that included their first two singles ‘Holiday in Cambodia’ and ‘California Uber Alles’ and a reworked song about the internet. Ron Greer briefly mentioned that the song was an indictment against modern download culture and that the future was headed towards stolen content with ads. Though Jello-less, the Dead Kennedys still certainly pack a punch. Finally, LA natives X started rolling through a massive 22 song set that included their second single ‘Los Angeles’ and culminated in an encore of ‘New World’ and ‘Soul Kitchen’.

The lovely Nancy Lee of MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) was very gracious in helping us secure press passes for this event to further add to our legacy of ongoing photographic prints of some of our favorite artists. We would like to thank Nancy once again and all the fine people at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) for curating such a special event: Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981. Sound Colour Vibration will be presenting many photo sets this year, stay tuned, we have a lot of work ahead of us, we can’t wait to show you every step.

-Oliver Walker

Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981
X, Dead Kennedys and The Avengers
All photography by Sound Colour Vibration photographer Oliver Walker

Dead Kennedys ‘California Über Alles’ 1979

X, DEAD KENNEDY’S AND THE AVENGERS PHOTO SET BELOW

The Avengers

Dead Kennedys

X