Let's Head to the Rock Corporation

Can you believe this lineup from 1978 in VAN NUYS! Currently the location of a panel beater/body shop.  Like Van Nuys needed another one!  The Valley and punk. I remember a lot of shows at the Country Club and later at BeBop Records but that was the next era. So were the shows at Devonshire Downs and Godzillas.  Technically, I lived closer to the Rock Corporation (great name that one!) than Fiberglass, but it would have been close as to who could bike there first.  What was so great about first wave LA punk were all the weekend MATINEE shows!  The Whiskey had them as well.  What comes to mind when I think SFV punk hall of fame are the Dickies, Shock, FEAR, Bad Religion, RF7, Killroy, etc. What I don't think of when I think of Van Nuys are following folks heading there (intentionally): the Eyes, F-Word, Simpletones, Controllers, Plugz, X, Middle Class, Bags, Flesh Eaters, etc.  Did the Germs play the Rock Corporation? Claude Bessy in the valley, please. Can any readers share what the venue was actually like.

Battle of the Bands at the Santa Monica Civic, July 28, 1979/"I Shot the Sheriff"

When I see the list of bands, I have to wonder did this show actually happen? Unbelievable line-up for a battle of the bands - is this a Masque benefit? (Silver Chalice!!, the Plugz, "Jane and the Go-Go's," Wall of Voodoo, Flyboys, Fear, Simpletones, X, Controllers not to mention the no-namers who we need to hear like Highrize and Tyranny). Please write in if you were there. As my friend Miller likes to say, I need a scene report. Almost as good a line up as on Dukowski's t-shirt. From 10:00 am to midnight. Wow. The spelling is awesome!! Plugs!! All I can think of when I hear about a "battle of the bands" is Cotton Candy owning Rapid Fire in that mall on the revolving stage, and secretly hoping that the band that sounds a little like the Sylvers and the Jacksons "Enjoy Yourself" wins. If you ever see a copy of "Cotton Candy" that has original commercials and an ad for the Tom Snyder/Manson interview on the Tom Snyder Show, that is sourced from my original VHS tape and you're welcome. If only Clapton is his infinite wisdom had chosen to cover some of the Scratch produced Wailers' material instead of "I Shot the Sheriff" we may have had something more interesting from Rapid Fire, instead of watered-down Van Halen-isms. Now if only the full Scratch/Linda McCartney and Scratch/Robert Palmer sessions would see the light of day . . .