sandiegopunk.com

From time to time we get interesting e-mails from people involved in the early SD punk scene. These e-mails are stories in themselves, and we're going to attempt to post them all as they come in. This first one is from David of Crucified Youth/5051, enjoy!


Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 09:47:08 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Comment on SD Punk history
To: katherine@sandiegopunk.com
Hi Joel,

I like your website! Thanks for doing what you do.

My name is David Klowden. I teach writing and literature at UCSD, Mesa, & Southwestern College. I'm currently working on a novel. It's a crime thriller set in Southern California in the late 70s-early 80s, and is based in part on some of my experiences & observations as part of the punk scene back then. By the way i was at every one of those shows that you have flyers posted for on your website (except the Suicidal Tendencies show, didnt go to that one). I even worked at the 1980 Germs show: I was part of Shark Productions, which was really Renee Edgington. I was her 15 year old assistant. My job at that particular show was working in the little ticket booth, moving folding chairs (getting them out of the way!), controlling the lights (when the bands started playing, i would go up on the stage and flick the one
stage light switch on!), and cleaning up after the show. A couple weeks before that night, Renee and I spray painted the word GERMS in big blue letters all over the wooden bus benches in North Park, Hillcrest and downtown. Also, she would pull her El Camino up
in front of local high schools, & i'd stroll right onto the campuses and stuff flyers in the slots of all the hall lockers. That was how you would advertise a punk show in 1980! It was at that Germs show that Marc Rude gave me the nickname G.I., which is what a few fossils still call me.

I noticed my old San Diego bands are not on your band website. I was in Crucified Youth, formed in early 79, average age 16. We never recorded, but we played several gigs, including some opening spots at the north park lions club. You'll see our name on a few old flyers. Londis Kues was in that band, along with Doug Havens. I can't remember the exact line-up. The band was initialy called No Age Limit & later Capital Punishment. We only performed as Crucified Youth. By 1980, CY had already morphed into 5051. 5051 recorded a 4 song e.p. in January, 1982 at Western Audio. 500 copies were pressed. I have one, with the orig. lyric & photo insert.

The record is 5051 (BMU-010),
side a: 1. El Salvador 2. Target of Insanity
side b. 3. Too Late 4. Disciple

5051 was:
David Klowden...vocals
Sam Topper...guitar
Squirrel...Guitar
Scott Harber...bass
Joel Roop...drums

I always thought 5051 was a significant part of the very early hardcore scene in SD because we were the youngest band to make a record (none of us was out of high school), and because we sounded a bit like the OC bands (Shattered Faith, Adolescents, etc.) that we
liked and and imitated. We spent a lot of time hanging out at places like the Cuckoos Nest in Fullerton, & i think our band was a good example of a particular variety of Southern California punk that young people were making that didn't sound like the
older bands we opened for (The Cramps, Funeral, etc.)

I hope the info. above is useful for you. When i finish my book (should have a draft by February), i'll be sure and send you a copy!

take care,
Dave