DISC OR DIE, Punk Rockers!
This project was a collaboration between my record label Transparent Records, my disc golf company Disc or Die, and a collection of punk rock photos I took in the Detroit area spanning almost 40 years. I was fortunate to have help from a few friends, and I could not have done it without them. Grayson Cardinell (guitarist for Johnny Motel and the Fast Fucks, who were release TR-01 on Transparent Records) did the layouts for the discs and cleaned up the photos when necessary. K.C. Angel (artist for The Accused, known for his depictions of Martha Splatterhead) did the header and insert art, and Jesse Smothers (graphic designer for Disc or Die) did the promo material, including a 12” x 18” glossy promotional poster. Additionally, we worked closely with a local disc golf company (Discraft) located in Wixom, Michigan.
One of the first photos that came to mind when I started this project, was of Agnostic Front. This was a show at Todd’s in Detroit, Saturday March 28, 1992 touring their “One Voice” album. Todd’s was a big venue, great for shows, and it would later close and then re-open as The Marquee (which also hosted a few classic shows). This was at a time before cell phones, and I was using a camera with chemical film. It was always risky because I wouldn’t see the photos for a few weeks, until they were mailed off to Clark Color Labs, developed, and returned to me in the mail. Needless to say I was very happy with these. As luck would have it, Agnostic Front did a meet-and-greet in Las Vegas at this year’s Punk Rock Bowling festival, and I was able to bring this disc to be signed by both Roger Miret and Vinne Stigma.
Tesco Vee of the The Meatmen - all photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
I’ve seen The Meatmen more than a few times, being that I live near Detroit, but one of the most memorable was a show at The Falcon Club in 1994. It’s a small venue, and Tesco pulled out all the stops (costumes, dildos, a giant cardboard penis … the works). I was able to get a lot of great photos that night, and a few years later I ran into Tesco at “Tesco’s Motor City Punk Rock Swap Meat” and had him sign a disc from this series.
Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
The next roll of film that came to mind, was taken in Detroit at St. Andrew’s Hall. This was SNFU’s 1992 “Last of the Big Time Suspenders” tour, and Mr. Chi Pig (Ken Chinn) was in rare form. He was jumping 6 feet in the air, laying on his back, catapulting off the speakers, everything you would expect from maybe the most energetic punk band of the time. With his death 28 years later in 2020, these photos and the memories from this show hold a special place in my heart. This is my personal favorite disc in the series.
On October 3, 1994, Rancid played at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit. Operation Ivy had been one of my favorite bands since they released the “Hectic” single in 1988, and to my knowledge, they never played Detroit. This was my chance to finally hear Operation Ivy songs live, and both of the Rancid LPs (S/T in 1993 and “Let’s Go” in 1994) were in heavy rotation in my car (especially the song “Adina”). They didn’t actually play any Operation Ivy songs, but they did play plenty of new Rancid songs, including “Radio, Radio, Radio," “St. Mary," "Salvation,” and "Adina," and that was enough to make this a great show. And it never hurts when the pictures come back clear and in focus.
The Dwarves are the only band that I included multiple times. At the time, I considered them the greatest punk rock band of all time, and there were just too many great photos to choose one. I’d already seen them on their first tour in 1990 for “Blood, Guts, and Pussy,” and this was the second time they played in the Detroit area (1992, touring “Thank Heaven for Little Girls”). It was a bit of a drive out to Ann Arbor’s The Blind Pig for this one, but in the end, it was one of the best shows of my life. We ended up backstage with the band, drinking cases of Rolling Rock with Vadge Moore, Blag Dahlia, Wholley Smokes, Crash Landin’, and an unmasked HeWhoCannotBeNamed. Every single song was a classic, and at one point Blag jumped into the crowd and handed me the mic to sing a verse of “Fuck ‘Em All.”
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein of The Misfits - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
When I got my first car and was able to drive to shows, I had only missed The Misfits by a couple of years. Fortunately, in 1985, Samhain released “Unholy Passion,” and I was able to catch one of their shows at The Graystone Hall in Detroit (unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera). I got to meet a 29-year-old Glenn Danzig running the merch table, where he signed a poster for me, and of course, they played Misfits songs. More than a decade went by after that, but in 1995, The Misfits were back and on 5/11/1996 they played in Detroit (without Danzig) for the first time since 1983. Of course, I was there, and it was a show to remember.
Wattie Buchan of The Exploited at The Token Lounge, Westland Michigan - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
The first time I saw The Exploited was in 1987 at Isis in Pontiac, MI. Most recently, I saw them at Punk Rock Bowling in 2023 (over 35 years later). If all goes well, I should catch them again later this year (they are scheduled to play in Detroit at The Sanctuary and will also be at Riot Fest in Chicago). I had a lot of great pictures of Wattie to choose from, but I really liked the roll from their show in 2004 at The Token Lounge in Westland, MI. It was a small bar, on a weeknight, and although packed, it felt up close and personal. Also, this was after they had added a crossover/thrash/hardcore sound with the releases of “The Massacre” and “Beat the Bastards.”. “Fuck the System” had just come out, and their faster, more aggressive crossover sound was literally perfect. It was a great time to catch them live, and the entire show was incredible.
Turbonegro in 2003 at St. Andrew’s Hall was memorable for more than the obvious reasons. For one, it was the first concert that I ever went to alone. The show was about an hour’s drive away on a weeknight, and I couldn’t find anyone to go, but I also couldn’t miss it. Hank von Helvete was a bonafide rock star, and I’d had “Apocalypse Dudes” playing at least weekly since its release 5 years earlier. I could go on and on about how amazing this show was, but I’ll end with this. Hank dropped his trousers, bent over, and started lighting and shooting bottle rockets out of his ass during the show. That will be etched in my memory forever.
One of the best bands of all time, and my single favorite show that I’ve been to. This was in 1988, when they were touring “Here Today, Guano Tomorrow,” and the band showed up in a full-size yellow school bus with “Dayglos” painted on the front. It was the classic line-up that included Cretin, Mike Jak, Nev The Impailer, and Jesus Bonehead. They had a 30-pack of Stroh’s that they were distributing to the crowd, which was mostly underage, and it was the coolest thing ever. They absolutely destroyed, it set a very high bar for the hundreds of punk shows that came in the decades after.
Dave Dictor of MDC - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
404 Willis was an anarchist collective in Detroit that was only around for a couple of years (1992/1993). Capacity was just over 100, and there was no stage. It was a school night, but MDC (Millions of Dead Cops) were playing so I couldn’t miss this show. The venue was so small that we were basically standing in a circle around the band. I recall seeing end tables with lamps behind the band, it almost seemed like a house party. They had a great “Eat The Rich” banner behind Al Schvitz’s custom drum kit and they ripped through a set of their early hits. I ran into Dave Dictor at Punk Rock Bowling this year, and I asked him about this show, but unfortunately he didn’t recall. I’ll never forget it.
There are 10 more discs in the series featuring Gang Green, Screaming Bloody Leper Children, The Undead, Ugly But Proud, The Descendents, The Vandals, The Dwarves, DI and The Bump-N-Uglies (Detroit) so I may do a part two to this article if the response is good. This was an incredibly fun project, and I finally found something significant to do with some of my old photos.