One of the earliest bands in the US and Los Angeles punk movement. The Screamers (along with bands like Monitor, Nervous Gender and others in LA) utilized electronic instruments and a drumset, a departure from the traditional guitar-bass-drums formula of rock bands of the time.
They began in Seattle as the Tupperwares with singer Tomata DuPlenty, Rio de Janeiro and Tommy Gear. While in Seattle, the Tupperwares collaborated with members Bill Reiflin (Blackouts, Ministry) and Eldon “El Duce” Hoke (Mentors). DuPlenty and Gear would relocate soon to Los Angeles and re-emerge as The Screamers, bringing in K. K. Barrett and David Brown (Dangerhouse Records) who was soon replaced by Paul Roessler (45 Grave, Nervous Gender).
The Screamers never released officially, though several demos and live recordings exist and have been released posthumously. They even made a cover version of fellow punk pioneers The Germs’ Sex Boy’. While they existed they did play prodigiously including gigs in New York (CBGBs) and San Francisco. By 1980 the Screamers had ceased all activity.
Tomata Du Plenty continued as a visual artist. He passed away in August 21, 2000, in San Francisco. His remains were cremated, and his ashes are interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, in a niche in the Chapel Columbarium not far from the remains of Rozz Williams (Christian Death).
Related: Nervous Gender, NON, 45 Grave, The Germs, The Blackouts, Ministry
Links:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screamers
Discogs.com: https://www.discogs.com/artist/65390-Screamers
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