Between the Covers

Unbound. A collection of 10 Dirksen – Miller Production flyers (numbers 166, 176, 180, 181, 182, 184, and 189). The flyers promoting Los Angeles punk venues and bands from 1981 and 1982 featuring acts such as T.S.O.L., Minimal Man, Flipper, MX 80 Sound, Wolvarines, and the Dickheads. The flyers are all printed on various colored paper sheets sized, 14" x 8.5" in black ink. Near fine with light wear and toning except one flyer with the top left corner ripped.

Dirksen – Miller Productions was created in the 1980s by Dirk Dirksen. Dirksen was a music promoter for the Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway, two notable punk rock venues, in the late 1970s to 1980s. It was because of this that Dirksen was dubbed the name the "Pope of Punk". Originally from Germany, Dirksen moved to United States in 1948 and began booking bands in the 1970s. He wrote and directed the *Amapola Presents Show,* which featured local bay area artists on KEMO-TV weekly. On the back on the flyers, record store locations, top hit charts, radio station shows, and radio playlists are printed with “New Wave Rotten Record Chart” at the top.

The front of the flyers depict black and white pictures of the bands with show dates and locations. Several of these bands were seminal in the beginnings of punk rock that exploded in Los Angeles. Flipper, being one of the most popular bands during this time, formed in San Francisco in 1979. Their slowed-down sound influenced many punk bands but also infuriated punkers in the scene, making the band only more notorious. Flipper has been noted as the forerunner to sludge metal and both Kurt Cobain from Nirvana and Eric Avery from Jane’s Addiction have cited Flipper as one of their influences. When Henry Rollins of Black Flag described Flipper he said, “They were just heavy. Heavier than you. Heavier than anything... When they played they were amazing.” T.S.O.L. was another influential band, which had formed in 1978 in Long Beach. Associated with hardcore-punk, the band brought a fast-paced, poppy sound to the punk scene which was favored over Flippers slow sound. T.S.O.L. became hugely popular on the local scene but because of constant changing sounds and appearance the band never found its success globally.

The Mabuhay Gardens (The Mab) and On Broadway were two of the most popular punk venues in Los Angeles during this time. Combined with Dirksen and his abrasive personality as the emcee for both venues, punk bands local and traveling made it a point to stop and play at these venues for their Bay Area punk scene. On Broadway was the top level of the entire building while The Mab was the basement area, however the venues were separate featuring different acts and styles. The Mab and On Broadway closed in 1986 but has been bought and re-opened several times and different clubs for the changing scenes.

A fascinating collection of Bay Area punk flyers showing the popular local bands and punk related stores, radio stations, and venues.

Item #403320