Dead Kennedys Play the Bay

i don't want to complain too much, but it seems like Jello is sortof crying over some spilt milk. I dont know all the details so fill me in on the whole story if you would like to. I just say forgive each other and get back to makin' music. They've got a big following, and could be good in rallying up some rage against the machine.

Biafra is completely out of line in his comments about the new band, and the biased slant of your reporting was sad to read.

It galls him to think that people would still go see the gigs and most of all, LIKE them. Brandon Cruz has done a great job of taking on the vocal task, a role he didn't seek, but has taken name calling from Biafra and blatant lies.

I think an article with words from the remaining members and Cruz is due.

Remember, there are always two sides to everything.

The tour continues, the raves keep coming in, and Jellous has revved up his whining.

the real deal is that jello is still involved in getting political shit done, he's been extremely active in the anti-capitalist movement of the last few years in north america. that's why he gives a fuck if 'holiday in cambodia' is used for a mutlinational companies commercial, you know, the irony is not funny... it is sick and disgusting, but only to people who care about politics and revolution and all that stuff that DK and anarchopunk is about but only about 10% actually take seriously because they are a bunch of washedout jaded losers who just want to get drunk and watch old farts try to reclaim their rocknroll youth. fuck the (new) DK!!

Well, anarchopunk, as far as your bothered to mention, you're absolutely right, but I wish it were only that simple (and depressing). It's been stated elsewhere, but it needs to be said again: I don't give a fuck how hard Cruz is trying, this bizarre "reunion tour" came out of nowhere only after Ray, Klaus & D.H. sued and won. Even a Spite Tour could produce good music, of course, but the fact remains that Biafra's lyrics, sense of mood, odd-but-incredibly-versatile vocal stylings.. well, shit, sorry folks, but it's the like Beatles with Lennon, the Stones with Jagger, or Public Enemy without Chuck D. Whether they like or not, he was the heart and soul of the band. Yes, Ray, Klaus, & D.H. were all important--but they just ain't the DKs. Not without Biafra, like it or not. I think they very well know this, and resent it. And I suspect the fact that he couldn't play any musical instrument worth a damn made them resent him even more (Hey, we's the folks with the Hot Licks--why is HE grabbing all the glory?). Of course, anarchopunk nailed the whole source of the split--they wanted to sell out and he didn't . I didn't want to believe it--I thought Biafra was exaggerating-- but it's undeniable now. And under these particular galling circumstances, this so-called "reunion tour" isn't just wistfully disappointing. IT SUCK DONKEYS.

try looking at http://www.deadkennedysnews.com for another side of the story. jello is and always was a power hungry guy. he was foung guilty of fraud with malice, people. there was never a levi ad to sell out to. that is a smokescreen to keep you from the truth. jello is a convicted, fraudulent CAPITALIST!!! alternative tentacles is a capitalistic venture. he makes money at it. can't you see through him yet?

Jello Biafra is angry. Jello was found guilty of witholding royalties from the ex-Kennedys.

If this whole thing started when Jello refused to allow Holdiay In Cambodia to be used by Levis then why, now that they have the rights to their songs, haven't we seen the commercial yet? All I've seen is an edited version of Police Truck on a Playstation game (which Jello OK'ed).

I too was concerned about everything the DK's have been doing. You know what I did? I wrote to Brandon Cruz and Jello Biafra, telling them how I felt. Brandon wrote back to me, we debated for awhile and, as a means to allow me to make up my own mind, he invited me to the Portland show as his guest, allowed me backstage to chat with the band and has become a friend.

Jello never replied. Come to think of it, I've tried contacting Jello several times over the years and the only time I ever heard back from him was when I sent him money.

This one is a no-brainer for me.

Despite your communications with Cruz, it looks like I may be bit more informed about this than you are. Yes, I have visited the DK's info page. Some of it merits serious consideration, and some of it is just plain nasty. And, of course, I'm aware of the jury verdict (as I am also aware of the same jury ruling that Ray mismanaged Decay Music). In fact, I have read several articles on the subject (prior to my previous post), trying to figure out what on Earth really happened.

It's rather obvious that Ray and Jello have had issues with each other long before this ever came up (the part about Jello "taking over" AT in '86 wasinteresting--was that before or after he got busted, Ray?). One second-hand quote I found suggested that Biafra did not want to tell Ray in particular for fear of what he would do (is this true? I have no idea--but it suggests that friction is not a new thing here)..The point that I was making (which you both conveniently ignored) is that, regardless of what you personally think of Biafra, his crucial role in the creative aesthetic and political ethos of the band cannot be so lightly cast aside, and several aspects of the verdict itself are at least a tad questionable. If Biafra let his lawyer play games with an accounting error, he indeed screwed up big time and deserves a rap on the head in addition to a stiff fine (though my understanding is that the royalties were repaid long before the matter went to trial). But it still does not logically follow that Biafra must an evil, corrupt power-mad meglomaniac who must be crushed at any cost . Of course he has a big ego (well, duh--as Lee Ving once said, show up for your prize there in the lavoratory). Yes, he has been, as one zine put it, "ruthless" in his criticisms (when has Biafra ever minced words?). But, if nothing else about the verdict appalls you, the sleazy attempt to wrest songwriting credits away from him (well over a decade after the fact) should indicate that there's more here than meets the eye. This is indeed about power, but the "royalties fraud" issue is no more than a PR prop now, a way of showing us who the real "bad guy" is..
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. . . Which bring us to issue of the usage of HIC in an ad campaign. . . .well, apparently the ad agency changed its mind before anyone had a chance to say yes, so I think that's also a dead issue. Ray has been quoted as saying that they might agree to something like that if, say, "Darren's mother needed a liver transplant." I'm with him on that one, but it would have to be something that desperate to justify it.

The issue of songwriting credits alone merits an appeal. "Failure to promote," at the very least, turns the indie ethos on it head.

Cruz seems to me to be caught in the middle, but he must have had some idea what he was getting into. At any rate, the back-and-forth legal bullshit is not his doing; he's just along for the ride. But I still stand by what I sad: I don't care if he's the reincarnation of Jim Morrison--that dish just don't taste the same (I thought Sabbath with Dio sucked, too--only this is worse: sorry, Brandon, but tell them to call it something else or a call it a day).

When the suits get done arguing, I guess we'll see what comes out in the wash. If any of you (yes I mean YOU--the principal four--want to chat, my email address is above. Run it by the suits and drop me a line).

Jello has always been a whiny bitch. In this day and age of Blink 182 and Sum 41, what the hell, let the guys in the band make some cash! The DKs gave their heart and soul to their music. After years of watching rip off and commercial "punk" bands make money, why begrudge the 3 remaining members of the DKs their due? I say let LEVIs have "Holiday In the Sun", let COLT 45 use "Too Drunk to Fu#$." Jello after you die omebody is going to make money off your music, it might as well be the people who created it!

did make money. Unlike Jello, they squandered theirs.