r/SkateTribune

MUSIC HISTORY

THE BAND THAT GOT BANNED IN D.C.

Washington, D.C., 1979. Four Black musicians fuse hyper speed punk with dub reggae, and the clubs shut their doors.

1. 1976 to 1979. Four D.C. musicians start as Mind Power, a jazz fusion band. Sid McCray turns them onto punk. They become Bad Brains, and H.R. moves from guitar to lead vocals.
2. The Sound. Hardcore punk at unprecedented speed, fused with dub reggae and Rastafari spirituality. Precision chaos no one had heard before.
3. 1979. Their explosive shows whip crowds into a frenzy. D.C. area clubs blacklist them. The ban is later immortalized in the anthem Banned in D.C.
4. The Move. Around 1980, they relocate to New York City, becoming CBGB regulars and a catalyst for the burgeoning hardcore scene of the city.

The ban that made them legends.

Sources. Wikipedia, Bad Brains. Louder Sound, The chaotic rise, fall and rise of Bad Brains. Ghost Cult Magazine, Bad Brains Are You Ready feature. Photo via Aquarium Drunkard.

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