Eastside Punks Episode 3: Stains

For episode three of Eastside Punks, we turn our attention to East L.A.’s first, most notorious, punk band. Boyle Heights’ Stains were contemporaries, and friends, of Los Angeles first-wave bands Germs, X, Mau Maus, Screamers, and The Gears. Though they viewed themselves as apart from the more celebrated acts of East L.A.’s first punk wave, they were nonetheless the first; the band that members of The Brat, Thee Undertakers, and Los Illegals saw before those bands had gotten off the ground.
The Stains were heavy dudes from a heavy neighborhood who lived the punk ethos to various extremes and channeled that mayhem into songs and performances that were chaotic, wild, and self-destructive. Their infamy often shrouded the fact they were also accomplished musicians drawing from influences well outside of most punks’ frames of reference-Deep Purple, UFO, Andrés Segovia, flamenco-and filtering them into songs steeped in various psychoses and fascist fetish nightmares.
It might be hard to fathom just how revolutionary the Stains were in a modern era where everything is “extreme,” but the metal-punk hybrid sound they pioneered starting in 1977 proved a seminal influence on SST label mates Black Flag and predated by several years similar efforts by others, like Void, Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, Metallica, and so on. Largely dismissed or outright written out of L.A.-and East L.A.-punk history, the Stains’ criminally out-of-print self-titled album still sounds as fresh and incendiary as it did upon its initial recording nearly forty years ago and continues to inspire Eastside punk bands several generations down.
Eastside Punks is a film series about Los Angeles’s other punk scene, one whose existence has developed parallel to, and occasionally intersected with, but remains largely marginalized from L.A.’s greater musical underground. Blending live footage and interviews with multiple generations of musicians, artists, writers, and scenesters, Eastside Punks taps into stories from the scene’s history: from its beginnings in East L.A.’s art and music underground of the 1970s to the rise and fall of its premier club, The Vex, and the bands that called it home; how its 1980s rebirth as a wholly underground scene based in backyards and advertised on flyers and traded cassette tapes led to the celebrated Chicano Groove music scene of the late 1990s; and how it remains a vibrant subculture where Chicano rasquachismo meets punk DIY to create one of the few remaining corners of punk’s true underground.
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[@OtherMike5000]

Stains LP is an EPIC LA Punk Rock LP - Epic. This Documentary was AWESOME!!!

[@Shikta-poobah67]

God that Stains album is so fuckin’ good! I grew up in Houston, so I heard of the Texas Stains first (who became MDC), but the L.A. Stains were *SO MUCH* better. They were the very first punk/metal crossover band. Well, them and China White. I never really knew their story until watching this. I just knew they were from East L.A., were on SST, and that their one and only album wasn’t released until 2 years after it was recorded, and after they had broken up. I had actually first heard them on an SST compilation called “Chunks”. The song was “Sick and Crazy”. It blew me away at the time. Anyway it’s nice to finally get the back story on these guys. I didn’t realize they started as early as they did. To this day, their album remains one of the best punk albums to ever come out of L.A.

[@joelvinceramirez534]

Dude Jessi fixed was my friend

[@drunvert]

I forgotten about China White

[@javi__...]

Saw this a few years ago on here but i thought id come back and watch again. They certainly deserve to be remembered.

[@owenwilberforce6138]

I always get the feeling when I think about how important Latinos were to punk rock how weird it is they are often overlooked in the historical record. It’s like if Latinos could have a superhero to represent them sadly it have to be The Invisible Man. I hate to classify it as racism as much as it is hipster indifference to anything challenging English domination. This and the Jeffrey Lee Pierce documentary give a great insight into how Latinos were sure as hell part of the scene. It’s the classic case that at the time they were too real and in your face to be given their due. It’s like denying Chuck Berry, or any of the kingpins like Little Richard or Link Wray were the actual Kings of Rock ‘n Roll. The mavericks always came from the wrong side of the tracks and weren’t really celebrated for their innovations. Glad this video tells the real story.

[@TheSWolfe]

Punk in Peace, Mr. Fixx. Blessed Be.

[@emilyoshiro]

Stains were excellent Saw them twice

[@TheSWolfe]

Yay Stains! 'Sup, guys? I still have pix awa great memories of seeing you all at that LADS BBQ/Reunion gig yrs back. Hope all's well, Sharon & "Little" Lino Lousy. I see my Lino (Rock in Peace) @ 1:42! He loved you guys & made sure to turn me onto yr music when I 1st came to L.A. in 1984. Will hafta show this to Jr when he gets here. Wow. I still have that wristband Lino's wearing. It's all stiff and grey now, kinda like me, Lol!

[@irksome7]

lol this guy's my grandpa never thought Id get to see him if it wasn't just a family picture

[@user-fv3lp3ey5n]

Stains are important.

[@Canis_Fatalis]

Never thought I would see a film about these guys. Very cool to hear their stories. I loved every second of this. Kinda makes me wish I was part of the 80s LA punk scene. But I'm glad I wasn't. haha

[@carlosguzman1929]

These mini docs are really great. I remember buying this lp used at amoeba records the first week they opened for .99.

[@punkfan3280]

You got it for a great deal, it goes for like $400 now

[@ResoRonnie]

I totally love this series. Who would have thought about covering East LA Punk. Great job, so interesting. Los Angeles culture revealed!

[@georgie23]

Damn some of the best gigs I went to was in East Los, Boyle Heights! Good times!!

[@palent4869]

The Stains were one of my favorite bands and still are, no one sounded like them. Heard "Revenge" on local community radio and fell in love with the guitar sound and eventually the band as a whole with the Stains LP. Up until this video I wasn't sure if anybody else even knew about them. I always mention them in discussions about cool early bands, but no one had heard of them. I didn't know anything about the Stains except I liked their music. Thanks for this video

[@pilarmonteiroclarosriepenh1139]

THANK DE GODZ FOR THIS!!!!!!! yo SST did wrong on this!!! Wtf?!?!? Wtf. I teared up ...... been loving them so much telling anyone about them for years cuz alot o ppl didnt hear about em, the originality and quality is superb smashing punk and im mega gratful for this. WHEREZ DE LYRICS!?!?!??!!??

[@13JDOG666]

RIP Robert Becerra

[@TheCccreature]

The Stains were absolutely blistering live in the early days. I saw them a few times and was floored. Singer Rudy once jumped off the stage and scrapped with a heckler and then returned to his singing chores and fucking ripped it up! We knew a few of their songs from some comps in '81, but that was all until that album in '83 came and went. cheers, Andy Nystrom

[@rogra2087]

Damn, just checked to see if any records even exist, 1 on Discogs by a ........ reseller. F'ing 500$ that's sad. So glad I have a cd from the nineties. This stuff needs to be put out again, especially now... Whatever happens, no matter-Down for the Stains por vida♡ &respito>gracias y todos mas×

[@jasonmisfit5781]

​@@rogra2087 Robert and Dez were good friends and STILL ARE TO THIS DAY

[@rogra2087]

@@jasonmisfit5781 ☆Right on! I've learned a lot more since that buzzed comment 2 years ago. Still luv the Stains and still wish that lp could be re-released... Any idea why not? Mucho respito y appreciation.☆

[@anfrankogezamartincic1161]

This band was fucking great, well writen songs, great energy, uuggh,life is not fair

[@captain2man713]

Thank you for this. I've had that Stains album since about '86 and have always loved it. You so rarely hear people talk about them and they've become a bit of a mystery. It's good to see that Rudy, Caesar & Gilbert are alive and looking well. Some great footage and interviews here. Really enjoyed this.

[@jasonmisfit5781]

​@@refrigeratornoise3046 Robert is sick in the hospital sadly

[@tuckerreda1759]

@jasonmisfit5781 Jason this is Tucker from PDX (we traded Stains and Lockjaw photocopies). Wishing Robert all the best. What's your email address?

[@pumasgoya]

I still have my lp. Yes, I understood back then that they were being ignored.

[@husky500cr]

I saw them in 1980 at the Hideaway downtown L.A. which everybody trash that night.

[@refrigeratornoise3046]

Robert Becerra is a true pioneer who fused his own style of metal and hard rock to be later ripped off by Greg Ginn (read about it in Stevie Chick’s book “Spray Paint the Walls the Story of Black Flag” ). Now it all makes sense why Greg Ginn didn’t release their record for 3 years after The Stains were already broken up). If that doesn’t scream insecurity and inadequacy on Ginns part as a guitarist and the head of SST records then I don’t know what does.

[@aweshumandy]

Right, after this and what Ron Reyes and his ex-wife had to say about him I have little to no respect for the guy anymore. Feels less like a visionary and more like an opportunist. Greg Ginn is more Edison than Tesla, I suppose.

[@skinheadyouth66]

Definitely 💯 Greg ginn fucked over the talent and originality of the Stains. Sad but guess what that Stains lp is worth $800 now. Fuck Greg

[@tfries1607]

Love the stains forever. Sick n crazy

[@electricwizard3000]

Totally remember The Stains from the Nest scene. They were kickass.

[@nekroscot]

I saw the Stains once at a reunion show at a skateboard shop in Alta Loma California, I cant remember the year. But Rudy is one hella of a dude.

[@blackhistoryofrocknroll]

One of my fave LA bands

[@kingofpentacles3213]

That Stains album is amazing. I grew up in Glendale and used to see their name on flyers for shows. But not having an album out I didn’t know much about them. Then there were 100s of other bands to listen to. So I never actually heard their album until like 7 years ago. I just never bothered to buy it when I saw it at record stores. I don’t really know why. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@akumapunxs5482]

I remeber finding out about the stains I was just searching punk bands from L.A and once they popped up I was fucking hooked loved there music 🤘🏽🤘🏽🔥🔥

[@pariahthistledowne3934]

Bags get all the early ELA cred...and i love the Bags, but yous guys were great!

[@savagebeat]

Really like this doc, never knew much about them, though I saw them a few times back then. Always great. The last time I saw them before their reunion type shows was with Snickers formerly of the Simpletones on vocals. They were a little more overtly metal by that point.

[@phantom_troubadour]

Flipper has helped keep the human race safe from alien attacks.

[@stevencastillo8914]

28 year old hear just discovered u guys good stuff, those other bands from east los were alright but these guys seem like the best of them

[@user-hf3xv2cb1h]

Thank you for this

[@glengreen4928]

Definitely in my top three favorite SST bands.

[@MrSpyhere]

The stains made the best album of all time FUCKIN FITE ME DIRTBAGS

[@james.6042]

STAINS Rule Punk music , STAINS NOT DEAD RIP JESSE FIXX.

[@fiercemakeup31]

I love Robert, he's a great guy and I miss him!!!

[@Marcellussmiley]

Loved it

[@devinherndon6867]

Such a great unsung band and record. Just amazing!! Not a bad tune on it.

[@artmunoz1567]

Good work Jimmy!! Very informative and well produced.

[@jimmyalvarado6752]

Much thanks, carnal! Hope you, Vickie and the kids are well and safe! Much love, brother!

[@jimmyalvarado6752]

Be sure to check out the other two videos!

[@artmunoz1567]

Did watch them. Really enjoying the series! All is good thanks!!

[@user-wt5ig6ff8e]

The stains are SICK

[@joelvinceramirez534]

I help him get a job at my job in Los Angeles as a dishwasher he to save the wine from peoples glasses he was going to wash put them in the picture mixed together and drink them God bless Jesse fix

[@kriscarrillo6434]

Haha.! My brother did that when he worked at Tx roadhouse. Peoples leftovers in to go boxes they didn’t finish and margaritas and mixed drinks into styrofoam cups.

[@vinylrichie007]

The Stains were great.

[@jayoakes7874]

Amazing

[@vinylvinylvinyl]

So Good!

[@thenobullshtchannel8768]

NO PLACE TO PISS was here!! 77 boys.. ☠️

[@rogra2087]

Shout out to the whole gang from Pico Rivera/Whittier way?..loved hanging out at that bday party at the Vets hall off Slauson 07 . Peace an Shove.

[@joelvinceramirez534]

Jesse fix was a good friend of mine me and my ex-wife Cynthia I last saw him at my ex-wife's party

[@NasionalSkateboards]

greetings from Costa Rica, nice doc man!!

[@Skarlos13]

está brutal ahh mi Valdo!!!

[@lumanchu3386]

Rad‼️🖤🎼

[@jasonmisfit5781]

STAINS RULE,PERIOD!!!

[@silkyglimpses7686]

❤

[@talktokale]

This was fucking great. Thank you.

[@LD10000]

WOW! NICE!!!! Robert was hands down the scariest person in punk rock at that time. Short ride in a fast car for sure. Thanks you guys! P.S. you guys let quake in the band?

[@billygnosis6976]

I thought that was Pat Smear for a moment.....

[@rickchristie2383]

R.I.P.

[@samuelblinne6040]

Awesome

[@natocoles7705]

Very cool.

[@i-land-beat]

this is great

[@HankAttack89]

Wow this was so good, I can’t believe I’ve never heard of them.

[@trencher7]

I had a mint copy of their album I bought in high school and it got stolen my last move. Did I hear they might repress???

[@jackrivera6928]

We’re working on it. Thanks!

[@i-land-beat]

@@jackrivera6928 please do

[@jerrykid18]

@@jackrivera6928 please do!

[@stayradbmx]

Super rad

[@peteespinosa2530]

PUNK ROCK !!!!!! Buttacne 🍺

[@501stpunker3]

Anyone know the lyrics to sick and crazy? If you can post them, that would be awesome. Thank you

[@pilarmonteiroclarosriepenh1139]

Lyrics to all songs plz!!!

[@jasonmisfit5781]

​@@pilarmonteiroclarosriepenh1139 I was their bass player from 2010-2012

[@luisjoselopeziii236]

Wish they would stop being labeled and referred to only as the “band from East LA” they were a punk band from LA just like X, The Germs, The Dickies, no matter what region of LA it’s from. These bands all created and helped define punk rock and paved the way for so many later punk rock bands. Minneapolis punk bands like Husker Du (who were also on SST) and The Replacements weren’t labeled or defined as “north Minneapolis hardcore” or “South Saint Paul hardcore” , they were just bands from Minneapolis, period.

[@pumasgoya]

You like to swim against the current dont you? If they're labeled as being from East Los it's for a good reason. Being from north Minneapolis means nothing.

[@punkfan3280]

The way LA is it’s important to have distinctions where bands are from. The scenes from each part of town can be completely different from somewhere else even in the same city.

[@petermclaughlin3292]

Nice

[@stevegilmore2093]

Anybody know where I can find the footage at 7:20 ?

[@ppramone530]

loli y los chones are the kids from boyle heights.

[@tikitorturedmf]

Saw them many times back in the day. Great band.

[@lisettehalfacre36]

Song at the end of the episode?

[@jimmyalvarado6752]

“Think Hard.” It’s from a demo they recorded in 1989. You can find another version, recorded in 2009, by the album lineup elsewhere on KZbin.

[@jackrivera6928]

“Think Hard” unreleased demo.

[@skinheadyouth66]

Imo they are the best LA hardcore punk band aside from Fear.

[@joho58b]

The Stains were the shit!!!! really the only true Punk band from E L A, Los Illegals weren't a Punk band, they were more of a slick Rock band, The Brat andd the Undertakers had a Punk edge but The Stains were it....

[@goldenjoeblow]

Such a shame their album never got a proper reissue, but thats what SST is. One of the worst run labels ever. Everyone who had releases on that label and who was able to afford to sue Greg Ginn were able to get back their rights.

[@Allanfreedom2004]

No you wernt.you were a bully. Acting tough . Thats why i didnt go to your gigs . I got the gears in the masque the plugs . They were all nice . Arrogance is foolish to witness. I was a Delevan Boy we never lost a fight . Even agains 2000 east la gangs at once 7 of us won the we chased the police to the edge of town . Your luck i didnt punch you . Judge said no more braking bones so you got lucky. Roberto

[@sociallypatterneddefect9580]

Woke California band 😂

[@theexplorer565]

isn't the point of being punk to not care about recognition from peers or critics? how is it that punk bands talk shit about being anarchist but then sign record deals and complain about not owning the rights in a mini doc lol

[@pilarmonteiroclarosriepenh1139]

This bands kick super ass its amazing

[@pilarmonteiroclarosriepenh1139]

they deserve stuff... innovative af. Better recognition in the musical world would be a right thing. Seems like sst were shit with em, supposedly a punk label... made a crap deal. u can understand em here.

[@stevemalibu99]

Great fucking band