The Germs are:
Darby Crash: Vocals (died 1980)
Pat Smear: Guitars
Lorna Doom: Bass
Don Bolles: Drums

Forming in Los Angeles in 1977, The Germs quickly rose to prominence amongst the first-wave LA bands thanks to their fabulously confrontational Stage shows (taking the baton from The Sex Pistols and Piggy Pop) with Crash regularly attacking the-presumably petrified crowds and dousing his body with whatever came to hand; food, drink, broken glass. Although this fury could never be fully captured on record, their one album released in Crash's lifetime, 1979's "G.I.", was an excellent blast of volatile LA punk.

Soon, however the bands greatest asset Crash himself, turned into their downfall. Having spent a period of time in the UK, he returned akin to a more talented Sid Vicious, heroin addicted and playing more solo shows that band gigs. The small amount of material recorded during this late period, was later collated together with the "GI" album, in the fairly comprehensive collection "M.I.A." (1993).

Crash died of an overdose, on December 7th 1980 (a day before Lennon's assassination). The Coroner ruled it was probably suicide. Smear rose to worldwide attention in 1994 when he joined Nirvana shortly before Cobain's death. He then went on to join Grohl in the Foo Fighters for a short period.

Profile by: William Fuller

Links

• The Germs Unofficial Homepage - for some basic background info on the group

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