Friday, September 30, 2005

Surviving Germs Reuniting For Shows

Seminal Los Angeles punk act the Germs will perform for the first time in nearly 25 years next month, with actor Shane West assuming the lead singer role previously filled by the late Darby Crash. As previously reported, West is portraying Crash in the biopic "What We Do Is Secret," which is due for release next year.

The Germs will be joined at the Oct. 29 show at Los Angeles' Grand Olympic Ballroom by Suicidal Tendencies, the Dead Kennedys, Marky Ramone and Flipper. The venue was a haven for formative punk shows in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The surviving members of the Germs (guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles) have not performed together since Dec. 3, 1990. All three served as consultants on "What We Do Is Secret," which will feature a mix of original Germs music and versions performed by the actors portraying the band members.

"[West] got so close to being Darby that it actually freaked out a lot of the scenesters that came by the set," director Rodger Grossman recently told Billboard.com. "He committed to doing this role in a way that I've never seen an actor commit to do anything. He read all the books that Darby read. He got blue contacts and prosthetic teeth permanently affixed to his, which had to be 'chipped out' so his teeth were more like Darby's."

According to a statement, the Germs plan to tour the United States and Europe in the months ahead. Already confirmed is a performance during Riot Fest 2005, scheduled for Nov. 4-5 in Chicago, as well as a Nov. 25 date at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif.

source: billboard

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