Liberation Hall Announce “Sounds Of The San Francisco Underground” Live Series

Liberation Hall have announced a deal with former KALX Radio disc jockey Terry Hammer for a deep trove of vintage unreleased concerts recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area. Current plans are for most of the shows to appear as digital-only releases although select titles will also be released physically in 2023. All titles in the Sounds Of The San Francisco Underground series were originally broadcast on KALX Radio and have been endorsed by the respective artists. The first batch of digital-only titles focus on five Bay Area bands that were active in 1980. Only two of the acts released albums during their years in existence.

The Offs were a punk/ska band formed in 1978 by singer Don Vinil and guitarist Billy Hawk. They were soon joined by former Hot Tuna drummer Bob Steeler and a rotating lineup of horn players, including Bob Roberts, Roland Young and Richard Edson. On September 30th Live At The Mabuhay Gardens: March 1, 1980 will be released and you can now stream You Fascinate Me.

Times 5 was a quintet that blended new wave with the sounds of the British Invasion. The group was led by singer/guitarist David Nelson and multi-instrumentalist Rick Clare. Keyboardist Timmy Spence supplied the Farfisa organ melodies which set the group apart from the pack. Live At Berkeley Square: August 8, 1980 will be released on the 7th October and you can now stream Is Your Radio-Active?

Sudden Fun was a new wave band that formed as a reaction to the then-pervasive sounds of disco in the Bay Area. They self-released a four-song EP in 1979 and had the track (I Can’t Wait For The) Weekend Show featured on 415 Music. Live At The Old Waldorf: March 30, 1980 will be released on October 14th and you can stream Girl Of My Heart.

The Imposters formed as a three-piece in Sonoma County in 1978. They built a strong following, playing alongside bands like Crime, The Avengers, Dead Kennedys and The Dils. Their first release was the Night Time TV EP on 415 Records, which was followed by the Don’t Get Mad single on the same label. In 1983, they released the Mask album, which included King of America and Don’t Get Mad, two tracks which feature in this live set. On October 21st Live At Berkeley Square: August 8, 1980 will be released and you can stream Small Town Blues.

No Sisters was formed by the Barrett brothers: Pete, Tim, Tom, and Dave. At one point they were considered the top unsigned band in the Bay Area, and opened for such headliners as Joe Jackson, The B-52’s, Ramones and Oingo Boingo. No Sisters‘ debut single, Roscoe’s Family, was a regional hit October 28th will see Live At The Mabuhay Gardens: March 22, 1980 released and you can stream Baby Boom Baby.

“After the Sex Pistols played Winterland in January 1978, San Francisco became a mecca for punk and new wave bands. It all started with the Mabuhay Gardens, then other venues followed. As a disc jockey at KALX Radio, U.C. Berkeley, I noticed they had this great recording equipment that wasn’t getting much use. I decided to capture what was going on by recording and broadcasting these amazing bands over the radio. I recorded several hundred shows, a few dozen of which have been officially released. It’s incorrect to call these bootlegs; all the shows were authorized by the bands or their labels at the time of the recordings. I’m entrusting my complete audio library to Liberation Hall, and I know they will do a great job in getting this music out to the fans, both longtime and new.” (Terry Hammer)