By Dod

The Bongo club was new to me, it was a small venue. Like a big hall with a smallish crowd, maybe 200. Intimate, which to be honest I prefer.

I was there to see The Dickies - one of the first punk bands to emerge from LA in 1978. Their style is humorous with lots of props and fast paced punk cover versions of a few well known songs.

They started off with “Nights in White Satin” followed by “I’m OK” and “Got it at the Store”. Then it was let’s go mental as “Paranoid” was played and the crowd duly obliged jumping about.

I noticed Wattie from Exploited was in the crowd too.

Then it was time for Leonard Graves Phillips to bring out the props. “Waterslide” where they use a blow up doll, water mask
and snorkel. “Doggie Do” has a dog puppet,
“Ape” he puts on an ape mask

Stan Lee on the guitar plays like he is on fire, on top of the speaker in front of him
and pulling lots of faces.

Then it was time for what everyone had come to hear - “Banana Splits” had the venue totally rocking and all jumping about including yours truly.