14 February 2010

HATE FARM

This is the first post thus far on Terminal Escape that does not come from a cassette that I held in my hand, I almost opted out in favor of keeping the blog "pure," but I had to start my descent somewhere, and cheers to Ross for getting the ball rolling...



In the early 1990s, the 20 miles between Norman, Oklahoma and Oklahoma City could just as easily have been a fortified national border.  There were bands in Norman, some played fast and most drank (excessively), and those of us who toured used roughly the same network as the bands from OKC (then again, in 1992 there weren't exactly a lot of networks to choose from).  But while those of us in College Town, USA (version: Oklahoma) skipped class and played our keg parties and got gigs opening for whatever flavor of the month national touring act happened to be passing through like ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, SUPERCHUNK, or maybe FLIPPER...those kids in Oklahoma City were The Punx. I mean Punx like huffing gas and spanging and getting into fights with whoever, or themselves if that's all that was available, and we barely even knew that their bands fucking existed...probably because most of them were too fucked up for their bands to move from the bedroom/hangout/ rehearsal space to actually playing shows.  The shows they did play were legendary though...lots of summertime park gazebo gigs that featured every band that had at least thought about having a practice someday and the shows lasted far longer than anyone's patience did (these events were likely called "Punk Picnics"), house parties that evolved into drunken brawls that went from entertaining to unnerving to terrifying in the space of one drunken outburst (the aforementioned FLIPPER played one of these in OKC the day after my band played with them in a stale college strip rock club in Norman, and I remember hearing that GWAR played out of costume as well, and while that seems quite unlikely, several trustworthy friends claim to have been there), and every so often there would be a gig at a dance club (there was a seemingly endless supply of dance clubs around Oklahoma City at the time, mostly goth, and they would have shows...well, they would have a show, and then that would be it until the club changed owners).  


I was trading emails with my friend Ross about Oklahoma punk (old and new) and he mentioned that he still had this demo, I realized that I had never heard them recorded and asked him to send me a copy.  Imagine my surprise when it fucking ruled!! HATE FARM were a hicktown version of BLATZ, but they were far from a carbon copy.  Three vocalists fronting a seven person atonal assault on the senses...an absolute mess.  These are pretty much the same descriptors when discussing the live shows, except that on the demo it works brilliantly.  Chaos fucking punk from Oklahoma.  It's worth noting that HATE FARM featured ex-members of HATE PARTY, also from Oklahoma City, and I would really like a copy of that demo as well.  ...Anyone?



13 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting. You must have saw us practice. Maybe it was Staunch you thought sucked. Hate Farm played no shows in Oklahoma. Great weblog by the way!

the wizard said...

Ha!! I told you the divide between OKC and Norman was massive, clearly I can't even keep the bands straight! I don't think I ever saw STAUNCH, but it's very possible that I'm confusing HATE FARM with HATE PARTY, who I know I did see.
Either way, I'm guessing you had something to do with this demo? And if that's the case, fkkn great tape. It should be filed along with the scores of other bands that might have been legendary had they not been from "nowhere." That demo, at that time, from California? ....people from coast to coast would have buttflaps emblazoned with "HATE FARM."
Thanks for the comment.

Anonymous said...

I saw Staunch in OKC once. It was pretty fucking punk. It would be great to hear a Staunch recording.

john / milwaukee

Anonymous said...

Chris, no Hate Farm shows in OK? Could've sworn they played a house show with the Rejects that ended up with many drunk punks and one stolen guitar.

Anonymous said...

GWAR did play out of costume in 1992 at one of the party houses in OKC, I was there and I believe Chris may have been there also. It was a hell of a night!

Unknown said...

I will agree with the new evidence and say we played one show before we left for tour. By show I mean our living room, packed with grinning idiots. Good times, big blur.
Different house, Robert's house, Oderus out of costume singing with Flipper. He gave me a swig off his vodka after I begged him. Different house, Robert's house. He put a boot print on the ceiling. There is video evidence and I WANT IT!
I was a Norman, OKC crossover kid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_Farm

the wizard said...

There's a dude who claims he can get me a video of the costume-less GWAR gig with FLIPPER. Believe that I will share it here if it ever does materialize.

All Okies: please get in touch if you have 80s/90s OK demos you'd be willing to share!

Anonymous said...

I have the Rejects (OKC) tapes from 91-92. Staunch (OKC) covering "Love Will Tear Us Apart", plus tapes from Lunch Bunch (Edmond), Real Ones (OKC), Takers (OKC), SRA (OKC), Siren Politicians (OKC), Unsociety (Tulsa), Death Puppy (Norman), maybe some other stuff. If interested in any of these let me know.

the wizard said...

this is me letting you know: I am interested in all this shit. please drop me a line, let me know what you want to trade.
iamtheverybadman@gmail.com

zhollows said...

I may not be an Okie, but I sure remember playing with P.E.N. in Kenosha. It was fun even though a lot of my drum shit went missing that night. Punk rock! I love the loose connections between Oklahoma and Aurora, IL. And Kenosha! Woohoo!

Anonymous said...

Post up that Unsociety demo when you get it- I'm sure THE MALONE won't care

mike said...

Check this out Wizard!!!The long lost footage of Flipper playing to "The Punx" at one of those wild okie house parties!Members of Gwar do jam with the Flipper guys.http://convulsingdischargeofinanity.blogspot.com/

mike said...

Flipper 1992
House Party in OKC (with Gwar)

https://youtu.be/WEkzw1nJ3Z4