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CultureQuiet 9d · day 10

Bad Brains' wild first sessions reissued as punk legends discuss chaos and self-sabotage

The Guardian interviews members of the influential Black punk band about their early recordings, drug struggles, and controversial history.

newest coverage 8d agosummary written 8d ago7 pieces NewswiresMastodonGoogle NewsReddit

What to know

  • The Guardian has published an interview with Bad Brains tied to a reissue of their early wild first studio sessions, featuring band members discussing their formation and musical philosophy.
  • Bad Brains were a pioneering Black punk and hardcore band from Maryland whose eclectic influences ranged from funk and jazz fusion to punk, and whose philosophy of positive mental attitude (PMA) shaped their radical self-belief.
  • Despite critical acclaim and major influence on artists from Rage Against the Machine to the Beastie Boys, the band balanced feted performances with an 'excruciating capacity for self-sabotage.'

“We had an art teacher that would let us bring in records. So you're making papier-mache, or whatever the fuck, and our clique of musicians met by bringing in things like Billy Cobham's Spectrum rather than Earth, Wind & Fire.”

Darryl Jenifer, Bad Brains bassist · The Guardian ↗

HR (Paul D Hudson) Bad Brains frontmanDarryl Jenifer Bad Brains bassistDr Know (Gary Wayne Miller) Bad Brains guitaristEarl Hudson Bad Brains drummerBad Brains Punk and hardcore band

Bad Brains' wild first sessions reissued as punk legends discuss chaos and self-sabotage
theguardian.com

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  1. 1

    Guardian publishes extensive Bad Brains interview tied to early recordings reissue

    The Guardian published an interview with Bad Brains members discussing the band's formation in Maryland, their eclectic musical influences, and their philosophy of positive mental attitude (PMA). The piece is tied to a reissue of their wild first studio sessions and covers their history from their initial incarnation as Mind Power through their evolution into a punk and hardcore powerhouse.

    “for those who saw them in their prime, Bad Brains were, unequivocally, the best live band on the planet…”
    — The Guardian
    1. 2 outlets ‘They said we incited riots’: explosive punks Bad Brains on drugs, self-destruction and recording from jail

      first by Guardian Culture, 9d ago · also The Guardian

    • The Guardian has a great piece on #BadBrains: ‘They said we incited riots’: explosive punks Bad Brains on drugs, self-destruction and recording from jail. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/nov/02/riots-explosive-punks-bad-brains-first-studio-recording #Punk #PunkRock

      thefulcrum@thefulcrum.devMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • nwchapman@sfba.social

      "for those who saw them in their prime, Bad Brains were, unequivocally, the best live band on the planet" https://www. theguardian.com/music/2026/nov /02/riots-explosive-punks-bad-brains-first-studio-recording @ historyofpunkrock

      nwchapman@sfba.socialMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
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