Son of Sam was a hardcore punk band from Detroit, MI named after the Dead Boys song about the famed serial killer "(David) Richard Berkowitz," who was known to the public by the same moniker. The band originated in November of 1981. The founding members Joe Malicious and local hardcore legend "Lacy" (Hillside Stranglers, Detroit 442) worked together on the project with musicians simply known as Dave and John. Their first release was a demo tape in 1982 entitled "Bring out your Dead." However, rotating members and intermittent break-ups plagued the band's early history.
In 1985 after 4 years of struggling, the band finally found solid ground with what they call the "definitive line up" of Joe Malicious, Lacy, Paul Sinn, and Bob. The band put out a demo tape entitled "Fuck it to Death" and soon after the 7" EP "Childhood Games" band was featured on a Detroit Punk compilation entitled "Maniacs from the Motor City." The artwork of this compilation was created by member Joe Malicious.
This group of Motor City Punks was well known around the Detroit in the mid 80s. Headlining numerous shows from 1981 until the band went defunct in 1991. They shared the stage with big hardcore acts of the time such as Edinburgh's Hardcore Second Wave pioneers The Exploited. Their raw recordings and attitude were in line with what one would expect, coming from a city with such an illustrious musical history.
In 1985 as I mentioned before the band released the "Childhood Games EP" 7". The EP is a gallant little stroll through the sounds of Detroit Hardcore in the early to mid 80s. It's a definite mesh of UK82 and early American Hardcore influences that shaped the sound of this band. Motor City Street Punks.
Four tracks listed as:
A1. Childhood Games
A2. Son of Sam
B1. Jack-off Love
B2. Violent Eruption
Son of Sam - Myspace
Hopefully we will see a reissue of this 7" some day. And you can still catch Lacy performing and working in the scene in Detroit. Please support his current projects.
Current and More Recent bands featuring the vocalist Lacy:
Awesome post. I've been telling people for years that this band has been grossly overlooked.
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