The Curtain Call...

Footage from the end of the night of our Final Kiss or Kill...

Thank you...

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE IT OUT TO THE FINAL KISS OR KILL SHOW!!!!

photo by Jessy Plume 12/12/07 @ approx. 2:00am

What a great way to pay tribute to something that became and will remain a part of us for the rest of our lives!


Thank you everyone for the last five years.

We have uploaded some of the pictures from Wednesday to our myspace page at www.myspace.com/kissorkillclub We will also add them to our blog when time allows. Thank you to Jessy Plume for being the nights official “photographist” and to Kerri Bruce for sharing her personal pix as well. If anyone else would like to share pix from the evening (and we hope you will) please feel free to send them to kissorkillnews@yahoo.com along with how you’d like to be credited.


Thank you to 405East for capturing the night’s ending which is a great example of the past five years enjoy the video they put together

I think Mike TV’s posting yesterday sums up all of our feelings from the Wednesday night show!!!

Now, I know that there are a bunch of you that are at least familiar with Kiss or Kill. It's not so much a club as it is a scene of bands, a family of sorts, that have congregated at various nightclubs over the past five years making music, hanging out, and supporting each other. Kiss or Kill had their final show last night. And it was magic. There's no other word. Every now and again, something happens in your life that you know is elevated beyond normal human experience. Which I think of as magic. And this night was exactly that. There was so much love in the room that I had to step outside and breath cigarette smoke for a while, just to catch my breath.

So, to all my fellow Kissers and Killers, thank you so much for allowing me to share the stage, floor, bars, bathrooms, and beds with you. I know it's not goodbye. I know we'll all be playing with each other in other venues and at other shows. But the fact that Kiss or Kill, the club itself, has taken it's final bow reminds me that all beautiful things live on forever, if only in our hearts. And when it is time for my heart to stop beating and the final chapter on my life comes to an end, and that final page is turned, I will perhaps rest a little easier knowing that I was part of something unique and singular in all of human history. That I got to witness and be a part of something extraordinary. So, thank you, thank you, thank you, you magnificent bastards!

With great, steaming piles of love and affection,

Mike TV

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill:Robert Dean

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill

by Robert Dean


One word: Midway

It was towards the end of 2003 and Corey, Cortney and myself were stalking this band Midway all summer and they were booked at some place called Kiss or Kill at the Garage. The line up: She, Midway, Ballentine, Bang Sugar Bang and the Dollyrots - I'd checked online and listened to some mp3s and liked what I heard.

The door chick asked for the two bucks and which band we were here to see. Midway...oh and Bang Sugar Bang. Oh I kind of want to see the Dollyrots too.

Over the years my answer was usually "Um, all of them."

In this way Kiss or Kill co-existed with the much hipsterized Silver Lake-centric music scene but without regard to what was hip, to what might be Pitchforked so you could say you were there first.

We didn't give too much of a shit about that. It was about a great set. It was about great conversations and if you didn't know the band being discussed no one looked down at you for that. That first night people smiled at you, the bartender was nice, there was great music of course and completely zero bullshit attitude that Los Angeles has a reputation for.

For me trying to put myself together after a long disintegration of a marriage Kiss or Kill allowed me to be that weird guy in the back, that new face thrown around to Bang Sugar Bang sets only to be picked up by a stranger and only after they made sure I was alright. I was learning to be social again after being isolated from creative stimulation. I've been on the far, far edge of scenes before (the Op Ivy, Green Day, Mr T Exp. Skankin' Pickle, Berkeley Square, Gilman of the late 80s Bay Area - knowing people, seeing a few shows here and there) so when I walked into the Zen week after week seeing bands that supported each other, the fans and the always quality sets, I now understood the old adage You Know it When You See It. There was something special going on week after week and there was no way I was not going to be part of it.

It was worth to show up early. It was worth to staying late. Amazing bands, cheap beer, tequila gun shots, drunken conversations, and crazy crushes made it interesting. Favorite moments: pogo jumping to Midway, looking over to see Zen packed with every head in motion to King Cheetah, sobering up late at The Echo with The Letter Openers blowing my mind, starting the Holy Shit chant for Automatic Music Explosion the first time I saw them at Safari Sam's. The Dollyrots. The Randies. DG. ha.



I want to thank Cooper, Matt, Johnny, Andre, and Siria for their must see you play first booking policy. A couple points which should be noted: The Atomic Missiles and the NYC Street Wave crowd really upped the ante during the Echo period. More importantly, Cooper's letter in the first half of the Zen Sushi period had to be the turning point for Kiss Or Kill. It was heartfelt call to arms that solidified Kiss or Kill the community. It made a difference to many of us by realizing this special thing should be supported and not taken for granted.

It wasn't perfect - it was a scene after all with all the gossip and drama worthy of Melrose Place - but it was special for many of us. We all had busy lives and with what little money I had I commuted a hour each way to work, took a nap showered and drove in 35 miles almost every week for two years. This is how special Kiss Or Kill was to me. And sometimes it was the little things that reminded me why: If someone stepped on your foot or elbowed you they always apologized. Strangers bought me free drinks. I'd bought drinks for people I didn't even like but in the crowd we were all part of this fucked up, creative family - And hell, we all needed a drink in hand for the Beer Song, right?

God I'm sappy.

-Robert Dean De Jesus
(aka Pissy Smurf to Matt Southwell)
(hey my last name isn't Dean)

Tonight the Final Kiss or Kill!!!!

The time has come.

As it was announced in October (see the original announcement here ) and in the LA Weekly here (thank you Falling James for the support)...

TONIGHT Wednesday December 12th, 2007 marks the date of the Final Kiss or Kill.

The last five years have been amazing. The people we’ve met and friendships found have been some of the most genuine this town has to offer. The same can be said of the bands and talent that have graced the stage under the Kiss or Kill banner the last five years.

We hope that all of you will join us in one final celebration of the community that you all helped to build.

We want to be surrounded by all of our friends on this final evening that we congregate as Kiss or Kill and don’t want any of you excluded, however due to capacity issues and added security measures that will be taken on this final evening we urge you to arrive early (and stay late of course) and please if you are not in a band that is playing this final evening enter through the front entrance of El Cid. There will be a Security Guard monitoring the back throughout the evening. None of us (John, Cooper, Matt, Siria, Rob, Andre, Amanda) will be able to help anyone get in if the venue reaches capacity.

There will be performances from the founders of Kiss or Kill Silver Needle and Bang Sugar Bang as well as Underwater City People, The Randies, and Midway. They’ve all been working on surprises for you so it’s guaranteed this bittersweet evening may be filled with some once in a lifetime special surprises.

It will go down at El Cid (4212 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA) doors will open at 9:00 pm and the cover will be $5 All Night.

As always our Favorite HOST Rob Z will act as our Masterbator of Ceremonies one final time.

Dave Palamaro is also obliging us with a sneak peek at the Kiss or Kill Documentary that he has been working on. Having watched this special trailer he put together for the occasion we can guarantee that if you’ve been around at any point in the last five years you won’t want to miss it…the memories…

We will have also have a free photobooth for all of you to get pictures taken with each other all night.

Urban Construction Designs and friends www.myspace.com/urbanconstructiondesigns will also be on hand displaying their accessories which will be available for you to purchase.

Also, a reminder that we do still have a limited amount of T-Shirts, Stickers, and Comps I and II are still available and if you would like to purchase anything you should do so before we are completely out as we will NOT be ordering any more merch after these are gone.


Thank you to Monica for designing our Final Poster.

See you all Tonight!

GO! Pick of the Week LA Weekly

GO! Pick of the Week
from LA Weekly
original article at:
http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lsd&task=default&id=140694&tab=calendar&Itemid=571

Kiss or Kill

When Bang Sugar Bang and Silver Needle first put on their own shows under the "Kiss or Kill" tag five years ago, they made a collective decision to avoid ruthless pay-to-pay promoters and nightclubs with high door prices and unfriendly bouncers. They kept their covers low (usually $5), even as their miniscene of friends quickly expanded, ultimately encompassing more than 100 bands, necessitating a move from small bars to bigger venues. They even saved enough money to release two vital compilation CDs that introduced the world to such inventive punk and power-pop combos as the Letter Openers, The Randies, Zeitgeist Auto Parts, Midway, Bobot Adrenaline and the King Cheetah. The musicians named their weekly shows Kiss or Kill after a lyric in the X classic “We’re Desperate,” as Bang Sugar Bang guitarist Matt Southwell explains, “because we were all completely desperate for a music scene in Hollywood where our style and attitude about music fit in.” Apparently the little DIY scene’s success was enough to threaten the complacency of corporate-rock dinosaurs KissT, who have threatened bank-busting legal action under the dubious premise that the “Kiss or Kill” moniker somehow infringes on their mighty empire. Tonight’s the final kiss-off: Roll over, Goliath, and tell Gene Simmons the news. Kiss or Kill presents its final night of rising local pop-punk bands, including Bang Sugar Bang, Underwater City People, Silver Needle, Midway, the Randies and surprise guests. (Falling James)

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Joe Dana

How I came across Kiss or Kill.

by Joe Dana

"the most photographed person in Kiss or Kill history"

A long time ago I was floating from stupid job to stupid job to no job at all to stupid job again. I filled the down time drinking at a bar called Max’s. It is gone now. My friend, Glen, and I would go there quite often but we especially enjoyed Sunday nights.

Sunday was the slowest night for the bar so they tried to get more people to show up by making the beer extra cheap. They also brought in a DJ named Lori who would play all our favorite songs. She would mostly play punk rock and all the “alternative” rock that KROQ had long forgotten about.

Once in a while, Lori would play a few tracks from this local band. Glen and I would always forget what the band was called since we were drinking heavily at the time. On one particular night we asked Lori who the band was again.

She replied, “They are called Bang Sugar Bang and they are sitting right there”

Glen ended up buying their EP which included the song, “Posh Kids” and a few others. I talked to Cooper most the night about local bands. She passed me a flier for a kiss or kill show that I wouldn’t be able to attend. I thought she was a way cool though. She was one of the first people I ever met who knew who Sex with Lurch were. We discussed the recent Sex Pistols reunion show and we discussed just shows in general.

I remember saying, “Yeah. I’d love to be the type of guy who sees a show like once a week.”

I finally saw Bang Sugar Bang at a crap bar on the west side called Joxer Dailies. It was a Halloween show so I dressed like a priest with a hard on. Also playing that night were the Shapes. I think the only other people there were Nancy Jean and her brother. The venue only had one mike so Cooper and Matt had to share. They didn’t even turn down the sports on the TV.

Despite all of this, Bang Sugar Bang blew me away. They were pop punk in the best sense of the word. They made me think of X and the Pixies and so many others. They ended covering suspicious minds.

After the show, we all went to Nancy Jean’s place in Venice . Everyone went to bed and Matt and I stayed up until sunrise drinking corona, eating cold pizza and discussing World War II and punk rock.

After that, Bang Sugar Bang, their friend and Glen and I became sort of a Sunday night drinking club. I told everyone I knew about Bang Sugar Bang. I knew we’d all be going to their next show at Goldfingers.

My first Kiss or Kill show was here. The line up was The Shapes, Silver Needle, Deadbeat Sinatra, Bang Sugar Bang. I was blown away by all the bands that played. The Shapes had the quintessential “Fuck you” front man, Silver Needle had this raw energy that couldn’t be touched, Deadbeat Sinatra made you think of knife fights in classic movies, and Bang Sugar Bang just plain owned the stage.

Before Bang went on, someone with Goldfingers pushed their slot later and some crap country band played before them. Matt was pissed. Cooper cried and Chris (Poulos aka DJ CPod) tried to comfort her. Then they took the stage and played a blistering set. I banged by head on Matt’s guitar which became my signature move until my head couldn’t take it anymore. Chris used to have the poster from this show on his wall.

The next Kiss or Kill was at the Garage. I don’t remember who played that. What I do remember is how the Sunday night drinking club started re convening at the Garage on Tuesday nights. The booze was cheap and you didn’t have to pay a cover if you were planning to stay in the bar and drink. DJ Annathena played great music too. The bartender Tony made sure we’d be drunk and happy. Tobin, the owner of the garage was always fantastic to us. Suddenly our Tuesday night drinking nights became Kiss or Kill nights.

Then a bunch of other shit happened.

I was there for most of it. Some parts I remember and some parts I don’t. A lot of great bands, venues, people, some drama, and wonderfulness.

Thanks to Johnny 99, Cooper, Matt, Siria, Rob Z, Andre and Amanda.

“Front Row” Joe
“Gorby Bang”

Final Kiss or Kill Show: Preview

Below find some videos from the bands performing at the Final Kiss or Kill this Wednesday December 12th @ El Cid

Underwater City People's Hynotized Video


The Thriller Performance from Halloween 2007
UCP Thriller Video at Kiss or Kill Halloween Show!!
..
Add to My Profile More Videos


Silver Needle

Zen Sushi 2004


Savior Skin Video featuring 04/05 Footage


@ Key Club Kiss or Kill First Fridays 2006



@ Safari Sams



Midway

Zen Sushi 2004



Music Video to Space Station

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The Randies

@ Zen Sushi 2004



@ Safari Sam's 2006



I Thought I Could Change Music Video


Bang Sugar Bang

@ Zen Sushi 2004



Posh Kids Video



Kis or Kill 2006 @ Safari Sams



2007 @ Safari Sams


That's Okay Video

A Note from Mike Schnee...

I think Kate Hudson is boring. I don’t know why I think that. . I’m
sure that if I met her, I would find her charming and beautiful. Pretty
girls have that effect on me. But, since I don’t think I’ll ever meet
her, I only have my gut feeling to go by, so Kate Hudson is boring.

And so will Wednesday nights be, after next week.
Kiss or Kill will be no more.

Sure, I’ve stopped going to Kiss or Kill recently (for the most part). I
can’t quite put a finger on WHY I’ve stopped, though. It certainly isn’t personal.

I owe a WHOLE lot to Kiss or Kill. It really did change my life.

Back in the early days of KorK ( the Garage era), Matt Southwell and I
were AIM buddies (FUITA). We’d chat daily about everything from
celebrity nudity to the latest awesome band that Matt saw at KorK
(Dollyrots, Waking Hours, OAOT’S, Letter Openers, etc).

I never left the house back then. I’d threaten to come out to KorK,
but never did. Instead I wrote and recorded tons of Wormstew songs that no one would ever hear. It didn’t bother me at all.

Anyway, Matt and I used to chat a whole lot on AIM. One day, he
suggested that I make a documentary on Kiss or Kill. It seemed like a crazy idea to me, based on the fact that I had only made a few short
videos at the time...but what the heck. Why not?

This idea went back and forth for a few weeks and almost died until one
night in early 2004. My friend Veneta and I went to check out the
Breeders at the Troubador. It ended early, so we jammed on down to Zen
Sushi, where we caught Bang Sugar Bang’s last song at KorK.

Finally, I was at Kiss or Kill! There was only one band left called Midway, and I figured I’d stick it out and hang around and see them.

I was blown away! The songs were so CATCHY. I was hooked.

So, I came around the next week. I brought my video camcorder. I was
gonna make a documentary! Matt introduced me to all his friends as
“the guy that’s gonna make the doc”.

I was treated like royalty- GIRLS would come up to me and talk. You
gotta understand, I’m the guy that hides in the corner if I go to a
party AT ALL.

I met many of the people I wanted to meet and be friends with….people
I had seen in pictures and videos…Joe, Danny, Simon, Sir Ian, Eric, The
Randies, Flaco, Johnny 99, Andre, etc….SO MANY people…and they were
ALL COOL.

After that, I met another ton of people that I hadn’t seen in
pictures and videos: Jon Rustad, Kevin from Midway, Celeste, forget it…too many.

If I go on, I’ll forget to mention some major people that mean a
whole to me.

And, of course, there is Rob Z. I sort of knew him (through Matt)
before Kiss or Kill. The man is amazing. To me, he symbolizes Kiss or Kill.

As for the documentary, this is how it worked: Each week, I’d get
there early and set up. I’d get a half way decent sound from 2 mics and to
board inputs…not the greatest, but better then “camcorder” sound.

Then I’d get myself and 2 other camera operators and film a selected
band’s entire set. I’ve got boxes of tapes.

The camera operators? Glen, Sir Ian, Jerdog, Nate, and a few others. Their work was INCREDIBLE. I’d go home, pick a song, and start editing…. They gave me SO much to work with. Many times, people would offer to pay me to film their band at a non-KorK event, but I’d
decline.

I couldn’t get my regulars to work with me, so it would end uplooking
like shit.

(Fuck..this blog is getting LONG. I didn’t expect it to be long. And
it’s getting to be boring. Kate Hudson boring. Sorry. If you’ve gotten this far, I’ll try to wrap it up.)

I was limited in free time to work on the documentary. I seemed to only
have time on Tuesday nights…KorK nights. I never got anything other
than performance clips. That’s okay though…the clips I got were pretty
good (thanks to my fellow camera operators and THE BANDS).

Let me talk about WHY I love KorK. Each of the bands (in the heyday) wrote SONGS. They were songs that stuck in my brain. I couldn’t get
enough of them. All the members were really nice, which was surprising
to me.

All the people on the “other side of the stage” were just as
important. We all felt like we were in an exclusive club (that anybody could
join).

The documentary (for ME) came to a close once KorK moved to the Echo
and my spare time was taken up with Pu$$y-Cow. It really WAS a dream come true to be able to play Kiss Or Kill. It was an honor.

It still is.

Instead of a documentary, I pledged that I would still use my talents
to help out KorK by making “video flyers”. Check them out if you’ve
never seen them…I have tons of them on my YouTube site. In fact, KorK promos take up probably 75% of my videos.

(To view a sampling click here or visit: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9021A78F47CE42B8)

Here are a couple of examples of the genius that are the KorK Video Flyers created by Mike Schnee






The Echo days were also very special. Many more people were met
(Ashley, the New Fidelity, etc), including one of the coolest and funniest
people around- Johnny Pumpkin. Did you know that it was SHE that invented the
term Creepy Cool? She’s pretty neat, but you all know that.

Here is that Chissum Worthington video for Creepy Cool:


Oh, that’s right. It was at the Echo where I met Chissum Worthington.

View more Chissum Worthington videos here

Nice guy.

After the Echo, Kork moved to Safari Sam’s. There were more cool
people to meet (Carina, David, Kjell etc).

It was around this time that I stopped going every week, and eventually
crawled back into my shell at home…writing tons of Wormstew songs that
no one will ever hear.

I’d go once in a while, but it always seemed to be when my band (or
Chissum) was playing. I felt pretty awful, to tell you the truth. I
feel that I should have EARNED the right to play KorK by showing up every
week.

Now Kiss or Kill is ending it’s long ride at El Cid. Great place.

It’s gonna be weird this coming Wednesday. Sure, I don’t go that
often, but it was always there…if I decided to come out of my shell once in
a while.

I’ve got a few hundred people to thank, but I will only mention a few
right here: Matt, Cooper, Johnny 99, Siria, Andre, Amanda and Rob Z.

You all should be proud of yourselves for making many people happy.

See you all Wednesday.

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Jason Pancake

by Jason Pancake

“Wow, how can you go out every Tuesday (or Wednesday) night?” someone asks me at the coffeemaker. With my dark, sunken eyes, ringing ears, and crooked tie, I say, “It’s Kiss or Kill night!” My older co-workers give me puzzled looks, but somehow, they eventually grow to understand. It sort of reminds me of my favorite scene in the movie “Fight Club” where the fighters go about their ordinary 9-5 jobs in their suits and ties, but they all look noticeably haggard with random injuries. Luckily for me, Kiss or Kill usually doesn’t leave me with black eyes or crutches.

I had been to shows at the Garage once or twice before, but it was at Zen Sushi on Hyperion that I became a regular. One night after seeing the Dollyrots at Mr. T’s Bowl, I struck up a conversation with the band and they told me to come and see them at this sushi restaurant that has rock bands playing. It sounded cool so I went that next week, and then again the next week, and soon it became a regular occurrence. The padded walls, the swinging light fixtures, $2 shots and PBR, kickball, togas, POW-camp style patio. Yes, this was the place to be! The unifying theme that brought everyone together for Kiss or Kill was the music and that was really what helped it work out. People appreciated the music and camaraderie rather than the “scene” and just about everyone associated with Kiss or Kill was either in a band, played an instrument, worked a music related job, was reliving the glory days of being in a band (like me), or was used to hanging around musicians. Most importantly though, it worked because the people involved with and who attended Kiss or Kill were among the nicest, friendliest people I know in LA. What made it so cool was that people weren’t worried about BS, hipster elitist “coolness”, yet also weren’t zombies to the masses.

My first real bonding with the bands and the awesome trio of Johnny 99, Cooper, and Matt came in 2004 when I was a svengali out to find bands to play my Rock Against Bush show. Thanks to them and some Kiss or Kill bands, it turned out to be an incredible show at the Echo featuring a killer lineup of the Bell Rays, Bang Sugar Bang, the Dollyrots, the Randies, and Los Abandoned—all united as one against the Dark Side. We might have lost that year’s battle, but during my time at Kiss or Kill, I discovered that in addition to the expected Left Coasters, New Englanders, and real Englishmen who would share my views, I also found so many great, like-minded Midwesterners, Southerners, and yes, even Texans. When I get on my soapbox to rail against injustices and hypocrisy, it’s wonderful to find people that actually get it. But, you can’t be an angry hippie all the time, so then it’s nice to be able to switch the conversation to geek talk about guitar bridges or reminisce about getting frostbite during the Boston winters.

Special thanks to Johnny 99, Cooper, Matt, Siria, Andre, Amanda, Rob Z, and everyone else who helped keep the train on tracks and running. Thank you Midway, Dollyrots, Randies, Bang Sugar Bang, Silver Needle, She’s Your Sister, UCP, Waking Hours, classic Sounds of Asteroth, Cakecutter, Power Cords, Rainman Suite, Bobot, Pcow, and many more I’m totally blanking out on, for getting your songs stuck in my head while I was negotiating budget items the next day with the Governator’s staffers. Thank you Johnny Pumpkin for being pretty much one of the coolest persons in history.

And there are so many more awesome bands and great people that it would take forever to try to list cool memories of them all now. I’m pretty sure I would leave some important names off my list and feel guilty about it. So as they say, “you all know who you are.”

xoxo,
Jason Pancake

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Automatique

Automatique

www.myspace.com/automatiqueband

Playing in a new band in LA, or any city, the one thing I always wanted but couldn't find was that legendary "music scene" that existed somewhere, but somehow nobody knew where it was.

My friend Jon Hershfield hosted a radio show on Killradio.org called "...is good" and Automatique played his show. After, he mentioned meeting Siria, and learning about Kiss or Kill. When he described it to me it sounded like the closest thing to that music scene I had been looking for but never located. He said "It's amazing, it's about 40 or so bands that rotate throughout the month, they do a show every wednesday (it might have been a different night at the time) and it moves around. And they have their own draw, so as a new band it's the best way to make new friends and fans."

Siria came down to see us at the Scene in Glendale (I think it was our fourth show ever) and she seemed to like what we were up to.

A month later we played our first KOK at Safari Sam's and we were freaked out because we were like "there's the most people we've ever seen in front of the stage". Since then we've played KOK half a dozen times and every time it's been better than the last.

We're going to be really sad to see it go. But it was a good run.

Holy Shit!

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Kelly

By Kelly:

When I moved out to California to start graduate school, I was desperate to make some money. Those who know me realize that prostitution wasn't an option for me, so I opted for the next best thing: a work-study job at my university. I started working for the music school, answering phones with my fellow musicians in a church basement that housed some of the scariest crypt-like hallways that I've ever seen. My coworkers and I became fast friends, trading band names and favorite show memories like currency. One of these coworkers would always come in bleary-eyed (and often twenty minutes late) on Wednesday mornings, and proceed to tell me about her escapades the night before at this "awesome club," Kiss or Kill.

At first I was skeptical. Certainly I was intrigued by Emma's stories about the social interactions among members of this tight-knit community, but mostly I was interested in the music. She swore that some of these local bands were the best she'd heard, but this still wasn't enough to get me out of my cozy house on a Tuesday night to mingle with a group of folks I was sure would shun me for not being cool enough to run with their crowd.

I resisted Emma's invitations to come to Kiss or Kill for months, even after Laura Red was hired as our boss at work. Every Wednesday, I would listen to the two of them rehash the previous night's events over coffee, stifling yawns but never fully able to conceal grins about the great time they'd had hopping onstage to sing "Sunday Night" with Bang. This went on for about eight months until I finally sucked it up and agreed to come out with them to the second comp release party at the Knitting Factory.

From the instant I walked in, I felt at home. People I had never met before were hugging me hello and telling me their personal histories, all to the backdrop of some of the most infectious, honest local music I'd heard in LA. A frequenter of several indie shows, I was used to the stand-back-with-arms-folded-and-glare-appraisingly-at-the-band stance that so many of LA's concert-goers adopt; here, there was a feeling of community, excitement, and energy between crowd and band that I hadn't seen in years. Not once did I feel out of place for not knowing lyrics to a UCP song, or hand motions to go along with Midway tunes--I knew I'd learn.

The past few years have been incredible. I've discovered so many talented bands who have revitalized my interest in a local music scene that I'd all but written off. I've made lasting friendships with folks whose last names I still don't know. I've gone through countless pairs of earplugs, lost hours and hours of sleep, and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Thank you, Kiss or Kill!

Wednesday December 5th - Two to Go...

This Wednesday December 5th

The Second to last final Kiss or Kill show...



Taking place at El Cid (4212 Sunset Blvd)
$5 Cover

line-up:

9:45 pm - The New Fidelity
10:30 pm - The Dollyrots
11:15 pm - The Automatic Music Explosion
12:00 am - The Letter Openers


9:45 pm - The New Fidelity
Kiss or Kill @ The Echo 2005


Kiss or Kill Playa's Picnics The Old Towne Pub 2006


Kiss or Kill @ Safari Sams 2007

10:30 pm - The Dollyrots
Kiss or Kill @ Zen Sushi 2004
<

Because I'm Awesome Video -2007

11:15 pm - The Automatic Music Explosion
at Kiss or Kill @ Safari Sam's January 2007

Kiss or Kill Presents Metal Skool @ Key Club August 2007

Metal Skool November 2007

Midnight - The Letter Openers
You Won't Remember My Name - 2006



Highland Grounds during the Rob Z Acoustic Nights - 2006

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: The O.A.O.T's

The O.A.O.T's

www.myspace.com/theoaots

As told by Eddie:

I was definitely underage and just an alcoholic college kid playing in a shitty band who stumbled on mr ts. then we soon met mike tv and he booked us at some show at the echo with billion stars who we had met before and the letter openers who we had not. i was blacked out for some reason or another when i met nancy jean and cooper there. they say we danced, but to me its like it never happened. i lost my amp head that night and poked matt in the eye so i had to find a ride home with someone else.

A few weeks later mike tv booked some show at the alterknit and matt and i were there. from across the room i heard nancy say, its the oaots. she even pronounced it right. i had no idea who this girl was, but i'm sure matt covered for me somehow.

The sequence of events gets blurrier and blurrier as i moved to silverlake and became perpetually wasted. i remember one night at the echo talking to matt bang. i had my recorder and have the minidisc somewhere in my moms house of him talking about exactly what kiss or kill was supposed to be. not having to call up every one of your friends and beg them to come see you do what you love because they love it too. i guess we all just wanted cooler friends. found them.

We played a show at the garage a little bit before kiss or kill started playing there. all the coolest kids were there. i think it was just random justice and bang, maybe silver needle and false alliance. i think we then played two KOK nights a few months after that and the second night the place was fucking packed to the back. were we residents that month? i think it was pretty early on. i dont remember. i was underage and abusing my body during a still developmental period in my life. i;m sur ei have slight brain damage from it.

im sure i had fun. sleeping behind bangs drum kit, breaking my bass constantly, wasted in vegas, recording with matt southwell, international noise conspiracy, breaking other peoples belongings continually, busted hand cast rock show on all a bunch of codeine with a guest bassist, too drunk to sing at the knitting factory in front of the biggest crowd we ever played to, our drummer quitting (again) over it.

all in all a spectacular part of my life.

Here are two OAOT's videos:

The OAOT's in New York

Their Video for Guided by Choices

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Carrie Rapaport

From Carrie Rapaport :


I was introduced to the whole Kiss or Kill scene by my then-drummer, Mista John Montgomery. John would come back into the studio on Wednesdays, reeling from nights at the Echo. He'd marvel at the great bands that were there, the cool vibe and the fact that it wasn't the "typical" LA scenesters. After weeks of hearing him describe the goings-on, I decided to accompany him. To Punk Rock Prom, no less. Vahe played acoustically that night...The Randies...and I was introduced during that show to the musical awesomeness that is the one-and-only Porterville.

As I stood there and watched for the first time, unable to keep still for more than a few seconds at most, I looked around to see everyone else dancing crazily, as well. "WOW! No one is self-conscious here!" I thought. "No one is putting up a front of being 'too cool'!"

And what was this?!?!? An entire crowd of people shoving and pushing and dancing onstage with Bang Sugar Bang??? "In Heaven, there is no beeeeer...." No pretention. No "I'm afraid I'll look dumb"...I lost myself to the music, met some great people, and made it a point to start coming back.

OK. No more Echo.

Time for Safari Sam's. WOW! What a kickass venue THAT was! Many evenings I could be found at KoK, rocking out to great bands, and having the time of my life as I shared the stage with so many other fantastic acts.

Here is the most CLASSIC example of what Kiss or Kill was about. And I don't mean the whole "come early/stay late" thing, although that's wonderful.

I'm talking about the INTEGRITY of musicians and music lovers...I remember playing the Sunset Junction show at El Cid. Gaby Godhead had his guitars stolen by some jerkoff who decided to sneak in through the back door. We were in a panic, as Cakecutter was going to be onstage in about an hour. Matt Southwell of Bang Sugar Bang PROMPTLY, without a moment's hesitation, offered use of his Telecaster to Gaby, knowing FULLY WELL that, within a period of the 40-minute set, drool, sweat, face makeup, and God-knows-what-else would be SMEARED across that thing. The show went off without a hitch, I remember rocking out on Joe Dana's very capable shoulders, singing and screaming and yelling as he carted me through the El Cid dining room...everyone smacking my ass as I passed by. Good times, indeed. It turned catastrophe into something SPECIAL.

About 2 weeks later, everyone came together, and Johnny and Siria organized a fundraiser to attempt to replace Gaby's stolen guitars. You know, the money wasn't even the thing. It, again, was about musicians (and, more importantly, FRIENDS) coming together in tough times. Come on, we're all MUSICIANS. Who hasn't been through issues in the past? Just showed, again, that musicians, though we may be dirty, poor, sometimes unemployed, tired and embittered, can also be the embodiment of TRUE CLASS.

Awesome-ist moments:

1. Watching the Chicago-based She's Your Sister was amazingly pivotal for me, because they appeared to do everything so EFFORTLESSLY and were STILL smiling and singing along to their own lyrics.

2. Pu$$yCow? ALWAYS a fantabulous time. Seeing the back of Colin Dana's head bouncing around always made me smile...and Mike Schnee's (oops...I mean Chissum Worthington) videos on MySpace were some of the best examples of fantastic band promotion I could ever think of.

3. Jason Pancake giving his solemn 2 cents about some of the better bands...

4. Siria ALWAYS smiling and willing to engage in some "girl talk"

5. Andy making the thinnest Santa ever, but STILL giving great Ho-Ho-Hugs.

6. Standing outside between bands, laughing, smiling, and hugging everyone.

All-in-all, it was a scene to be remembered.

Thank you Kiss or Kill. You made me smile.

Carrie Rapaport
singer, Cakecutter

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: NU-TRA

NU-TRA

www.myspace.com/nutra

All Photos of NU-TRA at Kiss or Kill @ The Echo by Flaco

From Vahe of NU-TRA:

I used to hang out at this music store called Future Music on Sunset Blvd.

Future Music was a well respected store owned by gear guru Jack Waterson. Jack is like the musicians Yoda and his store was like a haven for bands and friends. Jack was friends with Matt and Cooper so Jack being a NU-TRA fan he suggested I meet them.

One day I had randomly met Matt at Future Music and we hit it off. We were residency at the Echo in the winter of 2004 and Jack had told Matt to come out so Matt showed up with Cooper and they saw us live.

This is the first time I had met Cooper. Next thing I know Matt called and asked us to play KORK and let me tell you something... I have never heard anyone so enthusiastic about us. We were doing well as a band in LA but booking agents made us miserable by not caring like we did. We worked hard promoting shows and we filled up venues but we still got treated like shit. Matt made us feel important so we were happy to come aboard. I was told the last KORK show at Zen was coming up so I decided to check it out. FAMILY FUN TIME!

Everyone was having a great time like one great big family. NU-TRA's first show was at KORK when they had just moved to the Echo and boy was that successful! We were asked to have a residency right away.

I had not met Johnny 99 till we played KORK. Johnny was always good to us... I loved the fact that he would play the "Truth About De-Evolution" DVD on the projector... It made me feel right at home.

My relationship with Matt and Cooper grew and we have become great friends over the last few years. I am glad this was all a part of my life. I have read a few KORK stories and one thing it fails to mention is how much work Matt did. This not knocking Johnny 99 or Cooper or even Siria because they all worked hard but I think Matt did a lot of the scouting and bringing all of you the fine entertainment that was KORK.

I want to thank Matt, Cooper, Johnny 99, Siria and all the fans that made us feel important.

Thank you for accepting us in your world.

Thank you for believing in our vision in any way.

NU-TRA loves you.

Vahe

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Present Tense

Present Tense

www.myspace.com/presenttense

From Singer Amanda Rowse:

you may also remember Amanda from this Chissum Worthington Promo:




For myself and Present Tense, Kiss or Kill has truly been a family. It has been a constant and positive reminder of that which we all seek in our musical endeavors; a place where player and spectator alike can appreciate a community of supportive, driven, fun individuals who come together each week (and often times more frequently than that) to create something bigger than any one band or fan or promoter, no matter how successful, could experience alone. Call it a "scene". Call it a group of friends. To me it was always more than these words can sum up.

I first came to Kiss or Kill during it's time at The Echo, when the Echoplex downstairs was new. I had heard about it from various acquaintances, but after several years of Present Tense gigs and nights out as an onlooker at countless clubs, phrases like "a really fun club" and "great music" and "cool people" began to lose much of their substance. I had played and seen some great shows, but the Amanda that first walked into The Echo that night years ago was becoming a rapid convert to the much touted belief that Los Angeles' live local music scene had become too disjointed, and that too often people DID just come out to see a specific band, have a drink, then hop back in their cars to make the drive home without a second thought as to the night as a whole. So often I had seen or been put on bills that just didn't make sense musically, each band having nothing to do with the next, with the exception of a possible "hello" or a "is your drum kit clear of the stage yet?” Although we live in a town with countless musical possibilities occurring every night of the week, people had been overwhelmed by this disconnected, pay-to-play standard which saturated so many great venues, audiences left not knowing what to think of these musical arranged marriages of sorts. There were exceptions to this, of course, there always are, and we were fortunate enough to find some of these, but I was definitely starting to see this problem as a reality of time and place.

So, as I say, I first attended Kiss or Kill not really knowing what to expect, but having heard enough good things to warrant a drive out from Hollywood to see what the night was all about. I remember liking all of the sets that I saw that night, but I remember more than anything being struck by the force and energy of the crowd in the club. This was not the self conscious, detached, hipster crowd that seemed to have taken over so much of the East Side of Los Angeles. These people knew each other, LIKED each other, and didn’t bat an eye before rushing up to the front, singing along, showing their enthusiasm for each band to take the stage. The crowd was the same for the entire evening, only growing as the night rolled on. I felt a rush of enthusiasm and appreciation for what I saw, for whatever this was, it was different than anything I had seen around town in a while. It was so intimate, my enthusiasm was somewhat countered by a tremendous awareness that I was an outsider, which only served to heighten my curiosity - one can only be an outsider in a situation where there are established bonds strong enough to be visible to someone new. Our friend Gint had come to the club with me that night, and I remember our excited conversation with Tom later, describing what we had seen, deciding we would go back the next week to see if it happened again.

And it did. We went back, and have been going back ever since. Throughout the years since I first found Kiss or Kill, some things have changed: some faces, venues, days of the week, but the constancy of its community and spirit have remained strong. We have played and partied with all of you, from squirt gun filled summer bbqs at the Old Towne Pub to late night camaraderie outside Little Pedro's, basking in the glow of Safari Sam's sounds system as Rob Z's eloquent introduction mingles with a driving fender and the audience's shouts and applause, the all day and night sun and tequila infused mayhem of Sunset Junction at El Cid. Proms, toga parties, record releases, reunions, birthdays, graduations, the list could go on. But you know that, because you were all there experiencing and participating in it too.

I know that in this world change is arguably the only constant, and that at this juncture Kiss or Kill too shall come to pass. And although I understand why it is ending, I won't forget what it did for me, what it did for all of us these past years. But really, all of the bands, promoters and supporters are what made Kiss or Kill more than just a random club night, more than just another gig; we made it a true musical and social community that brimmed with talent, drive, and friendship, so I should really say that I won't forget what we did. I was not there from the first days of the club, but I am very happy in knowing that for some time now Present Tense and I have been a piece of the "we" - it has been such a major part my life these past several years in large part because that "we" gave me a new appreciation for what can happen when people come together with a common vision and a positive outlook. And because it fucking rocked.

To all of you I say thanks. You don’t have to go home, but you can't stay here - well, maybe for just a few more shows.

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: Get Set Go

Get Set Go

www.myspace.com/getsetgo

As told by Mike TV in an earlier interview that can also be found here on the Kiss or Kill Blog:

On their first Kiss or Kill show...

Hmm...you know, I don't know. I remember Matt and Cooper from Bang Sugar Bang coming out the Tuesday nights at Mr. T's, and I remember them telling me that they were starting something up at the Garage (now known as the Little Temple) on Sunday nights. And I remember going to a few shows out there, which were always loads of fun. I mean, this was at a particularly hard-boozing period in my life, and if there's one thing beside make music that the Kiss or Killers do well, it's putting back the alcohol. So, it was always glorious fun. Insofar as our first show, I really don't know. I think it was at Zen (Sushi). Although, we played the Garage a bunch of times, and one of those might have been a Kiss or Kill show. My brain doesn't work so well, anymore.

On what made Kiss or Kill different...

Well, basically, Kiss or Kill is about community. It's about bands who love music supporting other bands who love music. And, for whatever reason, that's a pretty rare breed of band. And I live for those nights when I'm seeing bands that I love, surrounded by people that I love, and all of us are sharing an experience that is singularly ours. It doesn't belong to strangers. It's not about getting rich or being famous. It's about music, and each other, and love. And man, if that's not PR I don't know what is.

And, what was Launchpad's influence on Kiss or Kill? I don't know. Maybe, just maybe it inspired Cooper and Johnny and all of the architects of Kiss or Kill to realize that you don't have to wait around for someone else to make a place for your music to belong. You can do it yourself. But that might be assuming way too much. I really don't know.

But I do know that I'm happy that Kiss or Kill exists. Without it, the Los Angeles music scene would be a dramatically bleaker environment.

How We Came Across Kiss or Kill: The Mulhollands

The Mulhollands

www.myspace.com/themulhollands

The Mulhollands @ Kiss or Kill - Safari Sams 2006

The Mulhollands @ Kiss or Kill Presents...Metal Skool @ Key Club 2007

As told by Sarah Jeanette and Jeremy James in an interview that you can view here on the Kiss or Kill blog:

Well, we started hanging out at Kiss or Kill and really loved the scene. So Johnny decided to book us an opening slot and it went really well, so we continued to play pretty regularly.(Our first show was) April 21, 2006

We loved playing Kiss or Kill the best because it has a family type vibe. There are so many regulars and everyone is so supportive

Kiss or Kill is different because as mentioned above, it has an awesome vibe...it is its own little community, like a big family of musicians and genuine music lovers. Thats hard to find in LA.

We played a Kiss or Kill show opening for Winger and Metal Skool which was probably the craziest show to date. The crowd was amazing and yeah, its Winger...enough said.

Outside of the Kiss or Kill Community, we have a group of LA bands we have formed a community with...Automatic Music Explosion, Ok Stranger, Spycamera, The Scene, The Ringers, American Eyes etc.

The Mulhollands at Kiss or Kill @ Safari Sam's 2007

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: The Letter Openers

The Letter Openers

www.myspace.com/theletteropeners

The Letter Openers @ El Cid 2007

So, here's how I remember it:

Mac with the Letter Openers at the Echo 2005

The Letter Openers started as The Lamed Vovniks, and the first club that would have us was Launchpad. Launchpad was put together and run by the one & only Mike TV. We played our first show at Launchpad West, which was held at the Billiard Inn (now the Good Hurt). We also played at Launchpad East (held @ Mr. Ts Bowl). These Launchpad bills were populated by many future Kiss or Kill bands, including Vermicious K (who morphed into Get Set Go), Billion Stars, The Dollyrots and The Friendship Motor Inn (who became The Randies), to name a few.

When Launchpad moved to The Echo, we met Matt & Cooper of Bang Sugar Bang. We knew them from the year before, when we shared a bill with BSB at Duggan's Pub in Culver City. There was another band on the Duggan's bill called The Shapes. Their vocalist was the drummer for Martin's & my first band together, The Super Glorious Fucking Assholes. His name is Kevin Murphy and he was instrumental in starting the scene that turned into Kiss or Kill. And now back to BSB...

We met Matt & Cooper at The Echo and they asked us to come and play Kiss or Kill, which was then being held at The Garage. It was at The Garage shows that we got to know bands like Silver Needle, The OAOTs and Zeitgeist Auto Parts. The club then moved to Zen Sushi and the rest is history...

The Letter Openers at El Cid 2007


Sincerely,

Mac

How I Came Across Kiss or Kill: The Automatic Music Explosion

The Automatic Music Explosion

www.myspace.com/theautomaticmusicexplosion

The AME Live at Kiss or Kill - Safari Sam's 2007 - photos by Ashley Ford

By Matt:

“A few years back I went to The Echo & saw my first Kiss or Kill night. I had never been to a night of live bands that had such a supportive & friendly vibe. I had moved from New York City where things were definitely NOT like that. I couldn’t wait to get a band together & be part of the scene.


We got a last minute offer to play @ 7pm on a mostly DJ oriented night at Safari Sam’s. We had been playing out for a couple months & we were looking to play anywhere & were definitely excited to be playing Safari Sam’s regardless of the time slot.


Cooper was working at the bar that night, she saw us & that was that.


Our first KorK was (I think) Jan 29, 2007. After that we were asked to be the resident band for April. It was a huge thrill & we made lots n’ lots of new fans & friends. After that we played every couple months including a show with Metal Skool @ The Key Club.

"We definitely owe a HUGE “Thank You” to Cooper, Siria & Johnny for all of the opportunities we’ve been given!


We’ll miss Kiss or Kill!



XOXO,




Matt, Jodie, Chris, Jeff & Max!

THE AUTOMATIC MUSIC EXPLOSION