There's been another bout in the ongoing feud between members of the Dead Kennedys. Bassist Klaus Flouride is claiming that Jello Biafra had him banned from DirkFest, a Biafra MC'd event from July 8th in celebration of the late "pope of punk," promoter Dirk Dirksen. The event in question was the second night performances, featuring the Avengers, the SF Mutant Non-Allstars (playing Mutants covers), the Contractions, the White Trash Debutants and No Alternative among others.
According to Flouride, Biafra had him barred from the event.
Dirk Dirksen was of course godfather of San Francisco punk. He ran the Mabuhay Gardens "Fab Mab" nightclub and later the On Broadway. He passed away last year at the age of 69.
So Friday I was going to go to the DirkFest. I had purchased tickets from Virtuous online in May. No Alternative offered to Guest list me but I said thanks but it's a benefit and I'd like to respect the spirit of that. We were hoping to arrive early so as to get a table upstairs and out of the spotlight and enjoy the evening without making a point about being there for anything more than support, and as I said to enjoy some bands for which I had a lot of respect.
When my friends and I arrived first we saw Damon Malloy, gave him a hug and said great to see him etc. then we went to the box office and got our tickets. No problem. Keep in mind that we were going to the show to honor Dirks memory, help Damon with his expenses and see a good show. I had back in December and January taken a poster from the Fillmore Fab Mab Reunion Show and gotten everybody who played to sign it for auction being put together by Kathy Peck. This involved running all over town and fed-ex to NYC and back etc. Everybody in all the bands were very co-operative in helping with this effort. It was framed and given to Kathy for the auction.
After about 20 minutes Damon Malloy came over and said he had bad news, and I said "Don't tell me, Bridget's camera can't go in, right?" and he said no but that he was sorry to have to say that Biafra had instructed Scott (the stage manager?) that I was not to be allowed into the venue. That if I tied to enter I would be forcibly removed.
I want to point out again that I did not want the focus to be about me that night, but about Dirk's memory, so I made no fuss, got a refund for my tickets as did my friends Mike, Eric, Kate and Bridget. People expressed shock to us that Biafra would do such a thing and all said that it was just plain wrong. I had paid for my tickets and was going to a show. Plain and simple.
A few people spoke to Biafra that night but no one has made any public mention of this and so I find the need to post this just to get it off my chest.
Mr. Biafra apparently can tell a club whomever is and isn't allowed in and they will roll over. So be it.
Nobody wants to come forward to say perhaps that doesn't seem right, so be it.
I guess that's just the way things are.
-Klaus
Just a note as an addendum that when we did the Fab Mab Reunion show when Dirk was still alive, Biafra was invited to join, and for whatever reasons he chose not to, but he would never have been banned.
Just to clarify.
-Klaus