The Wild Story of The Screamers: Ghosts of LA Punk

Jello Biafra once called The Screamers "the best unrecorded band in the world." Indeed, they never recorded. Yet, their music and style left a significant mark on the Dead Kennedys and countless others. Pat Smear of the Germs—who later played with Nirvana and now Foo Fighters—was a fan. So was Exene Cervenka of X. In 77, Iggy Pop invited the band to perform a private show for him in Malibu. He called them “Tomorrow’s Leaders.”

The band played between 1975 and 1981, and consisted of Tomata du Plenty on vocals, Tommy Gear was on synth and backing vocals, now-famous Hollywood producer and designer KK Barrett on drums, and Paul Roessler on keyboards.