On February 1, Blank Industries will be publishing the first official photography collection by Melanie Nissen, whose work notably graced the pages of the late-’70s punk and new wave fanzine Slash. For those willing to put up a little extra money, the special edition of HARD + FAST—which documents the bands, fans, and scene around the LA punk scene from 1977-80—will include bonus 7-inch releases from Devo and The Go-Go’s, along with a Dangerhouse Records split. To get a taste for these goodies, we’re sharing the two Devo tracks today which take the form of a pair of buzzing, energetic 24-track live recordings recorded at LA’s infamous Starwood club in 1977: “Praying Hands” and “Too Much Paranoias,” both from 1978’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
“I did the first Devo photo shoot in LA at the Slash Magazine studio,” photographer Nissen recalls of her first meeting with the influential new-wavers. “I’m a big fan of theirs, but had no idea what to expect. We hadn’t met yet. It was very exciting to photograph them. They brought a lot of energy, interesting things to work with, and are very creative. Soon they were in their underwear and so it began. I loved it and will never forget it. To listen to their music is a bonus for the photos.”
Hear the two recordings below, and learn more about HARD + FAST here.
