CASSETTE TYPE 1
AIR BAG! LIVE! WITH: PART #20035
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
WALTER ALTER: VIDIO ARTIST AND JUNKYARD SCULPTOR, HAS ERECTED NUMEROUS CLUB INSTALLATIONS STRAPPING DEBRIS BOX STEEL TOGETHER WITH STRIPS OF INNER-TUBE, OCCASIONALLY REACHING 3 STORIES IN HEIGHT. WITHIN THE STRUCTURE ARE PLACED SEVERAL DOZENS OF OLD, DETUNED THRIFT STORE TV'S. HE IS CURRENTLY TRYING TO RECREATE THE FLORENTINE RENAISSANCE IN ELECTRONIC TERMS.
DORIS BORIS BERMAN: FORMER LEAD VOCALIST WITH MIDDLE AGED INDUSTRIAL BAND CALLED THE KAHUNAS. CLASSICALLY TRAINED IN PIANO, IS KNOWN FOR SELF-PORTRAIT PERFORMANCES, FOTO-ACTION. CURRENTLY SHE IS RAISING A KID AND DOING FULL-LENGTH PORTRAITS OF HER FRIENDS AND ENEMIES, USING THEIR BODIES LIKE A RUBBER STAMP.
KEVIN WILSON: CAN FIND THE HUM SOURCE, STRIP THE LEADS AND GET A GROUND IN 19 SECONDS. GUITARIST WITH SEVERAL DIRGE BANDS, AMONG THEM, THE FLOWERS OF PAIN. CURRENTLY WORKING AS AUDIO TECH AT POOLSIDE STUDIOS AND PREPARING ART-POP LP FOR RELEASE.
A.T.A.: ARTIST'S ACCESS GALLERY IS A SOUTH-OF-MARKET AUDIO-VIDIO PERFORMANCE SPACE ORIENTED TOWARDS ELECTRO-TECH NOTED FOR WEEKLY SERIES OF AUDIO GANG BANGS, NOISE NACHT, THE ONLY DECENT VENUE FOR IMPROVISED SOUND IN THE S.F. BAY ARIA.
EQUIPTMENT: A ROLAND SH 101 WAS THE WORKHORSE OF THE EVENT, AUGMENTED BY A NUMBER OF OBSOLETE GUITAR PEDAL EFFECTS, PRE-WALKMAN CASSETTES, RADIO SHACK MICROPHONES, A MATTEL BEE GEES RYTHEM MACHINE, AND A NO-BRAND 3 POSITION EQUALIZER FOUND IN A SUITCASEFULL OF COAXIAL CABLE SOLD TO WALTER ON THE STREET BY A NERVOUS MAN WHO SPOKE LITTLE ENGLISH. THE BAND PART #20035, WILL PROBABLY NEVER PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN. THIS TAPE IS HISTORY. THIS TAPE IS DEDICATED TO RICKIE PAUL WHO SETTLED HIS AFFAIRS WITH A NOOSE IN STUDIO 8 OF THE SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE, OCT 13 1985 - HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BAND.
ORDER MORE COPIES FROM BIRD BUTT PRODUCTIONS FOR $5 SLUSH FUND CASH @. 959 VALENCIA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. A THICK-PACK OF ELECTRO-RENAISSANCE PROPAGANDA WILL BE INCLUDED WITH EACH ORDER. YOUR 110 OUTLET IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. LONG LIVE NIKOLA TESLA. OVER AND OUT. YER PAL W.