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LOS ANGELES, CA- Any conversation about Southern California’s music scene in the late ‘70s through the ’80s will undoubtedly include Social Distortion. Hailing from Fullerton, Calif., Social D is among the progenitors of the Orange County punk scene, blending elements of blues, rockabilly and rock and roll in a way that made punk accessible to a mainstream audience. KROQ was an early pioneer for the band, putting them on heavy rotation and helping set the stage for the scene to follow. Their music unites punks, skaters, misfits and the rest in a way that few bands have been able to do. There is so much musical history originating from Orange County, and we spoke to legendary singer and guitarist Mike Ness about the early days and beyond.
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So much musical history has come out of Orange County, and I just heard The Chain Reaction is closing, but what has it meant for so much musical history to come out of Orange County? Everyone thinks of LA.
MIKE NESS: Orange County was a great place to grow up. For one, I was exposed to all kinds of culture, from skate, to low riders, to rock and roll, and then eventually punk. And it’s also different — punk takes a different view when it’s suburban. Hollywood was urban, sophisticated artists, poets, and all that. Yeah, but I almost think it was a lot safer to be a punk in the city. In the city, everyone expects freaks. Where I live, I mean, you walk down the street, wearing your leather jacket, your dyed hair, there’s gonna be a car load of guys who drive by, yelling, and you flip them off, they turn around, and come back, and then it was kind of dangerous. Yeah, people wanted to kill me!
Glad you made it.
MIKE NESS: Yeah!
What’s a couple of records that you think should be in someone’s Christmas stocking this year?
MIKE NESS: Oh, man, well, anything by Tom Petty. For sure.
Any new bands you discovered?
MIKE NESS: Of course. I love Amyl and the Sniffers. I love it. We’re bringing a band with us out in the fall of ‘26, The Chats. Yeah, I like them. Those are two that come to mind right now.
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