Silver Abuse
Silver Abuse was one of the original punk bands in Chicago, forming in 1977. There were various versions of Silver Abuse, but the original version starred lifetime member Bill Meehan, along with Santiago Durango and Camilo Gonzalez, early members of Naked Raygun. Silver Abuse broke up for good in 1983. At some point the members of SA were in The Wayouts, then became Silver Abuse after The Wayouts last show on New Year's Eve, 1980. This is confusing because the Silver Abuse was around before they Wayouts - perhaps they were initially were Silver Abuse, broke up, became The Wayouts, then reformed as Silver Abuse. There was also a later spin-off group called Illusion of Safety.
Sadly, Jaqui Disler passed away in 2004 after a long battle with cancer.
Silver Abuse I
According to a Durango interview in Forced Exposure, the original Silver Abuse was a bunch of like-minded high school (Gordon Tech) punk fans who couldn't play their instruments and liked to get drunk on wine and do drugs. They were a five piece and only made it through one song at their very first gig. Opening up at a loft party thrown by Tutu and the Pirates, they started off with the always popular Jews Must Die. That was enough for the crowd... they played one more gig before ending it after Durango left the band. This version of SA never recorded anything except some "cheesy cassettes"
It is also reported that the first SA was at La Mere Vipere in Spring of 1978. This report is false according to Maxxwell, who was a local scenester of the era:
"The misunderstanding probably comes from the coverage in Gabba Gabba Gazzette #8, which has photos of the event (which was a benefit for the GGG), and a funny letter of apology for Silver Abuse's performance from Boppin Billy (Billy Meehan), but does not name a venue, possibly because the venue was illegal. Even though the Gabba Gabba Gazette was not officially affilliated with LaMere at that time, it would have been easy for someone who read the zine, but was not at the event to just assume it happened at LaMere."
Maxxwell explained that LaMere was not a venue for live music. Furthermore, Maxxwell states:
"Since the purpose of live music from the owner's point of view is to attract customers rather than send them screaming out the door hurling beer glasses as they go, it seems unlikely that Noe, cool guy though he was, would have ever selected the first edition of Silver Abuse as an evening's entertainment."
Maxxwell says his recollection of the first SA show matches Santiago's:
"The concert was held at a rented or possibly surreptitously borrowed industrial space temporarily named "Tutu's Placenta." Our anti-heroes stumbled uncertainly to the performance area, some dressed in combat helmets. In my memory they were all wearing Nazi gear and tinfoil masks. However a photo printed in the Gabba Gabba Gazette #8 (Summer 78) shows only the guitarist wearing a Reynolds Wrap facemask (Santiago perhaps trying vainly to conceal his identity) w/German-looking helmet and another member with a combat helmet of unidentifiable origin. Billy is wearing a jean jacket and t-shirt. Only three of the members were pictured. It still seems to me there was more than one tinfoil mask...but I may have been in only slightly better shape than the band. There was a bit of random guitar skronk, and then the band launched into "Jews Must Die". After what seemed an eternity but was probably a minute and a half the band departed the stage, followed by catcalls and possibly a few projectiles.
In a letter to the editor, also printed in GGG number 8, Billy apologizes for the band's performance, admitting that the band "sucked dog diarrhea through a straw". He attributes the band's performance to lack of practice and being too fucked up to play. With uncharacteristic understatement he notes "we never shoulda opened with "Jews Must Die" He also said he was amused by a David Witz review of the show in The Reader. (David Witz,a very mainstream critic, had an ongoing feud with Mary Alice and LaMere).He said the band would continue to perform but without the neo-fascist shtick, which was "just an attempt at a cheap laugh"."
Original Lineup
- Billy Meehan - Vocals
- Santiago Durango - Guitar
- Dennis Sosniak - Guitar
- Camilo Gonzalez - Bass
- Bob Damrau - Drums
Later Members
- Jaqui Disler - Vocals
- Dave Purdie - Keyboards
- Paul Chabala - Guitar
- Donnie Krattner - Sax
- Jim Colao - Drums
- Viv (Marla) - Vocals
- Liz Cox - Vocals
- Robert Porche' - Drums
Releases
- Busted at Oz Compilation - Autumn Records, 1981
- Fall From Grace 7" - Schwa Records, 1982
Notes
- They did a cover of Skrewdriver's Antisocial, calling it Anti Hot Dog
Shows
- Spring 1978 at La Mere Vipere - first show, played one song
- February 23, 1981 at O'Banion's - with Naked Raygun
- October 24, 1981 at Cubby Bear - with Naked Raygun
- March 3, 1982 at Misfits - with Trial by Fire
- January 23, 1982 at Space Place
- April 27, 1983 at Smart Bar