Documentary On Legendary SF Punks Crime Screens In Mission

By Dave Pehling

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Victoria Theatre in San Francisco hosts a screening to celebrate the DVD and vinyl soundtrack release of a documentary short about pioneering San Francisco punk band Crime Thursday.

Hailed as the first West Coast punk band to release a record with the "Hot Wire My Heart"/"Baby You're So Repulsive" 7-inch single in 1976, Crime became an early cornerstone of the SF scene with its raw, noisy guitar attack and sneering confrontational attitude (complete with the quartet's standard onstage attire: SFPD officer uniforms). Though the group only managed a trio of singles during its initial existence that ended in 1982, the influence Crime exerted on its SF contemporaries playing the Mabuhay Gardens and on later bands like Sonic Youth -- who covered "Hot Wire My Heart" on their 1987 album Sister -- can't be overstated.

The 35-minuted doc San Francisco's First and Only Rock'n'Roll Movie: Crime 1978 features footage of the band performing at the Mab at the height of its powers along with a verite look of the notorious North Beach punk club's deranged denizens. The film shot by producer Larry Larsen sat unused for decades until it was edited for release last year by director Jon Bastian.

In addition to this screening celebrating the DVD/7-inch vinyl soundtrack release of the film by local imprint Superior Viaduct, the Thursday event at the Victoria Theatre will also include a screening of documentarian D.A. Pennebaker's 1973 David Bowie concert film  Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The party will be hosted by film producer Henry S. Rosenthal (aka Crime drummer Hank Rank, who has also worked behind the scenes on a number of films including The Devil and Daniel Johnston documentary and All the Vermeers in New York) and Bastian. The night will also feature live performances by psychobilly hero the Legendary Stardust Cowboy and original Crime bassist Ron "The Ripper" Greco and a Ziggy Stardust lookalike contest.

Cops Vs. Aliens: An Evening of Rock 'n' Roll Film with Crime 1978 and Ziggy Stardust
Thursday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. $15
The Victoria Theatre