Title: Germs

Vallen made this live marker pen sketch during a riotous 1979 Germs concert at the Hong Kong Cafe punk club in downtown Los Angeles. The vigorous line drawing captured vocalist Darby Crash and guitarist Pat Smear in performance, while out of the picture the bass player and drummer provided an inharmonious din. The most notorious of LA’s first punk bands, the Germs had an apocalyptic sound and Crash’s growling vocals masked surprisingly poetic lyrics. Vallen saw the Germs’ last concert on Dec. 3, 1980, Four days later Crash committed suicide with an overdose of heroin… he was only 22.