Sweeping onto the scene from northernmost San Diego County in 1983, Hair Theatre made its mark with a brand of American Gothic that was far ahead of its era.
This rare video of “What Should I Say” shows Hair Theatre at the peak of its power and offers a glimpse of the charisma that would make the band a legend among music cognoscenti.
The date was Dec. 28, 1984, and the venue was the Gaslamp Quarter Theater, where Hair Theatre appeared with Penguins Slept and Orange County’s Society.
The video portrays the seminal second lineup of the band, including the kinetic lead vocalist Sergio (Muñoz) and brothers Sergio and Cesar Castillo, who would work together throughout Hair Theatre’s career. (In late 1983, Paul Allen had joined as lead guitarist, and Steve Broach replaced Howard Palmer on drums.)
A keystone of the Che Underground scene, Jeremiah Cornelius, remembers the powerful impression Hair Theatre created: “They were neither something atavistic or derivative. That said, there was a strong sense of ‘glam’ in a ‘Man Who Sold the World’ fashion, and something ‘Doors-ey’ in the presentation — mainly because of Big Sergio’s powerful presentation.
“But they weren’t a ‘scene’ act or fit a category that was well defined. They were very much a matter of the moment, despite identifiable references.”
Sergio Muñoz (vocals); Sergio Castillo (bass); Cesar Castillo (rhythm guitar); Paul Allen (lead guitar); Steve Broach (drums).
Hair Theatre MP3s:
What a great clip. I love this. Our technology was so poor, and the cost of access prohibitive. Hair Theatre are woefully under-documented. I’m not sure that people, who never saw one of these shows, would get the powerful impression Sergio and company made with dynamism, impact and MUSIC.
I appreciate the hat-tip you gave me here Matt. It’s flattering to have my off-the cuff reflections regarded as notable observation!
To be honest, when they first started playing bills with Noise 292 and The Answers, I “didn’t get” Hair Theatre. They were to me, an interesting addition, but not a feature attraction. I think that the band gelled very quickly, and I underwent my own transformation simultaneously -- in that fluid and rapid way that is a natural part of being 18-20 years old. I can peg this to two specific evenings, when what Hair Theatre were doing became EXACTLY what I wanted to see and hear.
The first was a show with The Wallflowers at the Spirit Club. I was at the board, running lights for their sets. Sergio freaked out a couple of Marines with his black cocktail-dress and cowboy boots. By the end of “My Creation”, they were digging it.
The second was in 1985, at the club that was attached to The Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Blvd. White, Corinthian columns, all dark corners with mock-Regency mirrored walls. Spangly colored flashes from the disco ball over a black and white checkered floor. What a scene. And Hair Theatre were in effulgence. Paul Allen, who I’d known for about three years and had seen playing many times, was revealed to be an extraordinary musician. Steve and little Sergio were time keeping machinery -- with Sergio still adding a counterpoint melodic line that made the whole band sound HUGE. Big Sergio was pulling all these energies together and giving them to the audience. That’s what a show is. I was converted as one of their biggest fans.
Somehow in the last few years, I lost my copy of the Glass Brick demo cassette that Sergio gave me, later on in their one San Francisco visit. Whatever the band’s own opinion of that recording, it came closest to capturing the quality of sound that Hair Theatre manifested in 1984-5. Hearing that tape released the lightning from the bottle, evoking the vividness of their shows from the time, after 30 years.
Also, hearing this again? I don’t know if Sergio and the Castillo brothers ever latched on to that first disc by “The Salvation Army” cum “The Three O’Clock”. Maybe there was just something circulating in the sonic currents of our musical worlds. Still, there’s something going on in my favorite local bands from this time, that I can identify as common, and it makes itself apparent to me here. There’s not quite a unifying sound of these various San Diego bands -- but elemental threads run through my favourite songs from a number of the groups.
One is a flavor of post-punk psychedelia that didn’t adhere to mere re-creation, and The Salvation Army set a template that found more fellows in San Diego than in their Los Angeles home.
Another thread is the adoption of a big Surf Music style, woven in to the fabric. I don’t know anyone playing in these circles and working towards original sound, that weren’t blown away by The Unknowns, when they saw them live.
There’s a definite property to our San Diego bands, in which these can be traced. One that is less apparent in contemporary groups from San Francisco and Los Angeles, with a few exceptions like the unsung “Electric Peace”.
I can feel the presence both of these things in this recording.
I mean? Parts of this? just shoot it directly into my veins.
https://cheunderground.site/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/hairtheatre_nightfall.mp3
Is everyone forgetting that Simon Holehouse was the best lead guitar player that Hair Theatre had? His absolutely innocence, and dedication to music since he was 10 years old, carried this band a step beyond local celebrity. Holehouse worked at Jim’s House of Guitars, The Blue Guitar, and La Jolla Music. He was an avid player learning from actor and activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman at a very young age and busking through Europe with his first wife Janet Coates and best friend Steven Lori. Holehouses mum cooked for the band, provided food and housed some for extended periods always coming to shows with sister Anna. His mum, Jo, was a photographer and took many photos that still exist in the farm house on 3 acres of land in Sunnyside which was the magic for inspiration wine Dylan, Bowie, The Beatles and music….lots of music. Does no one remember him? He exists and is still there waiting.. and shame on all of you for forgetting and trying to bury a true virtuous human and stellar musician. I may be wrong but in the video clip it looks like a dude in velour sweat pants, no briefs. Just sayin, hung like Jagger. Prolly Simon….Simon Blanco
Hi, Adriana.
I don’t believe anyone is trying to “erase” Simon Holehouse. He is mentioned and credited at least twice elsewhere for his appearance in the Hair Theater lineup on this site.
Here:
https://cheunderground.site/?p=55512
Also, he is mentioned by his predecessor, Paul Allen, in a comment on this page:
“I think next was Simon Holehouse, who I met for the first time at the reunion in May. Simon played on the Hair Theatre album as Matthew says. HT manager Van Orbitson produced (and paid for) that record. Simon wasn’t satisfied with the sound. It’s a very layered recording, featuring lots of effects, background synthesizers and a lot of flute by the talented John Murray who also played harmonica (and I learned on this site, was in an early North County punk band). Simon’s playing gets somewhat lost in the mix. This album had a more complex, 70’s hard rock sound.”
https://cheunderground.site/?p=2164
The editors of this site were among many of those who moved away from San Diego, prior to Simon’s joining the band, and any oversight or misattribution is unintentional. Matt Rothenberg in particular, is generous and inclusively fair of all of the musicians, artists and audiences that can be traced in some fashion, to the expansive circle of bands that spotlighted in the Che Cafe performances, from which this site takes its name.
If you’re in touch, maybe you could ask Simon for a contribution with his recollections of Hair Theatre? I’m certain that these would be interesting, and would make a fantastic addition to the efforts of everyone who have supplied their stories for The Che Underground!
Listening to this now I notice the melody in the bass line and the crooning vocals. Yes, Big Sergio was influenced by The Doors, but also Joy Division. He wrote the lyrics, the chord progressions and the beat. We took it from there. He was into the 60’s garage punk that influenced the Morlocks and the Tell-Tale Hearts to a degree I didn’t realize at the time. But we were listening to things happening then. I liked Bauhaus then, and was listening to post-punk, punk, new wave and the New Romantic synth pop (one didn’t have much of a choice on that, given the preponderance of it on 91X, the 2nd of 2 rock radio stations in SD at that time, and MTV). We both liked The Stooges and various 60s bands. I was particularly into the heavier blues-based late 60s/early 70s sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, and couldn’t get enough of Bowie.
The Glass Brick demo you speak of Jerry…I wonder if you are referring to what I have known as The Lab Demo. A four-song demo I played on. I believe it was made at a studio called The Lab. I remember there was some discussion of it on this blog. I notice that Glass Brick is written on the Hair Theatre LP that Simon Holehouse played on.
Adriana, I met Simon Holehouse just once. He was super sweet and quite magnanimous given that he wasn’t playing that night that Hair Theatre got back together in 2009 with all these other great bands. He told me about an elaborate production technique he had set up for the HT album he played on (which I can’t remember now). He said the producer changed it up. The production on that album is unnecessarily dense. The guitar is hard to hear. Still, it is one of 3 studio recordings the band made. I have a copy that survived flooding, minus the jacket. I know David Fleminger has a copy. Perhaps someone should digitize it. I’ll put it on my list of things to do after I put out a video of the 2009 HT show which I have, but haven’t overcome some technical problems with and all the boring work-related stuff I have to do.
I believe the video above was taken by Amelia Castillo, the Castillo brothers’ mother. She was at every show. Who has the whole thing? I’d love to see it.
Hung like Jagger…Ha Ha!
This is great additional insight and information, Paul. I just met with Sergio, at the Che event in the Riviera Supper Club. In a weekend of high-points, this was memorable after 35 years.
“Glass Brick” was printed somewhere on the side of the transparent cassette I had — must have been made ’85-’86 — with you in the band. I don’t know if that were a publishing company, a record label, or engineer/producer company.