(Dave Fleminger provides video evidence and more of Manual Scan’s threat to the social order of 1980s San Diego.)
In my senior year at Clairemont High, I managed to get Manual Scan onto the roster of the talent show, despite me being the only member of the band that attended the school. Also on the bill were the X-Offenders, who were all either currently students or alumni of Clairemont High.
During Manual Scan’s performance a quote-unquote “riot” broke out amid the audience, and the police were called in to restore the peace. … I think calling it a “riot” is more than a bit of an exaggeration, but I don’t want to diminish the fact that some friends of the band did get whaled on a bit by some of CHS’s football team. Or at least I had heard it was the football team that decided they had had enough of these crazy mod kids calling attention to themselves by dancing it up at the far edge of the aisle near the side exit — a smart spot for quick getaway.
For a relatively snoozy school this unexpected disruption was big news, and many stories circulated about who beat up whom and why. Twenty-eight years (!) later, I wanna reconstruct the scene and also elicit the help of anybody on this blog or elsewhere who might have been there on that fateful night. You know who you are; if you were there, please give your side of the story.
I’ve assembled all the evidence I can find. There is a surviving remnant of the AV Club video, courtesy of Bruce Haemmerle, containing most of the first song and the last song. At the end of the video I tagged on an additional clip of just the “riot” part after attempting to adjust the contrast and brightness to bring out more detail amid the pixel-murk.
For those who missed out on the pre-Flip, Paleozoic era of portable video, the first development beyond painting the individual cell-frame images onto stone walls and running through your cave as fast as you can was to lug around a two-piece video luggage system — literally strap a heavy VCR to one side of ya and hoist a heavy camera connected by cables. The result is an often grainy black-‘n’- white image that looks more like surveillance footage, especially when shot in a somewhat dark auditorium, but ladies and gentlemen of the jury, thankfully we do at least have this evidence to ponder, 28 years after the fact.
Obviously I don’t possess the “Blade Runner” image-editing tools that will magically bring out previously hidden details from the source footage. … We’re only in this future, baby, and not “that” future. Also for your perusal is the program from the show, a couple school paper articles that appeared afterwards and an additional cassette recording of Scan’s set in its entirety.
Manual Scan plays Clairemont High School, Feb. 18, 1982: Listen now!
From the cassette audio (made that night by my folks) you can hear the second half of the show begin with a plea from the emcees about keeping it mellow and that they’d rather ya not dance …”down in front.” Clearly, people were expecting some kind of showdown.
Manual Scan performed 2 and 1/4 songs that evening. We opened with “Repast,” with me singing, and for our second song (“Secret Agent Man”) Bart came onstage and I introduced him, as Bart wasn’t listed on the program notes as a member of the band. The program notes didn’t list “For Your Love” in our set, but as they didn’t mention Bart either, perhaps that gave us a justification to play a bit more fast and loose with the details. But as the stagehands were working from an actual show schedule, a couple chords into what would have been our third song the curtains start to close on us — and clearly the power of rock ‘n’ roll causes them to reopen.
The events playing out on the floor grab the attention of the AV person, as the camera pans away from us and documents some dancing, scuffling and whatever else is happening in front of the stage. The vid also shows Kevin Ring jumping off the stage, guitar in hand, ready to lend a hand and right some wrongs. … Go Kevin!! As things unravel, the curtain closes on the rest of the band and so we never knew what exactly went on out there other than hearing a lot of yelling and screaming. I do feel kinda bad for the emcees attempting to restore order amid the chaos. … It’s hard to keep things mellow.
So who were the mods who showed up to the CHS talent show, and what exactly happened? Anybody who saw or participated in this moment of suburban mayhem, please tell us your part of the story!
The X-Offenders went on last that evening, and began their set with the announcement that they’d like to thank the school’s security guard “… for being an asshole!” Ouch. If I remember correctly, we suddenly had a new school security guard within a couple weeks. Yes, kids, once upon a time rock ‘n roll was looked upon as a dangerous element of change.
— David Fleminger
More by Dave Fleminger:
Here’s my attempt to enhance the footage at the end of the clip, there’s a bit more detail now:
Nothing even remotely this cool happened in my 3 years at CHS!
The only “rock” music I heard in that auditorium was courtesy of the PD5.
You can definately see arms flailing at about 20 seconds into the enhanced clip, but it’s not clear why.
My band was picked to play the senior assembly at Marston in ’67 and the 8th grade dance in the cafeteria that same year, but I don’t remember CHS allowing any rock music on campus except for the Richie Valens solo performance on the food court which, of course, I’d only heard about.
Thanks for sharing this Dave!
“‘The band,’ says security officer Lee McClung, ‘Had no authority telling those kids to dance.’ …
“Manual Scan played through about one and a half songs as the gang, clad in ’60’s garb, bopped like popcorn in the aisles. Lee McLung (sic) intervened when they began to move the front, and was accosted by a large and violent girl. They struggled until McClung dragged the girl out the side exit.”
I was there, playing my usual role of groupie (Kevin’s girlfriend at the time). I kept a pretty good diary all that year of short entries, plus longer spiral bound notebook entries during the early part of the year, so I have a pretty good description to add. [Spelling and grammar pretty awful, but left as is]
“Last night was rather exciting! The Roosters were at IB for the afternoon show and it was ok. Afterwards, Kevin and I rode out to Clairemont High for the talent show which Manual Scan was to perform in. Paul and everyone arrived and there was a short practice. I went out to watch the 1st half of the show. About 30 mods showed up.
At intermission all of the Mods walked up front so we could start dancing when the show started. They (the authorities) told us to sit down. We stood in the aisle waiting. When Manual Scan came on then we all started trying to dance but they wouldn’t let us. We waited ’til the third song (people were throwing things at us by then) and tryed to dance again. They pushed some of us into the surfers. Audrey was put in a headlock and Kevin jumped off stage. The band stopped playing. There were scattered punchings but everyone involved left and we left a half-hour later after dancing to the X-Offenders.
We rode home with Jeff, Chris, Audrey, James and someone else. Tonight is IB -- MS and the Crosstops.”
I also have a short little diary entry: “IB 3-6pm. Roosters. Fun dance. Went to Clairemont High Talent Show also. Manual Scan played. Mods and surfers rioted during 3rd song. Fun time”
So I obviously wasn’t traumatized for life or anything. 😉
Viz. our own spot of insurrection at San Dieguito High School during a Penetrators/Unknowns gig, at which Margarat Nee found herself the focal point of unwanted attention from the security forces … Was there a pattern of riotin’ grrrls at these high-school gigs? Or did the school authorities zero in on them in the mistaken impression they’d be easier pickin’s?
It’s odd to me- I never got much chance to listen to Manual Scan live back then- there was this anthropological divide between a lot of the mods and a lot of the less savory elements of the punk scene. But listening to that guitar and the vocals I totally hear Husker Du type strains bleeding out. I sometimes forget how narrow the parameters of “rock” were, and how much stuff was included in the “not rock” genres. I really wish I’d caught more of the “not-punk” bands live.
I did percentage of a summer at Clairmont high (which kinda scared me, actually- a laughable point considering the situations that came shortly thereafter in my life), before I realized there would be no repercussions if I just hung out at the pier with my friends, did drugs, drank beer and generally blew life off. Truth be told when I moved to the beach area my neighbors all went to Marston (We lived right on the dividing line between that no-mans land known as “Bay Park” and the real towns of PB and Clairmont) but my mom put me in PBJH because she thought I’d get in less trouble there. (Message to mom: It wasn’t the geography!!!! Live and learn.)
And to not put too blunt a point on it, punk was basically emulating the same stuff Mod was albeit with some slightly different parameters. It’s all in the details, I suppose.
Was that Allen Iverson hitting a Mod over the head with a chair in that video???
I swear I wasn’t there…
As a former Marston Jr. High student and Clairemont resident, I can attest to the fact that CHS was hardly a bastion of cool in the late seventies/early eighties (despite the fact that the school produced a number of prestigious alumni, including Doyle, Fleminger, Ward, etc.
The writer of the newspaper article was quite a drama queen! It is amusing in retrospect to read a small group of conservatively dressed kids in button-down and polo shirts described as an “outlandish gang.” No doubt the scuffle was caused by the surfer/jock types, who had most likely been waiting for an opportunity to hammer down those nails which were sticking up.
I also don’t remember the Scan sounding like they did on that first song, Repast. With Flem on lead vocals and guitar, it sounds quite distinct from the group I remember--yes, Jerry, much more like the Answers.
Much respect goes to Kevin for jumping into the fray.
Joe,
My older sister attending Clairemont, graduating in ’76, and she has told me tales of the “Modoc Street Massacre.” This was a police sweep of Modoc Street in front of CHS in about 1974, at which hundreds of pot smokers and drug dealers were rounded up in paddy wagons. Never heard that Richie Valens played the food court, though!
>>Never heard that Richie Valens played the food court, though!
Ray: Steve Thorn covered the story of Mr. Valens’ visit to CHS in the first installment of his history of San Diego rock ‘n’ roll (rerun here on the blog).
Ray, even tho I was already long gone, I can remember hearing about the “Modoc Street Massacre” from my friends younger sibs. Once things finally started to change, they changed really fast!
Too bad it was a quick slide into Stonerville…
Dave,
Thanks for posting this. It blows my mind that you could come up with video, audio, and print media all covering the event in such great detail. Any chance Bruce had footage of our two songs? Even just Chris calling the security guard an asshole?
Paul: I wish I did have the footage of the X-Offenders! I’ll ask Bruce, I remember once upon a time seeing footage of the first act The Wannabees (with Keith Jones playing Eruption)…but I do have the audio of most of the X-Offenders set.
The Click here to hear the X-Offenders at the CHS Talent Show 1982
I remember in 1980 we had the first “Punk Rock Day” @ CHS (those who did dress up) Went to the Goodwill and got whatever cloths we thought would make us look cool.Of course me (at the time) with my “Jeff Spicoli’ish” hair didn’t look exactly the part (but close) But I was also the first to cut it all of too.Oh and speaking of The X-Offenders…don’t even get me started on them and Mr.Marty Stuart. (if you know what I mean,you’ll get this semi joke here)
I went and saw The Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash @ The Casbah for the first time a couple years ago.(after the show) I went up to the singer “Chris long time bro maybe all the way back to The Headquarters days” (he looks at me and says) “You got the wrong guy pal.”(and walked away) The next time I see um I say “Come on,we even Graduated from CHS together/saw every X-Offenders show.You can’t tell me I’m wrong” (“Wrong guy” crap again)Well they are in Austin now,changed their name to Marty Stuart & The Bastard Sons (but sorry Chris) Paul confirmed it.You changed your name.(Don’t know why so embarrest about his past)But what I do know is if I’m in a band and I’m going to change my name,I wouldn’t pick one that another current singer’s REAL name is.
Ward, just to clarify, it’s Mark Stuart.
From Tashina Knight:
Dave,
This was a blast from the past. You may remember me as the “fill-in bass player” while Paul was up matriculating in SLO. I also was there that night playing with the Wannabees. Still living and playing in the area up in south Riverside county. Would love to get together sometime and reminisce. You and I used to jam together back in the day and as I remember it you introduced & recommended me to Frank as Paul’s replacement while he was away at college. I have you to thank for some great memories. Every now and then I see an old X-Offenders EP sitting in a used record store bin and get an ear to ear grin remembering the packed houses at Journey & the Headquarters. Please feel free to email me if you’d like to arrange getting together sometime.
PS -- if you can still get access to the footage of the Wannabees please post it. My kids would get a good laugh seeing footage of their old dad up on stage no matter how grainy it may be. About to see my oldest graduate from UCR next month, boy how time flys!
1981&1982 to many storys about CMH & REAL FAST TIMES !