Joyce Rooks | The Che Underground

The Dinettes serve up two long-lost videos

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 by Mmrothenberg

In the mostly male redoubt of San Diego punk bands in the ’70s, The Dinettes were double-X pioneers when they formed in 1978 (originally under the name The Cockpits). Before they disbanded in 1980, The Dinettes appeared at local venues and even undertook two cross-country tours (the latter leading to their dissolution in Atlanta).

A 2017 reunion re-energized the band and the brand — and now a couple of videos offer new documentary evidence of The Dinettes at the turn of the ’80s.

Keyboardist Sue Delguidice reports, “I was fortunate to locate the Target Video film after years of searching, as I remember the video crew being there at the Deaf Club.”

The Dinettes in the spotlight

December 31, 2013December 12, 2010 by Mmrothenberg

(You asked for it, you got it! Che Underground: The Blog is proud to add San Diego female rock pioneers the Dinettes to its lineup. Doriot Negrette provides the narrative, with audio and visual artifacts contributed by Joyce Rooks.)

Disclaimer: Of course you understand that by daring to disturb the XX* Ark of the Covenant, all must pay by listening to the demanding sounds of San Diego’s own Dinettes. No longer satisfied and blissfully ignorant, the history camel has now gone and pushed its nasty nose under the tent and into the den of wild female rhythm. Lo, what a cavalcade of late-’70s sonic value those first recordings were…you’ll see. Left in a state of utter incomprehension and curious disbelief, any listener will be changed, forever.

*That’s chromosome, to you. Nothing more.

Manual Scan meets the Penetrators

April 14, 2012July 7, 2010 by Mmrothenberg

Among the highlights of our Che Underground event Jan. 30, 2010, at the Casbah was “Manual Penetration.” This collaboration brought Chris Davies and Chris Sullivan of San Diego’s legendary Penetrators onstage with the equally storied Manual Scan to perform a mini-set of Penetrators songs.

Scan co-founders Bart Mendoza and Kevin Donaker-Ring talk about the origins of this matchup, captured here on video shot that night by Eric Rife with sound engineered by Dave Fleminger.