What We Do Is Secret

As Jan Paul Beahm grapples with a challenging childhood in Los Angeles, he finds refuge in education, evolving into an exceptionally bright student at University High School. His unusual demeanor prompts school officials to present him with a perplexing offer: straight A’s on the condition that he does not return. Driven by a profound passion for reading and writing, he proposes to his friend Georg Ruthenberg the formation of a band in December 1975. Inspired by David Bowie’s legendary song “Five Years,” Jan Paul devises an ambitious five-year plan for their musical journey. With instruments obtained through inventive means, the band begins to take shape, featuring Jan Paul as the vocalist, Georg on guitar, Terri Ryan on bass guitar, and Becky Barton on drums.

The nascent group, which would eventually adopt the name Germs, tentatively steps onto the stage for the first time in April 1977. An unexpected meeting with Claude “Kickboy Face” Bessy from Slash magazine outside the Whisky a Go Go leads them to a spontaneous open mic performance across the street. Unfortunately, their debut is met with a tepid response, marked by their struggles with the instruments and heckling from the crowd. In a bid to combat the negativity, Jan Paul retaliates by launching a flour bomb and covering the microphone in peanut butter, resulting in an early ejection but igniting a spark of excitement within the band.

As they navigate the burgeoning punk rock scene in Los Angeles, Jan Paul adopts the stage name Bobby Pyn, which later transitions into Darby Crash. Tragedy strikes when Becky loses her life, prompting a series of lineup shifts before the group achieves a more stable formation. Enter Chris Ashford, who steps in as their manager, urging them to release their first single, “Forming,” which would become one of the pioneering punk rock releases from Los Angeles.

With the Masque as their home ground, the Germs welcome Don Bolles as their new drummer, a pivotal point that sets off a turbulent chapter marked by Darby’s deep connection with Rob Henley, their romantic partner. Amid this intricate relational web, Germs creates their iconic blue circle logo and the infamous “Germs burn,” a circular cigarette burn symbolism on the wrist, which speaks to their identity. Their fame blossoms at the Masque and soon spreads to larger venues, culminating in a chaotic performance at the Roosevelt Hotel on Halloween 1978. During this chaotic creative period, tensions rise as Rob and Don collide over their desire for Darby’s admiration, all while Darby becomes increasingly ensnared in a web of heroin addiction.

The Germs’ rise continues, fueled by appearances on Rodney Bingenheimer’s radio show and financial support from Slash for their album “(GI)”. But as cracks begin to show beneath the surface, Rob plants doubts in Darby’s mind regarding Don’s drumming, compounded by the arrival of a new figure, Amber, who positions herself as Darby’s manager. The band’s performances grow more violent, leading to them being banned from most Los Angeles clubs.

As Darby’s addiction spirals out of control, brewing tensions within the Germs reach a boiling point. Friction arises when Don ventures into a side project, prompting Penelope Spheeris to feature the group in her documentary “The Decline of Western Civilization”. They perform under the alias GI at the Whisky a Go Go in December 1979, but when Don fails to show, Darby reluctantly turns to Rob for drumming support, which proves disastrous and leads to the show’s cancellation due to crowd unrest.

Following this fiasco, conflict escalates when Darby learns of Don’s liaison with a fan, leading him to abandon the Germs and engage in a romantic affair with Amber in London for several months. Returning to Los Angeles with a striking Adam Ant-inspired look and an exaggerated mohawk, Darby reunites with Pat for his new project, the Darby Crash Band, and stages a “farewell show” for Germs at the Starwood in December 1980.

This farewell concert becomes an emotional and cathartic gathering, as Darby informs the audience that it will be their final performance. In a moment of poignant closure, he subsequently passes away, left in solitude and despair, surrounded by the remnants of his tumultuous existence. Pat receives the heartbreaking news while watching reports of John Lennon’s assassination, a grim reflection on the transient nature of fame and life’s fleeting moments.

Last Updated: November 19, 2024 at 20:27