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Punk Guitar Legend Dr. Know Revisits the Profound Legacy of Bad Brains

The pioneering guitarist tells his story of the Washington D.C. band that redefined punk.

When Gary Miller graduated from high school in the late 1970s, the Washington, D.C. guitarist – better known as Dr. Know of the seminal hardcore group Bad Brains – was not planning on a lifetime career in rock and roll.

“I was going to Maryland University and I wanted to be a doctor,” the 61-year-old says from his home in Kingston, New York, where he is still working to undo some of the effects of a severe stroke he suffered in 2016. “That’s how I got the nickname ‘Dr. Know,’” he adds.

Of course Doc, as his bandmates call him, was not to finish his medical studies but to devote his life to his musical craft instead. “That’s how the spirit works,” he says. “It’s like, ‘All right, you boys are going to come over here and play this music.’”

I was going to Maryland University and I wanted to be a doctor Dr. Know

Whether guided by divine forces or their own talent and vision, Bad Brains went on to become pioneers of hardcore punk. Formed in 1977 by Dr. Know, bassist Darryl Jenifer, vocalist Paul Hudson (known to most as H.R., an acronym for Human Rights) and his brother, drummer Earl Hudson, the group made a biblical impact on almost every punk and hardcore band that followed, particularly local D.C. groups like Minor Threat, Youth Brigade and Scream, which featured a teenage Dave Grohl on drums.

The group’s live shows were raucous affairs at which H.R. would perform backflips and dive into the audience without warning, whipping the band’s audience into a destructive frenzy that got the group banned from most D.C. venues.

Emigrating to New York in 1981, Bad Brains converted many of the Big Apple’s nascent hardcore bands, including Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law and the fledgling Beastie Boys.  

But Dr. Know’s role wasn’t preordained. Before turning punk on its head as a guitarist, he began his musical journey on the bass. “I had a good friend of mine, back in the day, and he played guitar already, so I started playing the bass,” he recalls.

“But my first bass was actually a guitar – one of those Silvertones from the ’60s where the amp was built into the case. I think it was missing the G string when I got it, so I took off the B and high E as well, and just left the E, A and D. Then after that, I hooked up with some friends of mine and we used to play funk covers. Strictly funk. P-Funk, and stuff like that.”

A musical omnivore, he was also enthralled by the jazz fusion practiced by groups like Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. “I used to play those records over and over and over, and learn the songs by ear by slowing the record down,” he says. “But I also went to see all these people live.

“Literally, I think we were going to a concert every weekend: ‘Oh, Ma. I need $20. I got to go to the concert!’ God bless her. Everything was all mixed together, and we’d see Thin Lizzy and Chaka Khan on the same bill. I saw Return to Forever at a little jazz club in D.C. with Bill Connors on guitar. I saw mister Joe Pass . I was just absorbing.”

Switching to electric guitar , Dr. Know formed Mind Power in 1976 with Jenifer and the two Hudson brothers. The group played jazz-fusion and funk-tinged music and practiced in the basement of a house they all shared.

Darryl bought me an Electro-Harmonix Linear Power Booster that plugged straight into the guitar, and that’s what I used for fuzz Dr. Know

“I worked at a steakhouse at the time,” he explains. “I got everybody jobs there, except for Earl, and we rented a house from the owner of the restaurant. We used to practice in the basement, and me and Darryl and H.R. would all plug into one padded Kustom amp . Darryl bought me an Electro-Harmonix Linear Power Booster that plugged straight into the guitar, and that’s what I used for fuzz.”  

Dr. Know and his bandmates would themselves experience a musical epiphany after being exposed to the bilious aggression of the punk rock music being produced by U.K. bands like the Damned and Sex Pistols, as well as their American counterparts the Ramones and Dead Boys.

“We had started with the fusiony stuff, but when we heard the aggressiveness of punk, that really hit home with us, because we were kids,” he says. “And we decided, We’re going to do this. We started to throw little concerts in our basement. And that’s it. The whole D.C. thing, that’s when it all got started, meeting Henry Rollins [ of Black Flag ] and Ian MacKaye [ of Minor Threat ] and playing at this place, Madam’s Organ.”

Because they had already developed their chops playing more intricate material, Bad Brains benefited from a technical proficiency that eluded most of the bands on the then-emerging American hardcore scene.

I was playing all downstrokes, so it had more 'oomph', and I was muting with the right hand, which was something that I got from Al Di Meola Dr. Know

“We could play. That was the whole thing. Because boys couldn’t play then. Can’t lie about it,” Dr. Know says. “I was playing all downstrokes, so it had more oomph , and I was muting with the right hand, which was something that I got from Al Di Meola ,” he continues. “Van Halen had also just come out, and I was intrigued about how he hit the harmonics with the pick. I was like, I’ve got to figure out how to do that. So I did.”

The speed and precision of the Bad Brains’ early performances soon became the stuff of legend, and an album’s worth of demo recordings, later released as the collection Black Dots , swept the punk underground like the furious wildfire that its music evoked.

By 1982 when Bad Brains released their self-titled debut, originally issued by the cassette-only ROIR label, it had become de rigueur for other bands in the genre to attempt to match the group’s breakneck tempos.

Everybody was trying to play fast like us, so we had to make it faster Dr. Know

“Everybody was trying to play fast like us, so we had to make it faster,” Dr. Know explains. But to recognize this landmark album merely for its speed is to do it a great disservice. Recorded in a performance space turned ad-hoc studio on Manhattan’s then incredibly dicey Avenue A in the East Village, classic tracks like “The Regulator” and “Attitude” demonstrated that hardcore could be both aggressive and melodically engaging, and that dismissing the genre as “noise” was done at one’s own peril.

The band, and Dr. Know in particular, were not opposed to referencing their more refined musical past. The album’s opening track, “Sailin’ On,” for example, closes with a ringing major-seven chord. “I love major-seven chords,” he says chuckling. “And then all the different inversions and stuff.”

Along with embracing stratospheric beats-per-minute counts and jazzy tetrads, Bad Brains, who had all adopted Rastafarianism after seeing a Bob Marley and the Wailers concert at Maryland’s Capital Center in 1978, also began to incorporate more reggae into their repertoire.

“I remember going to see Bob Marley because the bass was so heavy at the show,” Dr. Know recalls of the concert. “I was like, Wow, what is going on here? That was it. The music and the message of what Marley was saying and singing had a big influence on us.”

The group’s follow-up to Bad Brains , 1983’s Rock for Light , produced by Cars frontman Ric Ocasek , would further cement the group’s standing as the most dynamic and agile punk band on the planet.

“The beautiful thing about us is that we didn’t have to really follow a format or anything. We just did what we did,” Dr. Know says. “And Ric didn’t try to change us. He just told us to be ourselves and to do what we did best. He died on my birthday. He was a beautiful soul, and I miss him.”

By the mid ’80s, Bad Brains rightfully felt that they had exhausted the possibilities offered by hardcore, and with producer Ron Saint Germain (Mick Jagger, Sonic Youth) behind the board, the group began exploring a more riff-oriented hard-rock direction.

Bad Brains would record two consecutive albums with Saint Germain, 1986’s I Against I and 1989’s Quickness . Although neither release garnered mainstream recognition, both were as original and potent as the group’s earlier, more-frequently referenced work.

As Dr. Know observes, the new direction of these albums was a welcome shift that allowed the group members to employ more of the musical knowledge and know-how they had acquired before diving headfirst into punk rock.

“We just wanted to go back to our roots, play more jazzy kind of stuff,” he says. “Because of our Return to Forever influence – the jazz-rock thing – all the songs have that vibe going, because I was always experimenting with jazz chords and this and that.”

I was always experimenting with jazz chords Dr. Know

Dr. Know and Jenifer would spend hours musical problem solving to integrate sophisticated chord progressions and voicings into their music.

“Darryl and I, we’d be writing songs, and I’m like, ‘Let me throw this in there.’ But then it sounded good and we had to have a whole transition, a whole chord progression. I would just sit down and figure that stuff out. We’d incorporate all kinds of sixth chords and ii-V-I chord progressions, but we played them with a lot of distortion.”

More harmonically complex, groove- and riff-driven compositions like I Against I ’s propulsive “Reignition” and Quickness’s grinding “Soul Craft” also served as a perfect platform for Dr. Know’s uniquely aggressive and often dissonant solos, most of which were performed without the benefit of overdubbed rhythm guitars to support them.

“Part of Darryl’s style on bass is that he plays chords so that we wouldn’t need another guitar player,” he explains. As to how the guitarist determined which scales or modes to play over the band’s often chromatic riffs, he reveals that he mostly left it up to instinct and intuition.

“I would never really think about any of that,” he says. “I would be like, ‘Okay, what key is this in? All right. Roll it!’ And I would just play what I felt. After we finished a record, I would always have to learn what I played, because at the time of recording I would just go and let the spirit make it all happen.”

After we finished a record, I would always have to learn what I played, because at the time of recording I would just go and let the spirit make it all happen Dr. Know

Ever mercurial and dogged by mental health issues, frontman H.R would leave Bad Brains after Quickness , marking what many consider to be, for lack of a better term, the end of the group’s classic era.

The singer rejoined the group for several more albums in the 1990s and into the new millennium, including 1995’s God of Love for Madonna’s Maverick label (produced again by Ocasek) and Build a Nation , a 2007 effort produced by longtime fan and friend Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys. But, regrettably, H.R.’s inability to tour for extended periods without incident would prevent the Bad Brains from extensively promoting the releases.

Still, mindful of maintaining their legacy, the group has founded Bad Brains Records and where possible is recovering the rights to their original recordings and remastering and releasing them in restored, deluxe vinyl and digital editions.

For Dr. Know, who suffered some memory loss along with his stroke, the process of revisiting the band’s canon has been both revelatory and comforting. “It’s funny. I was about to say I had to sit down and learn this stuff all over,” says the guitarist, who underwent several years of physical therapy to regain the use of his left hand. “But subconsciously, my hands go right to where they’re supposed to go, and my strength is coming back. I knew I was doing better when I picked up a guitar and bent a string without thinking about it. I was like, Oh shit! I just did that! But I play differently now,” he continues. “It’s not weird, but I know people are going to be like, ‘Damn, man, what are you doing?’ ”

Hopefully, Dr. Know is not overly concerned with having a new voice on the instrument, as his fans have always expected the unexpected from this wildly creative player. And fortunately, it seems that he still has plenty of time left to explore the instrument anew.

“I went and saw all my doctors this month,” he says. “And they were all like, ‘We’ll see you in a year.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean a year?’ They’re like, ‘You’re good, Doc. Your blood pressure’s all right and your this and your that are all fine.’

“I was like, ‘Really? All right then. See ya!’”

Visit the Bad Brains Records website for a browse through their current catalog.

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• March 4, 2022 Setlist

Dr. Know Setlist at Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center, Oxnard, CA, USA

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Tour: Die healing, Old Blood, Brain Vat, Tung, Pink Mist, Dr Know Tour statistics Add setlist

• Burn Play Video
• Saviour Play Video
• Intruderburn Play Video
• Deprogram Play Video
• What to Do Play Video
• Fear of War Play Video
• Piece of Meat Play Video
• Circle of Fear Play Video
• In That House Play Video
• God Told Me To Drop Play Video
• Life Returns Play Video
• Mr. Freeze Play Video
• 2 encores, if you can fill them in Play Video
• 2nd of 2 encores, hope someone can fill them in Play Video

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3 activities (last edit by thebrennan6 , 5 Mar 2022, 21:52 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Fear of War
• Piece of Meat
• 2 encores, if you can fill them in
• 2nd of 2 encores, hope someone can fill them in
• God Told Me To Drop
• Intruderburn
• Circle of Fear
• In That House
• Life Returns

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• Nov 30 2021 Heaven @ The Masquerade Atlanta, GA, USA Add time Add time
• Dec 08 2021 Lowbrow Palace El Paso, TX, USA Add time Add time
• Mar 04 2022 Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center This Setlist Oxnard, CA, USA Add time Add time
• Mar 27 2022 Punk in Drublic 2022 (Ventura) Ventura, CA, USA Add time Add time
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Dr. Know Guitarist Kyle Toucher on Their Classic Records, His Career As a VFX Artist & More

By Anthony Allen Begnal | 5.2.2023

In the latest installment of A Hardcore Conversation we talk to Kyle Toucher (rhymes with voucher) from Oxnard, California’s own Dr. Know.

Not only did he shred guitar and vocal chords in Dr. Know, Kyle has also made a career in the special effects world and is now a novelist. Read on dear reader!

You are Toucher, guitarist and singer or Dr. Know, correct?

No, but I play him on TV.

Were you born and raised in Oxnard, California?

Indeed I was. Back then it was an agriculture/beach town no one knew about, in a lot of ways dependent on the two nearby Navy bases―Port Hueneme, where a Naval Construction Battalion was stationed (SEABEES), and Point Mugu Pacific Missile Test Center, where my father worked as an civilian engineer in their Fleet Weapons division.

My mother was a stay-at-home mom when we were little, then went back to teaching. Dig this: my mother taught at the high school I attended. I never ditched school, I can tell you that.

What was it like growing up there and how did the locals react to punk rockers?

I was born in the early '60s, so society was completely different than it is now. In the seventies when I was coming of age, the place was great. You could hitch-hike to the beach without ending up wrapped in a shower curtain, weed didn't make you hallucinate, muscle cars ruled, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath were active, it was a huge event when the Stones toured and played five nights in LA, The Exorcist scared the hell out of everyone.

By the time a friend of mine and I discovered the Sex Pistols, Damned, and Ramones, they were considered so far underground you needed a shovel. As for the locals, punk rock was something you shouldn't have been doing in those days, so you opened yourself up to a little grief.

Honestly, I never dug the buzz cut, so I put an end to that pretty quickly....then took shit from other punk rock folks who didn't think I was punk enough. It's all tribal.

How did you get into music and how did you discover metal and punk?

When I was about twelve, Late 1974 or early 1975 this would be, I swooned deeply for rock and roll. I'd already been very aware of it, but in those days I was inundated with Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, T.Rex, and the Stones. Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Ritchie Blackmore, Johnny Winter―all those bad ass guitar slingers grabbed my attention very early on.

The final the nail in my coffin was undoubtedly Black Sabbath. Those guys were the perfect meld of what led me to powerful music and the gloomy images of the films I loved. I was all in after that, man―if I didn't at least try to play guitar, I'd never be satisfied.

My brother hipped me to Parliament and Stevie Wonder, Elton John and an endless stream of slamming seventies funk. Johnny “Guitar” Watson...check that cat out. My sister was fully into Jesus Christ Superstar and Joni Mitchell, even Streisand. My old man was all-in with Dixieland and Benny Goodman, my mother a fan of Elvis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. Music everywhere. Even radio was cool back then.

The 1977 punk rock revolution followed, exposing me to the Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Damned, Germs, D.O.A., and Black Flag. I went to piles of shows, saw everyone. The first-gen Los Angeles hardcore scene taught me one thing that giant stadium shows did not: I could be in a band, it was attainable. By 1981, I could think of little else, and Dr. Know was born.

We played shitty clubs, made records, hit the road, played shittier clubs, and eventually nice venues. Later on we toured with The Exploited, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, played shows with everyone everywhere: DRI, Corrosion of Conformity, Agnostic Front, UK Subs, Discharge, Testament, Megadeth, D.O.A., Scream, you name it. Played great gigs, met great people. What a way to spend your 20s.

What got you into playing guitar?

These records made it roil in me like the chest-burster in Alien :

• Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
• Robin Trower,  Robin Trower Live
• Johnny Winter, Captured Live!
• Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, Live

Notice the trend of live records. Back then, these acts would toss out a studio record every year, tour the piss out of them, then fling out a live record. But these were guitar players in their prime, absolute monsters on the instrument, right before the Van Halen revolution. Music was a new experience then, of course, nothing but discovery. I still listen to these albums at sixty years old.

I was disappointed by KISS Alive! I'd already heard Vol. 4 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by the time this record was a blip on my scope. I remember the cover art in the store; the candles, the smoke, the crazy make up―and I wanted to love them.

When I finally heard the album and it was uninteresting kegger rock, I felt like I'd been cheated, as they talked the talk...but they couldn't come near to what Sabbath had already done. I understand why people loved them, and I did see their first reunion full make up tour and it was fun as hell, but their music and image―to me at least―harbored an enormous incongruence.

The first concert I ever saw was Pink Floyd on the Animals tour. At 14, something of that scale intimidates your hopes as a guitar player, musician, whatever. At least it did me. I saw the Ramones and Runaways in 1978, and again, in a large venue (Santa Monica Civic) and it still seemed too big to attain.

Black Flag at the Starwood in Hollywood changed all that. Dez Cadena on vocals. Gregg Ginn. Chuck Dukowski, Robo. What a monster. Real. In your face. Regular cats. Zero production. Loud. Feral. You can be part of this, that said. It was very inspiring.

Was Dr. Know your first band? 

How did you guys get together?

After the Black Flag show I mentioned above, the die was cast. Robin Cartwright, my best friend as a kid and still today, were ready to roll. He had a ramshackle drum kit, I had a cheap Korean Les Paul copy. I may have already had my Sunn Beta Lead 410 by then. He was friends with Ismael Hernandez (Dr. Know bass player) via a high school friendship, and he and his brothers were already deep in that first-gen punk rock scene. Ismael brought in Joey Pina on vocals, and we could practice at his punk rock party house in Ventura.

This was 1981.

Who came up with the Dr. Know name?

Me. It was originally Dr. No, like the Ian Fleming book/James Bond film. As a hopeful lad I thought: What if it all takes off and Fleming's widow comes after us? So we changed it to "Know." Ismael did the lettering in the let's say "Choloesque" flair of the time, complete with spider, and a year or two later his brother Jaime drew the witch at my request, modeled as a hybrid of Dinah Cancer with a little Elvira tossed in.

How’d you end up with a Dan Armstrong guitar? Were you inspired by Greg Ginn?

Oh sure, I was inspired by that. Also, I'd seen Keith Richards with one and Geezer Butler played an Armstrong bass in the photos inside―that's right, you guessed it― Vol. 4 . It is by far the coolest looking guitar there's ever been. Toucher's law: Never play a guitar that isn't shaped like a woman.

Was your Armstrong modified at all?

It is now. A skinhead pile-up in 1985 Grand Rapids, MI smashed the original Masonite pickguard. I shipped the guitar home, and Valley Arts Guitar fashioned a new, black pickguard from a Rickenbacker 4001 pickguard, I believe. I had a spare with me, a 1974 Gibson L6S, and had to play that for the remainder of the 1985 tour.

I bought that at a local store in Oxnard for 350.00. Now those guitars are at least 10x that. Mine is a 1969, A339D, a very low serial number. I used to have several pickups for it, the RT (Rock Tone) the CWT (Country Tone) and something else. Both single coils, so they buzzed.

I believe it was Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) that gave me a Dan Armstrong Humbucker, which I hope to God I still have. Years later, Glade Rasmussen built a sled that accommodates a modern pickup, wired it to the female banana clips, and it slides into the housing.

The neck on that thing is a baseball bat, it sounds like hell, but it looks great. Kind of like KISS Alive! , yeah?

Is that the guitar you used to record the Dr. Know albums?

Plug In Jesus  was recorded with a 1975 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with velvet hammer pickups. I borrowed it from a friend a couple of blocks over, a man by the name of Ray Holguin. He was very accommodating to a young dumbass that knew nothing, and also trusted me with his vintage 1964 Firebird. But that first album is that Les Paul, a BOSS Heavy Metal Pedal, and that snarling Sunn Beta Lead 410 combo, which may may not have also been pushing a 4X12 with cheap Pyle Driver speakers. Can't recall....but I think it was just the 4x10s.

• Burn  was the L6S I just mentioned, into the Sunn.
• This Island Earth was the Armstrong, into a Sunn Beta Lead head pushing two 4X12s.
• Wreckage In Flesh was my Armstrong into a MXR Distortion Plus, then a 1987 JCM 800 head with 6550 power tubes.

Should never have sold that Marshall. I did not really understand Marshalls at the time, and I grievously missed my Sunn. I sold it to a cat that was an avid Marshall fiend, he had a wall of them, and a guitar tone that just slayed.

In the mid-'90s, his band, Fearless Vampire Killers, and mine, a band called Stigmata, shared a cool practice space...but it ultimately got ripped off by drug addicts. The head went with it, along with my old-school Cry Babies and a black Ibanaez and my first Strat.

You have a very distinct guitar sound. How’d you get that? And has anyone ever mentioned that your sound is kind of similar to Tom G Warrior from Celtic Frost? And were you into those guys?

Celtic Frost was never really on my radar. I was an Iommi nerd, chasing that tone. Woody Weatherman from COC, however, fucking nailed Iommi. Listen to the guitar sound on a 1975 live Sabbath release. It's in the Super Deluxe Sabotage , and previously released as Asbury Park or Past Lives , something like that.

Iommi's tone is absolutely monstrous. Everyone may be bored with "War Pigs," but the hammer, the grind of those riffs on that live album version is mind-blowing. "Symptom of the Universe," too. God almighty. No one was doing that in the mid-'70s. No one came close.

Guitar tone is a huge thing for me. I'm a huge Robin Trower nerd, too. Been chasing that with my Stratocasters for some time as well. You should see my univibe collection. But finding the spot where the guitar fits in the frequency gradient I suppose is the key. I used to scoop out all the mids because it sounded fat and scary.

In a lot of cases you end up in a frequency war with the bass, and you'll lose. So that's a war best avoided. Jimmy Page certainly knew that. Example: "Immigrant Song." Seems cool enough as the guitar is chugging along in the beginning. When [John Paul] Jones drops in with that bass right before the vocals...BOOM. Same thing in "Whole Lotta Love." All that bottom comes in and destroys, with the guitar not in the way at all.

Once I moved over to Triple Rectifiers, I really became aware of the guitar's place in the spectrum. And of course, a lot of it is in the way you touch the instrument. But if everything is crazy out of control gain with no tone shaping, your guitar is merely a triggering device for you amplifier, whether it's an expensive Bogner or a cheapie Bugera.

I interviewed Ismael Hernandez a couple years ago and he told me your ideal for Dr. Know was for you guys to sound like “Black Sabbath and the Germs had a baby." Is that true?

[Laughs] Yes, that rings a bell. Seems accurate at the time. I think we came close, certainly on Plug-In Jesus . That goddamn Germs album and Discharge's first two albums were very influential.

Your lyrics in Dr. Know tended to lean towards horror and sci-fi types of subjects as opposed to a lot of your peers, who were singing about “the scene," parents and sometimes politics etc. How’d that happen?

I don't gripe about my life. I never skateboarded, either. I didn't care what people did at shows as long as they let us play and kept it bullshit-free. So, there was no fuel there for songs. Too much me me me in that myopic approach, dig? Great for some bands that made it work, but definitely not my bag.

As for the horror elements, well, I had a lot of horror input as a youngster (Universal monsters, Mexican vampire films, '50s science fiction), and I read piles of Lovecraft and other things in my twenties. That's going to ooze out...so much so I'm writing novels in the horror genre these days. I wrote a lot about war and the global move toward tyranny. Look how prescient that turned out to be. 

Were you at all inspired by the Misfits in this regard? And what was it like playing a show with them back then?

Not at all. However, we played with them in 1982, I think. Brandon [Cruz, star of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father with Bill Bixby] was still in the band then, so that's how far back that was. They were like KISS, but delivered on the sinister element. Never had any of their records, but always enjoyed them live. I recall the power of Glenn's voice, he sang instead of screamed in key. Michael Poulsen of Volbeat was certainly influenced by him, but Poulsen is even more powerful.

The Misfits put on a great show, spitting in the face of punk rock purists that wanted everything stripped down to various levels of poverty and incompetence. "Look! They can't play...isn't that refreshing?" No, it isn't.

A great approach and high entertainment value is really what people want, despite any virtue-signaling, and the Misfits delivered. I do recall that Glenn had just been tattooed, and a big dripping Misfits logo on his arms was slathered in vaseline. Good times. Young and clueless, we were.

Some of your lyrics have sort of an anti modern technology stance but given your later and current involvement in state of the art special effects, you’re definitely not a luddite. What’s that all about?

Fire is a good servant, but a cruel master. 

How’d you guys hook up with Mystic Records?

An early compilation album called We Got Power (Party Or Go Home) , I think each song had to be under a minute. We had a demo, and a song called “Saviour," written by Robin Cartwright and myself, was handed over. Apparently they induced a questionnaire asking buyers which bands stood out, and as far as I'm told, we were one of them.

Not long after came It Came From Slimey Valley , brought to us by the guys in Circle One. Whether it was John Macias or Mike Vallejo, I can't recall, but I think it was John. Gibson Les Paul deluxe on that one, too, I might add.

Do you have any memories from the recording sessions for the Plug-In Jesus  record?

Yes. 12 songs in eight hours, recorded live.

Dr. Know was doing full nationwide tours pretty early on when a lot of your contemporaries were not able to do that. How’d you guys pull that off?

All credit goes to [Dr. Know drummer] Rick Heller. The guy was a bulldog. Booked the tours himself, all on hot telephone credit card numbers. Remember that?

Yes, I do! Did you consider Dr. Know to be a part of the whole “Nardcore” scene? 

Absolutely. Ismael coined the phrase.

Do you remember this show in Philly from October of ‘84? My teenage band Positive Hate opened for you guys there.

Actually, I do remember Positive Hate and I can tell you why. What was with the red-headed guitar player? I remember Ismael mentioning he looked afraid of his Telecaster. Wide-eyed apprehension as he watched his fret hand. Always stuck with me.

I had no idea you were in that band. That's hilarious.

There’s a good chance he was frying on acid that night so that might explain that [laughs]. Another one of my old bands, Heart of Darkness, played with you guys on the This Island Earth  tour, on the Penn State University campus, do you remember that show?

I do. The record had just come out that week. Copies were shipped to us in Pennsylvania so we could sell them on the road. That was a fun tour, but I became awfully ill with strep throat not long after. I holed up in a Howard Johnson's for days recovering.

For that album Dr Know got signed to Death Records/Metal Blade Records. How’d you guys make that happen? I asked Ismael this before but I’ll also ask you too: when I was hanging out with you guys before the Penn State show I asked how you got on that label and one of you made a pornographic hand gesture towards their mouth (if ya know what I mean). Can you confirm or deny?

[Laughs] Always deny the fellatio. Josh Pappe, then in DRI on bass, advocated for us. Like John Macias, he's no longer on Earth. He and I got along great. Hilarious son of a bitch, that man.

Anything stand out from the recording of that one?

Blow. Escobar days, you know. I should have double tracked the rhythm guitar. First record I used a wah pedal. A lot of that record is probably live. Blow.

Dr Know played with Discharge on their Grave New World  tour, what was that like and did you like that album?

I spoke to Andy Ford about that the other day. We loved Discharge. Played with them twice, one in Goleta and once a Fenders in LA. I honestly don't recall if the Goleta show was on the Grave New World tour. They got intensely rejected by the crowd at Fenders in Long Beach. That was rough. People wanted to hear Why and Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing , and Cal pranced around squealing in a falsetto. Not a hit.

As for the record, the band wasn't bad, they played well and some of the riffs hooked and grooved, but it was a hard departure from the Discharge everyone knew. Her Majesty's Government moved away a bit from all-out assault from their previous records, even a little Sabbath-vibe on "Anger Burning." But Grave New World felt like it was trying too hard. I realize they were trying to expand musically, but the vocal thing was a bad call. Also, lots of whammy bar.

Old joke: What's the worst thing about whammy bars? People have a tendency to use them.

Did you prefer working with Metal Blade or Mystic?

Oh, Metal Blade by far.

Were you into the other bands on the Death Records label, like, COC and DRI?

Great cats. We played with both bands―DRI quite a few times―and it was always a blast and great, crazy shows. I remember we arrived at a venue and DRI was headlining. Spike Cassidy had twin Marshall stacks already on stage. I gasped at the hugeness of it.

I thought: "We're doing something wrong here, fellas. We need to be on a more professional level like these cats."

After the tours for This Island Earth  you completely changed the Dr Know lineup for the next album ( Wreckage In Flesh ). What happened there?

Long story. Too much to type. That kind of shit happens in bands, you know.

What was touring that album like? Did you guys successfully transfer to a more metal audience? 

The merge was well under way by that time, absolutely. Which I always thought was great. 

Why did Dr. Know eventually break up?

Everything became a hassle, lots of booze, never could get to the next level professionally...no real management, there was no incentive for anyone of real gravitas to take us on as client, to be honest. We saw a lot of bands just blowing right past us.

'Wreckage In Flesh'  really didn't do so well, either. Metal Blade, if I recall correctly, wanted to hear new material before committing to a new record―which is their absolute right of course―and we didn't have a lot. Inspiration waned. It broke my heart and I wandered for a while after that. I was 28.

Slayer covered “Mr Freeze” on their punk covers album, Undisputed Attitude . Were you stoked about that? Did you guys ever play shows with them back in the day?

Never played with Slayer, no. But my VFX career would never had become airborne had not Slayer covered “Mr. Freeze." I however, looked upon that as an opportunity. I was broke at the time, and the dough I received allowed me to buy a decent computer (this was 1997) and learn the software that led me into the VFX game. My Emmys are a direct result of that.

When I finally met Kerry King I told him the story (in far greater detail), he couldn't believe it. Slayer is responsible for kick starting a 25-year career in CGI. How about them apples?

Nice! So, as you said, you start working in special effects for shows like Star Trek: Voyager , Battlestar Galactica , etc. Were you a fan of the original Galactica ?

I never dug the original Battlestar Galactica . Same shots over and over. Lorne Greene in a cape. Robo Dog. When that show hit TV in the late '70s I was way into weed and Black Sabbath. The reboots took a far more gritty approach. Had a great time on that show, and after a certain period of time, they just let the VFX team make shit up―as long as it cut in nicely.

You mentioned you won a couple Emmys for your work on Battlestar Galactica  (congrats!). Did you attend the ceremonies? What was that like?

Been to the Emmys several times―but full transparency here: The “technical” Emmys for the working stiffs (lighting, sound, VFX, makeup, etc) are held a week before the Actors and all those cats. Still, it's super fun, you do the tux, you're nervous when your category comes up. Absolutely.

I was part of a great team, believe me. I have eight nominations and two wins . But those days of my career are way gone. Last time we were there was 2013 for Defiance . It was a great life experience, I've been very blessed to have such things, believe me.

Food was always good. But terrible bourbon. I mean, bad news.

How did you feel about the various “Dr. Know” lineups throughout the years that various people did without you?

How would you like to receive terrible, lurid photos of your wife? Same thing.

I hear ya, man. That sucks! Eventually you bring back Dr. Know with most of the Wreckage In Flesh lineup. How did that come about?

Seemed like the time. We had the openings in our schedules, we'd all grown up and older, ready to re-tune and re-tool the songs and make everything as tight and snarling as we could make it. Agreed on a tuning, finally. That helped. Found a good drummer that listened. Trained and drilled.

You recently released a demo of a song from 2016 that was going to be from a new Dr. Know album. Will that album ever be completed? And are there more songs you might release from it in the meantime?

It's doubtful that will ever come to fruition, but hell, who knows. There are a few more tunes lying around that are in the same state as “Tell Me There's No Devil," which we released on the same day as my novel Live Wire . You may indeed see them...but hopefully before my next novel comes out, because that may be awhile.

Although these are finished demos, they're intended as guide tracks for recording the songs for real with full guitar rigs, live drums, the whole shebang. We had some great titles for the record too, but I'll keep those in my back pocket for now. Probably would have been a good idea to bring a ProTools rig to a few shows and record those, too....but that didn't happen either. Toward 2014 and 2015 we were playing like monsters. Sorry about that. 

So yeah, in 2023 you release two books:  Life Returns  and Live Wire.  I just read Life Returns and it’s great, I loved all the lyrics from the song being interspersed throughout. What made you decide to do this?

It's explained in the author's note at the end of the story, but it's essentially a bridge between what I did then with Dr. Know and what I'm doing now. I wanted the people that liked the band to come along for this ride, too―and the best way to do that was to start with a recognizable thing. Life Returns  was a perfect vehicle for that, an old-school revenge from the grave story fans already knew...but I of course expanded on it and wove it into the mythos/world-building in all my fiction writing.

It's a quick read, and a straight-up horror tale with real characters and freaky occult dealings. What really happened in that house that night? Only one way to find out, and it is stark raving free. What more could you want from a fully realized Dr. Know tune?

Download it for free , and don't hesitate to leave a review.

Did you always have a backstory in mind for that song? And do you think you might do more in that vein? Mr. Freeze comes to mind. Or the man who lives in a cave from “The Shadow of Progress."

No, not until I started writing it and made the conscious decision to set it in Walpurgis County, the dreaded nexus, the horrendous setting of a lot of the things I write. So the idea is that for fans of the band, this is an easy introduction to all of that. Even if you're not familiar with Dr. Know, the story stands on its own―that's the entire idea behind choosing Life Returns .

Writing fiction is not easy, but if you discover that you have a flair for it, it's never too late to start. And I felt pulled toward it, especially when the Covid nonsense opened a huge door of opportunity. This is the result...not just Life Returns  and Live Wire , specifically, but focusing on getting a writing career airborne, no matter how high it ultimately flies. You're a pussy if you don't at least try, right?

Indeed! I haven’t read Live Wire  yet (ordered the paperback!) but I could see Life Returns being an awesome series or movie. Is there a possibility of that happening?

Thanks for buying the book and your support, truly. And don't hesitate to leave a review. Live Wire is gigantic in places. Lots of moving parts, psycho action sequences and deep character exploration. The tagline I wrote for it is “Black Magic Meets Big Tech...What Could Go Wrong?”

On the outer layer the bulk of the story centers around people hiding in a gas station while high-tension towers prowl the desert, it is far deeper than that Action Movie overlay. A sinister organization, Medusa Engineering, summons (intentionally or not...you be the judge!) a dark entity through the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico. Upon its arrival it emits what I call The Signal through any resonant surface, electronics, etc., which burrows deep into the psyche of those vulnerable, and recussitates deep regrets, shame, guilt, and the suffering that goes along with it.

As our cast wrangles that inner struggle, the world around them goes crazy with giants and destruction. It's a lot to handle, and, well, not everyone makes it out alive.

At dawn the confrontation takes place on Route 60, human resolve in the face of unfathomable mass and the nexus of its power. And Medusa Engineering, of course, has an overarching interest in all of it...

I have the film rights to both pieces. Live Wire wouldn't be cheap to make as written, that's for sure. The VFX budget would hoover up a pile of greenbacks. But Life Returns could make a cool short film for not a lot of dough. Run out the car and get your checkbook and we'll make it happen.

I’ll have my people call your people for sure! What else are you up to these days? Any chance of more Dr. Know shows?

Plug-In Jesus  turns 40 next year. I'd like to commemorate that in some way, I just don't know how yet. I'd better get on it in one way or another, yeah? More writing projects are under way, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that has not been released.

Live Wire , a full-throttle, top fuel Horror/Sci-Fi hybrid, is my first novel―at the tender age of 60―and I do not intend for it to be the last. Early reviews have been good, people like the unholy freak-out factor that permeates the story. It goes big, it goes deep, and gets bloody.

Are you in touch with the past members of Dr. Know?

Not really, no. Tim Harkins [guitar player on Wreckage In Flesh ] and I yak all the time, the others, not really. 

Thanks, man!

You bet. Kirk Out!

Follow Kyle Toucher on Twitter , and learn more about his various projects on his website .

Tagged: a hardcore conversation , dr know

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Listed Below is all of the known Tour Dates, Album, E.P. & Singles release dates that I have info on from this Nardcore band. I know there is a hell of a lot more info out there so if you can help let me know.  I'm after any Tickets scans, Tour Posters / Flyers, Tour Shirts, Magazine Adverts etc. hector.kirkwood @ gmail.com I built this and other pages for some of the bands I like as I could not find any decent info on the net anywhere, these are mainly for my own entertainment but if anyone else enjoys them then it's a bonus, enjoy.

Many thanks to Mike Ziegler for updates, addictions & corrections.

Back to main page .

• ??/??/1981; Dr. Know form in Oxnard, CA early '81, Kyle (g), Israel (b), & Robin (d?). Brandon (v) joins a bit later.
• 20/02/1982; Concert at Board Of Realtors Bldg, Simi Valley, CA, USA. opening for Fear & Agression.
• 16/04/1982; Concert at Roller Works, Chatsworth, CA, USA. opening for Social Distortion & Youth Brigade, with Agression & America's Hardcore.
• 08/07/1982; Concert at The Grove, Camarillo, CA, USA. with Days Of Rage. (unsure of date).
• 15/07/1982; Concert at The Shack, Goleta, CA, USA. with Pull.
• 16/07/1982; Concert at The Shack, Goleta, CA, USA. with Pull.
• 24/07/1982; Concert at DJ Club, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. opening for Circle One, Shattered Faith and Sin 34, with asst.
• 29/08/1982; Concert at The Civic Auditorium, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for The D.O.T.S., Conspiracy & asst.
• 22/10/1982; Concert at Goleta Community Centre, Goleta, CA, USA. opening for Fear, CH3 & Agression.
• 29/10/1982; Concert at The Park, Pico Riviera, CA, USA. opening for Circle Jerks, Suicidal tendencies & asst.
• 19/11/1982; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Shattered Faith, Killroy & Discords. (unsure of date).
• 21/12/1982; Concert at The T-Bird Rollerdrome, Pico Rivera, CA, USA.  opening for Battalion Of Saints, ith Wasted Youth, Descendants & asst.
• 31/12/1982; Concert at Washoe Valley Comm. Hall, Washoe Countty, NV, USA. opening for The Lewd, 7 Seconds, Circle One & asst.
• 21/01/1983; Concert at The T-Bird Rollerdrome, Pico Riviera, CA, USA. opening for 45 Grave, D.I.'s, Anti & White Flag, with asst.
• 04/02/1983; Concert at Goleta Community Centre, Goleta, CA, USA. opening for Dead Kennedys & Flipper, with Toxic Reasons.
• ??/??/1983; at some point in '83 Brandon (v) leaves, Kyle (g) takes over as singer.
• 29/03/1983; Concert at Sun Valley Sportsman's Hall, Sun Valley, CA, USA. opening for Youth Brigade & America's Hardcore, with asst. (some flyers list 30th).
• 08/04/1983; Concert at P.U.N.X. No.4, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Misfits, Circle One & Crucifix.
• 15/04/1983; Concert at Camarillo, High School Gym, CA, USA. opening for Agression, Youth Brigade, Circle One & asst.
• 21/04/1983; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Battalion Of Saints & No Crisis, with Don't No & Stalag 13.
• 06/05/1983; Concert at The Corner of Anapamu & Milpas, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. opening for Agression, Stalag 13 & R.K.L.
• 10/06/1983; Concert at The LOMPDC Rec. Center, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA. opening for Stalag 13 & R.K.L., with Ill Repute & asst.
• 12/06/1983; Concert at Roxanne's, Huntington, CA, USA. opening for Circle One, with Ill Repute & Dead Youth.
• 03/07/1983; Concert at Oxnard Community Centre, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for Agression, with Ill Repute.
• 08/07/1983; Concert at The Vex, Los Angeles, CA, USA. opening for Descendents, Suicidal Tendencies & Nig-Heist.
• 24/07/1983; Concert at Sun Valley Sports Hall, Sun Valley, CA, USA. opening for Battalion Of Saints, with Killroy & The Grim.
• 17/08/1983; Concert at Shamus O'Brian's, El Monte, CA, USA. opening for Scream & S.S. Decontrol, with Stalag 13.
• 24/08/1983; Concert at Casa Tropical, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for Angry Samoans & Battalion Of Saints, with Killroy.
• 27/08/1983; Concert at a house party, West Covina, CA, USA. opening for Black Flag & D.R.I., with asst.
• 17/09/1983; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Vandals, Shattered Faith & Crewd.
• 27/09/1983; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Necros, Sin 34 & White Flag.
• 01/10/1983; Concert at a house party, Naplegrove, CA, USA. opening for Ill Repute, Circle One, Rigor Mortis etc..
• 10/12/1983; Concert at Casa De La Raza, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. opening for Discharge, Suicidal tendencies & M.D.C..
• 17/12/1983; Concert at Monarch Hall, Valley College, Van Nuys, CA, USA. opening for Iconoclast & Armistice, with Shattered Faith.
• 06/01/1984; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Offenders, with Basic Math & asst.
• 04/02/1984; Concert at Pinnolas, Las Vegas, NV, USA. opening for Angry Samoans, with R.Z.M.
• 09/02/1984; Concert at Park Elevator, ??, ??, USA. opening for 7 Seconds, with The Lubricators.
• 11/02/1984; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for D.R.I., with Stalag 13 & asst.
• 18/02/1984; Concert at Club Stain, Toledo, OH, USA. with Infants Of Sin & Camuse Truste.
• 30/03/1984; Concert at Solid Gold Night Club, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for Agression, with Ill Repute, Stalag 13 & False Confession.
• 14/04/1984; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for The Abandoned, with Atoms. (unsure of date).
• 27/04/1984; Concert at Sun Valley Sports Hall, Sun Valley, CA, USA. opening for Bad Religion & Sin 24, with Nip Drivers. (moved to/from Cathay).
• 28/04/1984; Concert at Perkin's Palace, Pasadena, CA, USA. opening for Subhumans, Youth Brigade & M.I.A., with Iconoclast.
• ??/??/1984; at some point before the 'Plug In..' album Robin (d) is replaced by Rik, Fred joins as 2nd guitarist.
• 17/05/1984; Concert at The Cathay De Grande, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for 7 Seconds, with Uniform Choice & Slaughterhouse 5.
• ??/06/1984; ' Plug-In Jesus ' ep released, seven tracks, around June, later copies add ' Burn ' tracks.
• 27/06/1984; Concert at Solid Gold Night Club, Oxnard, CA, USA. with Stalag 13. (7:00 show).
• 27/06/1984; Concert at Solid Gold Night Club, Oxnard, CA, USA. with Stalag 13. (10:00 show).
• 30/06/1984; Concert at The Keystone, Berkeley, CA, USA. opening for Dead Kennedys & Special Forces, with Marginal Man.
• 03/08/1984; Concert at The Pit, Tempe, AZ, USA. opening for Necros, with Kilroy & The Grim.
• 04/08/1984; Concert at Roxanne's, Huntington, CA, USA. with Unity, Entropy, Hated Principles, Justice League & NOFX.
• 01/09/1984; Concert at Lincoln Art Center, Lincoln, KS?, USA. opening for F.U.'s, Rejectors & Strangle Hold.
• 14/09/1984; Concert at The Vatican, Eugene, OR, USA. with Final Warning & E-13. (Sep. 14th - Nov. 5th; ' Plug-In Jesus ' tour).
• 15/09/1984; Concert at The Satyricon, Portland, OR, USA. opening for D.O.A., with Unwanted.
• 16/09/1984; Concert at Lion's Club, Reno, NV, USA.
• 21/09/1984; Concert at ??, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• 22/09/1984; Concert at Knights Of Pythias Hall, Tempe, AZ, USA. opening for Social Distortion, with asst.
• 23/09/1984; Concert at ??, Sante Fe, NM, USA.
• 24/09/1984; Concert at The Kokehouse, El Paso, TX, USA. opening for D.O.A., with Rhythm Pigs.
• 27/09/1984; Concert at ??, Austin, TX, USA.
• 28/09/1984; Concert at Cabaret Voltaire, Houston, TX, USA. with Beef Skurts.
• 30/09/1984; Concert at Antennae Club, Memphis, TN, USA.
• ??/10/1984; Concert at Metropolis, Atlanta, GA, USA. (exact date unknown).
• 05/10/1984; Concert at ??, Baltimore, MD, USA.
• 06/10/1984; Concert at ??, New York, NY, USA.
• 07/10/1984; Concert at CBGB's, Manhattan, NY, USA. opening for Adrenalin O.D. & Battalion Of Saints, with Money Dogs.
• 09/10/1984; Concert at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, USA.
• 10/10/1984; Concert at ??, Washington, DC, USA.
• 11/10/1984; Concert at ??, Springfield, MA, USA.
• 12/10/1984; Concert at The Anthrax, Stamford, CT, USA. opening for 7 Seconds, with Violent Children & C.I.A.
• 13/10/1984; Concert at The 126 Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA. opening for Government Issue & Positive Hate.
• 14/10/1984; Concert at The Electric Banana, Pittsburg, PA, USA. with Half Life, Pressure Sensitive & Society's Victim.
• 15/10/1984; Concert at The Jockey Club, Newport, KY, USA.
• 16/10/1984; Concert at ??, Columbus, OH, USA.
• 18/10/1984; Concert at Laura Hall, Detroit, MI, USA. with Disinfect, Slaughterhouse, Bats & C.O.P.
• 19/10/1984; Concert at ??, Chicago, IL, USA.
• 20/10/1984; Concert at ??, Madison, WI, USA.
• 21/10/1984; Concert at Northside 80, Green Bay, WI, USA. with Outcry.
• 22/10/1984; Concert at ??, Lincoln, NV, USA.
• 23/10/1984; Concert at V.F.W. No.18, Kansas City, MI, USA. with Blind Idiot God & Tilt.
• 25/10/1984; Concert at ??, Denver, CO, USA. with Happy Hour & Dead Silence.
• 26/10/1984; Concert at ??, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
• 27/10/1984; Concert at Club Grange Hall, Reno, NV, USA. with Crucifucks, The Yobs & No Deal.
• 29/10/1984; Concert at ??, Eugene, OR, USA.
• 31/10/1984; Concert at Spiders Web, Seattle, WA, USA. with The Accused & False Liberty. (moved from 30th).
• 01/11/1984; Concert at ??, Portland, OR, USA.
• 02/11/1984; Concert at ??, Sacramento, CA, USA.
• 03/11/1984; Concert at ??, San Francisco, CA, USA.
• 04/11/1984; Concert at ??, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
• 05/11/1984; Concert at ??, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA.
• 08/11/1984; Concert at Club Culture, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. with Capitol Punishment & Biohazard.
• 10/11/1984; Concert at The Fiji And Tropical Island Junction, Oakland, CA, USA. opening for Butthole Surfers & The Dicks.
• 11/11/1984; Concert at The Entertainment Factory, Carmichael, CA, USA. opening for Butthole Surfers & The Dicks, with asst.
• 24/11/1984; Concert at The Town & Country Bar, Ventura, CA, USA. with DV8 & Heroes Of Noise.
• 28/12/1984; Concert at The Town & Country Bar, Ventura, CA, USA. opening for Agression, with Ill Repute & asst.
• 20/01/1985; Concert at The Melody Dance Center, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Broken Bones, with Uniform Choice & Detox.
• ??/??/1985; at some point early '85 Fred (g) leaves making the band a three piece again.
• 21/03/1985; Concert at Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, CA, USA. with Bl'ast!, R.K.L. & Defy. (Mar. 21st - May 5th; ' U.S. Spring Tour ').
• 22/03/1985; Concert at 671 E. 17th Street, Eugene, OR, USA. with R.K.L.
• 23/03/1985; Concert at The Rock Theatre, Seattle, WA, USA. with Beyond Possession, Malfunkshun & R.K.L.
• 24/03/1985; Concert at The Satyricon, Portland, OR, USA. with Beyond Possession, Poison Idea & R.K.L.
• 30/03/1985; Concert at Knights Of Pythias Hall, Tempe, AZ, USA. opening for Battalion Of Saints, with R.K.L. & O.N.S.
• 03/04/1985; Concert at The Entertainment Factory, Carmichael, CA, USA. opening for The Vandals, with R.K.L., Pariah & asst.
• 04/04/1985; Concert at The Keystone, Palo Alto, CA, USA. opening for The Vandals, with Whipping Boy & R.K.L.
• 12/04/1985; Concert at Cabaret Voltaire, Houston, TX, USA. with R.K.L. & Allied Agression.
• 14/04/1985; Concert at The Twilite Room, Dallas, TX, USA. with R.K.L.
• 15/04/1985; Concert at 1444 Newport Street, Tulsa, OK, USA. with N.O.T.A. & R.K.L.
• 18/04/1985; Concert at Yano's, Milwaukee, WI, USA. with R.K.L.
• 19/04/1985; Concert at Kutskas Hall, Green Bay, WI, USA. with R.K.L. & Imminent Attack.
• 24/04/1985; Concert at P.B. Kelly's, Richmond, VA, USA. with Target Of Demand, R.K.L. & Unseen Force.
• 27/04/1985; Concert at The Anthrax, Stamford, CT, USA. with R.K.L. & Lost Generation.
• 28/04/1985; Concert at CBGB's, Manhattan, NY, USA. opening for Subhumans & Scream, with R.K.L.
• 02/05/1985; Concert at The Foolkiller, Kansas City, MO, USA. with R.K.L. & Orange Doe-Nuts.
• 03/05/1985; Concert at The Packing House, Denver, CO, USA. with R.K.L., Mau Mau 55 & Bum Kon.
• 05/05/1985; Concert at Pioneer Park, San Francisco, CA, USA. with R.K.L. & Maimed For Life.
• 10/05/1985; Concert at The Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, USA. opening for The Exploited, U.K. Subs & Agnostic Front.
• 11/05/1985; Concert at The State Theatre, San Diego, CA, USA. opening for The Exploited & U.K. Subs.
• ??/05/1985; ' Burn ' 7" released, exact date unknown but around May.
• 24/05/1985; Concert at Sun Valley Sports Hall, Sun Valley, CA, USA. opening for D.R.I., with Blast!, R.K.L. & U.P.S.
• 21/06/1985; Concert at La Casa, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. opening for Social Distortion, with Hvy Drt & Assault.
• 30/06/1985; Concert at That's Entertainment, Las Vegas, NV, USA. with D.R.I. & I-129.
• 08/08/1985; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. with Ill Repute, Abandoned & asst.
• 16/08/1985; Concert at The Red Barn, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. with Beyond Possession & asst.
• 29/08/1985; Concert at The Big Screen Theatre, Long Beach, CA, USA. with R.K.L., Uniform Choice & asst.
• 25/10/1985; Concert at The Student Union Tapestry Room, Cal State Northridge, CA, USA.  opening for Descendents, with DC3 & Ulcer.
• 14/12/1985; Concert at California Theatre, San Diego, CA, USA.  opening for Dead Kennedys & Descendents, with S.N.F.U. & asst.
• 02/01/1986; Concert at The Oasis, Sacramento, CA, USA. opening for Social Distortion, with The Vandals & Youth Of Today.
• 03/01/1986; Concert at The Convention Centre, San Jose, CA, USA. opening for Social Distortion & The Vandals, with asst.
• 04/01/1986; Concert at The Warehouse/New Method, Emeryville, CA, USA. with Christ On Parade, Foolish Mortals & asst.
• 25/01/1986; Concert at The Balboa Theater, Los Angeles, CA, USA.  opening for D.R.I. & C.O.C., with, Hirax & Beowulf.
• 26/02/1986; Concert at The Oasis, Sacramento, CA, USA. opening for D.R.I. & Verbal Abuse, with Sea Hags.
• 14/03/1986; Concert at The Melody Dance Centre, Long Beach, CA, USA. with Blast!, Scared Straight, Unity & Justice League.
• 15/03/1986; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Descendents, Agression & Mad Parade.
• 29/03/1986; Concert at The Jackie Robinson YMCA, San Diego, CA, USA. with Diatribe & Final Conflict.
• 09/04/1986; Concert at Ronnie's, Monrovia, CA, USA. with Saint Vitus & Tormentor.
• 18/04/1986; Concert at The Anti-Club, Los Angeles, CA, USA. with Saint Vitus & Hated Principle.
• 25/04/1986; Concert at Alexandria Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, USA.  opening for Youth Brigade, Adolescents & M.I.A. with asst.
• 02/05/1986; Concert at The Guest House, Hemet, CA, USA. with Fang & Oppressed Logic. (unsure of date).
• 03/05/1986; Concert at The Jackie Robinson YMCA, San Diego, CA, USA. opening for U.K. Subs, with First Offense & Don't No. 
• 30/05/1986; Concert at On Broadway, San Francisco, CA, USA.  opening for Blast!, with Mock.
• 31/05/1986; Concert at Ruthie's Inn, San Francisco, CA, USA.  opening for Blast!, with Mock & Clown Alley.
• 06/06/1986; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. with Final Conflict, The Reign & Justice League.
• 07/06/1986; Concert at Jackie Robinson YMCA, San Diego, CA, USA. with Dark Angel, Final Conflict & asst.
• 08/06/1986; Concert at Raji's, Hollywood, CA, USA. with S.W.A & Phantom Opera.
• 13/06/1986; Concert at Ruthie's Inn, San Francisco, CA, USA. with Sacrilege, Genocide & Bloodbath.
• 14/06/1986; Concert at On Broadway, San Francisco, CA, USA. opening for Mentors, with Death Angel & Sacrilege.
• 29/06/1986; Concert at Vidals Entertainment Centre, Bakersfield, CA, USA. with DC3, SWA & Fatal Vision. (postponed to 05/07).
• 04/07/1986; Concert at The Metro, Phoenix, AZ, USA. opening for Adolescents/Wasted Youth. (unsure who headlined).
• 05/07/1986; Concert at Panchos, Bakersfield, CA, USA. with DC3, SWA & Fatal Vision. (moved from 29/06).
• 18/07/1986; Concert at The I.E.S. Hall, San Jose, CA, USA.  opening for Agnostic Front, with Sacrilege.
• ??/??/1986; ' The Best Of Dr. Know ' compilation album released, exact date unknown.
• 22/08/1986; Concert at Officers Club Camarillo Airport, Camarillo, CA, USA. with Reign, Scared Straight & asst.
• 05/09/1986; Concert at Jackie Robinson YMCA, San Diego, CA, USA. opening for Discharge, with Blast! & asst.
• 06/09/1986; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Discharge, with Cryptic Slaughter, Final Conflict & A.A.
• ??/09/1986; ' This Island Earth ' album released, exact date unknown.
• 26/09/1986; Concert at The Vatican, Eugene, OR, USA. (Sep. 26th - Nov. 24th; ' This Island Earth U.S.A. Tour 86 ').
• 27/09/1986; Concert at The Crescent Ballroom, Tacoma, WA, USA. with Poison Idea, The Accused, The Melvins & False Liberty.
• ??/09/1986; Concert at ??, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
• 01/10/1986; Concert at The Fun House, Denver, CO, USA. with Burnt Fase & Lovedog.
• 03/10/1986; Concert at The Outhouse, Lawrence, KS, USA. with Intelligent Descent.
• 05/10/1986; Concert at The Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, USA. opening for Gang Green & D.R.I., with No Allegiance.
• 07/10/1986; Concert at Burton Hall, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.  opening for D.R.I., with Sacrifice & Jim Jones & The Kool Aid Kids.
• 08/10/1986; Concert at The Graystone, Detroit, MI, USA.  opening for D.R.I., with Bats & Baby Sledge. (moved from 07/10).
• 09/10/1986; Concert at Knights Of Columbus, Cheektowaga, NY, USA.  opening for D.R.I., with The Painkillers.
• 10/10/1986; Concert at Blondie's, Detroit, MI, USA. opening for D.R.I. & Sacrifice.  (moved to 08/10).
• 10/10/1986; Concert at The Ukranian National Federation Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada.  opening for D.R.I. & Die Kreuzen. 
• 11/10/1986; Concert at Findley Rec. Room, University Park, PA, USA. with Executioner & Heart Of Darkness.
• 12/10/1986; Concert at The Electric Banana, Pittsburg, PA, USA. with Executioner & Dream Death.
• ??/10/1986; Concert at ??, New York, NY, USA. (exact date unknown).
• ??/10/1986; Concert at ??, Albany, NY, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/10/1986; Concert at ??, Providence, RI, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 16/10/1986; Concert at The Marble Bar, Baltimore, MD, USA. opening for Fang.
• 18/10/1986; Concert at The Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA. with Abusive Action & Dirge.
• 19/10/1986; Concert at The Rat, Boston, MA, USA. with Psycho, Fang & The Scam.
• 20/10/1986; Concert at The Brick 'N Wood Cafe, New Haven, CT, USA. with Fang & Warzone.
• 23/10/1986; Concert at The Hung Jury Pub, Washington, DC, USA. opening for Adolescents.
• 25/10/1986; Concert at T.T. The Bears,  Cambridge, MA, USA.  opening for Adolescents, with Slap Shot.
• 26/10/1986; Concert at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, USA. opening for Samhain, with asst.
• 29/10/1986; Concert at New Horizons Cafe, Richmond, VA, USA.  opening for Bad Brains, with Alter-Natives, Guana & Burma Jam. (7:30 show).
• 29/10/1986; Concert at New Horizons Cafe, Richmond, VA, USA.  opening for Bad Brains, with Alter-Natives, Guana & Burma Jam. (10:00 show).
• 30/10/1986; Concert at ??, Raleigh, NC, USA.
• 31/10/1986; Concert at ??, Columbia, SC, USA.
• 01/11/1986; Concert at The Metroplex, Atlanta, GA, USA.  opening for Bad Brains.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Savannah, GA, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Orlando, FL, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Melbourne, FL, USA.
• 07/11/1986; Concert at The Cuban Club, Tampa, FL, USA.  opening for Bad Brains, with B.P.
• 08/11/1986; Concert at The Cameo Theatre, Miami Beach, FL, USA.  opening for Bad Brains with The Drills.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Gainesville, FL, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Knoxville, TN, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Nashville, TN, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Memphis, TN, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, New Orleans, LA, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Houston, TX, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, San Antonio, TX, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Austin, TX, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Dallas, TX, USA.
• ??/11/1986; Concert at ??, Norman, OK, USA.
• 24/11/1986; Concert at The Outhouse, Lawrence, KS, USA. with Shup Bish.
• 26/11/1986; Concert at Westside Community Centre, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.  opening for Bad Brains, with Blast & DC3. (date probable).
• 30/11/1986; Concert at Daughter Judy's, Reno, NV, USA.  opening for Bad Brains, with Imminent Attack.
• 07/12/1986; Concert at The Farm, San Francisco, CA, USA.  with Attitude Adjustment, Drunk Injuns & asst.
• 08/12/1986; Concert at The El Dorado Saloon, Sacremento, CA, USA.  opening for Megadeth, with Gravel Gut.
• 26/12/1986; Concert at The Golden Eagle Pool Hall, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. with NOFX & Bloodlake.
• 27/12/1986; Concert at Daughter Judy's, Reno, NV, USA. opening for Adolescents & Verbal Abuse. 
• 02/01/1987; Concert at The Oxnard Community Centre, Oxnard, CA, USA. with SWA, Stalag 13 & asst.
• 15/02/1987; Concert at Club Can't Tell, Sacramento, CA, USA. opening for 7 Seconds, with Thin White Rope & White Flag.
• 16/02/1987; Concert at The Stone, San Francisco, CA, USA. opening for 7 Seconds & T.S.O.L., with White Flag.
• 21/02/1987; In-Store-Appearance at ' Rockaway Records ', Phoenix, AZ, USA.
• 21/02/1987; Concert at Prisms, Phoenix, AZ, USA. with Dissension, O.N.S. & V.T.H..
• 20/03/1987; Concert at The Pine Street Theatre, Portland, OR, USA. with Blast!, Die Kreuzen & Boy Dirt Car.
• 21/03/1987; Concert at The Crescent Ballroom, Tacoma, WA, USA. with Accused, Die Kreuzen, Blast! & Clown Alley.
• 03/04/1987; Concert at The Oxnard Community Center, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for Social Distortion, with Die Kreuzen, with asst.
• 24/04/1987; Concert at The Student Union Tapestry Room, Cal State Northridge, CA, USA.  with Final Conflict, SWA & Crib Death.
• ??/??/1987; ' The Original Group...Featuring "Brandon Cruz" ' compilation/demo lp released, exact date unknown.
• 22/05/1987; Concert at The Oxnard Community Centre, Oxnard, CA, USA. with Agression, Blast! & asst.
• 30/05/1987; Concert at The Irish Mist, Lucky's Shopping Centre, Ventura, CA, USA. with The Grim & Johnny & The Dingbats.
• ??/??/1987; at some point Ishmael (b) leaves the band, he is replaced by Tony, around the same time Tim joins as 2nd guitarist.
• 20/06/1987; Concert at Prisms, Chandler, AZ, USA. with The Accused & No One Special.
• 24/06/1987; Concert at Godfrey's Famous Ballroom, Baltimore, MD, USA. opening for The Exploited, with Outcrowd. (Jun. 24th - Aug.; ' This Island Earth Tour '87 ').
• 25/06/1987; Concert at WUST Music Hall, Washington, DC, USA. opening for The Exploited, with M.F.D.
• 26/06/1987; Concert at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with PED & Insult To Injury.
• 28/06/1987; Concert at Club Pizazz, Philadelphia, PA, USA.  opening for The Exploited & D.R.I., with Stalins Daughter.
• 29/06/1987; Concert at The Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with Skeleton Ambitions & Zombie Squad.
• 01/07/1987; Concert at T.T. The Bears, Cambridge, MA, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• 04/07/1987; Concert at Ildiko's, Toronto, ON, Canada.  opening for The Exploited.
• 06/07/1987; Concert at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Buffalo, NY, USA. ( exact  date unknown).
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Cleveland, OH, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Columbus, OH, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Cininnati, OH, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 10/07/1987; Concert at Isis, Potiac, MI, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• 11/07/1987; Concert at The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with Inspector-12. (6:00 show).
• 11/07/1987; Concert at The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with Inspector-12. (10:30 show).
• 12/07/1987; Concert at Medusa's, Chicago, IL, USA.  opening for The Exploited & Adrenalin O.D.
• 14/07/1987; Concert at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with Blind Approach.
• 17/07/1987; Concert at Utah State Fairgrounds, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• 18/07/1987; Concert at ??, Nevada City, NV, USA.
• 19/07/1987; Concert at The El Dorado Saloon, Sacramento, CA, USA.  opening for The Exploited, D.R.I. & Dag Nasty.
• 20/07/1987; Concert at 40 North, San Jose, CA, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Oxnard, CA, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 25/07/1987; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with Blast & The Grim.
• 28/07/1987; Concert at Prisms, Phoenix, AZ, USA.  opening for The Exploited, with No One Special.
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Austin, TX, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/07/1987; Concert at ??, Houston, TX, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/??/1987; Concert at ??, Dallas, TX, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 04/08/1987; Concert at 920 Wooley Road, Oxnard, CA, USA. opening for Agression. (didn't play, on tour).
• ??/08/1987; Concert at ??, New Orleans, LA, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/08/1987; Concert at ??, Memphis, TN, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/08/1987; Concert at ??, Atlanta, GA, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• ??/08/1987; Concert at ??, Tampa Bay, FL, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 15/08/1987; Concert at The Cameo Theatre, Miami Beach, FL, USA.  opening for The Exploited.
• ??/08/1987; Concert at ??, Raleigh, NC, USA.  (exact date unknown).
• 28/08/1987; Concert at Carpenters Hall, San Diego, CA, USA.  opening for C.O.C., with Neighbourhood Watch.
• 31/08/1987; Concert at The "O" Club, Camarillo, CA, USA.  opening for C.O.C., with 7 Seconds & asst.
• 13/10/1987; Concert at Graceland, Vancouver, BC, Canada. with Assault.
• 17/10/1987; Concert at The Community World Theatre, Tacoma, WA, USA. with Wehrmacht & Subvert.
• 18/10/1987; Concert at The Satyricon, Portland, OR, USA. with Death Midget & Sweaty Nipples.
• 30/10/1987; Concert at The Farm, San Francisco, CA, USA.  opening for The Mentors, with Scream & asst.
• 31/10/1987; Concert at a party, ??, CA, USA. with Ex-Oblivione & Good Grief.
• 05/12/1987; Concert at The Crowbar, San Diego, CA, USA. opening for Poison Idea, with Deadbolt.
• 31/12/1987; Concert at The Balboa Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA. with Infest & Evil Dead. (unsure of date).
• ??/??/1988?; at some point early '88 (or late '87) Rik (d) leaves the band, Larry replaces him.
• ??/??/1988; at some point early '88 Tony (b) leaves, he is replaced by Mike.
• 02/04/1988; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Testament, with Piranha & Don't No.
• 30/04/1988; Concert at Palisades Theatre, San Diego, CA, USA. opening for Hirax, with Santa Claus & Eminence.
• 28/05/1988; Concert at The Balboa Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA. with Cryptic Slaughter, Insted & asst.
• ??/??/1988; ' The Original Group... " 7" released, exact date unknown.
• 19/06/1988; Concert at Anaconda Theatre, Isla Vista, CA, USA.  
• ??/07/1988; ' Wreckage In Flesh ' album released, exact date unknown, around July.
• 30/07/1988; Concert at The Scenic V.F.W. Hall, San Bernadino, CA, USA. with Attitude Adjustment, Paranoia & asst.
• 11/08/1988; Concert at Stardust Ballroom, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for Adolescents & Verbal Abuse, with Token Entry & asst.
• 27/09/1988; Concert at Chumash Auditorium, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA.  opening for D.R.I. & Vio-Lence, with Holy Terror & asst.
• 15/11/1988; Concert at Grange Hall, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. with Forbidden & No Remorse.
• 17/12/1988; Concert at LAVC, Monarch Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA. with Iconoclast, New Regime & Armistice.
• 05/01/1989; Concert at The Pipeline, Newark, NJ, USA. with Damage.  (Jan. 5th - Feb. 19th; ' Wreckage In Flesh ' tour 1989).
• 07/01/1989; Concert at The Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA.  (moved to 27/01?, Texas shows maybe moved/canceled instead?).
• 07/01/1989; Concert at The Axiom, Houston, TX, USA. with Angkor Wat & Sik Mentality.
• 08/01/1989; Concert at Liberty Lunch, Austin, TX, USA. with Angkor Wat, 2 Minute Hate & EMG.
• 12/01/1989; Concert at Club 2225, Melbourne, FL, USA. opening for Circle Jerks.
• 13/01/1989; Concert at The Cameo Theatre, Miami Beach, FL, USA. opening for Circle Jerks, with Dead Serios.
• 14/01/1989; Concert at Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, FL, USA. opening for Circle Jerks.
• 20/01/1989; Concert at Blondie's, Detroit, MI, USA. with Blasmephous & Goober & The Pass.
• 21/01/1989; Concert at Kutskas Hall, Green Bay, WI, USA. with Jasmine Road Affair & Bludgeon.
• 25/01/1989; Concert at The Electric Banana, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. with Travesty & Slug Worth.
• 27/01/1989; Concert at The Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA. with Dirge & Lost Gen.
• 29/01/1989; Concert at CBGB's, Manhattan, NY, USA. with Breakdown. 
• 04/02/1989; Concert at The Iroquois, Roanoke, VA, USA. with Nosferatu.
• 05/02/1989; Concert at The Atlantic Beach Theater, Virginia Beach, VA, USA. with Grog.
• 05/02/1989; Concert at Durty Nellies, Palatine, IL, USA. with Broken Bones & Notus. (unsure which show played).
• 06/02/1989; Concert at The Network, Pasadena, MD, USA.  opening for Murphy's Law, Wargasm, Hades & War Zone.
• 11/02/1989; Concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit, MI, USA. opening for Murphy's Law, with A.L.D. & Herb Tarlicks.
• 12/02/1989; Concert at The Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL, USA.  opening for Murphy's Law, with Whiplash &/or Lost Cause.
• 14/02/1989; Concert at The Outhouse, Lawrence, KS, USA. with Wrath & Horror Porn. 
• 17/02/1989; Concert at The Speedway Cafe, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. with Hate x 9 & Insaneacide.
• 18/02/1989; Concert at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA, USA. opening for Dark Angel, with Forbidden, Viking & Wrath.
• 19/02/1989; Concert at Club Mirage, San Diego, CA, USA. with Wrath & Infamous Sinphony.
• 26/02/1989; Concert at The Stone, San Francisco, CA, USA. opening for Fang & Melvins, with Poison Idea.
• 10/03/1989; Concert at River Theatre, Guerneville, CA, USA. opening for D.R.I, with Blind Illusions & Wasted Morality.
• 28/04/1989; Concert at Fairmount Hall, San Diego, CA, USA. with Excel, Infamous Sinphony & Insecticide.
• 29/04/1989; Concert at Time Out Of Mind, Phoenix, AZ. USA.  with Dissension, Resistant Militia & asst. 
• 03/06/1989; Concert at The Country Club, Reseda, CA, USA. with Dead & Bloated, Immorally Demonic & asst.
• 09/06/1989; Concert at The Red Barn, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. with Stalag 13, Ill Repute & N.O.S.
• 29/07/1989; Concert at U.S.W.A. Hall, Tempe, AZ, USA. with Soothsayer, Maniacal Genocide & Religious Skid.
• 02/08/1989; Concert at The Three Palms Club, Hacienda Heights, CA, USA. with Visual Discrimination & asst.
• 26/08/1989; Concert at Jerry's Pizza, Bakersfield, CA, USA. with Stand Against, Riot Kids & asst.
• 09/09/1989; Concert at Santa Cruz Vets Hall, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. with Ribzy, Oppressed Logic & Poop.
• 08/10/1989; Concert at National Guard Armory, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. with D.I., Doggy Style & asst.
• 23/06/1990; Concert at The Coconut Teazer, Hollywood, CA, USA. opening for U.X.A., with Baby Land.
• ??/??/1990; Dr. Know appear to split up late '90 or early '91, a reunion occurs in 1999.
• ??/??/1990; ' This Island Earth/Wreckage In Flesh ' compilation of two albums released on cd.
• ??/??/2001; ' HABILY (What Was Old Is New) ' cd of re-recordings of old songs released.
• ??/??/2020; ' Live In San Diego May 1986 ' live album released, live from 03/05/86.

Dr. Know version 6.0 - 326 entries - 475 images - 10/04/2022.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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