The Circle Jerks are one of the best hardcore acts to emerge from the Los Angeles punk music scene. Founded in 1979 by former Black Flag 'vocalist' Keith Morris and former Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson, the original line up was rounded out by Roger Rogerson on bass and Lucky Lehrer on drums. They developed a huge following among the then-burgeoning Los Angeles punk scene, sharing the lime-light with fellow LA punksters Fear, Black Flag, The Germs and X. The Circle Jerks combined the rebelliousness of the Sex Pistols and Ramones with the aggressive athletic elements of the surfer/skateboarder crowd from Hermosa Beach, the coastal city just south of Los Angeles that ignited the initial explosion of hardcore bands that I just can't get enough of.

In 1980 they released their debut LP, Group Sex on Frontier Records. Fourteen gems including Live Fast Die Young and Red Tape, skillfully fast drumming, amazing riff work, screaming vocals and no song longer than two minutes – this is possibly the best punk album ever.

The band was featured in the (legendry) Los Angeles "punkumentary" The Decline of Western Civilization along with peers mentioned above. It was at this time that the Jerks were signed to IRS offshoot Faulty Products and in 1982 released their second album Wild In The Streets; which continued the intensity while injecting a humorous slant into the music by covering '60s pop hits "Just Like Me"/"Put a Little Love in Your Heart," applied with their slam dancing aggression. The joke was expanded on Golden Shower of Hits, their third album, released in 1983 on Rhino Records.

Early personnel changes occurred with Chuck Biscuits (the greatest punk drummer of all time) replacing Lucky Lehrer. Roger Rogerson moved to guitar joining Greg Hetson, giving the Jerks a bigger wall of sound. Earl Liberty was recruited as the new bassist. This line-up was short-lived, however, with Roger abandoning the group only a few gigs into a national tour, reducing the Jerks to a quartet once again.

With the resurgence of punk in the form of bands like Green Day and Nirvana the Jerks decided to reunite in 1995. Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities was the result. Released with a gimmicky marketing stunt featuring has-been teen queen Debbie Gibson singing on a cover of The Soft Boys' "I Want To Destroy You", sales were impressive and the band supported the album with a reunion tour (with Gibson making a cameo on a few gigs). Shortly into the tour, the bandmates had a falling out, canceling the remaining tour dates and once again going their separate ways.

In 1999 Keith Morris was diagnosed with Adult Diabetes. Word of his ailing health and his inability to keep up with the bills led to a few benefit performances by his friends and compatriots in the Los Angeles music scene. There was even a Circle Jerks tribute album featuring cover versions of their tunes by other bands. Keith was soon on the road to recovery and formed a new band Midget Handjob who released their debut LP in 2000. However in May 2001, The Circle Jerks returned again, playing an almost unannounced show in Los Angeles and embarked on another national tour. All without an album to support -- in fact, even without a label! The current line up is Keith, Greg, Zander and (on drums) Keith Fitzgerald.

Contributed by: Mark Ralph

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