Savage Damage Magazine Featured LaRue
“LaRue,” by Joaquin “JT” Turner
When reading about San Francisco's fledgling 70s punk scene, you're likely to come across the standard list of most bands (the Avengers, Nuns, Crime, Mutants, Dils, etc.), but seldom do you hear the name LaRue, despite the fact the band was hugely popular and instrumental in the development of S.F.'s thriving punk scene... but more importantly, LaRue ROCKED!
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Psyclone, Mabuhay, and LaRue
Psyclone was a brief but potent fanzine and punk show production label run by Jerry Paulsen, one of the early promoters helping ignite Mabuhay Gardens’ transformation into San Francisco’s underground punk mecca. The flyer above, featured in the Psyclone zine, captures the electric moment when LaRue headlined one of Mabuhay’s opening nights.
The Fab Mab, as it was affectionately called, wasn’t just a club—it was a pressure cooker of art, chaos, and noise. Psyclone documented this surge with irreverent flair and booked acts that would become legends. Here, LaRue’s Banks is caught mid-party, dodging Rona Barrett’s Bay Area hipsters with a smirk and a caption that still makes people laugh.
Television and Media Features:
In addition to live concerts, LaRue even made it onto the small screen. The band appeared on a local Bay Area television program in the late ’70s—a show taped in Hayward, CA, which showcased local talent. In this recently rediscovered "LaRue live in Hayward" video from the band's archives, the group delivers a tight set featuring an expanded lineup that included frequent LaRue bassist George “Guts” Gearhardt, lead guitarist Brad “The Californian” Wilson, and the smokin' Mark McNulty on drums alongside original members Banks, Moselle, and Sego.
Additional Historical Context:
Recently discovered materials shed more light on LaRue’s early days. Among these are early song lists under the name "Lash LaRue." Although only one performance was officially given under this moniker, it underscores the band's initial roots and musical influences.
The poster for this show featured artwork with a skull and explicitly referenced Lash LaRue, a cowboy movie star known for his black attire and iconic bullwhip, symbolizing justice by punishing villains and protecting the innocent. The set list from this event reveals that the band primarily performed cover tunes, reflecting their musical origins before evolving into the LaRue known in the San Francisco rock scene.
Band Flyer for the Inn of the Beginning Show
Photo of Lash LaRue, the Band's Namesake
Earliest mention of LaRue by Stephen R. Braitman
MusicAppraisals.com
Also: from Musician's News, August 1976, Page 13:
". . .E.P.s
LA RUE – “Clowns” b/w “Past & Future” (La Rue Records)
San Francisco band; they’re real. Not doing too many San Francisco bands anymore. LA RUE’s recent single is self-released, comes with a dynamic picture sleeve and printed insert...
Early La Rue poster-- no date given
La Rue--Sentries of the New Sound!