Like a forgotten relic unearthed from the annals of punk rock history, The Consumers and their raw anthem, “All My Friends Are Dead Song,” stand as a testament to the genre’s explosive and ephemeral nature. Much like Rocket From the Tombs, The Consumers burned brightly but briefly, leaving behind a legacy defined by a single, potent collection of recordings. Without All My Friends Are Dead, the band might have faded into obscurity, another footnote in punk’s rapid evolution.
The Consumers: Born and Bred in the Arizona Punk Scene
Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, The Consumers emerged in 1977, a volatile concoction of youthful angst and musical rebellion. The band’s core consisted of David Wiley’s impassioned vocals, Paul Cutler’s searing lead guitar, and Mikey Borens’s driving bass. A revolving door of drummers, including simply “Jim,” added to the band’s chaotic energy, while Greg Jones provided rhythm guitar. Their live shows in Phoenix became notorious for their unpredictable nature, often erupting into confrontations – a stark reminder of punk’s confrontational stance in the late 70s.
In late 1977, capturing their raw sound, The Consumers recorded an eight-track demo with Joey Dears, a high school friend of Paul Cutler. This demo would prove to be their most enduring output. Seeking a larger stage, The Consumers logically migrated to the burgeoning punk scene of Los Angeles in early 1978. They shared stages at the legendary Masque club with punk luminaries like X, The Alley Cats, and The Dils, further solidifying their place in the West Coast punk movement. However, by late 1978, The Consumers, in their initial form, had run their course.
The Resurrection of “All My Friends Are Dead”
Fast forward to 1995, and Larry Hardy, the driving force behind In The Red Records, resurrected The Consumers from the depths of obscurity. Hardy, a 45 Grave aficionado, had stumbled upon the ’77 demo tracks on a bootleg tape back in ’81 at Dinah Cancer’s residence. Recognizing the raw power and historical significance, he released All My Friends Are Dead as an album. The initial vinyl release gained traction, and in 2001, the tracks were reissued on CD, reaching a wider audience. With vinyl copies fetching hefty prices on eBay, Larry Hardy wisely re-pressed All My Friends Are Dead on vinyl again in 2012, ensuring this vital piece of punk history remained accessible.
Why “All My Friends Are Dead” Still Matters
While All My Friends Are Dead serves as an essential historical document of early punk, its enduring appeal lies in the sheer quality of the music. The songs transcend their recording era; they sound as vital and urgent today as they would have in 1977. The Consumers were not punk rock novices; they were musically sophisticated, drawing influences from art-rock pioneers like Henry Cow and Robert Wyatt – influences that would take many other punk bands years to discover. The demo’s fidelity is surprisingly sharp, a testament to Joey Dears’ recording skills despite using only an eight-track recorder in a demo studio.
All My Friends Are Dead is pure, unadulterated anger distilled into potent rock and roll. It’s refined yet raw, edgy yet intuitive. The energy captured on these tracks is irreplaceable. This is evident when considering 45 Grave’s later attempt to re-record these songs for their Autopsy LP – they lacked the original spark and intensity. It’s remarkable that an eleven-track demo, dormant for nearly two decades, could emerge as such a significant and influential work. Thanks to In The Red Records, All My Friends Are Dead is no longer a lost artifact but a readily available testament to a band ahead of its time.
The Consumers’ Post-Punk Trajectories
The members of The Consumers went on to shape other corners of the punk and post-punk landscape. Paul Cutler founded the influential deathrock band 45 Grave and later joined the Dream Syndicate. David Wiley formed the band Human Hands, further exploring his musical vision. Mikey Borens also briefly contributed to 45 Grave. Sadly, only Paul Cutler and Mikey Borens remain with us today. Despite their short lifespan, The Consumers, through All My Friends Are Dead, left an indelible mark on punk rock, proving that sometimes the most impactful voices are those that burn brightest and fastest.
The iconic album cover of “All My Friends Are Dead” by The Consumers, capturing the raw energy of their punk sound.
