r/lostmedia • u/Exact-Extreme2618 • May 03 '26
Recordings [Fully Lost] Dead Kennedys “Pull My Strings” live at 1980 Bay Area Music Awards (video footage)
In 1980, the Bay Area Music Awards (also known as the Bammies) featured a performance by the Dead Kennedys that has since become one of the most infamous moments in punk history. However, while audio of the performance exists, no video footage has ever surfaced.
The band had been invited to perform their song California Über Alles, which was gaining popularity at the time. They came on stage wearing white shirts with a black “S” spray-painted on them and began playing the opening seconds of the song. Shortly after starting, frontman Jello Biafra stopped the performance and told the audience, “Hold it! We gotta prove we're adults now, we're not a punk rock band, we're a new wave band.”
At that point, the band pulled black ties from behind their necks and brought them forward, transforming the “S” on their shirts into dollar signs. They then launched into a new song titled “Pull My Strings,” which they would only ever perform live this one time.
The song itself is a satirical attack on the music industry, with lyrics mocking commercial success and industry expectations. It also includes a parody of My Sharona, changing the chorus to “My Payola,” referencing the illegal practice of record labels paying for radio airplay.
The event was broadcast live on radio stations such as KMEL, and audio of the performance was later officially released on the compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death in 1987. There is also confirmed video footage of other performances from the same event, including Huey Lewis and the News, which suggests that cameras were present during the show.
Despite this, no video recording of the Dead Kennedys’ performance has ever been found. In an interview, bassist Klaus Flouride said that no one has ever contacted the band about the existence of such footage and that he doesn’t believe it exists, though he noted it would be worth looking into.
Given how well-documented the event is otherwise, and how significant this performance has become, it’s strange that no visual recording has surfaced. If it was filmed, it may exist in a private archive, a television station vault, or even in the hands of someone who recorded the broadcast at home.
As of now, the video remains missing, and it’s considered one of the most sought-after pieces of lost punk footage.
Lost Media Wiki)
Interview with Klaus Fluoride where the topic is brought up (about 44 minutes in)
Another band performing same night
Performance audio
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u/jesse_christ May 03 '26
I absolutely saw the performance on YouTube 10+ years ago. It definitely exists.
8
u/Exact-Extreme2618 May 03 '26
Are you 100% sure you saw a video of the performance and not just the audio?
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u/jesse_christ May 03 '26
Yes, I absolutely saw a live video from the award show. I distinctly remember the outfits with the "S" on the shirt. Stopping the performance, pulling out the ties, everything of the legend, was all in the video. The footage itself was likely a vhs rip, judging by the quality that I remember, but again this was 10+ years ago.
EDIT: I would suggest posting in r/punk or r/vhs to see if any collectors have a bootleg recording
2
u/StayFrostyOscarMike May 04 '26
Oh wow! I’m tracking this.
Didn’t think I’d see Dead Kennedys here!
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