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Punk's Little Secret

Darby Crash, lead singer of the influential '70s punk band the Germs, was gay -- and with the release of the new film What We Do Is Secret, the gay community may finally discover him as an icon
An Advocate.com exclusive posted August 22, 2008
Punk's Little Secret

Above: Shane West as Darby Crash

Picture an iconic gay singer and Darby Crash of Los Angeles’s infamous punk band the Germs does not come leaping to mind, but with the advent of Rodger Grossman’s new biopic film What We Do Is Secret, that may change.

The Germs exploded onto the L.A. punk music scene in the late 1970s; its mastermind was Paul Beahm (who took the name Darby Crash), who along with fellow classmate Georg Ruthenberg (Crash named him Pat Smear) enlisted an assortment of young women who, like them, did not know how to play instruments -- among them, Belinda Carlisle (Crash called her Dottie Danger), who would go on to find fame with the Go-Go’s). They first called themselves Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens, and later settled on the Germs.

Darby Crash began aggressively promoting the band -- making T-shirts, assigning stage names to band members, even coming up with the group's philosophy -- before they had written any songs or in fact rehearsed. Their first gigs ended up being more of an exercise in stage dramatics than music. During their stage debut at the Orpheum Theater on the Sunset Strip (not to be confused with the downtown L.A. Orpheum of today), Darby covered himself in licorice, and the set ended when he stuck his microphone in a jar of peanut butter, causing the band to be kicked out of the venue. Crash's antics later helped make a name for the band as he tossed sugar at the audience or cut himself while performing.

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Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Steve Berman
    Date posted: 2008-09-07 9:11 AM
    Hometown: Maple Shade

    Comment:

    So, wait, all this claim that we'll rediscover a gay icon... and the crux of the matter is the sexuality is secondary and hinted at? Someone who is not bold about their sexuality, who is conflicted, does not make for an icon. This is ridiculous. Don't laud a film and make it all a paragon of gay culture when the homosexuality is subtle. Are gay filmgoers so desperate for any form of validation that they will accept the most weak attempt at pandering?


  • Name: Todd
    Date posted: 2008-08-28 2:50 PM
    Hometown: Charlotte

    Comment:

    Wow! I just saw Dottie Danger (Belinda Carlisle) in concert last night in Raleigh, North Carolina. Can't wait to see this film.


  • Name: Mike Freak
    Date posted: 2008-08-26 7:46 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    I don't know what's harder to believe -- that it's been 28 years since Darby's death, or 28 years since I was in high school idolizing the Germs. Probably the latter. Regardless, the then small by comparison LA punk scene and it's circle of followers knew that Darby was gay & didn't seem to mind. Trust me, it was no secret. Grossman's film portrays that perfectly -- the man, the music, the band first; the sexual preference second.


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