Lost Cause (CA) – 7″ (1981 High Velocity Records)
Before there ever was a Lost Cause from Chicago, there was one from California who formed in the early 1980s. They put out one 7″ and one LP before they disbanded. Quite awhile back, original guitarist Steve Young contacted me and ended up sending me a history of the band. I fell out of touch with him since though, and never got the rest of the story. Here is what he sent me.
Feb. 1981. Orange, California. The Big O skatepark.
Five young punks, two age 14 two age 16 one age 18, decide to form a punk band. Upon hearing this, local skate pro Duane Peters, now of U.S. Bombs fame, says “You should call yourselves Lost Cause”, obviously meaning it as a jab or put-down. They love the name and a band is born.May 19 1981. Costa Mesa, California. The Cuckoos Nest.
Lost Cause play their first show, a mere three months after forming. The band is well-received by audience and club management. They are asked to return on the 29th of May to open for TSOL. The show is a tremendous success and Lost Cause is booked every other Saturday night at the Cuckoos Nest playing with such names as FEAR, The Circle Jerks, Agent Orange, etc.July 1981. Anaheim, California. Chateau East Recording
Lost Cause record six songs on 8-track. Four of these songs, Born Dead, No Justice, American Hero, and Senior Citizen are released on a 7″ EP by High Velocity Records. The band goes the extra mile and pays twice the cost to have ALL pressings done in RED VINYL. The records sell quickly, prompting interest from numerous industry snakes.New Year’s Eve 1981. Santa Ana, CA. Broadway Theater
Verbal Abuse, Lost Cause, China White, Social Distortion, TSOL. The fury of the event peaks during Social Distortion’s set and the riot police storm the building. Violence and Anarchy. The venue is destroyed.March 1982. San Francisco, CA
Lost Cause singer Johnny Ernst is replaced by Ron McCamey (a story in itself). Lost Cause and Social Distortion combine forces and tour to San Francisco. They play the Broadway Theater with The Lewd. Upon returning home to Orange, Lost Cause immediately enters the studio and records the album Forgotten Corners.Next time……
the Return of Johnny Ernst
More Violence and Mayhem
Drugs, Booze, Gray Bar Hotel
Unfortunately, the email address I have for him is no longer valid as I recently tried to contact him to get the rest of the story.
As always, if you have any information to add or you were in the band please get in touch.
face book karen lanovich
Steve Young is completely dillusional and an alcoholic smack junkie. Not to mention the fact he is a liar and a thief. He’s basically just scum. The state of Florida is not big enough for his ego or his bullshit. If you believe anything that comes out of Steve Young’s mouth you’re an idiot.
WOW! This guy sounds like he got his feelers hurt. Plus, its discusting to read,even more so now. To know Steve was to Love Steve. I might be a little partial to Johnny, him being my old man and all. Damn this guy is a whinny whimp. Only met the guy once. Thank God!
All the love that is speaded on this site is just to muchfor me hehe
someone needs to animate this thread and put it on youtube. I haven’t laughed this hard since Chris Barkley Shoved Steve Stone (flying backwards spread eagle holding his bass) off the stage of the CUCKOOS NEST!!!
GOOD TIMES
HAPPY 2010
-Danny Oberbeck
Man I love this shit! You simply cannot convey humor in cyberspace (unless you’re Danny Oberbeck). For the hundredth time, Danny it went down like this.
Political Crap finished their set and Stoner walks up holding his bass in it’s soft-shell case and says to Barkley “So who were you guys tonight? Black Flag or the Circle Jerks?” at which point a firmly shoved open hand on the young boy sent him over the monitor, bass flying out of it’s case…..and you know the rest
Classic. Now THOSE were the days
Wow, just when you think you found the edge of the internet, you run across a site like this. Fun to hear the stories from growing up on Dunas. I remember jamming in Steve Young’s room and getting shocked when trying to open the aluminum window as we had too many Peavey amps plugged into extension cords. “If you can remember that, and me for that matter Steve, your memory is spot on”
Parrish
you pushed my boy friend down-you BIG meanie hehe-i prob wouldnt have ever gone out with him if i saw that lol-does anyone have a good pic of dave and steve, My gf is sending me one of my photo albums but Daves broher prob has the last pics of all of us 2geather
remember the sexual apricot parties?
happy ash wednesday (the band i was in with mike, danny, bil). sproing just told me about this site. nice to see my name mentioned. i’m easy to find on facebook if anyone is interested. danny is right, this is some funny shit. i know almost every single one of you and i’m happy you’re alive.
cheers,
smokey joe selway
i’m under joseph selway los angeles domain
Mwa hahahahaha! So many names long forgotten, written here! What a trip! And Steve still with the BIGGEST Ego! Danny with the best disposition. No surprise. ….All this has been buried way down in my brain for so long. It hurts to try to remember! Oh, but wait… I just had a memory of the 1st time I met Danny. (I think Kim was there, too). He had red, white, and blue hair, a flag shirt, jeans, and red, white, and blue bowling shoes on. ..In the parking lot of … Oh hell, what’s the name of the skate rink next to Big O? Quite the fashion statement… … Does anyone remember Spike? Where is he? I vaguely remember some good LC parties at his place.
HAHA!! Touche’ Bruce!! You lil’brat!
<3 🙂
i roadied danny’s drums for lost cause, played in ash wednesday as mentioned, shrovetide (same band) then ‘oliver’ with ron mcamey and danny (mitch ferris guitar) babilonian tiles with bryna golden (keyboards ash wednesday) then supercollider with mike horton again then moved to la played in sinorita sin and shokra. played great venues, nest concert factory, galaxy, radio city, roxy, whisky, coconut teazer’s to name a few and had a great ride!
cheers,
joe selway
shrovetide was ash wednesday without mike i mean…
What? Lost Cause broke up?
Steve–you’re right. Danny can (and did) convey humor in cyberspace.
holly shit that’s funny
Rhea Noxon, hahahaha,…you and kelly at yorba, hahaha,…puffin after school,..you would crap if you knew who i was. i luv you, been over 20 years.
Danny, you always wore those old bowling shoes. I remember the day Joe played Lost Cause for me. I still pull out the old red vynal once in awhile to play for a new friend. Danny, I’m planning my annual St. Patricks Day party. Love to have you come and play some old home land music.
allo everyone i do still exist & always will, i loved those days and still cherish everyone good bad and or otherwise
all of you are a long lost family.•••this is me now wife thats fuckjn sexy hot cosmopolitan women, the most beautiful daughter attends german french private school,
speaks 5 languages, amazing dancer/artist has traveled with me to more surf destinations than pro surfers blahblah, can anyone tell im very proud of her•••i am very serious about my artpaintingsilus.digitalembelishments, i still write music, my studio is socrates prison, i now engineer music, travel to strange places and do .evan stranger things••• still surf.skate.snowboard everyday fetish with lambrettas, vespa, collecting rare guitar amplifiers and tubes•••tune in again soon 4 my life has become something like the
works of lord byron.
much love to all who cares xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I CARE-hey Mike Morrow-i remember you-my and tracy lewis hung out at dannys all the time.
Just like Einstein said… “E = Mc skewered” GOD BLESS the middle-aged!
You all are such a part of my happiness today. I wouldn’t trade these memories for a millio… for a thousand dollars. Hope to cross paths in person soon
–Danny Oberbeck
bill and i have hooked up a few times and elps n my big lug hugo r in contact with me on the phone-i still hav people out searching for the Franklins. wood love to hear from you danny. rick V is on line now. someone needs to get Gavins asssetz off of myspace and onto FB. Im going to move the reunion to the summer time-this rain is making my yard a huge mud pit, also stoners n thomas’s death r still hitting me hard. Where are my sisters from Strawberry hill? and jeezzz lol how many bands did kenny sing for back then. someone find thomas’s brother he has the last pics of alot of us 2geather(BIEOTCH) Marilee stole them from my albums but Dave got them back for me.
Young if my condo is empty-your more then welcome to stay there, my extra rooms here are storage for all the remodeling i am doing rite now and my kiddo isnt leaving till april so her room isnt empty as i thought it wood b. i brought up to bill so he will deff hav a place for you. LOVe n MiSS you Guyz-I have had an exciting life but thru every thing this was the most special time-I laugh @ the kiddos 2day and if they only knew how much shit we went thru so they can dye their hair etc…I bet98% of them wouldnt have the balls to take the stand that only handfuls of us did back then. anyone see the brothers from siagon and is this the same Todd that sung 4 them? If so umm umm ur was yummy hehe. i’m still good friends with Rodney B so hit me up if you want me to pass ur music onto him to play.
Hi Everybody!!! xoxoxo Lost Cause Rules
Hi Everybody!!! xoxoxoxo Lost Cause Rules!!!!
Loach was a douche then, never skated the big o, and is a douche now, he gets this fake english accent when he is drunk and thinks he is johnny rotton, you can tell by the way he is trying to write,..hahahahaha…douche, what a toad. i wonder if he knows a “loach” is a little turd lookin fish, hahahah…..
If you can’t dig Lo@ch, you can’t dig nothing!!!
Oi!,Steve how are you ya big ol” SMACK JUNKIE! I got a good laugh reading that comment sent in from Ron Mc.That wouldnt be the same Ron that failed so miserably trying to fill Johnny’s creepers would it?Everybody who knows anything about O.C. punk rock knows that the Lost Cause glory days ended the day Johnny left the band.It takes sheer genius for somebody to DIS you & incorrectly spell the very first putdown he tried!!!(dillusional) I think he was shooting for (delusional).I think dillusional defined is someone who cant tell the difference between a pickle & a cucumber. And while I’m on the subject putting the word smack in front of the word junkie is a bit redundant.It’s like putting the word speed in front of tweaker! So I geuss youre also a booze alcoholic to boot! Keep yer chin up mate cuz in this instance shooting smack is a far more honorable pastime then talking it! OH YEAH!! & I geuss Ron Mc,Ron Anger,Ranger Danger,Ronald McDonald or whatever the fuck he’s calling himself considers anyone including me an idiot for believing any word that comes out of your mouth! I know differently because although youve struggled with the truth at times we all have mate! And you have been brutally honest with me when it counted most & other so-called friends did nothing more then take turns throwing me under the bus. And I THANK you for that.Its par for the course that he failed to mention the FACT that you are without argument one of the five best guitarists to come out of the O.C. punk scene. Can you say? “green with envy” or “jealousy” DangerDan can! His whole comment reverberated with it. Anyway Ive wasted to much time on this hack. Dont do a thing to curb your ego its essential for a lead guitarist! and please note that there is 3 prerequisites for playing in Piss&Blood.#1 piss has to come out of your vagina #2 blood has to flow from your vains & #3 shit needs to spew from your big mouth!!!! Cheers Steve ………………………………………………….P.S You cant spell at a 3rd grade level or better. It intimidates Rod Angler! I think the quickest way to make Piss&Blood go away is to stem the flow with a tampon!!!!
wait wait wait-if some1 is having piss n blood come out of their cookie bcus i dont think a tampon is going to fit up 1’s ding-a-ling,i think they need to get to a doctor. i just grossed myself out thinking about that…
Oooh, and did you and Steve cry together as you held each other tight throughout the night? You and Steve should keep your immature butt love life private.
“O” can’t we all just get along?
Sorry GEEK OUT momento hehe
Danny and Steve obviously are the icons I knew who are still the most exaulted musicians who created the foundation of the PR scene from day one and are the foundation from day one as the the first and formost Punk band of substance. Anyone who has any criticisim of the the band or myself can take it in the ass like the the faggots they are and die like the aids ridden swine they have always been. Lost Cause . RIP Malcolm McClaren.
HEY LOACH
Dont wish shit like that on anyone-we lost allot of friends that way.
Final Entry: This site is of no further interest or substance. Good riddence to bad rubbish. Have a good life.
Sincerely,
UNTERSTURMFUHER AMON GOETH
your the only one leaving this site-you shouldnt put urself down so badly either.
Free to good home ; Fresh interest and substance. We can turn your bad rubbish into good rubish for a small handling fee .Please, if anyone has seen Loach`s butt plug send it home to him, he is sad and now has a hard time squeeling.
Hurray for Arizona!
lmfao
whats up Loach, you preppy haha, hello to joe sellway, farley g.,jordan m(mod), billy f., billy hagen, bruce l., just to name a few
Erik Christensen, good to know there are still those of substance in O.C. unlike the other poseur swine that have selective memory of the scene from thier timely misfortune and trendy dillussion of the the PR scene. I find it hystyically amusing how some think they were ever at most gigs and new any one who was cool. As I am sure you would agree, the scene was about Gigs, Good Vodka, and and hot naked girls who would bang all night while listening to the Cramps. Keep in touch.
STEVE YOUNG UPDATE:
December 6 2011 3:35 CST Pensacola FL
Steve Young, age 49, died quietly at our home while I sat at his side holding his screamin’ guitar pickin’ hands. Those who knew him won’t be surprised to hear that he died of liver failure. Although doctors gave him 9 months to live 4 years ago, Steve, certain that he and cockroaches would live forever, refused to accept the diagnosis. He enjoyed and lived every day as if it were his last and finally, surprised us both and that cloudy Tuesday, it was.
Remember the terrific guitarist, hysterically funny, lightning quick witted, acid tongued, story telling, adventure having/making, hard working but harder partying,flattop wearing, non-thieving (for Ron!) legend worthy man that he was. He had a hand in putting OC punk rock on the map. Those that REALLY knew him loved him.
Don’t let his memory fade. I’m bringing his ashes home soon.
Take care folks.
Mary Kober-Young
Steve Young was an absolute man of substance!!! He was cool since day one. He represented the PR scene as an OC punk rock icon from the foundation of the PR scene itself. Lost Cause solidified him as symbolic figure of punk forever. My interactions and conversations with him will forever be memorable. When I was thirteen, he would give me tickets to gigs when he would practice at a guitar shop at Mayfair and Collins. He lived as he performed, with anarchy, violence, and chaos. His insight illuminated what the scene was about, indulgence in gigs, girls, and life. Rest In Peace Steve Young, you will never be forgotten. P.S.- give my angst to Lux!!!
R.I.P. Steve. You weren’t the first, and you won’t be the last, but you were one of the best. Fuck the haters.
LoAch..where is Gooch?
Gooch and Metta Divorced. They were in Denmark for ten years. Gooch arrived back about a year ago. he remarried some girl from way back, who I don’t know. He resides in Anahiem somewhere. His whereabouts are unknown, although we are we are still friends, I think he is focusing on his marriage, yet still consumed with gin and The Damned. He is still a good friend but a bit of a recluse. He still doesn’t understand why I am so fanatical about the Cramps. Perhaps he never understood the Cramps. Who’s to say!!!
I know the drill. I was the one who tried taking care of Mette here in Florida. I heard she finally died…probably in Texas…where she ran off to with Rico. I lost contact with Gooch around then. If you see him tell him I am moving back. I am bringing Steve’s ashes with me. God I miss him. Steve I mean. I miss Gooch too, but he wasnt my husband. Steven was though….
Metta and Gooch were a mirror reflection of each other. They complimented each other in every way. I had known them both since I was a twelve year old bastard skate punk anarchist. they were the most cool friends anyone could ever know. They would take me to gigs in L.A, Okie Dogs across from the Whiskey and the Roxy after gigs. They knew everyone. Thats how I new everyone. In O.C. there was Ichibods and the original Galaxy in Fullerton where we indulged in gigs and decadence. Metta was most definitly the coolest girl ever to grace the PR scene. My ultimate adulation for Metta is that she lived her life with the integrity of the dynamic of opulence and prestige. My last days I spent with her were insightful and illuminating. She knew Lux was the most exaulted potentate of angst. Love may have torn Gooch and Metta apart. Forever will Metta be the apex of cool and substace, always and forever!!! Mary, you have my word as a friend, I will inform Gooch of this devastation to him because I know he has always loved her.
I think we all have happy memories of Lost Cause playing punk (which has surpassed through time and still sounds great!) Maybe some of you remember watching them at practices (Studio Jew)or on stage at the school locker room. Or at Lost Cause gigs at Cuckoo’s Nest or Future Shock,or S.F. or Galaxy, or L.A. or Ritz or at an O.C. party etc.? Thank you to all the Lost Cause members through the years:
Danny Oberbeck: drums
Steve Young: L guitar
Scott Mitchell: R guitar
Bass Guitar: Steve Stone, Mike Horton, Willi Zarth
Vocals: Johnny Ernst, Kenny Timmering, Ron McCamey