1-79: An interview with Jon Savage appears in the British Music weekly Melody Maker.

5-13-79: The Screamers (except Paul) appear on Rodeny Bigenheimers show on KROQ in LA. The are interviewed and some of their new songs are played.

5-17/19-79: Whisky, LA. The "Theatre of the Absurd"
Lineup: Total Media, Screamers
Reviews: "The Screamers are the first L.A. band to become a parody of themselves before anyone really knew who they were." - Slash Magazine (double review with staff/ Kickboy Face). Read the reviews.
""I am a mensch!" states Tomata du Plenty. Whatever, Tomata is great and so are the rest of the Screamers. A new line up with two hippies on violins and the infamous Sheila on vocals on two songs." - Paul Problem, Flipside Magazine. Read the review.
"A Screamers show less resembles a standard rock concert than a new form of therapy. The role of the audience is to play analyst and to observe lead singer; psychotic patient Tomata du Planty as he reveals his innermost fears, desires, guilt complexes, etc. Judging by the audience readily at the Whisky, it was as much a cathartic experience for the doctor as for the patient." - David Gluuerman, BAM Magazine. Read the review.
"Saturday's show was a total event complete with film crew, colorful crowd and a promotional spot for Screamers T-shirts, buttons and fan club. The Screamers approach marketing as an art form. and although their performing style is rooted In 1930s Berlin, their understanding of media is state-of-the-art." Kristine McKenna, LA Times(?). Read the review.
Recordings: Rene Daalder filmed this string of performances. Five songs were released as "Screamers May 1979" on Daalder's Rhapsody Pictures. These songs were: "Nervous," "Thru The Flames(w/Sheila)," "I Go For You," "I Am A Mensch" and "Friends."
Pictures:From Slash Vol.2 #6:

From Slash Vol. 2 #7:



5-25-79: California Hall, SF. The Screamers play Bill Graham's "Nite of Electro Psycho Rock."
Lineup: Screamers, Units and Tuxedomoon.
Reviews: "Bill Graham has turned that Screamers gig we mentioned into a whole avant garde new wave show, featuring, along with the L.A.-based punk superstars, two San Francisco faves, Tuxedomoon and The Units. The show, Graham's first at California hall on Polk Street, will be on Friday, May 25, and may well indicate a willingness on the part of Graham's organization to start getting regularly involved promoting shows for unsigned local bands." -BAM magazine, 5-18-79
"The Screamers (billed as "a Nite of Electro Psycho Rock"), Tuxedomoon and the Units show at the California Hall (625 Polk)a few weeks ago was boycotted because of high prices ($6.50/$7.50) and the Bill Graham influence." -"Jill", Flipside Magazine

7-5/8-79: Hurrah, NY. This concert was a four day event choreographed by Rene Daalder. This engagement featured some conflict between the band and their road crew.
Lineup: The Screamers were supported by the Lounge Lizards on the first and last night.
Reviews: " Who is Rene Daalder? Why is he in the sound booth? Why is he screaming on the headsets meant for communication between the house and monitor mixers? What has he done to Tomato? Perhaps Rene's involvement with the Screamers should be limited or cut off completely. Perhaps it lies in his wallet. It is undetermined whether Rene's grabbing and turning of dials in the sound booth caused the problems on stage, but it seems quite likely. " Flipside Magazine #16. Read the review.
"The drummer plays in conjunction with a rhythm machine, and the two keyboard players create guitarish jangles and unsettling drones (the latter effect enhanced by a pair of violinists). This competently-erected wall-of-sound is repeatedly scaled by a chap who calls himself Tomato Du Plenty." Davitt Sigerson, Melody Maker 7-21-79. Read the entire review.
"...Bad News Department: I loved the Screamers last fall in NY, and was really looking forward to their shows at Hurrah's. Shit, what a disappointment. Though KK told me that I would like the 'new' show, I really didn't. For the very beginning, I could tell something was wrong. The sound system was at its worst, but that wasn't the real problem. After 2 songs, the band stormed off stage, and didn't return until 45 minutes later. I tried hard to like them. Maybe they're taking themselves too seriously. Why, one night during their 4 dates, they pulled a typical rock star routine and didn't appear onstage until well into the early morning. Oh well, there's always memories of last October." - "New York - However Small," Jeff O' Matic, Flipside Magazine #16.
"Screamers remain an eerie experience. Working with extremely crude, massive blocks of sound and powerful, mechanoid rhythms, they are still learning to shape them into ever more nuanced forms. The power is still there, and an intelligence which takes itself seriously, Without summumbing to self- importance, is cautiously developing into a musical force of impassioned integrity." Steve Ellman, New Yorok Rocker #21, August 1979. Read entire review and interview.


7-19/21-79: Roxy, LA. This three day engagement was the first concert by an unsigned band in the history of the Roxy club.
Lineup: Screamers, The Original Biblical Gospel Singers
Setlist: (7-20) Why The World, Nervous, Violent World (Instrumental), I Am A Mensch, She Frightens, I Wanna Hurt, I Go For You, Friends, Vertigo, 122 Hours of Fear (Intro), Give The Future a Break, Give The Future a Break (Encore)
(7-21 Late show) Why The World, Nervous, Violent World (Instrumental), I Am A Mensch, She Frightens, I Wanna Hurt, I Go For You, Friends, Vertigo...
Reviews: "By the end of the 40-minute set, du Plenty has gone through the same disintegration of the human will that we associate with such books as "1984." Eventually, the tuxedo jacket, shirt and tie are ripped off, leaving him symbolically naked in his attempt to maintain some dignity and individuality. As if suddenly put in another man's body, he asks in horror: "Who am I?"" Robert Hilburn, LA Times. Read the review.
Recordings: A radio ad exists for this event. Available through tape traders and on "A Better World" 2xCD. There are also two audio tapes of this series; the 7-20 show, and an almost full recording of the late 7-21 show.

10-79: Flipside Magazine #16, besides publishing two reviews of the Hurrah dates in New York, also mentions "Screamers move out and leave Chloe all alone, Tomato to move in with Gorilla (Rose)."