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In Memoriam

On Thursday 28th February 2008, singer of 1980s Californian Hardcore band, MIA, died due to the results of a head injury. He was 48 years old.
Conley died in suburban Chicago in a motel parking lot near O’Hare International Airport and had suffered a major head wound. Despite rumours of him being murdered and of a person who had been staying at the hotel being charged on the Friday with felony theft and other charges for stealing Conley's cell phone, two of his credit cards and using one of them at a local store, this proved to be no more than a rumour. Conley’s death actually resulted from a tragic and freak accident which was the result of a fall in the motel’s parking lot.
MIA formed out from the ashes of a Las Vegas Punk band, SWELL, when Conley and drummer Chris Moon move to Orange County. SWELL’s guitarist, Nick Adams, soon joins them after a sojourn in San Diego and MIA is born.
The band splits for a while when Conley moves back to Las Vegas. Following MIA appearing on a couple of classic compilations (Maximum Rocknroll’s ‘Not So Quiet On The Western Front’ and ‘American Youth Report’), the band reforms when Conley moves back to Orange County.
Over the following years, a series of records was released including ‘Murder In A Foreign Place’ EP and ‘Notes From The Underground’ album before the band split once more following a final show supporting DEAD KENNEDYS.
The band reforms in 1986 and records the ‘After The Fact’ album the following year before the final split.
In 2001, Alternative Tentacles released a compilation of studio and live recordings titled ‘Lost Boys’ which serves as an ideal catching up point of this great band.
Former DEAD KENNEDYS singer Jello Biafra remembers the first time he saw MIA in Las Vegas in 1983. “The venue was two used storage spaces that some Punks had knocked the middle wall out of and turned into a secret illegal nightclub,” Biafra said. “You can’t get more Punk Rock than that that, and that is where I first saw MIA.” Biafra offered to sign Conley and MIA to his Alternative Tentacles label that night.
Recently, Conley became a champion for revitalizing the economy in Westside Costa Mesa as the owner of The Avalon Bar, 820 19th St., a popular venue for Orange County DJs. As a bar owner, Conley strove to make The Avalon Bar a hip enclave for people in the know. With no sign to attract customers, the establishment relied on word-of-mouth advertising. Conley was skilled at working with wood and restored all the wood cabinetry in the bar himself.
Conley is survived by longtime girlfriend Shelly “Syd” Leonard and his three daughters: Alex, 18, a freshman and Division 1 soccer player at La Salle University; Zoe, 9, and Ava, 5.
A memorial fund has been set up for Mike's daughters so people can donate if they wish. If you want to help, here is the info:
Mike Conley Family Memorial Fund,
c/o Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union
P.O. Box 11547, Santa Ana, CA 92711
A website is also in the works.

For further information, check out the following websites:-
The Daily Pilot (where much of the information for this piece was taken)
MIA Official band site
Alternative Tentacles RecordsIn Memoriam

On Wednesday 30th January 2008, Sean Finnegan, the drummer of 80s Washington DC-based Hardcore band VOID, passed away due to an apparent heart attack. He was 43 years old.
Finnegan drummed in VOID for the duration of the band’s active life, spanning 1980-1983. At the time of his death, Finnegan was working on the set of an HBO Production titled, ‘The Wire’.
VOID was one of the first bands to be associated with Dischord Records, the legendary DC record label, via its appearance on the classic ‘Flex Your Head’ compilation. It was the band’s following release, the classic split record with fellow DC band THE FAITH, which really put it on the map.
VOID played a chaotic, frantic form of Hardcore – possibly the most intense and disjointed of all the Dischord bands. The band’s debut show was at a massive 15-band affair at DC’s The Wilson Center organized primarily by THE BAD BRAINS.
The band didn’t release a great deal during its three year tenure. Besides what is already mentioned, there was only a further three tracks released on the ‘20 Years Of Dischord’ box set and the ‘Condensed Flesh’ release of early recordings which displays a slightly less intense, chaotic sound.
It should be noted there was also a full-length album recorded in 1984 titled ‘Potions For Bad Dreams’. It’s a Metal album though and while it is not as cheesy as SSD’s ‘Break It Up’, it’s still best avoided.
I never got to see VOID live and, to be honest, I always preferred THE FAITH’s side of that record. But the intensity and the influence VOID held – and still hold today – should not be underestimated.

Forward 4 Wiz Trust

As most of you are no doubt aware, Darren “Wiz” Brown of MEGA CITY FOUR, DOUGHBOYS, SERPICO and more recently IPANEMA, passed away on 6 December 2006.Wiz’s last band, IPANEMA, had its material released via Boss Tuneage Records. Over the last year, the label has been working on an IPANEMA CD with Wiz's bandmates Lawrence and Rauf and his partner Karina and brother Danny, which compiles all of the band’s studio recordings. The CD will also include the 9 tracks Wiz had been working on for an album that Boss Tuneage intended to release early in 2007 before his death. After a year of work, Boss Tuneage now has the IPANEMA CD ready to go via mailorder only as a benefit for Karina's new charity set up in WIz's name, Forward 4 Wiz Trust. All proceeds will go to the charity. The CD is going to be available from January 18th (Wiz's birthday) and will cost £10 postpaid UK/£11 Europe/£11.50 rest of the world.More details can be found on the Boss Tuneage Website or at Forward 4 Wiz Trust