FIREHOSE
To an out-of-towner, San Pedro would probably seem like one of the least likely places in California to spawn a seminal punk rock band. Situated 10 miles south of Los Angeles proper, this quiet region was known locally for years as the site of L.A.
FIREHOSE
by
Steve Peters
If'n You Don’t
Know By Now
To an out-of-towner, San Pedro would probably seem like one of the least likely places in California to spawn a seminal punk rock band. Situated 10 miles south of Los Angeles proper, this quiet region was known locally for years as the site of L.A. County’s biggest harbor, as well as being one of the major departure points for nearby Catalina Island.
Then in 1980, a couple of self-acknowledged “nerd dudes” named D. Boon and Mike Watt formed a band with surfer/drummer George Hurley. With Watt playing bass and Boon on guitar and vocals, the trio clumsily scratched out raw, original tunes that were the antithesis of the cover band mentality of other local groups. When their debut EP, Paranoid Time, was released on fledgling indie label SST that year, San Pedro started getting newfound recognition—as the home of the Minutemen.