INNER PEACE [R.i.P.]

Early 80s Hardcore Punk from Long Beach, CA. Actually, 3/4 of the band were from Lakewood; only Eugene was actually from Long Beach, but since Lakewood had no real hardcore punk scene like Long Beach did with TSOL, Secret Hate, the Crewd, the Super Heroines, etc., we went as Long Beach. Darin and Steve went to Lakewood High School; Eugene went to Millikan, got kicked out of Millikan twice, and dropped out of Wilson in Long Beach. Originally (we started in 1981 or 1982), there was a different bass player, but he couldn't play, and he was a dork, so he had to go. Originally named INNER CONFLICT, we were hardcore thrash (before metal coopted the terms) heavily influenced by older bands like Black Flag, the Germs, T.S.O.L., D.O.A., etc., as well as the newer bands like 7 Seconds, Youth Brigade, Minor Threat, Void (D.C.), Battalion of Saints, etc. Eventually, we got into the anarcho-pacifist bands from England and the U.S. such as Conflict, Subhumans, Crass, Rudimentary Peni, Icons of Filth, Flux of Pink Indians, Crucifix (U.S.), and changed our name from Inner Conflict to INNER PEACE. We played a bunch of backyard gigs and house parties, and a few bars and other gigs, but most if not all of the names and dates have been forgotten. We recorded one open-air rehearsal at Shannon Atkins house, but the drums and guitar are really low, and the surface tape hiss is awfully high. Oh well, the bass and vocals are prominent at least. Rex Gilliland played with INNER PEACE when he returned from Back in Control, and (I think?) Vince Magnesson (sp?) played with us at times, but when Rex left to found the experimental political band PURE I THELEMA, and Eugene joined the band (without quitting INNER PEACE), the band was broken up by a member who will go unnamed. There have been rumors of a reunion show or project, but no practices or concrete plans have surfaced. Currently, Darin and Eugene--both of whom are presently in other bands--are ready and willing to reunite if the other members are willing and (or) able. In the immortal words of the German hardcore band Ryker's (R.I.P. Germany 2000): "I felt something inside, and I will keep it forever, True love for something we once called the scene A bunch of people who shared the same fears A movement--kids--changing our world I know that for you this may sound more than pathetic But for us it was more than just a dream... All this time we had the vision about how it would be Now I wonder if the time has come: Do we witness a new era, or is everything just gone?"(from "Still" on the album "A Lesson in Loyalty.")I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4