The Offs

The Offs are a punk/ska band from San Francisco, started by guitarist Billy Hawk and singer Don Vinil, and later joined by Bob Steeler on drums and a rotation of horn players including Bob Roberts, Richard Edson and Roland Young. The Offs were major players in the early days of the San Francisco punk rock scene. Their first record was a self-released 7" single featuring a cover of the Slickers' "Johnny Too Bad" with the Billy Hawk-penned "624803" on the B-side. Subsequent releases include the singles "Everyone's a Bigot" (which appeared on the Alternative Tentacles hardcore/art punk compilation Let Them Eat Jellybeans [ [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Offs%2C+The Discography] ] ) and "You Fascinate Me." Lead singer Don Vinil was known for his outrageous on-stage behavior. Fellow San Francisco punk group, Dead Kennedys had their first show with the Offs in 1978. They frequently played at San Francisco's famed Mabuhay Gardens.

The Offs also went through a number of bassists, including Denny Boredom, Olga de Volga and Fast Floyd. Eric Peterson joined as bassist in 1980, just as the group decamped San Francisco for New York where they quickly became a regular fixture at such New York institutions as the Mudd Club, ] Danceteria] and Max's Kansas City. The Offs counted among their fans and friends numerous people in the downtown New York art/music scene, including artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, musician and actor Richard Edson, who played trumpet with the band, and Glenn O'Brien, the peripatetic chronicler of the scene for Andy Warhol's "Interview" magazine. In 1984, David Ferguson's label CD Presents released a full length album for the band called "The Offs First Record", with artwork by Basquiat.

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