Screamers "122 Hours of Fear" Video San Francisco Punk 1978

Above: Tomata du Plenty Screams!

The Screamers were an intense punk band operating out LA and SF in the 70s.
Fronted by performance artist David Xavier Harrigan, aka Tomata du Plenty, they had their own thing going on: ARP synths, horror movie keyboards, a confrontational front man, and plenty of attitude. Reference points are Suicide, Iggy, Joy Division, and the growl/bark of later hardcore bands. This is a video of Screamers performing their song "122 Hours of Fear" (mislabeled here as "22 hours of fear"- thus losing a full 100 hours of fear). I believe it is from 8-29/9-3-78, Target Studios, Oakland, CA The video quality isn't bad considering its age, and the erratic blurring and color shifts add to the total feel. Tomata's look here is even reminiscent of Rimbaud.

Screamers get name checked, but are hard to actually hear due to their short career. Singer du Plenty later on became an artist, and died of AIDS in 2000.

122 Hours of Fear 20 MB .avi file
122 Hours of Fear 5.5 MB .mp3 file

Here's a Screamers concert video

Lyrics to 122 Hours of Fear

122 Hours Of Fear
(Taken from a headline in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.)

"Be quiet or be killed!"
he said.
In front of you and in front of me.
He made the pilot get on his knees.
Made him crawl, made him whimper,
Made him cry out for his mother.

Wow! What a show!
122 Hours Of Fear.
Wow! What a show!
122 Hours Of Fear.
122 Hours Of Fear. (x2)
122. (x4)

"You better shut up and listen!"
he said.
Danger, danger, danger, Mr. Schumann
We are in a hurry, Mr. Schumann
What are the odds, dear Jorgen?
Am I disturbing You?

Wow! What a show!
122 Hours Of Fear.
Wow! What a show!
122 Hours Of Fear.
122 Hours Of Fear. (x2)
122. (x4)

More Screamers Lyrics
Screamers Discography
Screamers Articles

If anyone can find the original LA Herald article that inspired the song, or send me some Screamers music that would rule