Tales of Terror (band)

Tales of Terror
Tales of Terror performing in 1985, from left to right: Pat Stratford, Steve Hunt, Mike Hunter and Geoff Magner.
Background information
Origin	Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres	Hardcore punk
Years active	1982–1986
Labels	CD Presents
Associated acts	Square Cools, Pirates of Venus, Cactus Liquors, Whorelords, Ding Dang, Hot Rod Shopping Cart, The Poontones
Past members	Pat Stratford Lyon Wong Steve Hunt Geoff Magner Mike Hunter

Tales of Terror was a Sacramento hardcore punk band which was active from 1982 until 1986. Some, including Kurt Cobain and Mark Arm, cite Tales of Terror as a key inspiration for the then-burgeoning grunge scene.

Tales of Terror was formed in 1982 by singer Pat Stratford and bassit Geoff Magner, formerly of the punk band Square Cools. They were later joined by guitarist Lyon Wong and drummer Mike Hunter

By 1984 they were playing all over town and supporting big name punk acts like The Vandals, Dead Kennedys, and Fang.

Their one album, the self-titled effort Tales of Terror, was released in 1984 on the San Francisco indie label, CD Presents. Distribution was limited; it is estimated that less than 5000 copies were pressed

However, the band's career came to an end on the night of January 5, 1986. Wong, the son of Chinese-American actor Victor Wong, died on a Midtown sidewalk of head trauma he suffered after being knocked to the curb during a late-night altercation. He was pronounced dead at 2:14 am, January 6, at Sutter General Hospital. Wong was 22 years old. The assailant received a 6-month sentence for manslaughter. The band opted not to continue without Lyon Wong. The various members drifted into other groups, most notably the Pirates of Venus, the Cactus Liquors and the Whorelords.

Described by Midtown Monthly as "One of the most influential bands Sacramento ever produced" and often cited as the foundation of the grunge movement, their blend of hardcore, psychedelia, and rock had a lasting impact on music fans around the country, including Green River and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. In Exclaim! magazine Mudhoney’s Mark Arm (whose earlier band Green River covered Tales' "Ozzy" on their 1987 Dry As a Bone EP) listed some of their gigs as the most inspirational he had seen. Dave Chavez of Verbal Abuse said, "With the right management and maybe a little bit of rehab here and there, Tales of Terror probably would have been the Nirvana and broke. If it wasn’t for the murder of Lyon Wong."