The Germs

Germs
The Germs performing in Madrid in 2009.
Background information
Also known as	Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens, GI
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock, hardcore punk
Years active	1977–1980 2005–2009 2013
Labels	Slash Records
Associated acts	Darby Crash Band, Nirvana, Mike Watt, Foo Fighters, the Go-Go's, the Weirdos, Nervous Gender, 45 Grave, Celebrity Skin, Ariel Pink
Past members	Darby Crash Pat Smear Michelle Baer Dinky (Diana Grant) Lorna Doom Dottie Danger (Belinda Carlisle) Donna Rhia (Becky Barton) David Winogrond Cliff Hanger D. J. Bonebrake Nicky Beat Don Bolles Rob Henley Shane West Charlotte Caffey

The Germs were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's main early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album, 1979's (GI), produced by Joan Jett, and were featured the following year in Penelope Spheeris' documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization, which chronicled the Los Angeles punk movement.

The Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide on December 7, 1980. Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Smear went on to achieve greater fame performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

In 2005, actor Shane West was cast to play Crash in the biographical film What We Do Is Secret, named after a song by the Germs. He performed with Smear, Doom and Bolles at a production party for the film, after which the Germs reformed with West as singer. The new lineup of the band toured the United States several times, including performances on the 2006 and 2008 Warped Tours.

Crash (born Jan Paul Beahm) and Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg) decided to start a band after being kicked out of University High School for antisocial behavior, allegedly for using "mind control" on fellow students. Their original name was "Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens", but they had to shorten the name as they could not afford that many letters on a T-shirt. The (initially hypothetical) first lineup consisted of Beahm (then known as Bobby Pyn, and later as Darby Crash) on vocals, Ruthenberg (under the name Pat Smear) on guitar, an early member named "Dinky" (Diana Grant) on bass and Michelle Baer playing drums. This lineup never played in front of a live audience.