The Plugz

The Plugz
The Plugz
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Punk rock, rock
Associated acts	Los Cruzados, Tito & Tarantula, Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds

The Plugz (also known as "Los Plugz") were a Latino punk band from Los Angeles, California that formed in 1977 and disbanded in 1984. They and The Zeros were among the first Latino punk bands, although several garage rock bands, such as Thee Midniters and Question Mark & the Mysterians, predated them. The Plugz melded the spirit of punk and Latino music.

The band was formed in 1977 and was a contemporary of the bands featured in the film The Decline of Western Civilization. Their songs reflected the anger and angst of growing up Chicano, and this was reflected in their sardonic hi-speed version of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba". The Plugz are generally acknowledged as being the first D.I.Y. punk band in L.A., having started their own PLUGZ RECORDS and later Fatima records.

The band was initially composed of:

This lineup recorded the band's first album, Electrify Me (1979). Produced and engineered by Alan Kutner

After McBride left (sometime in 1979-80), he was replaced by John Curry from The Flyboys, who left to form Choir Invisible less than a year later. Larriva and Curry wrote the title track to the second album Better Luck. The musicians on the band's second album, Better Luck (1981), were:

Guests:

Tony Marsico joined the band in late 1980, and Steven Hufsteter began playing lead guitar with the group in 1984.

With the addition of Steven Hufsteter on lead guitar, The Plugz also feature prominently on the soundtrack to the movie Repo Man. The group performed "Hombre Secreto," a Spanish version of Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man", along with original instrumental background music for the film. Both "Hombre Secreto" and "Reel Ten" (the instrumental soundtrack for Repo Man), featured Hufsteter on lead guitar.

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