We had the pleasure of touring the U.S. 3 times; in '85, '86 and '89 and Europe twice; in '87 and '91. We played all over California including many times in San Francisco and the bay area. We got to play with some of the really cool punk/hardcore bands of the day: THE DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG, MINOR THREAT, BAD BRAINS, DISCHARGE, to name a few. In our earlier tours we played mostly in the midwest; Chicago, Memphis, Houston, Omaha, Milwaukee, etc. Our '89 US tour took us to the east coast for the first time and we were so thrilled to play at the legendary CBGB in New York.
After signing to We Bite Records in Germany in '86, they set up a European tour for us in '87 and again in '91. We Bite did such a wonderful job booking those tours. We Bite discography Thomas and Margit also took great care putting out a top quality product. Playing for appreciative audiences, singing along with our songs in Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Austria was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We played a few 500+ halls, but It was mostly small halls and Jugendzentrums. It was very meaningful and outrageously fun!
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The first band Jocey and I played in together was a new wave band called ALTERED FEATURES. That was in 1980 and it lasted just a few months. We really wanted to play punk not wave and we looked for a new project and hooked up with Eric Tsuda. He wanted to try his hand at singing and he knew a drummer, 16 year old Keith Johnson. Eric thought up the name of the band and we practiced in his living room at the Punk Palace. A few months later we played our first gig, July 4, 1981 with the DEAD KENNEDYS, THE FIX and 7 SECONDS at the Belmont Ballroom in Fresno.
That original line-up was short-lived and by '82 Eric was replaced with Ralph Lotspeich on vocals and a few months later Mike Branum took over drumming duties for Keith. Eric went on to play drums for DEATH OF GLORY and The UNFIT from San Luis Obispo. Keith moved up to San Francisco.
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Eric Tsuda-Vocals
Dale Stewart-Guitar
Joceylin Fedrau-Bass
Keith Johnson-Drums
From 1982 to 1987 we kept that same lineup, which is a long time in punk band years. And what an incredible time those years were! We had a lot of fun from time to time and achieved goals every band strives for.
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Our friend, Keith Johnson passed away on January 31, 2012. He leaves behind his children and a loving family. Kellae was in touch with him and so were his kids. He told Kellae to contact his old friends and to tell them to remember the good things of his youth and those friendships that were so meaningful to him. He laid down that raging punk beat that propelled us to our first bunch of gigs and our early success. Goodbye old friend, we had fun playing in the band with you in the early days of the Fresno punk scene.
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Pics of Keith from 1980-1981
In the years to come we would release 5 studio LPs, 4 7-inchers, a couple videos, lotsa demos and compilation tracks for several different labels. We were on a few labels here in the U.S., Mainly my own label, Stagedive Records in Fresno, We Bite Records and Destiny Records in Germany, Unclean Records in Austin, Texas and Alternative Tentacles in San Francisco.
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But, all things must come to an end and the so-called "first
line-up", which was actually the second line-up broke up at
the end of that first European tour in '87. The band was
coming apart at the seams anyway. The enormous stress of
that tour was the proverbial straw. We five worked
together as a team for 6 years. I say five because Jimi Haze
our roadie/driver/confidant was very much a part of the
band. We couldn't have done it without him.
Jimi was vocalist for STRYCHNINE, a band from Oakland CA.
Jimi has a great Strychnine page on Soundcloud. They've
been one of thee most European touring bands and have
tons of great tour stories.
In '87 the demise seemed eminent with many band member
squabbles. So, we kinda saw it coming. When it finally
happened it was quite painful, like a divorce, if you have
any idea what that's like.
Mike went up to the bay area to play drums for FANG. Later he played in
HELLS KITCHEN with Jimi Haze on vocals. After that Mike drummed for
Smelly in PLAINFIELD.
Joceylin and I continued on under the name CAPITOL PUNISHMENT from '88 to
'95. We had several different singers and drummers over the years.
(line-up changes and tours)
In '92-'93 we played a few reunion shows with Mike and Ralph.
It was fun and they went over quite well. In '95 we finally laid ole CP to rest after
a 14 year run. All us ex-members are quite proud of the band and all the
achievments. Joceylin and I are still happily together and have recently
celebrated our 35th anniversary. ds
1983 Two-Party System 4-Song 7-inch EP
Stagedive Records #1
Side M
Two-party system 1:26
Wrong direction 1:21
Killer cop :54
Side R
Jody is my bloody love 5:06
1984 Hardcore '84 Fresno Compilation
Stagedive Records #2
1-Walking Crying Dying 1:08 Capitol Punishment-Fresno
2-Capitol Punishment 1:18 " "
3-Big Deal 2:04 " "
4-Homophobia 1:29 Think Tank-Fresno
5-Jane Fonda Genocide 2:17 " "
6-Don't Pose 1:49 " "
7-Deathwish :39 Primer Grey-Bakersfield
8-Drugs In My Pocket :55 " "
9-Hey You! 1:26 " "
10-Ronald Reagan 1:21 Harsh Reality-Fresno
11-Next World War 1:16 " "
12-Senseless Disruption 1:27 Death Camp-Madera
13-New Society 1:21 " "
14-Hick Song 1:03 Burnin Bob & the Big Boys-Fresno
15-Easy to Kill 2:29 " " " "
16-Frustration 2:21 Kyos-Madera
17-Beer Beer Beer 1:26 Dirtheads-Madera
18-Cheap Ambition 1:55 Mere Mortals-San Luis Obispo
19-Peacemaker 1:05 Assault-Santa Maria
20-Pigs in Drag 2:29 Problem Fish-Merced
21-Freedom 2:25 No Label-Modesto
22-Factory 2:54 Wawona Boys Choir-Yosemite
total time 37:16 scd0416
1985 When Putsch comes to Shove LP
Stagedive records #3
Side J
1 Ballad of a broken home 2:10
2 Capitol Punishment 1:10
3 Child abuse 1:48
4 Walking crying dying 1:05
5 Elephant man 1:50
Side D
1 God of greed 1:08
2 Racism is ignorance 1:09
3 Is this justice? 1:18
4 Smile :56
5 Poke me with a fork, I'm done 1:48
Re-issued on We Bite Records
and Destiny Records in Germany
in the late 80s and as a CD on
Stagedive Records in 2015.
1986 Slum with a view LP
Unclean Records #11
Side L
1 Slum with a view
2 Huelga
3 Breakfast in bedlam
4 Out on the fringe
5 Concrete forest
Side B
1 Show me
2 Imelda's shoes
3 Feast or famine
4 No bedwetting in San Antonio
1987 Zipyerpantsup (Live in Berlin) LP Destiny Records
Side One
1-Show me
2-Capitol punishment
3-Out on the fringe
4-Elephant man
5-Strychnine
6-Huelga
7-Wrong direction
8-Is this justice?
9-Boss hoss
Side two
1-Concrete forest
2-Jody is my bloody love
3-No bedwetting in San Antonio
4-Surfin Bird
5-Big deal
6-Walking crying dying
7-What use?
8-Feast or famine
1988 4-Song 7-inch EP
We Bite Records
Side Ant
Severin 1:33
Everyday my life's a living hell 1:58
Side Bee
When your helpin' the shepherd 1:26
Old George Cloud 2:42
1989 Super Glutton LP
Duckbutter Records #9
Side O
1 In Dreams
2 Two Hands
3 Big Deal
4 Pancakes for Peggy/Blackwall
Side P
1 Severin
2 Everyday my Life's a Living Hell
3 When you're helpin' the Shepherd
4 Old George Cloud
1988 Track - Jackknifed Rig
The thing that ate Floyd compilation double LP
Lookout! Records #11
Disc 1
Skin Flutes - "Straight Edge Song" - 3:23
East Bay Mud - "Win or Lose" - 2:14
Corrupted Morals - "Big Man" - 1:15
Neighborhood Watch - "Gloria" - 2:20
Tommy Rot - "Not One of Mine" - 2:13
Cringer - "Cottleston Pie" - 1:06
Boo! Hiss! Pfftlb! - "Banana Smell" - 2:30
Eyeball - "The Blue Moustache" - 3:36
Isocracy - "Happy Now" - 1:46
Kamala & The Karnivores-29 Degrees 2:29
Bitch Fight - "On and On" - 1:36
Plaid Retina - "Tied/Tried" - 1:07
Neurosis - "Common Inconsistencies" - 4:01
Complete Disorder - "Do Something" - 2:27
Well Hung Monks - "Misdirection" - 3:14
Swollen Boss Toad - "Broken Strings" - 2:28
Vomit Launch - "Life Sucks" - 2:58
Disc 2
Relief Society - "Abandoned Beer Messiah" - 2:38
The Mr. T Experience - "Boredom Zone" - 2:57
Sewer Trout - "Vagina Envy" - 2:32
The Vagrants - "No Way Back" - 2:01
Sweet Baby - "Andorra" - 1:39
Stikky - "Don't Lick My Leg" - 0:19
No Use for a Name - "What!?!" - 2:37
Surrogate Brains - "Extreme Racial Pride" - 2:43
The Lookouts - "Outside" - 3:04
Capitol Punishment - "Jackknifed Rig" - 2:41
Crimpshrine - "Summertime" - 2:40
Spent - "In My Past" - 3:05
Raskul - "Change" - 2:17
Tribe Of Resistance - "Controversy" - 1:41
Nuisance - "Day of Sun" - 2:53
Operation Ivy - "Hangin' Out" - 1:21
Steel Pole Bath Tub - "Bee Sting" - 4:03
1989 Bulwarks Against Oppression LP/CD
We Bite Records #55
Side 1
Two hands
Nytro
Fire and brimstone
Bulwarks against oppression
Heavymetalmeltdown
The pug
Side2
We're not a soundtrack for violence
I'm hungry
Bad girl
Count the basies
Strychnine
Jackknifed rig
1989 Liquor Store 6-song 7-inch EP
The Worlds in Shreds Compilation
Volume 3 Fresno
Side A
SAD Boyz - Shut up and Drink 2:54
Capitol Punishment - Liquor Store 2:42
Side B
Slut Vinyl - Welfare Junkies 2:03
Plaid Retina - What we're not 1:05
Kondom Nation - Random Contamination 1:18
Abducted Children - Life 1:35
1990 Track - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Built on blood Compilation LP plus 7-inch
WTF records
Krupted Peasant Farmers
Cowboy Killers
Celibate Commandos
Jesus Chrust
Misery
Agent 86
Process of Elimination
Filth
Momido 7
Bazooka Joe
Sludgeworth
Mega City Four
Bubble Eyed Dog Boy
Spongetunnel
Capitol Punishment
The Commonwealth
Sanity Assassins
1991 18 bands Live Video recorded in Germany
Tribal Area Video #5 VHS PAL
Hi-Fi Stereo 130minutes
Capitol Punishment
Contropotere
D.I.
The Dickies
D.O.A.
Emils
The Flowerbuds
Happy Hour
Die Kreuzen
The Melvins
Moving Targets
NOFX
Rikk Agnew
RKL
Rumble Militia
Slapshot
Spermbirds
Verbal Abuse
1991 Live Germany Tour LP/CD 3 bands
We Bite Records #76
Capitol Punishment -
Everyday my life's a living hell
Liquor Store
I'm Hungry
Heavymetalmeltdown
I'm not Like Everybody Else
Suckspeed -
Leader's Game
Stay Aside
Till the Next Time
Emils -
Deutsch und Gut
Pass' Dich An
Abrechnung
Wer Frisst Wen?
Dumm-Punk
Nein nein nein
When does it stop?
Kirche Nein
1992 The First Line-up First three CP releases on CD
We Bite Records #78
1-Two Party System
2-Wrong Direction
3-Killer Cop
4-Jody is my Bloody Love
5-Ballad of a Broken Home
6-Capitol Puniashment
7-Chaild Abuse
8-Walking Crying Dying
9-Elephant Man
10-God of Greed
11-Racism is Ignorance
12-Is this Justice?
14-Smile
15-Fuhrer Des Punk
16-Huelga
17-Breakfast in Bedlam
18-Out on the Fringe
19 Show me
1993 Not so Quiet Session recorded in 1982
8-Song 7-inch EP
Selfless records #14
Side 1
Moral Majority
American Way
Advertise and Victimize
Just stand up and fight
Side 2
Dirty work
No ID, no beer
Clovis
Monkey
AKA "82 Demos".
1993 Messiah Complex LP/CD/Cassette
We Bite Records #102
1 Manumit 3:59
2 Daggers in my eyes 2:19
3 7 Lucky devils 3:25
4 The postman always shoots twice 4:35
5 Ethnic cleansing 2:40
6 Cenobite stomp 2:10
7 I'm not like everybody else 3:04
8 Tick tick tick 2:42
9 It's gotta come out 2:25
10 Your farts are like frankencense to me 1:33
11 I wanna be the anti-christ 2:36
12 Down 4:44
1993 Track - Another Frankenstein
The Collection Compilation CD
We Bite America #2
Negazione
Crawlpappy
Suckspeed
Slapshot
Resistors
Schliessmuskel
Richies
Erosion
Two-Bit Thief
Emils
Death in Action
Day Houston
Capitol Punishment
Happy Hour
Growing Movement
Eisenvater
1994 Cheap Thrills Compilation CD--32 bands
Bitzcore/Victory/We Bite #1
NRA
Peter & the Test Tube Babies
SFA
Cause for Alarm
Vulture Culture
Refused
Anti-Heroes
Doughnuts
Earth Crisis
MDC
ADZ
Capitol Punishment
Strife
Toxic Reasons
Raw Side
Deadguy
Face Value
1995 3-Chord Pile-Up LP/CD
We Bite America #2
1 Play at the plate 2:12
2 Father's day 3:55
3 O.J. Cobain 2:44
4 Gotta run 2:23
5 Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis 2:47
6 Old punk 2:11
7 Calgon 3:03
8 Under the weather 2:45
9 The fear 2:17
10 D.L.G. 2:32
11 Mountain of pain 3:11
12 Friends you thought you knew 3:02
13 Chain of mistakes 3:44
14 Mister softee 3:50
15 Chunkychunkenheimer 3:28
The last recording of CP.
2008 In The Beginning CD
Stagedive Records #19
1- Last Laugh 2:37
2- No ID No Beer 1:14
3- Book of Deceit 2:23
4- Socialized Sucker 1:15
5- Christian Slander 2:50
6- Living is a lie 1:41
7- Clovis is a way of life 1:35
8- Who makes the rules? 1:02
9- Big Deal 1:54
10- No ID No Beer 1:08
11- Just a Pawn in the game :49
12- End it now 1:17
13- Last Laugh 2:29
14- After Words 1:07
15- Interview with Dog Meat and 6SIX6 2:48
16- Interview with NBJ and others 5:21
17- Cops bust up party 3:40
Joe Downure's Capitol Punishment Collection 2014
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1982 Clovis Meathouse 1 Compilation Cassette
1987 Slum with a View LP
We Bite Records #16
Side One
1 Fuhrer des Punk
2 Huelga
3 Breakfast in Bedlam
4 Out on the Fringe
5 Show me
Side Two
1 Slum with a View
2 Imelda's Shoes
3 No Bedwetting in El Paso
4 Concrete Forest
5 Jack/Dream
Richies
Cock Sparrer
Sister Gaddamn
Snapcase
Eisebvater
Opium Wound Profile
Flag Of Democracy
Varukers
Erosion
Bloodlet
Brother's Keeper
25 Ta Life
Apartment 3G
Warzone
Integrity
2015 Trac/Mab/Ruthies
CD Stagedive Records #52
Trac Recording Studio Fresno 20MAR82
1 - Advertise and Victimize 1:18
2 - Just stand up and Fight 2:00
3 - El Salvador 1:16
4 - Dirty Work 1:07
5 - No ID No Beer :55
6 - Clovis 1:08
7 - Monkey 1:15
8 - Moral Majority 1:15
9 - American Way 1:29
Mabuhay Gardens San Francisco 14JAN82
10 - Big Deal 1:47
11 - Mindless 1:13
12 - No ID No Beer 1:00
13 - Living is a Lie 1:29
14 - Moral Majority 1:42
15 - American Way :54
16 - Drugs 1:56
17 - Assassinate :41
Ruthie’s Inn Berkeley 26MAR82
18 - Blind Patriotism 1:18
19 - Who Makes the Rules? :59
20 - Moral Majority 1:44
21 - Mindless 1:13
22 - Clovis 1:17
23 - Scared Monkey 1:20
24 - El Salvador 1:29
The Rise
Gear
Apocalypse Hobokin
Seven League Boots
Circus Lupus
20-Slum with a View
21-Imelda's Shoes
22-No Bedwetting in El Paso
23-Concrete Forest
24-Jack/Dream
Re-ssued on Stagedive
Records as "When Putsch
comes to Shove" on CD
in 2015.
If it wasn't for Tim Yohannan Capitol Punishment would not have had the success we enjoy to this very day.
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