The real thing when it came to purveying the Punk ethos, San Francisco's DEAD KENNEDYS delivered politically charged, belligerent high octane bursts of vitriol with little if no compromise to chart appeal. DEAD KENNEDYS were vocal in their vilification of perceived US global imperialism and undertook campaigns of awreness to promote animal rights and pro-life issues. Strangely enough the band's principles would find their way not only into the British charts but also the courtrooms. DEAD KENNEDYS, created during 1978, was fronted up by the Colorado born mouthpiece Jello Biafra, real name Eric Boucher.

The initial formation also incorporated founder and guitarist EAST BAY RAY (Ray Pepperall), bassist KLAUS FLOURIDE (Geoffrey Lyall) and drummer Ted (Bruce Slesinger). A second guitar player, '6025', did not stay the course, decamping in March of 1979. In a spirit of self industry the band formulated their own label, Alternative Tentacles, and almost immediately scored a rampant underground radio hit with the shrill 'California Uber Alles'. This song, a vicious tirade against California governer Jerry Brown, blew up a storm of immediate media frenzy capitalised on as Biafra incredibly ran for position of state mayor. The singer came in a commendable fourth.

Follow up 'Holiday In Cambodia' followed suit, attaining a No. 2 high on the Indie charts in the UK, as the band increased their reach into Europe by way of a license deal with the UK Cherry Red label. This union put the debut album 'Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables' into the UK top 40. In the USA the album was issued by Miles Copeland's IRS label, through his Faulty Records distribution imprint. Successive singles 'Kill The Poor', which topped the UK Indie charts, and the controversial 'Too Drunk To Fuck' also made chart impressions. DEAD KENNEDYS toured Great Britain for the first time in late 1980, subsequently visiting Europe and Australia.

Upfront of the second album 'In God We Trust Inc.' Slesinger was substituted by D.H. (Darren Henley) Peligro. The erstwhile drummer subsequently founded THE WOLVERINES. This album saw no respite when it came to the band's political stance. 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off', aimed fairly and squarely at the right wing skinheads that had unwittingly tried to lay claim to the band as one of their own, gave the band another UK Indie chart topper. In typically surreal the album closed out with a cover of LINK WRAY's 'Rawhide' theme. A third album, 'Plastic Surgery Disasters', presaged a lengthy hiatus for the band.

In 1982 bassist KLAUS FLOURIDE took time out to issue two EPs 'Shortning Bread' and 'Cha Cha Cha With Mr. Flouride'. Two years later, as the DEAD KENNEDYS remained inactive for a period, guitarist EAST BAY RAY weighed in with a solo single 'Trouble In Town'. Biafra devoted his energies to the Alternative Tentacles imprint, rapidly building one of the USA's foremost indie labels with a prescient series of signings such as HUSKER DÜ, NO MEANS NO, D.O.A. and TSOL. The band regrouped for the December 1985 'Frankenchrist' album. Once again they found themselves in hot water as a free poster that came enclosed with the record, 'Penis Landscape XX' by famed Swiss Sci-Fi artist H.R. Giger, brought legal charges of 'distributing harmful material to minors', this despite 'Frankenchrist' being supplied with one of the music industry's very first parental advisory warnings enforced by the PMRC. The case stemmed from the purchase of the record by a 14 year old girl, her mother taking objection to Giger's depiction of multiplying genitalia. Biafra was to attend court but the allegations were later withdrawn. DEAD KENNEDYS released a further album, 1986's 'Bedtime For Democracy', before folding, performing their swansong live show in San Francisco that March.

KLAUS FLOURIDE once again struck out solo with his 'Because I Say So' album. Pepperall forged a new band unit SCRAPYARD whilst Peligro joined up with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and S.S.I.. East Bay Ray and Klaus Flouride could later be found with the instrumental band JUMBO SHRIMP. Peligro's skills behind the kit were to be called upon by a whole swathe of artists. The drummer also undertook an European tour with the Max Cavalera led extreme Metal band NAILBOMB, featuring on that band's 1995 opus 'Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide'.

JELLO BIAFRA meantime opened his post DEAD KENNEDYS career with a brace of spoken word albums 'No More Cocoons' and 'High Priest Of Harmful Matter' prior to founding LARD with drummer Jeff Ward alongside Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker of MINISTRY for the 1990 outing 'The Last Redemption Of Lard'. That same year Biafra convened a creative union with D.O.A. working alongside guitarists Chris Prohom and Joe Keithley, bassist Brian Gorle and drummer Jon Card resulting in the album 'The Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbours'. Biafra maintained his alliance with Jon Card and together with 'Tipper Gore' Bob Wright and John Wright recorded an album in collaboration with NO MEANS NO 'The Sky Is Falling And I Want My Mommy'. A solo record, 'Blow Minds For A Living', preceded unions with TUMOR CIRCUS, an assemblage of personnel from LUBRICATED GOAT and STEEL POLE BATH TUB, and MOJO NIXON.

Things got ugly in 1997 when Biafra vetoed the use of 'Holiday In Cambodia' for use in a clothing advert. The singer would then be taken to court by the remaining band members for failing to promote the band's catalogue and for incorrectly distributing past royalties. Judgement, and a $200,000 settlement, was awarded in favour of the band but Biafra then counter sued.

The entire band catalogue was re-issued by the Manifesto label in September of 2001 and proceeded to sell a quite staggering 100,000 sales. Upfront of these re-releases an archive live album had emerged entitled 'Mutiny On The Bay'. Vinyl variants of the catalogue would be staged throughout 2002 and 2003. A re-activated DEAD KENNEDYS, fronted by ex-DR. KNOW man Brandon Cruz, performed live throughout 2002, opening with gigs in South America before putting in live debuts in countries such as Serbia, Japan and Russia. Mainland European gigs included a showing at the German 'With Full Force' Metal festival, DEAD KENNEDYS performing to a crowd over 40'000 strong and slotted between BIOHAZARD and SLAYER. However, Biafra slammed this new line up and media parties too took great issue of a DEAD KENNEDYS minus Biafra. A public row erupted when it was learned the DEAD KENNEDYS had been banned, allegedly by promoters loyal to erstwhile singer Jello Biafra, from performing in their home town of San Francisco. Eventually a gig opening for FEAR was conducted. A set of European dates scheduled for March of 2003 were pulled when East Bay Ray damaged a finger.

Brandon Cruz opted out of the band in July of 2003 and the DEAD KENNEDYS enlisted former VAZ HOIL and STUPID FERRETS singer Jeff Penalty. 2004 opened with the issue of a further live archive set recorded in 1979, 'Live From The Deaf Club', and the announcement of the band's first ever Mexican gigs.

Jello Biafra, celebrated his 50th birthday, combined with the 30th anniversary of DEAD KENNEDYS, by debuting his new band, AXIS OF EVILDOERS, via a pair of performances on June 16th and 17th 2008 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California. Joining Biafra would be Ralph Spight, of VICTIMS FAMILY, FREAK ACCIDENT and HELLWORMS, on guitar, Bill Gould, of FAITH NO MORE, BRUJERIA and owner of Kool Arrow Records, on bass, plus Jon Weiss, from SHARKBAIT, HORSEY and TONNAGE, on drums.