455. Darren Hill - The Red Rockers

About this episode

Darren Hill discusses the new live album by The Red Rockers and their history as a New Orleans punk/new wave band.

Darren Hill returns to the show to talk about the new live Red Rockers album, recorded at Tipitina's in the band's hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2023. The Red Rockers were a New Orleans punk/new wave band formed in 1979 by John Thomas Griffith, James Singletary, and Darren Hill, who took their name from a song by California punk band The Dils. Early on they earned the nickname "America's Clash" for their politically charged debut Condition Red (1981), and even opened for The Clash on a Louisiana/Texas tour in 1982. Signing with San Francisco's 415 Records, they relocated and overhauled their sound, scoring their biggest hit with the new wave single "China" in 1983, which reached #19 on the Mainstream Rock chart and received heavy MTV rotation. Internal tensions over their commercial shift led to lineup changes and a third album, Schizophrenic Circus (1984), before they disbanded in 1985. The band reunited in 2023, with founding members reissuing Condition Red to a new generation of listeners. Music clips by The Charms, The Dogmatics, Blame It On Whitman, Black Helicopter, and The Red Rockers.. Produced and Hosted by Steev Riccardo

People in this episode

Host: Steev Riccardo

Guest: Darren Hill

Topics covered

• Red Rockers
• New Orleans music
• punk rock
• new wave
• band reunion
• live album

Keywords

• Red Rockers
• Darren Hill
• New Orleans
• punk
• new wave
• live album
• Condition Red
• The Clash
• China
• 415 Records

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Red Rockers, The Clash, 415 Records, MTV

Books & works: Condition Red, Schizophrenic Circus, China

Places: New Orleans, Louisiana, Texas, California

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