[dropcap]One[/dropcap] of the greatest figures in Punk Rock history, Stiv Bators, passed away on this day 25 years ago—on June 4th 1990. Stiv fronted Cleveland punk band The Dead Boys, and later went on to form the super group The Lords of the New Church with Brian James from The Damned.
In remembrance of him here are the Lords’ video, “Open Your Eyes” (above), and the full concert “Live at the Marquee” below
Also read this fantastic writeup on Cleveland.com honoring Stiv.
“Stiv was pretty much the same the whole time,” says [Cheetah] Chrome. “I remember him jumping on an amp and it rolling off the back of the stage with him on it at CBGB. All I kept thinking was, ‘You broke my amp.’ ”
Bators went on to play in Lords of the New Church and appeared in the John Waters film “Polyester.” But he never changed, even years later, says Treat.
“When I’d see him, it was always as if we were still back on Giel Avenue,” he says. “If you were his friend, you were his friend, which made it hard to associate the Stiv I knew with the guy onstage. Offstage, he was a good guy, a good friend.”
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