The Alley Cats | |
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Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Genres | Punk |
Years active | 1977–1982, 2015–present |
Labels | Dangerhouse, Time Coast |
Members | Randy Stodola, Apryl Cady, Matt Laskey |
Past members | Dianne Chai, John McCarthy later members as The Zarkons: Terry Cooley, Freda Rente reformations after 2010: Paula O'Rourke, Pam Jag, Malti Kennedy, Joe Barile |
The Alley Cats are a Los Angeles, California-based punk rock trio formed in 1977. The original line-up, featuring Randy Stodola (guitar and vocals), Dianne Chai (bass and vocals) and John McCarthy (drums),[1] was a fixture of the early L.A. punk rock scene. Signed to Dangerhouse Records alongside other seminal California-based punk bands including the Bags, Black Randy and the Metro Squad, and X,[2] they released their first single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" backed with "Give Me a Little Pain" on March 30, 1978.[3] They are among the six bands featured on the 1979 compilation album Yes L.A. and appear in the 1982 film Urgh! A Music War.[4]
The Alley Cats were regular performers at such Los Angeles venues as Club 88, Hong Kong Café, The Masque, and the Whisky a Go Go.[5] Music writer Chris Morris remarked that the band "made some of the toughest, most nihilistic music on the scene."[6]
Reformed as "The Zarkons", they released two albums, Riders In The Long Black Parade (1985) and Between the Idea & the Reality…Falls the Shadow (1988),[7] before disbanding in 1988.[8]
After a 20-year hiatus, Stodola reformed the trio and currently performs as The Alley Cats along with fellow North Dakota-native Apryl Cady (bass and vocals)[9] and Matt Laskey (drums).[10][11] The line-up appears on the 2020 compilation album SPIKE: A San Pedro Compilation. Live performances include songs from the band's early albums as well as covers and new material. [12]