History

Twisted Nixon was formed in the spring of 1996 by Johnny Punish, Ben Madrid, Gary Richter, and Mike Henry - the band quickly evolved into a new line-up including Richy Abboud on drums, Jake "Skoor" Wickstrom on bass guitar. With periodic guest star appearances by the Brookyn NYC Singer Songwriter Brian Jay Cline, Twisted Nixon was off to immortality.

The band was named by Ben Madrid and Johnny Punish. "Ben liked the word Twisted because he believed we would be a twisted punk band. Johnny added the Nixon part because what better metaphor for twisty then Richard Millhouse Nixon. "That guy was punk" says Johnny.

The band came in fast, rocked hard, and produced hits like Left is Right, Stone Throwing Riot, and others like Hit in the Head and Yvette.

Twisted Nixon played raucous shows to thousands of fans with diverse bands e.g. The Skeletones, The Untouchables, and countless others at all kinds of venues like the infamous Whiskey a -Go-Go in Hollywood CA., The Hard Rock Cafe, and other famous and not so famous places. However, with a bit of encouragment from their friends at the lovely offices of The Clampdown, the boys have decided to call it a day and let it be. Thanks Timmy! Good Job Jerkoff!

In 2001, the boys played their last tour and bid farewell. "We came, we said, we rocked" said Johnny Punish. Will Twisted Nixon return to re-unite and save the world from itself? Well, probably not. "But rest assured" says X Factor, a fan in the pit "We loved you while you were here".

As of early 2009, Brian Jay Cline is flying solo recording awesome music from his Florida headquarters, Jake "Skoor" Wickstrom and Richy Abboud play in the heavy metal rock band Take Out based out of Riverside California, Johnny Punish is playing guitar in front of a computer somewhere on a dirt road with chickens, experimenting, creating, and looking for freedom in an un-free world while Gary Richter, now known as Knife Pliskin, plays in the killer punk band Duct Tape Hostage. Ben Madrid is jamming up a punk rock storm at home in Murrieta California while Mike Henry is playing in Beatnik Party, a band in Boise Idaho.

A Very Very Early History of Twisted Nixon

The First Lead Singer of the Band

Cal State Fullerton's Most Famous Student

* The excerpt below is taken from an Oral History of the Orange County College Punk Scene circa 1983

Last Night, Joe, real name Joe, was torn to obvilion by the crowd at The Pub at Cal State Fullerton during a Battle of the Bands show. Charged with disturbing the Peace Process, the curtain was dropped on Joe just before he finished the last verse of SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO while Johnny Punish played guitar and Richy Abboud pounded his drum.

It was said that Joe was to sing HATEFUL, LONDONS BURNING, SOMEBODY GOT MURDERED, and I’M SO BORED WITH THE USA.

Spectators claim he was wearing a U.S. Military jacket with the flag of Palestine emblazed in gold on his lapel and screaming obscenities. Some say that the JDL’s Irv Rubin was in the crowd taking pictures. This could not be confirmed. Just one song in, the crowd of future republicans and neo-cons turned on Joe and dropped the heavy curtain on his head, thus effectively ending Joe’s tenure as Anaheim’s most notorious punk rocker.

Later charged and convicted by Cal State Fullerton Police with being the most famous student on campus even though he never officially enrolled, Joe’s short but infamous tenure as College Student without Portfolio and lead singer of the future Twisted Nixon was cut down by a public who could not take it anymore.

Joe was punk at the extreme. The most outrageous, the most obscene. He was not there for his singing talent. At best he was just mediocre. No, he was there for what he stood for. He picked fights freely….not even his friends believed his was normal.

At his garage office, there were exaggerated and unsubstantiated rumors of thuggery, strategic planning of protests, and music by The Clash. In his mobile office, namely his white Audi Fox, there were rumors of enemies buried in the wheel wells and speeding races down Euclid Ave as Joe chased down local antagonists. Joe was even seen at Anaheim’s Famous Shakey’s Pizza picking fights with some alien named Galaga! He claimed that Galaga was a Mossad Agent and the handlers where what he called the ZOG (Zionist Occupied Government), sometimes known as the U.S. Government.

On Campus, Joe was both respected and feared. A Thug, Dictator, and Politician. He was hard to peg. Who was this Joe? At the Cafeteria, It was Joe’s world. At his table, you were offering your respects or acting as his personal security force or you were his sworn enemy and a public pariah.

Back the Pub, he was too much for the crowd of wankers, yuppies, and future republicans. The stage hands at the Pub at Cal State Fullerton dropped the curtain on the lead of singers head after just one song this crystal night, thus ending his tenure as one of Anaheim’s most notorious and infamous punk rockers.

* DISCLAIMER - Literary License was taken in the above oral recallection of this fabled history taken from a jaundice eye. "JOE" is a mythical figure and any resemblance to a real person is purely coincidental. After all, does anyone really believe this story?

Favorite Things and Quotes

"If you live life long enough, eventually, you get hit by its shrapnel" Johnny Punish

Here are some favorite tidbits by Twisted Nixon's favorite band, THE CLASH;

“The Clash needs to JOB-ON in trying to attempt its ridiculous aims. I am proud that we have ridiculous aims cause at least we aren’t going to underachieve.” Joe Strummer (circa 1983).

LONDON CALLING was Recorded in August 1979. 12 of the 19 songs were recorded in 3 days. Rolling Stone Magazine calls LONDON CALLING the best album of the 80’s. Some call it the greatest ever. It was released on Dec. 14th 1979. The famous cover graphic on the London Calling album was actually Paul Simonon, the bass player, who crashed his guitar at 10:50pm on September 21st 1979 at the Palladium in New York City. How do they know it was 10:50pm? Paul broke his watch when he crashed the guitar……watch stopped at 10:50pm. The Black and White Photo and Green lettering is a tribute to old Elvis Presely Record

Favorite Links
The Ongoing History of New Music - The Clash