Still Standing: Martin Rev Carries the Suicide Flame into San Francisco
Martin Rev, SF — Photography by John Greenwood
I still have a huge framed 4-foot bill poster that has adorned many of my walls since I first acquired it on Sunday, December 13th, 1987, at the Kentish Town and Country Club in London. It proclaims the headline act as being synth-induced rock extreme noise art terrorists Suicide, with 999 and Spacemen 3 as the opening bands.
Needless to say, I was at that show; I'm not just a gatherer of gig posters that I have no connection to. Well, at least not in this case.
It was indeed a very sad day on July 16th, 2016, that we lost Alan Bermowitz, professionally known as Alan Vega, one half of one of the most legendary and incendiary bands to puke out of the early CBGB's/NYC punk scene. This night on May 15th, 2026, almost 40 years after my last Suicide show I was on my way to The Chapel, in San Francisco, to see the other Dangerous Brother from the Suicide pairing, one Mr. Martin Rev.
Martin Rev, SF — Photography by John Greenwood
To say I was a bit starstruck is an understatement.
Suicide, back in their heyday, was probably the bravest punk rock band I ever saw, and there are very few I have not seen. The proto-punk synth chaos of Suicide was way ahead of its time and would often draw the ire of fledgling punk audiences that were expecting drums, guitar, and bass a la the Pistols/Ramones standard of the era. The fact that Suicide as a unit took any sign of negativity to their too-punk-for-punk synth version of punk as an invitation to unleash holy hell upon the eardrums and mental sanity of their nay-saying disapprovers was the trip switch for hostilities to begin. They were controversial and very polarizing to many audiences; I always loved how confrontational Suicide could be in the live setting.
"Oh, you guys do not like that we don't have guitars, and you don't like that demonic synth sound that sounds like it sprang from Beelzebub's butt? Try this sound; I'm going to make when I lean my elbow on one key for the next 15 minutes while my partner screams into the mic until none of you have an eardrum left to stand on". I have seen audiences throw glasses, tables, chairs, and anything else that was not nailed down at Suicide, and still they would admirably stand their ground and come out the other side flipping the bird. They have been under siege in their dressing room and needed escorting out of the venue by the cops before now. This is why I would deem them the bravest band that I ever witnessed; they had the Sex Pistols tour of the "Bible Belt" beaten hands down. Try being a proto-punk band the world was not yet ready for, and every show had the possibility to kick off spectacularly.
I once had a friend of mine invite himself along to a Suicide show I was going to; having no idea what he was letting himself in for despite my warnings, he chose to come along anyway. He left the show after three songs but was so incensed by the proceedings he waited outside to try to "jump me" as I exited the show to vent his fury! Did I say, "Despite my warnings, he chose to come along anyway" earlier? I did, didn't I? It was the Kentish Town show from 1987 that I have the poster on my wall of, actually trying to fight this fool off and not get my poster crumpled at the same time. But just a small window for people not lucky enough to have witnessed the absolutely magical atmosphere a Suicide show could create live. And also a taste of the undeniable and unbendable willpower and commitment this band had to their version of punk rock over the many years they were around. God Bless em'.
Tracking back, or forward, to tonight's opener, we had a completely new band to me, Dagger Polyester, from L.A., giving a great account of themselves for, I think, their first time at The Chapel, San Francisco. I hope to see more of them. The lone surviving Suicide soldier, Martin Rev entered the stage instantly recognizable as the Martin Reverby we all know and love, in full Suicide battle gear, a shiny black PVC cat suit, and shiny wrap-around confrontational Suicide visor shades. He has lost none of his intensity as he pats, slaps, and paws at his keyboards almost nonchalantly, reminiscent of a seasoned old prize fighter He still has all the snarls and grimaces of a man resolute, determined, and loyal to his cause; he has been taken to task and asked to prove many times throughout a very tested career. Always absolutely unyielding and unbending to the cause of the audio assassins he and his fellow noise brother collaborator Alan Vega set out to be all those decades ago. In comes the shuddering chug, chug and thud of the threatening and rumbling trademark Suicide wall of sound pouring out over everything like molten lead, filling your imagination with everything from disgruntled, farting Gargoyles' fury to innovative jazz blendings of Lennie Tristano who first inspired Rev. to explore the improvisational and unconventional sounds Rev has also mastered his own blend over the years.
Martin Rev, SF — Photography by John Greenwood
An extra bonus with today's Martin Rev shows is the added visual art contributions from Vj Divine Enfant, which present a spectacular backdrop of shapes and colors that fill the imagination, with a landscape adding to the tones and textures set by Rev's musical genius. The collaboration between the two has been going on for over a decade now. It makes for quite a visual and audible impact on the senses, not to mention emotions and other mental states in the live setting and environment. Be sure to take in this experience if given the opportunity.
Showered in the intense and evocative visual worlds created by Vj Divine Enfant.
For more, visit: Martin Rev Official Site
