Art TavanaIn just two years of existence, Berserktown has helped reunite such underground legends as Royal Trux and Dead Moon; put L.A. punk pioneers The Zeros and The Weirdos under the same roof; brought to the West Coast, for the first time, NYC hardcore freaks Dawn of Humans; and even put grindcore band Sissy Spacek inside a dance tent.
Berserktown attracts everyone from ex-cons and skinheads to Orange County garage rockers and black-metal fans from icy European lands. Shadowy noise music also is popular at Berserktown (Google Pharmakon and trip out).
Pharmakon, performing on day two of Berserktown; Credit: Courtesy of the Artist
Last year, Berserktown moved from L.A. to Santa Ana. But that was last year. L.A.'s homegrown fest is back on the outskirts of downtown L.A., at the Teragram Ballroom, on one stage, for three days of shit we couldn't explain if we tried.
Berserktown III takes place Aug. 12-14 and tickets are just $75 for a three-day pass. Here's just a sample of what to expect:
–Psychic TV: English art-pop legend Genesis P-Orridge and Psychic TV perform their debut, Force the Hand of Chance, in its entirety.
-Genesis P-Orridge's post-punk protege Drab Majesty, one of L.A.'s most talked-about artists, performs as well.
–Destruction Unit: Arizona hardcore space-punk band offering a barrage of guitars and noise. One of the best in the country. They are Berserktown's quintessential band.
–Powell: Recently signed to XL Records, Powell is a radical and glitchy electronic music producer.
–The Kids: Legendary Belgian '70s punk band that doesn't come around that often.
–Gorilla Angreb: Danish melodic hardcore band reuniting at Berserktown.
–Inga Copeland: Formerly part of duo Hype Williams, Copeland creates eerie industrial beats that experiment with chaotic effects.
–Brainbombs: A Swedish noise-punk band that has never before played in the United States.
In the coming days, Berserktown will be announcing several after-parties that will include performances by black-metal, dance and hardcore acts that didn't make the bill. Expect it to be a really weird weekend in August. So stay tuned, lock your doors, get a thigh tattoo, a mohawk — this is the flier.
[Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the dates for Berserktown III as Aug. 14-16. The correct dates are Aug. 12-14. We regret the error.]
10 Best Pop-Punk Songs of All Time
10 Underrated Punk Albums That Should Be Considered Classics
Top 20 Punk Albums in History
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.