The story of California punk rockers Agent Orange isn’t too far off from those of their contemporaries, but the music is a far cry. The band, founded by guitarist/vocalist Mike Palm, bassist Steve Soto, and drummer Scott Miller, unabashedly implemented the influence of their sun-drenched hometown into hardcore’s blazing tempos and throat-scratching vocals. While the band underwent numerous lineup changes, Palm’s vocals consistently maintained the band’s individuality with palpable passion.
Agent Orange got its start after famed radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer heard their self-released demo and included it on his iconic Rodney on the ROQ compilation. After Soto left Agent Orange to join fellow punk legends The Adolescents, he was replaced by James Levesque. This newly formed trio would be the band that recorded Living in Darkness, the legendary debut album from Agent Orange, released in 1981. By 1983, the band had signed to Enigma Records and released their When You Least Expect It… EP, which brings us to this week’s Golden Age Thursday. This week, we have footage of Agent Orange tearing down Los Angeles’s Music Machine with a quick 5-song setlist. The footage is taken from The Best of Flipside Video Vol. 1, a compilation VHS that also featured performances by Bad Religion and the Circle Jerks. You can watch Agent Orange ripping through some hits below.
