The Suicide Commandos

about

Now known as "the Godfathers of the Twin Cities punk music scene," The Suicide Commandos were formed in 1974 when Chris Osgood and Dave Ahl asked Steve Almaas to join their new band, named after a 1969 Aldo Ray movie. Their creed was simple: play fast & loud, and have fun. By 1975, the band had begun to build a following at The Blitz Bar in the basement of The Roaring Twenties strip club in downtown Minneapolis. The following year, apparently unaware that such things were impossible, The Suicide Commandos managed to get themselves booked at the legendary CBGB's in New York City. After their successful "tour" of the East Coast in the spring of 1976, the band returned to Minneapolis to find that a venue right across the street from The Blitz Bar was looking for bands to play on their stage: The Longhorn. It proved to be an ideal match. The band was instrumental in creating the Longhorn scene, which also gave rise to other groups such as The Suburbs, Hypstrz, Curtiss A, NNB, and others. As the Commandos' reputation grew, they opened for national acts such as The Ramones, Iggy & the Stooges, and Cheap Trick. The Suicide Commandos released two independent singles in 1976 and 1977 before they finally signed a national recording contract with Polydor's short-lived punk label Blank in 1977. Their debut album, Make a Record, was a success musically and in the Twin Cities, but failed to make much of an impact on the national music charts. The band also contributed three songs to Tw

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top songs

albums

Make A Record

The Commandos Commit Suicide Dance Concert

Time Bomb

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Minnesota Beatle Project, Vol. I

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Minnesota Beatle Project, Vol. I

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Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 1

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Sex, Drugs & Sushi Rolls

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Emission Control 7''

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Boogie's Coldest Acre (Radio Edit)

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Big Hits of Mid-America, Vol. III

The Legendary KQRS Concert, 1976

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Mark He's a Terror 7''

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