In the explosive, short-lived history of American punk, few bands burned brighter—or crashed harder—than the Germs. Emerging from the chaos of late-70s Los Angeles, their legacy has often been measured in broken glass, smeared eyeliner, and adrenaline-fueled performances. But beneath the nihilism and spectacle lay a band more musically daring and culturally significant than they were often given credit for. Some of their most intriguing moments didn’t make it onto GI, their only full-length LP, but instead surfaced in obscure soundtracks, session outtakes, and one final, unforgettable night in West Hollywood.
The “Cruising” Sessions: Punk Goes to the Movies
In 1979, director William Friedkin (of The Exorcist and The French Connection) was knee-deep in filming Cruising, a controversial thriller set in New York’s underground gay leather scene. Seeking authentic punk energy for the film's sleazy, menacing backdrop, Friedkin recruited several L.A. bands for the soundtrack. Among them were the Germs.
The Germs entered the studio to record tracks for the film’s club scenes—raw, live-in-the-room takes intended to capture their sheer unpredictability. Though most of the footage featuring the Germs was ultimately cut (some say due to Darby Crash’s inability to “perform on cue”), the audio from these sessions would eventually surface in bootlegs and reissues, including the blistering "Lion’s Share" and the disjointed "My Tunnel." These recordings remain some of the purest captures of the band in their unpolished state—ugly, thrilling, and weirdly brilliant.
“Caught In My Eye”: Joan Jett Behind the Board
“Caught In My Eye” isn’t just one of the Germs’ most atmospheric tracks—it’s also a testament to the enduring punk kinship that defined the L.A. scene. Produced by none other than Joan Jett, this song is a departure from their typical ferocity. It’s mid-tempo, almost haunting, with Darby Crash’s vocals coated in a sneering vulnerability.
Joan Jett, just on the cusp of launching her solo career, stepped in as a stabilizing force during a time when the Germs were becoming increasingly self-destructive. Her production work on this track (and others) brought a clarity and space to the band’s sound that GI producer Geza X often bypassed in favor of raw immediacy. “Caught In My Eye” might be the Germs’ most emotionally complex song, and Joan Jett deserves credit for bringing out that side of the band.
“Round and Round”: The Chris Ashford Sessions
Before Darby’s spiral into chaos, there was “Round and Round”—a rare cut tracked with producer Chris Ashford of What Records?, the same label that put out the Germs’ debut 7-inch “Forming.” This track is messy, uneven, and totally hypnotic, showcasing a band both teetering on the edge of collapse and strangely self-aware.
Ashford had been there at the beginning, and his ability to wrangle something coherent out of the Germs in the studio was no small feat. “Round and Round” stands as a bridge between their formative noise experiments and the slightly more structured chaos of their final recordings. It’s essential listening for anyone trying to trace the band’s creative evolution.
Preorder the limited "What We Do Is Bootleg" LP here.
Final Show at the Starwood: December 3, 1980
If the Germs were always a band flirting with myth, their last show at the Starwood on December 3, 1980, sealed their legend. The Starwood itself was already infamous—a breeding ground for L.A.’s punk explosion and a venue that both birthed and buried dozens of bands. For the Germs, it would be the end.
The show was chaotic and euphoric. Darby, reportedly more lucid than usual, delivered a performance that was both manic and magnetic. The crowd—rabid, electric—seemed to understand the weight of the moment, even if they didn’t know it was a farewell. Just four days later, Darby Crash would be dead of a heroin overdose. He was 22.
There’s grainy video of that night circulating among collectors and YouTube explorers, and while the audio is rough, the energy is unmistakable. It’s punk at its most defiant: celebratory, doomed, unforgettable.
In the decades since, the Germs’ catalog has grown through posthumous releases, reissues, and archival discoveries. The songs recorded for Cruising, the outtakes like “Round and Round,” and the singular beauty of “Caught In My Eye” have helped deepen their legacy far beyond the riotous caricature.
Their story may be short, but it wasn’t shallow. The Germs were more than just the punk band who couldn't keep it together—they were artists who captured the beauty in implosion, the poetry in noise.
Whether you discovered them through a scratched copy of “GI,” a scene in a cult movie, or a whispered story about that last show at the Starwood, the Germs remain—true to Darby’s vision—an original infection in the bloodstream of American punk.