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Initially another bunch of misfit goodfernaughts in thrall of shock, volume and outrage, Austin, Texas' Big Boys were well matched with cross-dressing nascent blues revisionists the Dicks on the LP they shared, recorded loud and dirty at their hometown's premier end-of-the-'70s punk showplace.

The self-released Where's My Towel better indicates the band's ultimate strengths: Randy "Biscuits" Turner's melodic rasp and shriek, the surprising musical prowess and singularity of the instrumentalists
(particularly guitarist Tim Kerr) and, most significantly, the proto-funk leanings that would later dominate the group. They continued to hone/splinter their approach on the two Moment releases, paralleling the
anti-metal punk bent of Mission of Burma and, more specifically, those fractured funk political missionaries, the Minutemen.

By the time of the schizo No Matter How Long the Line Is at the Cafeteria LP, the Big Boys encompassed everything from pure 'core to Husker Du-inspired overdrive pop to horn-flatulent dance dreck. Unsurprisingly, this was their last LP; members scattered to units as diverse as Doctor's Mob, Bad Mutha Goose and the Brothers Grimm, Scratch Acid, Poison 13, Rapeman and, most ignominiously, Junkyard. In 1988, longtime producer/collaborator Spot released (first on tape and second on vinyl) the Wreck Collection of odds and ends, beginning with the impossibly rare (until recently bootlegged) debut 7-inch and running through outtakes and alternate mixes.

- Art Black, Trouser Press

Coming out of the then-overlooked Austin, TX punk scene of the early '80s, the Big Boys combined two irresistible rock styles into one feverish mix: raging, speedy guitars and fat, funky backbeats. And they went on to make a few so-so recordings, never really living up to their early promise, it's difficult not to be supportive of what the Big Boys tried to do in the start of the hardcore era, wherein the sexiness of a funky rhythm section disappeared amongst the ultra-fast tempos and sexless pummeling. On their wonderful EP Fun, Fun, Fun, the Boys tore up Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood's Swinging" like it was their birthright, and the transition from speedcore ranting to danceable funk and roll was rarely more eloquently rendered. In 1984, never reaching beyond a loyal but small audience, the Boys split up and provided musicians for a seemingly endless number of early alternative-rock bands like Rapeman, Scratch Acid, and Poison 13. Chris Gates hooked up with ex-Minor Threat/Dag Nasty guitarist Brian Baker and formed Junkyard, proof positive that even hardcore purists were capable of an egregious attempt at selling out.

- John Dougan, All-Music Guide

From Austin, Texas, USA, the Big Boys' line-up comprised Tim Kerr (guitar), Chris Gates (bass), Randy 'Biscuits' Turner (vocals) and a succession of temporary drummers. Formed in 1980, they were punk-funk pioneers, a trait highlighted on powerful songs such as their cover version of 'Hollywood Swingin'' on their Fun Fun Fun EP. Such beefy riffs were undoubtedly an influence on later groups No FX and Maelstrom. They had previously leaned simplistic punk thrash. All the members of the band were keen, and they became leading members of the 'skate punk' scene the early 80s alongside Suicidal Tendencies . Vocalist Turner was the focal point of their live shows, delighting in cross-dressing and outrageous exhibitionism, designed to provoke a reaction from audiences. The two studio albums released in the group's lifetime reveal Kerr as the real star, showing a talent that later graced a number of other bands, including Junkyard . Always A Seat was a posthumous album recorded in 1984, featuring everything from jazz to pop and party punk, while Wreck Collection includes previously issued material plus rare tunes from the group's archives. The various ex-members later operated in bands such as Cargo Cult, Poison 13 , Doctor's Mob, Scratch Acid and Rapeman .

- Encyclopedia of Popular Music Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 1998

JUNE 15, 1981 Monday.......................

BIG BOYS' first album is called "Industry Standard" on the label, but the jacket refers to it as "Where's My Towel?" Which ever it may be, the tracks are "Security," "T.V." "I Don't Wanna Dance," "Identity Crisis," "Thin Line," "Advice," "Complete Control," "Work Without Pay," "Spit," "Act / Reaction," "Self Contortion," and "Wise Up." Just because there are twelve tracks don't think this is a long play record. Most of the songs are about two minutes long, some as brief as fifty-two seconds. The album is out on Wasted Talent Records, the same label as the Judys. You'll even find Judys vocalist David Bean listed as the producer of the album. The Big Boys are Chris Gates on bass, Tim Kerr on guitar and bass, Randy `Biscuit' Turner on vocals, and drummer Greg Murray, who has already been replaced by Fred Schultz. The album comes in a hand printed, dayglo yellow, wrap-around sleeve.

Big Boys

- EP Frat Cars....................................Oct 21, 80
- LP Live At Raul's.............................Dec 19, 80
- LP Industry Standard.......................Jun 15, 81
- LP Fun, Fun, Fun...............................Jul 25, 82

- George Gimarc, Post-Punk Diary 1980-1982 (these were excerpts that were online from the book and its index)

Big Boys - Skinny Elvis & Fat Elvis (CDs) (Touch and Go): Austin, TX's legendary Big Boys get a fair amount of recognition for their music and personal contribution to the fledgling American hardcore punk scene, but most of what you read mentions one or another aspect of the band and then beats it into a soft paste of cliché. I think the biggest disservice you can do the band is to label them a white funk party band. At a certain point at the end of their run this may have been a major part of their stage show, but in their time from 1979 to 1984, as evidenced by these 2 great comp CDs, the Big Boys were the most eclectic punk band of all time, on the same record shifting from HC skate punk to White Funk to Post-Punk influenced by the likes of PIL, The Minutemen and Wire. Funk accounts for only a handful of songs they recorded. "Hollywood Swinging" is an acquired, not a required taste, for punks, and to promote that almost exclusively may paint a picture of a band not afraid to shake their collective groove tushies, but it's a real turnoff to 98% of the Big Boy's potential audience.

The Big Boys owned the Austin, TX scene, which may not be a big deal since it's in the middle of Hell itself, but they made it a major stop in the tour schedule of the fledgling HC punk circuit of the time. The CD booklets are filled with testimonials from from the likes of Ian MacKaye and Neck Rollins, who marvel at the band's generosity and amazing stage shows. Minor Threat had their Straight Edge, 7 Seconds hated jocks, the DKs had Jello's political paranoia, and the Big Boys hated college fraternities and the fancy cars they got from daddy. The legend goes that at the end of their shows they'd say "Now go start your own band", and like the living dead, that's what the kids did. Not to take any credit from anyone, but that circle of punk life had been rolling along starting with The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, The NY Dolls, the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Minor Threat... add 30 bands here... NOFX, Bad Religion, Green Day, Blink 182... choke on your own phlegm here...

"Skate Punk" is another term you'll hear associated with the Big Boys. Thrasher Magazine put out a series of comps in the early 80s under the title Blazing Wheels And Barking Trucks, and along with JFA, the kings of Skate Punk, the Big Boys were mandatory for any Skate Punk street cred. There was Skate Punk and Skate Metal, and all you needed to be a Skate-anything band was to consider a skateboard your major means of transportation and most visible outlet for your Death Wish. Skate Punk itself was the standard SoCal HardCore of the time. Like I say, it wasn't a particular sound but how you chose to waste your leisure time.

The 3rd spoke on the Big Boys' wheel are post-punk songs that are as brilliant as they are diverse. The Big Boys could thrash out as well as the Dead Kennedys and Fear, but they also crafted slow and mid-paced masterpieces that touched on jazz, blues, and PIL-influenced frenetic tribal minimalism ("Manipulation" being my favorite example). The Minutemen are as close to a cousin band as you can find for the Big Boys, but Wire comes a close second.

I could personally do without the Funk songs, but on these 2 CDs that still leaves around 48 slabs of brilliance. Of the HC tunes, my faves are "Frat Cars", "Brickwall", "Assault", "Fun Fun Fun" and "We're Not In It To Lose". The best post-punkers are "T.V.", "Manipulation", "Sound On Sound", and the all-time keeper, "Baby Let's Play God." Skinny Elvis contains the Frat Cars 7", Live at Raul's, and Where's My Towel/ Industry Standard. Fat Elvis has Fun, Fun, Fun..., Lullabies Help The Brain Grow, and No Matter How Long The Line Is At The Cafeteria, There's Always A Seat! If you're lucky enough to own a copy of the odds and ends collection Wreck, pressed in 1989, I hate and envy you in equal measures.

There's a lot of genius to be found on these Big Boys CDs. No punk band sang about being a punk band as much as the Big Boys did, but that's another story for another day. Now Go Start Your Own Web Zine!

- Emerson Shiff, Old Punks Web Zine

They were ugly.
They were from Texas.
They were like nothing anyone had ever seen before.
And for a couple years, they were the coolest fucking band on the planet.
They were the Big Boys.
"I thought I knew a whole lot, that I was a punk rock motherfucker, but mid way through a spin of Industry Standard (Big Boys first album) I realized I didn't know shit." The Big Boys began in Austin, Texas, with their core line up of Tim Kerr(guitar), Chris Gates(Bass), and Randy "Biscuit" Turner(lead vocals). The band's drummer slot was a revolving door for most of their history. The Big Boys were the band that took hardcore's "no rules" ethic to new heights, combining hardcore, jazz, funk, blues, and whatever the hell else they could come up with. They released their first single "Frat Cars" in 1980, and quickly followed it up with the "Live at Raul's" split LP with the Dicks. The Dicks and the Big Boys shared a kinship throughout the early eighties. They both pushed the envelope of hardcore, both had gay singers, both were from Texas, arguably the most underrated scene of the 80's. These two records are more slow and jazzy, however songs like "Red/Green" and "Mutant Rock" proved that you could indeed dance to hardcore. The band followed up with their first LP, "Industry Standard/Where's My Towel?". The double name comes from "Industry Standard" being printed on the record sleeve, and "Where's My Towel" on the label. This record was faster, and more consistent than their previous efforts, but the band wouldn't really hit their stride until 1982's "Fun, Fun, Fun" EP. The title track plainly states what this band was all about. And even the most hardcore purist could not resist shakin some booty to their version of Kool and the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging". Yeah, the Big Boys had done the impossible. They put a horn section on a hardcore record. And it fucking RULED. This was quickly followed up with 1983's "Lullabies Help the Brain Grow" LP, which is in my opinion, their best release. They pretty much leave no stone unturned here. Its got your fast ragers (Assault, I'm Sorry, Brick Wall) snotty punk anthems(We Got Your Money, Gator Fuckin'), art rock ballads (Sound on Sound), funky rump shakers (White Nigger) and perhaps the greatest hardcore song ever written- "We're Not In It to Lose". The Big Boys were always quick to say that anyone with heart could do this, a sense of inclusiveness that was essential to them. Their live shows often had the audience spending more time on stage than on the floor, and would often keep singing long after the band had stopped playing, with Biscuit yelling "Now y'all go start your own band!". As he howled in the immortal anthem "Fight Back"-"Are you ready to take a stand? Make a fanzine, make a band. You're telling me you got something to say? Quit your bitching, there's a way!" Their final album, "No Matter How Long the Line at the Cafeteria is, There's Always a Seat!" was released posthumously in 1985. Its still got all the essential elements of a great Big Boys record, with their funkiest song yet, "Whats the Word". No one can tell me that after hearing this song, they didn't shuffle around their room singing along "Daaaaaaaaance, life is just a paaaaarty!" The track "Which Way to Go" sounds like something Husker Du would write a year later. Tim Kerr went on to bands like Bad Mutha Goose, and grunge pioneers Poison 13. An "outtakes" LP, "Wreck Collection" was released a few years after the Big Boys broke up, with plenty of material that never saw the light of day. It quickly went out of print, and was quite rare, until recently when it was rereleased as a double lp with live tracks, all compilation tracks, and even the Big Boys' first basement demos. Touch and Go records has released all of the Big Boys' material, on two CDs, the Skinny Elvis, which includes the Frat Cars 7 inch, Live at Raul's and Industry Standard, and the Fat Elvis, which has the Fun, Fun, Fun EP, Lullabies..., and No Matter How Long.... I highly recommend both of these. The Big Boys are absolutely essential. As Ian Mackaye would tell Dischord bands touring through Texas, "You guys are gonna play with the Big Boys. You're gonna have a lot of fun, but, under no circumstances, should you let them open for you. Always open for them. They are IMPOSSIBLE to follow."

-Booerns, Page-O-Deth

-The following is the text from a Big Boys Newsletter, July 22,1982:

Hi, Boys and Girls,
Big Boys Alternative Newsletter #2 here. We are back in Texas after mucho good times in California. Lots of sightseeing and some decent shows made our stay there a success. We played at the "Tool and Die" in San Francisco on an almost all Texas show that included the Whoom Elements, The Butthole Surfers, MDC Stains, and San Fran's Code of Honor. Guest sets by the Fuckups and the Dead Kennedys made an exciting show last till 4:30 a.m. Funsville. We also played at Rainbow Skates by Golden Gate Park to many of our skate pals and to many people who strolled in from the Juneteenth Celebration at Kezar Stadium across the street. Let me take you to funky town! We saw a great show at the Elite Club (the former Fillmore West Hippie Club) that included "Red Cross," "Toiling Midgets," "45 Grave," and "Flipper." We were interviewed on KUSF radio in Berkeley along with getting our new record played. Back to LA to be among the estimated 5,000 punks that are on the scene there. We played with "X" at the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Strip to two packed shows on Wed, June 23. Our 9:00 show was ok but no one responded very well due to being early but our 11:30 show was great as the crowd was much more alive due to slamming started by the "Butthole Surfers." Flipside Magazine interviewed us which will appear in the next issue. Flipside slags "X's" show but said that we were real interesting and they liked the funk stuff we did. Thanks, Flipside! We also played at the Grandia Room on Melrose in Hollywood with "Red Scare," a band that has on bass guitar a former Austinite Rudy Machinga, that played in "The Invisibles," an early Raul's punk band. Also on the bill were the "Butthole Surfers" (who have been getting some xlnt reviews around and some shows like the one with "TSOL" and the "Dead Kennedys" at the Whiskey where they were reported to have blown both of them away!) "The Descendents" also played at the Grandia [ed. sp?] with us. They are great, as their 3 cuts on Posh Boy's "The Future Looks Bright" tape shows. In LA we saw "TSOL," "Circle One," "Wasted Youth," "Crucifix," and stood outside the Whiskey ($7.50 tickets!) and heard "Fear" and "the Mentors." Faulty Products in LA listened to our new ep for a couple of days and then ordered 500 copies to be put in their catalog. Great!!! A friend heard our version of "Hollywood Swinging" on Rodney Biggenheimer's show on KROC in LA. Tony Alva, considered by many to be the best and most innovative skateboarder alive got with us two days into our tour and stayed with us the next 12 days to roadie and party with us. We almost got to play at a house party in Ceritos with "CH3" and the "Minutemen" but the girls father came home early from his fishing trip to find 100 weirdos in his house which was not groovy!! LA sure was a blast with all the neat shops like Vinyl Fetish, Let It Rock, Poseur, and Tiger Rose, and the great clothing store on Melrose called Flip! We want to go back West as we only scratched the surface of playing there. Thanks for all the Texas support you folks have shown us in the past!!

Be looking for "Big Boys" T-shirts at your favorite record store!!! "Big Boy" gigs in July include the 30th at Rock Island in Houston and The Beat Exchange in New Orleans on the 31st. We will play the Ritz in Austin in August but no formal date has been set yet.

Other shows: "Dead Kennedys" with "MDC Stains", "Dicks," "Offenders" at the Ritz on August 7th. "Fuckups" from San Fran at Ritz in early August. Please send any band info you have about shows to Biscuit, 505 W. 43, Austin, 78751. Thanks to everyone involved!

-Biscuit in an article on What's Punk in the Austin American Statesman.

-Interview from Flipside, No.54.

-Article from Flipside, No.119: page 1 & page 2

-Interview with Tim Kerr from Fear and Loathing Volume 21, November 1993: cover & page 1 & page 2

-Biscuit in My Rules zine from Los Angeles, photo by Glen E. Friedman.

-Big Boys in XLR8 zine, No.6 from Houston, September 1980.

-Interview at Dischord Records in an unknown zine, September 22, 1983: page 1 & page 2 & page 3 & page 4 & page 5 & page 6 & page 7

-Big Boys in Biscuit's zine, Chattering Pest, No.0 from Austin, 1982: page 1 & page 2 & page 3 & page 4 & page 5

-Big Boys in Steel Press zine, No.2 from Dallas, May 1982: page 1 & page 2

-Letter to the Austin American-Statesman.

-Article on Big Boys in The Beat Goes On.

-Original letter to Big Boys from Budd Flynn, formerly of Columbia Records and Tapes, June 26, 1980: page 1 & page 2

-Club Foot Newsletter, November 13, 1981.

-Article on a riot at a Big Boys show in the Daily Texan, September 3, 1981.

-Another article on the riot in the Daily Texan, September 4, 1981.

-Big Boys in the Out All Night section of the Daily Texan.

-Interview in Local Disturbance zine, No.1 from Dallas.

-Big Boys in Idle Time zine, No.3 from Austin.

-Big Boys in Idle Time zine, No.4 from Austin.

-Record review by Robert Wexler.

-Record review in Texas Monthly, September 1983.

-Dallas show review in Hymnal zine, No.3 from Houston, 1981.

-Unknown record review

-Article on Big Boys by David Mitchum.

-Big Boys in Rock Ringing True article

-Interview with Biscuit in an unknown zine.

-Big Boys in Ooh La La zine from Austin, 1983.

-Big Boys in Wild Dog zine from Houston, Fall 1980.

-Big Boys in Wild Dog zine from Houston, 1981.

-Big Boys in Wild Riders Of Boardz in Thrasher Magazine, September 1981.

-Big Boys in Wild Riders Of Boardz in Thrasher Magazine, October 1981.

-Big Boys in Wild Riders Of Boardz in Thrasher Magazine, November 1981.

-Big Boys in Wild Riders Of Boardz in Thrasher Magazine, December 1981.

-Big Boys in Wild Riders of Boardz in Thrasher Magazine, January 1982: page 1 & page 2

-Big Boys judging the Texas Spring Series Pflugerville Ditch Contest in Texas Underground in Thrasher Magazine, September 1981.

-Big Boys mentioned as Texas Fall Series Pflugerville Ditch Contest judges in Texas Underground in Thrasher Magazine, December 1981.

-Big Boys mentioned in Texas Madness: With Style article in Thrasher Magazine, July 1982.

-Big Boys in Trash column in Thrasher Magazine, August 1982.

-Big Boys mentioned as Texas Outlaw Contest judges in Contest Wrap-Up Fall 1982 in Thrasher Magazine, December 1982.

-Big Boys in Skate Rock! article in Thrasher Magazine, March 1983.

-"Fun, Fun, Fun..." EP reviewed in Notes From The Underground column in Thrasher Magazine, April 1983.

-Big Boys mentioned in Skate Rock! Tangible Evidence. article in Thrasher Magazine, June 1983.

-Big Boys Zorlac signature skateboard model and Fiesta Gardens riot mentioned in Trash column in Thrasher Magazine, June 1983.

-Big Boys in "They Came To Play: Skate Rock, The Weekend" article in Thrasher Magazine, July 1983: page 1 & page 2 & page 3 & page 4

-Big Boys mentioned in Notes From The Underground column in Thrasher Magazine, April 1984.

-Big Boys mentioned in Notes From The Underground column in Thrasher Magazine, May 1984.

-Big Boys mentioned in Skate Rock! column in Thrasher Magazine, June 1984.

-Big Boys mentioned in Pus-Zone column in Thrasher Magazine, July 1984.

-Tim Kerr announced as newest member of the Jak's team in On Board column in Thrasher Magazine, July 1984.

-Biscuit on the cover of and Big Boys featured in "Sweet Dreams" article in Thrasher Magazine, August 1984: page 1 & page 2 & page 3 & page 4

-Big Boys mentioned in Notes From The Underground column in Thrasher Magazine, September 1984.

-"Something To Believe In" and "Blazing Wheels And Barking Trucks" compilations reviewed in Igor's Record Collection column and "Blazing Wheels And Barking Trucks" ad in Thrasher Magazine, October 1984.

-Big Boys featured in JFA's Endless Grind: or the Last Ride or whatever... tour article in Thrasher Magazine, November 1984.

-"No Matter How Long The Line Is At The Cafeteria, There's Always A Seat!" LP reviewed in Igor's Record Collection column in Thrasher Magazine, July 1985.

-"Big Boys: Just A Little History" article written by Tim Kerr in Thrasher Magazine, June 1989: page 1 & page 2

-Tim's original write-up for Thrasher Magazine, June 1989: page 1 & page 2 & page 3

-Article on Big Boys in Record Magazine, August 1984.

-Interview with Big Boys in XLR8 zine, No.3 from Houston, July 1980: page 1 & page 2 & page 3

-Interview with Big Boys in Flipside, No.32, 1982.

-Review of Big Boys/ White Flag/ CH3 show at The Vex in Los Angeles, CA on June 3, 1983 in Flipside, No.39, 1983.

-Review of Big Boys/ Really Red show at Fitzgerald's in Houston, TX in The New Music Review (Florida), 1982.

-Perfect Sound Forever - This is a really great interview by Dave Lang with the man with the strange hair, Tim Kerr. Check it out.

-Here is an interview with Biscuit from Cool Beans, No.5. Here is page 1 and here is page 2 of the interview. Please keep in mind as you read that there was a retraction/ correction made in Cool Beans, No.7 that reads as follows: "2 issues ago I printed the wrong name in the Biscuit interview. I said that someone had been a drug addict when it was actually somebody else." Also, Tim had already graduated college when Big Boys started. Furthermore, the information contained within this interview is solely Biscuit's interpretation of the events in question.

-Here is a little summary of Big Boys from the Moment Productions 8" flexi promo.

-Article on Big Boys touring the West from the Daily Texan, July, 17, 1982, by Cynthia Paul.

-Big article from the Austin American Statesman on the release of Fat & Skinny Elvis, August 23, 1993.

-Press release for "Fun, Fun, Fun..." from Moment Productions, July 5, 1982.

-Press release for "Where's My Towel / Industry Standard" from Light In The Attic.

-Article from Austin Chronicle (?) on Big Boys/ Dicks Live At Raul's.

-"Why We Won't Support Bad Brains" memo, circa 1982.

-Big Boys Newsletter from 1981. Here's an alternate gold version.

-Big Boys Alternative Newsletter #3, August 29, 1983.

-Austin Punk/New Wave Family Tree by Jeff Whittington. Originally published in the September 16, 1983 edition of the Austin Chronicle.

-Interview that originally appeared in Thrillseeker, No.2, 1983.

-Interview from Pages of Rage zine, No.4 from Manitoba, 1983.

-Article from the Austin American Statesman by Chris Walters from May 29, 1981. If anyone can send me the second page, I'd be much obliged.