Last night I watched the documentary Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story. I can’t front — this film took me back in time to when I lived in the Bay Area during the mid-’80s. This project does a great job of describing how important the Bay Area was to Thrash as we know it. I will say that the Easy Bay metalheads and punks were way more untied than the SoCal scene. For instance, Metallica were HUGE fans of Crucifix and can be seen watching them at their last show ever. I got to give a shout to Roz for being the person that brought the Punx and Metalheads together. What stands out about this film is how they broke down how Wes Robinson, the Black owner of Ruthie’s Inn, was the cornerstone of the scene. It was actually his fest Eastern Front that made me move to San Francisco. I was 15 when I told my mom that I wanted to go to Berkeley to see the Beastie Boys, Exodus, Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, and so many more. She told me if I go, don’t bring my Black ass home, and that’s just what I did. Not only did I go to the fest, but I also got to see Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story in real time!
