A WILD AND DANGEROUS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BAND!!! That’s what the Kingsnakes were in San Francisco in 1980, part of a local music scene comprised of punk, new wave, and hard rock acts.

Led by Frenchman Daniel Jeanrenaud (aka The Camden Cat), a fervent disciple of Gene Vincent, the Kingsnakes also featured James Ferrell (guitar), Ze Moita (bass), Danny Mihm (drums) and Karl Malinowski (guitar).

This previously unreleased live set captures the band opening for Robert Gordon at the Old Waldorf, just a few months before they supported Chuck Berry at the same venue.

Local KALX deejay Terry Hammer was on hand to record the raucous soundboard mix and the final two songs on this album are bonus studio sessions.

Live at the Old Waldorf: June 5, 1981, is part of Liberation Hall’s ongoing “Sounds from the San Francisco Underground” series.

1. Rock N Roll House (2:27)
2. My Babe (2:53)
3. You Never Can Tell (2:12)
4. Walkin’ By Myself (2:21)
5. Not Nice (2:24)
6. Look Out Mabel (3:26)
7. You Can’t Bring Me Down (3:14)
8. No Particular Place To Go (2:45)
9. Good Rockin’ City (2:41)
10. More (4:07) [Bonus Studio Track]
11. Get Up (2:15) [Bonus Studio Track]

Opening on the vibrantly upbeat, joyously-performed Rock N Roll House and the blues rock of Willie Dixon’s My Babe, before we get treated to a rip-roaring Chuck Berry cover You Never Can Tell, a charisma-driven Walkin’ By Myself (Jimmie Rodgers), and then come the electrified Not Nice (James Ferrell) and the finger-snapping Look Out Mabel (G.L. Crockett).

Along next is the guitar-laden, slow blues rock roll of You Can’t Bring Me Down and their rocking R&B take on Berry’s very own No Particular Place To Go, which are in turn followed by the melodically groovy Good Rockin’ City, this release now rounding out on two bonus tracks: the Latin-hued, smooth, piano-imbibed, low-ebb rock of More and the thoroughly impassioned Get Up.

Here’s what front man, The Camden Cat Daniel Jeanrenaud, says in the album notes: “I never thought the band would last more than six months when we first started as we were all about just having fun — there was no money to be made. We always got into trouble wherever we went, wrestling together and such. Let’s say, it wasn’t just backstage that got trashed!!!”

“By the way, I remember the band playing at the Palms Cafe on Polk Street. When it was over, the manager said “You’ll never perform here again.” Two months later I got a phone call from him asking for us to do another gig, due to popular demand.”

“Our drummer, Danny, would always say that “a band is like an army—it needs a general, and that general is ME!” That didn’t sit well with us, so we’d rebel against Danny during shows by jumping on his drum kit as he was playing the night’s last song. He’d stab us with his drumsticks, but still manage a solid beat!”

“This album is one of the rare live recordings from that period. This particular night we performed at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco, a club owned by Bill Graham. We opened for rockabilly-punk extraordinaire, Robert Gordon. The house soundman was legendary recording engineer, Terry Hammer (Pearl Harbour, The Jam, and The Mutants, to name a few). A few months later we were the backup band for Mr. Chuck Berry himself in that same exact venue!”

“I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!” - Daniel Jeanrenaud.

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