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The story behind Mike Muir and company being banned by the city of Los Angeles from playing live shows starting in the mid 80's. Podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rock-n-roll-true-stories-podcast/id1876614383 My second YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@rocknrolltruestories2 Suicidal Tendencies could sell records, tour overseas, and earn a Grammy nomination. But playing their own hometown was another story. How did Mike Muir and a band from Venice, California, become so feared that Los Angeles promoters refused to book them? This documentary explores the rumors, real incidents, and unofficial blacklist that kept Suicidal Tendencies off local stages for years. From backyard parties in Venice to the breakthrough success of “Institutionalized,” Suicidal Tendencies built a following that challenged expectations of what a punk band should look like. Their audience included Mexican and Black fans from their neighborhood, while their bandanas, flannels, and loyal supporters helped fuel assumptions about gang connections. Muir argued that outsiders misunderstood both the band and the people showing up to see them. But this wasn’t simply a story of innocent musicians facing invented accusations. There were fights, damaged venues, and concerns about concert safety. The question is how those incidents became a reputation that followed the band everywhere, making promoters, insurers, and venues unwilling to take a chance on a hometown show. We follow the controversy surrounding Perkins Palace, the difficulty of getting local shows booked, and the growing gap between the band’s international success and its treatment at home. While college radio and MTV helped introduce Suicidal Tendencies to new listeners, their name and image continued to create resistance within the music industry. Along the way, this video revisits the evolution from their debut album to Join the Army, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today, and Lights... Camera... Revolution! Songs like “Institutionalized” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down” helped establish their place in hardcore punk and crossover thrash, even as controversy threatened to overshadow the music. Their August 1990 concert at UC Irvine became a test. With Exodus and Pantera on the bill, heavy security, and officials watching closely, the show offered a chance to challenge the worst predictions. Irvine wasn’t Los Angeles, but the concert mattered to the band’s effort to return to local stages. There was no simple announcement ending the blacklist. Instead, the comeback unfolded through showcases, smaller appearances, and promoters gradually becoming willing to book them again. Years later, Los Angeles honored Mike Muir with a mural, delivering a twist to a story defined by rejection, suspicion, and police attention. Using reporting and Muir’s interviews, this documentary separates the band’s own explanations from the claims made about them. It examines how race, neighborhood identity, punk scene politics, and fear shaped the reputation of one of the most recognizable bands to emerge from Venice. Was Suicidal Tendencies really too dangerous to book, or did its reputation become bigger than the evidence? Watch the story behind the blacklist, the struggle to get back onstage, and the hometown that eventually celebrated a singer it once feared. Subscribe to Rock N’ Roll True Stories for rock documentaries, punk history, metal stories, band controversies, and music industry battles. Share your favorite Suicidal Tendencies song or concert memory in the comments below. Have a video request or a topic you'd like to see us cover? Comment below or send in your idea: https://bit.ly/3stnXlN CONNECT ON SOCIAL TIKOK:https://www.tiktok.com/@rocknrolltruestory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rnrtruestories/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RNRTrueStories Twitter: https://twitter.com/rocktruestories Blog: www.rockandrolltruestories.com #mikemuir #suicidaltendencies These videos are for entertainment purposes only. DISCLAIMER https://rockandrolltruestories.com/youtube-disclaimer/