H.R. Giger

B.O. pra lá de conhecido, descrito no encarte de “Frankenchrist” (1985):

“As you may have noticed, a crucial part of this CD is missing. On April 15, 1986, combined forces of the Los Angeles and San Fracisco Police Departments raided the headquarters of Alternative Tentacles, the offices of Mordam Records (our distributor), and Jello Biafra‘s rented flat.

Their purpose was to sieze copies of Dead Kennedy‘s ‘Frankenchrist’ LP, copies of H.R. Giger’s Landscape No. XX ‘Where are we coming from?’ poster on the grounds that it, and therefore the Frankenchrist album, were obscene.

On June 2, 1986, Jello Biafra and four other people were charged with one count each of California Penal Code Section 313.1 ‘Distribution of ‘harmful’ matter to Minors’. Each defendant faced up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine. We chose to fight these charges on constitutional grounds, to avoid any ugly legal precedent that could then be used against other artists and news reporters.

The Frankenchrist case of the five finally went before a jury in August 1987. Charges against three of the five defendants were thrown out due to lack of evidence. After a lengthy show trial, the jury deadlocked 7-5 in favor of acquittal and the judge dismissed the remaining charges, after denying a prosecution motion for a retrial. The prosecutor later intimated that he intends to charge other musicians in the future in spite of the verdict in this case.

So the battle against censorship goes on. Alternative Tentacles has survived the onslaught of legal expenses thanks to all of you who contibuted to our defense. We thank you. For further information regarding the battle against censorship please write to the NO MORE CENSORSHIP DEFENSE FUND, P.O. Box 11458, San Francisco, CA 94101“.