Yesterday the LA music community lost bass player Phil Newman of Sin 34 and Painted Willie. According to friend and former bandmate Dave Markey, Phil fell and received an injury to the head, later passing away at the hospital. In memoriam we would like to reprint a review of the 2008 Sin 34 reunion at Liquid Kitty’s Punk Rock BBQ:
In the 80s, every punker’s bedroom wall was papered with flyers from gigs. There were a few bands that always seemed to be at the bottom of the flyer – perpetual openers. Sin 34 was one of those bands. From 81 – 84 they were always there at the major shows, usually somewhere near the bottom of the flyer.
They broke up a year before I became friends with drummer Dave Markey, guitarist Mike Glass, and bass player Phil Newman. At the time, Dave and Phil were playing with Vic Makauskas in Painted Willie – part of the melodic-hard-rock-psychedelic-inspired post-punk movement that was the missing link between hardcore and grunge.
In November of last year, when Sin 34 announced their upcoming reunion, I didn’t take it very seriously. I knew that they were all good musicians. I knew that it would be some good old-timey 80s thrash. But I had no idea. None of us did. I don’t think Sin 34 had any idea. Last Sunday, when they gathered for the first time to kick out the jams, there wasn’t enough room in Liquid Kitty to contain the explosion of hardcore that split the room at its seams.
From the opening strains of War at Home to a fun and feel-good cover of DEVO’s Uncontrollable Urge, Julie Lanfeld immediately took command of the audience. She is a natural, instictively giving just enough attention to the fans slavishly adoring her, while keeping an emotional boundary between herself and the fray. The crowd was going completely batshit, and at one point she had to take them to task. The few serious troublemakers were rounded up by the bouncers, and the controlled madness resumed.
They brought down the house with Not from the We Got Power: Party or Go Home compilation and 12 Hour Trip from Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. Their single new/old song is an anti-acid anthem, Over the Edge. Like literally, Dianne Linkletter over the edge. Children Shall Not be Heard had the entire audience singing along. The pace was relentless.
Mike Glass was in serious guitar god form, riffing like it took absolutely no energy at all. His fingers flew across the frets. Phil Newman glared into space throughout most of the show. I’m pretty sure without monitors he was keeping time by intently watching Dave Markey for cues. Over on drums, Markey thrashed away like a madman. I had no idea he could play so fucking fast. Seriously. We’re not exactly kids anymore.
Speaking of kids, where did all these young fans come from? Here is a band that disappeared into the ether 23 years ago, leaving barely any vinyl behind. How did they develop a new following without playing a single show? How did these kids know all the words to Children Shall Not be Heard? Was it the magic of Myspace? Is there a huge groundswell of punkers, generation after generation, keeping our music alive?
One thing we can say for sure is that this mistakenly under-rated band won’t be at the bottom of the flyers ever again.
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- Phil Newman 2008. You will be missed
I was just reading the above story in memory of phil Newman. In april of 2018 sin34 also lost their front person, singer / songwriter julie lanfeld keskin