The Mutants (San Francisco)

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This article is about the San Francisco punk/new wave band, The Mutants, which should not be confused with the Detroit new wave/rock band, the British punk rock band, or the Finnish Surf Rock band of the same name.

For the similarly-named Brazilian experimental/Tropicalia band, see Os Mutantes.

For the Doctor Who serial, see The Mutants.

The Mutants were an important band in the history of San Francisco punk rock and new wave music. They were known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics. They are credited with being one of the first "Art-punk" bands in San Francisco, and were one of the most popular bands of the San Francisco punk scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The Mutants joined together to perform at the San Francisco Poetry Festival in 1977. They quickly became regular performers in the San Francisco punk rock scene, headlining at the Mabuhay Gardens (aka The Fab Mab), The Savoy Tivoli, The Berkeley Square, The Deaf Club, The Warfield, and other punk clubs. They were also noted for being one of the few pop bands to ever perform live at Napa State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital. They also opened for such bands as The Ramones, Iggy Pop, New Order, Lene Lovich, The Cramps and the Talking Heads.

Their first single was on 415 Records and included "Insect Lounge", "New Drug" and "The New Dark Ages". In 1982, The Mutants' only album, Fun Terminal, was produced with the help of Snakefinger and released on MSI Quality Records.

Following the release of Fun Terminal, The Mutants embarked on a successful national tour, headlining at major punk venues such as CBGBs and Hurrah's. However, drug abuse, alcoholism, and family commitments changed the scope of the band. By the mid-eighties many of the original musicians left the band. The three vocalists attempted to keep the band going with new musicians, and new songs were written to feature the female vocalists.

In 1989 The Mutants had a reunion show at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco. By this time, most of the band was clean and sober. In 2002, Fun Terminal was re-released as a CD on White Noise Records and included five additional tracks of live recordings. Interest in the band re-surfaced and The Mutants began once again playing small clubs in San Francisco, such as SOMA Arts, Thee Parkside, Studio Z, and Cafe du Nord. A "Fab Mab Reunion" took place on April 8, 2006 at The Fillmore and featured performances by The Mutants and several other notable bands from the early San Francisco punk scene.[1] [2]