An uncompromising single limited to a 200 run, which helped The Fix to establish US hardcore as a force to be reckoned with at the turn of 1980s.
Punk may have been born in England during the late 70s, but the early 80s belonged to US hardcore punk. With The Teen Idles, Minor Threat and Black Flag doing the rounds, more and more bands emerged, backed by DIY labels and fanzines. It was a scene rife with creativity, channelling teen angst and frustration into passionate music.
A band often overlooked in the annals of the scene are Michigan’s The Fix. They lasted just less than two years, but had the first vinyl release through iconic Midwestern label, Touch And Go. Their debut 7″, Vengeance b/w In This Town, is pure, unhinged hardcore at its best and helped lay the foundation for a burgeoning record label to build a scene rivalling SST in California and Dischord in D.C.
As the years have gone by, not only have The Fix become part of punk-rock lore, their debut 7″ is now considered one of the rarest punk singles in existence. With its minimal sleeve design, and only 200 copies pressed, it isn’t much to look at, but has reached over £3,000 in online bidding wars. Very few copies have ever been sold on the open market, with some probably falling by the wayside, or buried deep in the collections of former hardcore kids.
The Fix had only one more release after this, Jan’s Rooms, which has become another incredibly desirable record for Touch And Go collectors. Even if it hasn’t reached the hardcore Holy Grail status of something like Chung King Can Suck It by Judge, its importance and rarity can never be understated.
Glen Bushell