Dub Allstars' vibe tops Secret Hate party

It was a spirited night of thrashing punk and rootsy reggae Friday as Long Beach's Foothill Club hosted a party to celebrate a new record from Long Beach punks Secret Hate.

Secret Hate was part of the original explosion of punk in Southern California back in the 1980s, but disbanded before ever releasing a full-length album. Regardless, they influenced many local bands, including Sublime, who covered Secret Hate's song "The Ballad of Johnny Butt" on their self-titled 1996 release.

Almost 20 years after the band arrived on the scene, a reformed Secret Hate is back and just released a new album on Skunk Records called "Pop Cult Vomit." In honor of the occasion, the band and a few friends threw a party that packed the Foothill to its 475-person capacity. Topping the bill was a not-so-secret performance by local favorites the Long Beach Dub Allstars.
 

After two opening acts, Secret Hate came out to a wave of cheers and played a blistering set of old-school California punk that got a spirited, but nonviolent pit going.

"This was great," said singer Mike Davis as Secret Hate left the stage. "I'm glad everybody came out to see us tonight."

Listening to them hammer away brought back memories of a time when punk was more than just a trend. Their style of punk is guttural and angry, filled with three-cord explosions of angst.

The strongest reaction of the night came for the Allstars, who recently returned from touring the East Coast. Packed onto a smaller stage than they're used to, the local boys kept the packed crowd skanking and slamming until nearly 2 a.m.

Although the entire set was solid, the highlight was when they launched into Sublime's "Badfish." Almost immediately, the Foothill's dance floor turned into a gyrating mass of sweaty bodies, all singing along and relishing the song's peaceful vibe.

"This is the best small show we've done in a while," said Allstars guitarist Ras1. "The vibes were real good tonight. It was beautiful."