The right drummer at the right time can take an emerging band to another level. Dead Kennedys wrote the classic Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables in 1980 with drummer Bruce Slesinger. But when Darren Henley — better known by his stage name D.H. Peligro — joined Dead Kennedys in 1981, they grew exponentially. Peligro’s combination of ferocity and precision was unlike anything in the hardcore scene at the time and a perfect match for the DK’s exploration of psychedelic sound and the outer limits of punk and hardcore.
Peligro, who died October 28 after a fall in his home, first appeared on the caustic EP In God We Trust, Inc. and drummed on every DKs release until the band broke up: Plastic Surgery Disasters, the Hall of Fame-inducted Frankenchrist, Bedtime For Democracy and the odd-and-sods collection Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death. In his Hall Of Fame interview, Peligro said he was so excited to play with Dead Kennedys that he continued to push the pace even years into his tenure. “I always came in fast, and the guys would have to catch up,” he said. “That was a template for a lot of those tours. I was just so excited I would play so fast. When I joined the band, they sped up.”
Peligro’s drumming is as much a part of the classic DKs sound as Jello Biafra’s psychotic Tennessee Tuxedo-flavored screeds, East Bay Ray’s Dick-Dale seasoned guitar licks and Klaus Fluoride’s anthemic basslines. Listen to how he single-handedly builds “Riot” from the suggestion of menace to an anarchistic romp. He barrels into the opening of “Goons Of Hazard” and plays in the pocket for “Police Truck,” a song driven by Ray’s guitar work and Biafra’s storytelling. Peligro’s work with DKs wasn’t just the rhythmic backline but had a personality that inhabited the world of each song.
Black Cross Hotel and Broken Hope drummer Mike Miczek, a student and fan of 80s hardcore, said Peligro’s drumming style mirrored DK’s contrarian and outspoken aesthetic. “Whether it’s balls out punk rock, two-step cowpunk, or off-beat hi-hat stomping, Peligro’s rhythmic instinct and stop-on-a-dime style made DKs the fuzzed-out surf punk weirdos they were,” Miczek said. “Peligro’s drumming on Plastic Surgery Disasters was my first foray into punk, and it left an impression on me that has stuck with my playing to this day.”
Peligro was part of the Dead Kennedys lineup squarely in the government crosshairs after the 1985 release of Frankenchrist. The album led to an obscenity trial covered by the national press. He said earlier this year that the album paved the way for bands to express themselves however they wanted. “The record is about the fight for free speech,” he said. “It paved the way for people to do what they want on a record. Those songs and that record sit in an atmosphere of their own. There’s nothing I can compare it to. It’s Frankenchrist, man. It holds its own.”
In addition to his work with Dead Kennedys, Peligro played with Peligro, Jungle Studs and briefly with Red Hot Chili Peppers. He also contributed three tracks on Nailbomb’s Proud To Commit Commerical Suicide, including a cover of “Police Truck.” He has just returned from a Dead Kennedys tour when he passed.
D.H. Peligro wasn’t just a pioneer in the emerging hardcore art form but one of its finest musicians. He will be sorely missed. Rest well, D.H., and thank you.
