Flour Power

Twenty-seven years ago today (2-1-80), eccentric punk pioneer Gary Wilson played downtown's Skeleton Club along with locals Four Eyes.

"Gary Wilson had tape and stuff wrapped around him and there's flour being thrown all over during his performances," recalls Mark DeCerbo of Four Eyes. "I'm sure the crowd there that night had never seen anything like it in their lives.... Gary would run through the crowd like a maniac and out of the club and disappear. We would see him back at the house after the gig, and he'd be sitting there in the dark."

Wilson had recently arrived in San Diego and formed a group he called the Blind Dates (whose members would also play with Four Eyes).

"Our equipment was broken down and ragged and literally held together by duct tape," recalls Wilson today. "Something caught on fire onstage; I think it was caused by a power cord from one of our amps. After our performance, there was a tremendous amount of flour all over the stage and the club's equipment. It looked like a snowstorm hit the place.... I can't remember being paid for the gig. The owner probably got mad at us and docked us our pay."

Gary Wilson's career was recently jumpstarted after he was found working at a local porn store by private detectives; they were employed by a record label that wanted to reissue Wilson's music.

Mark DeCerbo and Four Eyes have reunited and will appear February 8 at Lestat's.