An all out attack occurred over the airwaves one February night in 1987 emanating from University of Michigan’s free-form radio station WCBN. Following a raucous set by the newly-formed Laughing Hyenas, the notorious high school punk band RODENT KONTROL took the live broadcast by storm...chaos ensued.
It is easy to jump to the conclusion that their set was a calculated act of anarchy, taking advantage of their opportunity of playing live on the radio. However this is not the case. This was a normal RoKo set, par for the course. The broadcast gives a rare glimpse of the energy, naivety, and honesty of young punks having a say. Up to this point the band’s name and their rat-skull mascot were well known, as the many rotating band members and their fans were on a graffiti campaign since the band’s formation four years prior. You’d have to be living under a rock at that time if you never saw “RoKo” or the rat-skull painted across an Ann Arbor wall (particularly on U of M property as even back then they owned half the town). How ironic then that RoKo sprayed their musical graffiti all over U of M-owned airwaves...a double Fuck You to the university.
An edited version of the CBN set was originally released on the rare Shut Up and Take the Fifth cassette, a compilation of Ann Arbor bands at the time ranging from punk, hardcore, and metal. Side A of the Fuzzy Warbles release includes RoKo’s (never released) full CBN set in all it’s mayhem glory. 25 years on Side B captures an uncharacteristically well-rehearsed RoKo belting out their hits at the same high school that spawned them, the once notorious Commie High. RODENT KONTROL LIVE (FW13) includes a double-sided fold-out J-card including band pics and bio. Be a part of the Movement and place your RoKo sticker (included with every cassette purchase) somewhere irresponsibly. DO IT.
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