Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Night Flight on The Dicks From Texas

NOW STREAMING on Night Flight Plus: THE DICKS FROM TEXAS (2014) - In honor of the passing of queer punk royalty Gary Floyd, Night Flight Plus is streaming this epic documentary ft. THE DICKS, who started out as an Austin, Texas poster band in 1979, and once formed, took off like a hardcore rocket. Fronting the queercore band, Gary Floyd secured his status as a punk legend with a riotous stage presence and anthems like “The Dicks Hate the Police”.

The Dicks only released one 45 and two LP's and were the house band at legendary Raul's Club. Every hardcore punk act that came to Austin demanded The Dicks play with them, from FEAR to BLACK FLAG to DEAD KENNEDYS. This is their story told by die-hard lifelong Dicks fans and punk icons like Henry Rollins, David Yow, Mike Watt, and Ian MacKaye.

Night Flight Plus is available to stream via Roku, Chromecast, AppleTV, AmazonFireTV, Apple iOS, Android app, + online.

WATCH: www.nightflightplus.com/signup <link in bio>

Punk Rock Anthropology reviews The Dicks From Texas

The Dicks From Texas Documentary release:

This documentary was a long time coming. After 16 years, the documentary film project is finally done and is going to be shown this weekend at the Dick’s hometown. The documentary is called “The Dicks From Texas” directed by Cindy Marabito. The reason this film is getting so much regard is due to what the Dicks really meant to the Austin punk scene in the 1980s. The Dicks were a larger than life punk-hardcore band that pushed the envelope of sexuality, politics, and music. They are best known for their songs such as “Hate the Police” and “Kills from the Heart”.

The reason this documentary is important to watch is that it is a piece of Austin’s music history and a pivotal moment in the punk scene. They rocked against Reagan. They played alongside MDC and the Big Boys. Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, and Mike Watt all want to talk about how great this band was. I don’t think I really have to sell much more here.

They are also releasing a tribute album with such bands as The Bulimics, Black Irish Texas, The Fuckemos, and much more. It is currently streaming here: The Dicks From Texas and Friends

Also here is the link to the event April 1st at the North Door: https://www.facebook.com/events/1042028645817597/

Pre-orders and additional information on the documentary can be found here:http://www.thedicksfromtexas.com/dicks.html

The Stranger Seattle's ONLY newspaper reviews The Dicks From Texas

The Dicks' Documentary: The Dicks From Texas (This Is a MUSIC Documentary, Ya Pervs!)

Mike Nipper

Back in early spring I heard rumblings via a Music Flim Web blog post there was an attempt to put together a documentary film about the raw and incendiary '80s Texas punk band, the Dicks!! At the time it seemed like most of the raw film was sorted, but the filmmaker, Cindy Marabito, was hoping to crowd source the cash to finish the project. Well, it's looking like she got the funding and she's nearly finished!!! I'm stoked; I still listen to their Dicks' first single, "Hate The Police," at least once a week!!

Soooooo, this trailer doesn't make The Dicks From Texas look like much beyond a "the way it happened" kinda narrative, BUT I'LL TAKE IT!! Too, it'll be nice to see the Dicks brought back into contemporary context; do contemporary "hardcore" bands now-a-days write songs like "Dead In A Motel Room?"

New Noise Magazine

Review of The Dicks From Texas New Noise Magazine

Interview with The Dicks From Texas director Cindy Marabito | By Hutch

Most compilations of ‘80s hardcore boast the amazing “Dicks Hate the Police,” the debut single that perfectly captures the sweaty rage and virile vehemence excreted by four punks from Austin in 1980: Dicks. Dicks bled Texas from their audacity to the bluesy stomp embedded in their version of punk. Their legacy evolved and mutated on labels like Radical, Alternative Tentacles, and SST. The band embodied punk rock: DIY, loud, abrasive, confrontational and, ultimately, fun. Cindy Marabito was friends with these men and had the insight to press record early.

Despite the stereotypes of Texans, Marabito equates Dicks with Texas as she explains her new DVD documentary, “The Dicks From Texas”: “Here is this commie, self-described ‘faggot’ hardcore punk band playing outrageously brilliant songs like ‘Dead in a Motel Room’ and ‘Dicks Hate the Police’ with [vocalist] Gary [Floyd] in tight mini-skirts and a brassiere.” Floyd was one of the few openly gay musicians in ‘80s punk.

Other tracks by Dicks drip with fury and sweat, spewed by flamboyant, sardonic provocateur, Floyd. His hatred was placed perfectly over Glen Taylor’s surfy, harsh, swirling, dark, and churning guitar lines. Rounded out by a sinister rhythm section, these caustic tracks remain glorious and potent 35 years later. The film starts chronologically. Marabito explains, “It began when I met Gary Floyd, Buxf Parrott, Glen Taylor, and Pat Deason way back in 1979. I was going to school at University of Texas at Austin and would lug around big ass old WWII equipment and try to shoot the Dicks. Later on, I was living in San Francisco and working at Monaco Film Lab. I began the project then shooting on 16mm.”

The Dicks band

Marabito, shooting in San Francisco, Austin, and L.A., tracked down fans and friends of the band to comment on the Dicks’ legacy. Including the live footage, Marabito reports having “about 300 hours. The editing took about three months. Once [editor] Cullen [Metcalf-Kelly] and I got started, it was a breeze. The story is so compelling, it edited itself.” Engrossed in the visuals, the viewer feels the impact of a legendary live band. In between, we get many comments and stories, adorned with humor and endearing sentiment. Not one person speaks without a filter of affection. “The people whom I’ve interviewed for the film all love the Dicks and were very available,” reports Marabito. Some of these people include punk icons like Henry Rollins, Mike Watt, David Yow, Texas Terri, and Ian MacKaye.

Marabito’s journey was not easy, despite the interviewees’ willingness. “I ran out of money; paid for everything out of pocket from wages,” she says. “I also run a pit bull rescue, Reunion Rescue, and had to save a lot of dogs in the meantime. It took 16 years to shoot everyone. It was worth the wait.” Audiences at fests like NOLA, CIMMfest in Chicago, Albuquerque, UnderCannes in France, and the premiere in Austin agreed. Marabito adds, “So far, nobody’s hated it. It’s mind-blowing to me how many people—both hardcore Dicks fans and kids who’d never even heard of the Dicks—love this movie. I call Gary and read him the reviews, and he’s blown away too!”