‘They said we incited riots’: explosive punks Bad Brains on drugs, self-destruction and recording from jail

Young, black and fuelled by self-help mantras, they were reputedly the best live band on Earth. As their wild first sessions are rereleased, the group talk about scaring club owners – and getting kicked out of the UK Old punks might not agree on much – who was first, who was fastest, where to file the Faith/Void split LP in their record collection – but for those who saw them in their prime, Bad Brains were, unequivocally, the best live band on the planet. YouTube footage bears this out: frontman HR, born Paul D Hudson, is equal parts straining sinew and raw electricity as he bucks and contort

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