#149 Jorge Cervera, Sam Gough, Charlies Pinion (Psychic Violents)

The Story of 80s Gainesville Punks Psychic Violents: The History & Legacy With Jorge, Sam & Charles

In this episode, we are joined by Jorge Cervera (bass), Sam Gough (guitar), and Charles Pinion (vocals) of Gainesville's Psychic Violents, bringing the three former bandmates together for the first time in nearly 40 years to talk about the group's history.

They talk about how they each arrived in Gainesville, their early musical influences, and the local bands, venues, and friendships that helped shape the city's punk and underground music scene during the early and mid-1980s.

The conversation covers the formation of Village Virus, the transition into Psychic Violents, and the band's place within Gainesville's growing DIY music community. Jorge, Sam, and Charles discuss influences ranging from Queen, Rush, Black Sabbath, Talking Heads, and the Minutemen, as well as the Gainesville punk scene, including earlier bands such as Roach Motel and contemporaries like Mutley Chix and The Doldrums. They also share stories about playing house parties, the Vatican, Churchill's, the Cameo Theater, and other venues throughout Florida.

They talk about Psychic Violents' songwriting process, how quickly songs came together, and how little attention they paid to genre boundaries. They discuss their appreciation for the Minutemen and the enormous impact D. Boon's death had on them personally and on the punk community at the time. They also talk about recording their cassette releases, developing new material at a rapid pace, and the band's evolution over its relatively short lifespan.

Charles discusses creating the band's visual identity through posters, flyers, shirts, and the iconic eyeball logo, along with the origins of the band's name. He also talks about his cult film Twisted Issues (1988), how it grew out of documenting the Gainesville scene, and the musicians and bands featured throughout the project.

Jorge, Sam, and Charles share memories of the creative environment that existed before social media and their shared belief in making art simply because they wanted to make it. They talk about the friendships and creative connections that came out of Gainesville's music community, what happened after Psychic Violents, including Jorge and Sam's later band Big Soul and Charles' move to New York and filmmaking career, and why the music and Twisted Issues have found new audiences decades later.

Nearly 40 years later, the three former bandmates sit down together and revisit the music, people, places, and experiences that shaped Psychic Violents and their lives in Gainesville.