Richard's Gerbil: Crisco Party

Richard's Gerbil is one of the forgotten bands of the Orange County, California hardcore punk scene. The band performed from 1979 to
1981 at the legendary Cuckoo's Nest along with Black Flag, TSOL, Circle Jerks, and many others.

The four band members John Derby, Kipper Smith, Jackson Hole, and Scooter Pye met while working as trash sweepers at Knott's Berry Farm, a popular Southern California amusement park. The band released this one critically acclaimed live album before Pye and Derby were killed along with five other amusement park employees by a rollerskating elephant that went on an unexplained rampage. Hole
and Smith both left the music business shortly after the deaths of
their band mates.

Reknowned punk band Black Flag is said to have been greatly
influenced by Richard's Gerbil and it is a largely unknown
fact that their 1982 single "TV Party" is tribute to Crisco Party.

Here is a sample of the lyrics of Crisco Party:

We're gonna have a Crisco party tonight.
Alright!
If mom and dad don't like it, we're gonna fight.
Alright!

There's nothin' like Crisco for a good time.
Butter or plain, it isn't a crime.

We're gonna have a Crisco party tonight.
Alright!