More Fun in the New World

The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk

By: John Doe, Tom Desavia

Narrated by: John Doe, Tom Desavia, Various

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Sequel to Grammy-nominated best seller Under the Big Black Sun, continuing the up-close and personal account of the LA punk scene

Picking up where Under the Big Black Sun left off, More Fun in the New World explores the years 1982 to 1987, covering the dizzying pinnacle of LA's punk rock movement as its stars took to the national - and often international - stage. Detailing the eventual splintering of punk into various sub-genres, the second volume of John Doe and Tom DeSavia's west coast punk history portrays the rich cultural diversity of the movement and its characters, the legacy of the scene, how it affected other art forms, and ultimately influenced mainstream pop culture. The book also pays tribute to many of the fallen soldiers of punk rock, the pioneers who left the world much too early but whose influence hasn't faded.   

As with Under the Big Black Sun, the book features stories of triumph, failure, stardom, addiction, recovery, and loss as told by the people who were influential in the scene, with a cohesive narrative from authors Doe and DeSavia. Along with many returning voices, More Fun in the New World weaves in the perspectives of musicians Henry Rollins, Fishbone, Billy Zoom, Mike Ness, Jane Weidlin, Keith Morris, Dave Alvin, Louis Pérez, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, and Jack Grisham, among others. And renowned artist/illustrator Shepard Fairey, filmmaker Allison Anders, actor Tim Robbins, and pro-skater Tony Hawk each contribute chapters on punk's indelible influence on the artistic spirit.   

In addition to stories of success, the book also offers a cautionary tale of an art movement that directly inspired commercially diverse acts such as Green Day, Rancid, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, and Neko Case. Listeners will find themselves rooting for the purists of punk juxtaposed with the MTV-dominating rock superstars of the time who flaunted a "born to do this, it couldn't be easier" attitude that continued to fuel the flames of new music. More Fun in the New World follows the progression of the first decade of LA punk, its conclusion, and its cultural rebirth.

Read by John Doe and Tom Desavia, with Dave Alvin, Allison Anders, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Shepard Fairey, Norwood Fisher, Pleasant Gehman, Terry Graham, Sid Griffin, Jack Grisham, Tony Hawk, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, Angelo Moore, W.T. Morgan, Chris Morris, Keith Morris, Mike Ness, Louie Peréz, Tim Robbins, Henry Rollins, Jane Wiedlin, Annette Zilinskas, and Billy Zoom

Cover Photograph © Laura Levine 

©2019 John Doe, Tom Desavia (P)2019 Random House Audio

Inclusive look at the L.A. music scene

More Fun In The New World


“Seeds were thrown, for sure. What was essentially hiding in the shadows moved from a whisper to a scream.”

Tom DeSavia’s opening to More Fun In The New World, “We’re Having Much More Fun” is brilliant. And so is his voice on the audio book. I’d actually been reading the book while listening to the audiobook version simultaneously. Full impact!

“Mosh Pit Ubuists” by Tim Robbins is such a treat as a reader to get a little of his past history in his story and to learn how he was influenced by punk back in the day. Enjoyable reading!

“It Sounds Too Much Like The Blasters: 1982-1985” by Dave Alvin of The Blasters is a keen look at their early history and experience with this music business, namely Warner Bros. Records.

“Sliver Of Glass” by Jane Wiedlin deserves a holy cow! She did it again. Wowed me, she did. Wiedlin is brutally honest with her storytelling and doesn’t hold back. Gives us the ‘fly on the wall insight’ to what it was like to be her in a time that she should have been having the time of her life. I don’t know her but I love her. My heart can’t help feeling for her. I adore her candidness and her ability to share things that are so raw, so honest. So unusual. I’d hug her, if I could.

“Under The Marquee” by W. T. Morgan takes us back to his early experience with punk and the bands that define the times. Especially X. He describes the making of his movie, X - The Unheard Music Documentary in such a beautifully heartfelt way. The passion comes right through. Skilled storytelling.
Something precious about the memories he shares with us readers. And the film! Thank you,” I would say to him.

In “The New World” by John Doe I couldn’t wait to rip through. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it on paper first or listen to the audiobook. I knew I would be in for something desirable.

This is a bittersweet tale, as he writes about the crisis’s that were happening at the time in the Midwest and beyond. Workers were losing their jobs. I love how he describes their songwriting, “We took the opportunities we were offered and toured and wrote songs as if our life depended on it—because it did.” There is so much heart and soul to the telling of this story. Eloquent, direct and at the same time good reading.


“Another State Of Mind” by Mike Ness and Tom DeSavia is so great because it reminds us old timers what it was like in the early days of discovering punk and the LA scene. I remember Mike from those days and have watched Social Distortion evolve. Like Bad Religion, I can say I remember them before they were famous. Great story!


I kind of got lost into Keith Morris and Jim Ruland’s “Hollywood Shuffle”. An easy read that made me laugh. Well, there were sad moments but as an old punk it was fun to read about the places I’d been with many of the people I’d known. The Circle Jerks were one of us and they were always playing, so it seemed. When I think of them and bands like X and Adolescents my teenage years float back to me. I’m glad Keith is still around to tell his story.


“Deliverance” by Charlotte Caffey parallels Jane Wiedlin’s account of being a Go Go. These stories inspired me to look at some of their live performances. Searching their faces for signs of trouble. At the time, they were America’s sweethearts! They appeared squeaky clean though I did see them live in their punk days. The way I preferred them because they were authentic then, before they lost themselves to fame.


“The Ongoing Cost Of A Low-Grade Immortality” by Jack Grisham is a WOW! No surprise. Nevertheless, a WOW! Dark. Dirty. Disgusting. Poetic. Sick. Brilliant. The man is damn talented. He’s got a gift. And that story is sheer genius!


“Princess Of Hollywood” by Pleasant Gehman is a who's who and where's where to the Hollywood scene in the early to late eighties. An edgy look back to the days of what was dubbed Disgraceland.

“Los Lobos: Los Rockstars Accidentales” by Louie Pérez shares the early beginnings of Los Lobos (confusing everyone) and the passion for the music. “There we were, part of a music community whose purpose was to free music from the kidnapping by mainstream rock. It was unabashed, liberating, and obnoxious. It was more about spirit than how good you played. I bet that some bands were formed in the van on the way to the show.”
Beautiful story.


I loved John Doe’s sweet (bittersweet) little story about Top Jimmy.
“Top Jimmy: In The Mud And The Blood And The Beer!” Precious.

“Our Wolf” by Chris Morris is as good as I would expect! I love the history he shares and the commentary. His writing is smooth like an 50s newspaper reporter. Just give me the facts! In Chris’ stories you can be a fly on the wall. He takes you there. Right there!

"Grand Theft Paper: A Conversation With Billy Zoom” is a adorable! Interesting about Top Jimmy and the trouble that followed him. It’s nice to hear Zoom share personal bits like this. I can feel the admiration both Doe and Zoom has for this guy. Touching if not laughable. At times, of course.


“With punk in my life, the preps, jocks, nerds, etc. seemed like mere cretins in the rearview rather than my torturers or captors.”
“Prep School Confidential: Finding My Voice” by Shepherd Fairey, a force to be reckoned with. So interesting how punk inspired his artwork and the emotion he has for the music. He is able to detail what led him to where he is now. Very inspiring!

“You Say You Want An Evolution” by Tom DeSavia is passion filled story and talks about the evolution of music and how it shaped his life. I love these coming-of-age stories that are enthusiastic and entertaining.

“This World Is Not My Home, I’m Just Passing Through” by Maria McKee and Tom DeSavia is a story that should be made into a memoir. Maria McKee’s biography would be a good read. This story flowed like it was supposed to be on its own. Really nice.

“The Paisley Underground, Americana & Me” by Sid Griffin where not everything good happened in the LA punk scene. Shares the early days of his band, Long Ryders. And the influence they would eventually have over Americana and alt-country music.

“None of the bands were quite ready. Punk hadn’t really happened in L.A. yet—it was like the hour before dawn.”
“Ten Short Years On The Sunset Strip” by Peter Case is a slick story about his rise to fame in the Plimsouls and I finding his voice.

“The Kinman Brothers: American Music” by Tom DeSavia is a dedication to the musical contributions of Chip and Tony Kinman. RIP Tony Kinman.
It’s difficult not to get emotional reading Chip Kinman’s, One Thousand Nights. His story just seems to fall into place.

“Skate Punks” by Tony Hawk is about his relationship with punk rock and skateboarding. Loved this story! “I was lucky that my parents didn’t mind if my new skater friends had mohawks or piercings, as long as they were polite. And they were.”

"Free Radicals: A Conversation With Fishbone” by John Doe is an ode to these magical musicians and their music. Such an uplifting interview. Beautiful.

“Come On, All You Cowboys . . . Don’t You Wanna Go?” By Annette Zilinskas, bass player for The Bangles and Blood On The Saddle. Another Valley Girl, like myself. A bit of a coming-of-age story. Her musical coming-of-age.

“Ain’t Love Grand” by John Doe kind of made me sad. Made me see a sliver of what it must be like to have the pressure of being in a band. A successful band, at that.
As an outsider looking in, not sure how John and Exene managed to stay together as long as they did, especially through all the stress of the ‘business’ and the 24/7 lifestyle. That had to take a toll. Thanking Doe for sharing his soul a bit with us.

Terry Graham writes a clever little story about the ending of The Bags and the changes that took place after The Decline Of Western Civilization. In “Shot Glass Full Of Luck” the author describes his rock ‘n’ roll adventures with The Gun Club. Or misadventures?! Very clever and stylish.

“Hardcore To Spoken Word: A Conversation With Henry Rollins” by John Doe is relatable if you were a part of the early punk scene in Los Angeles. When things started changing,  the impact was swift. It was nice to learn more about Rollins and understand his situation, being part of Black Flag. Very insightful.

“Everything Became Possible” by Allison Anders is bliss! It’s her passion and ambition that drove her. Her success is not by accident. She was a motivated person with an authentic voice. She had gumption and was interested in more than money. This woman is a trailblazer and paved the way for many women living in a man’s world. Big respect. Loved how she detailed how she made the movies and the chances she took.

Fallen Soldiers by John Doe is very well worded. Genuine.


I read “More Fun In The New World” with great gusto as it was compelling all the way through. It’s not just about music but life. Honest, bold, brave. There’s depth and vulnerability. The writers stepped up and wrote stunning narratives that were both candid and engaging. The audiobook is an extra bonus. Everyone did a fantastic job. And a big high five to Krissy Teegerstrom who played a big part in making this a beautiful piece of history. Impressive.

kinda boring

it was okay . Not as good as the first but it was still worth a listen

Loved it!

Great book! loved the music included as well! the authors reading their own chapters really made it for me!

Could not be better.

I lived in Southern California during these years, and spent a lot if time in LA. I was an avid music fan, and of X and many of the musicians in this book. thank you John Doe and company for honoring this time in music history.

Late Punk Rock Era Stories Told By The Music Makers!

Loved it!! My 28 year old son gave me this book for Mother’s Day, with thanks for playing X at home when he was growing up. I feel like I missed a lot of this whole music scene since I was scrabbling around so hard trying to make a living in the early 80s, latching on to a few bands for cool harmonies, relatable lyrics and those jamming tempos. My brother was a bouncer at a club in New York at this time and always got me in to see bands but, still, only so many hours each night for fun. This book filled in many of the gaps and fascinating back stories of bands I still venerate and many I didn’t listen to, until now!

More Fun In the New World is a rock era education from the perspective of members of Black Flag, The Cramps, Los Lobos, the Go Gos, The Bangles - and a bijillion more. I especially loved hearing the women’s music stories. The cowpunk/LA punk/Paisley Underground music scene seemed more DIY and accessible than earlier punk genres maybe because media (national showbiz news reporting, local access cable TV, SNL) was reporting on it faster, making it seem more pervasive and immediate. All the collage art of the early 80s, skateboarding, home movies and of course, garage bands had been with this generation of musicians since were little. They took all these toys & crafts and carried them into their teens and beyond, adding those symbols of youth onto the pile of hurts and heartaches and anger and rebellion that have been the subjects of pop music for 70+ years. This book chronicles the hard work, mind-blowing talent, drugs, superhuman strength, joy, frustrations, influences, determination, sexism, racism, crazy scenes, hilarious spats, friendships, reconcilliations — boy oh boy, there’s so much here, so much fun.

I definitely recommend listening as each different essayist reads his or her own recollections. The unwinding of X as told by John Doe is especially heartbreaking, Mike Ness’ essay is sweet & semi-tragic, Keith Morris’ “Hollywood Shuffle” is laugh-out-loud funny, Jane Weidlin’s story is captivating. Hard to single any one author out as each musician, filmmaker, artist conveys the energy of the early ‘80s punk rock scene in surprisingly upbeat terms.

This is a must for anyone who grew up listening to punk rock

The greatest sequel ever. The bands I grew listening to in their own words. I loved it and hope they do another.

Fun / informative / thoughtfull

I was in my late teens in the early 80's and was in North Carolina ... Didn't know much about the history but loved the music

The First Flame Is Hotter Than The Embers

I am an unabashed X fanatic and it was really interesting to hear John Doe's assessment of X's "worst" album -- 1985's Ain't Love Grand -- which is still pretty good by the way. John has a wonderful speaking voice and I liked that all of the essays are read by the authors. It's kind of fascinating to hear that John does not "get it" when he complains about the "sound" of the first four X albums.

They did not sound "heavy" and as a result, they don't sound dated in 2022. The songs are light and fast with that snare drum sound cracking and flying through the speakers. John and Billy do not like the sound, but damnit they are just wrong. They are too far in the forest to see the trees.

Under The Big Black Sun book was more interesting because the early punk scene was more interesting. In this book, the Rollins, Go-Gos, and Mike Ness (Social D) essays were stand outs. Rollins NEVER took drugs and his brain is razor sharp as a result. The Go-Gos hit such absurd heights in stardom that it's fascinating to hear about that inevitable train wreck.

This sequel tends to get repetitive with tales of addiction and more addiction. I really liked the Lone Justice essay and everything to do with X. However, the "cowpunk" bands and derivative rockabilly acts were not interesting to me. In the first book, we heard The Screamers mentioned constantly and now in this book it's the Cathay De Grande and its house band, Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs.

Here's the thing...Top Jimmy was obviously a great guy, loyal friend, powerful singer, and world class alcoholic. It's a vast miscalculation to waste a Billy Zoom/John Doe conversation talking about Top Jimmy getting pulled over carrying drugs or some odd bullshit. We just don't care. It's not interesting. It's like hearing an inside joke that you don't quite get and don't want to get.

Top Jimmy as an artist is also not worth the ink. The man played straight blues and did not write an original note. Punk was about originality. It's true that the punks loved him and he undoubtedly had a punk rock / Doors-like ethos. But come on. Way way too much Top Jimmy. That said, I enjoyed this book but you better be well schooled in early 1980s LA punk/cowpunk/alternative music. If you're not, you will find this boring.

Fantastic followup to Under the Big Black Sun,

A wonderful retrospect into the world of LA punk. Loved the collection of essays & interviews.

Even better than the first one!

Fantastic telling by those who were there! The first book was sheer greatness, this one does not disappoint. Thank you Mr. Doe!!