La Peste was an American punk band from Boston named after French author and philosopher Albert Camus’ 1947 novel of the same name (called The Plague in English). The group overtime consisted of Ian Kalinosky, Mark Andreasson, Peter Dayton and Roger Tripp. The band only released one single, Better Off Dead, in 1978. In 1980, vocalist Peter Dayton decided to form his own band following what he called his “Syd Barrett moment” in late 1979. The rest of the band now joined by vocalist Ian Stevens kept going for a while until fading into the murk a few years later. Sadly, La Peste drummer Roger Tripp—who some say played with the ferocity of Keith Moon—would be the victim of a drunk driver on New Year’s Eve in 1993 which lead Dayton and bassist Mark Karl to leave the band’s volcanic legacy in the past.
Links to Peel[]
Peel played their single on his shows especially during the late 70's and after his death, it was later found out that he had a copy of it in his record box.
Shows Played[]
- 30 June 1978: Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711
- 14 July 1978: Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711
- 03 August 1978: Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711
- 27 November 1978: Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711
- 1980
- 15 November 1980 (BFBS): Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711
- 1993
- 17 July 1993: Better Off Dead (7") Black CB711