La Santa hosted comedy rock band Green Jellÿ, and other local punk bands

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The audience wearing Green Jellÿ’s puppet heads moshing on stage. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

The crowd jumped, moshed, danced and pushed each other to the incredible rhythm of Beach Waste, Melted Bodies, Shock Therapy and the show’s star, Green Jellÿ. What all these four bands have in common is the power to make a crowd jump and mosh until their legs can’t move anymore.

OC’s active punk scene met once again at La Santa on Saturday. The sickest line-up had everyone jump, scream, sweat, and share one of the most iconic moments in the history of the bands.

Beach Waste opened the show with their hardcore punk that made everyone, and the walls start shaking. Beach Waste is a local band made up of four members—Liam on vocals, Jack on guitar, Dylan on drums and Dom on bass. They described their music genre to be loud, hardcore punk, and steampunk. 

Despite just starting their career as a band, they already have a line-up of shows to perform at, as well as an upcoming EP.

“Strong and bold like his dad” Bill Manspeaker, vocalist of Green Jellÿ, eight-year-old son at the end of the show. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

Up next was Melted Bodies. A metal adjacent, electronic, new wave and post-punk band. Formed by four members- Houda on bass, Ben on keys and synth, Andy on vocals and guitar and Scott on drums.

This was also when the audience started to form the mosh pit circle. The crowd started moshing to the rhythm of the music. The faster the band played, the faster the moshing would get.

Their music embodies the menial of daily life.

 “We experience the world as adults. The songs are more about day jobs and a little bit about how you view the world on a daily basis,” said Ben in the green room, a lounge room for performers. “Those are themes you don’t really hear from the adult perspective, sometimes you hear them from an adolescent perspective. Which is why people resonate more to our lyrics.”

Melted Bodies’ frontman, singer Andy, bass player Houda, and Scott on drums. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

Shock Therapy, a nautical new wave, synth punk from outer space band, is made up of four members- Jack on vocals and guitar, Miles on drums and synth, Holden on organ and synth and Rex on bass and synth. 

Their outer space theme makes their music sound unique and hardcore at the same time. Their music and their energy made the crowd go crazy. Everyone in the crowd was either singing, headbanging, or dancing all together in the mosh pit. 

 “There is no other band that will perform in shorts and a crop top,” said Jack explaining their uniqueness as a band. 

Shock Therapy’s frontman, Jack, singing “New Wave Party.” Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

Shock Therapy’s unique style and rhythm will be coming up with a new EP named “Software in a Hardware” which is full of newer out-of-space content, that will make fans dance and jump around out of space. 

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Last but not least, the cherry on top of the cake is Green Jellÿ, a metal rock band that got popular in the 90s and had to change their name from Green Jellö to Green Jellÿ.

Formed in 1981, the band still kicks ass in 2023, which drove the crowd insane within five seconds of being out on stage. 

Bill Manspeaker, Green Jellÿ’s frontman, rocking the night without pants. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

During their performance, Green Jellÿ interacted with the audience in a way in which everyone at the venue was doing exactly what Bill told them to do. From asking for 15 volunteers to go up on stage and become the puppets, to having everyone sit on the floor, to forming a friendship circle around the “cow god,” as well as to put their hands on his gut, to also having the band members go down the pit to dance with the fans.

The energy, sweat, smell, and intensity started rising when Bill Manspeaker started to sing “Three Little Pigs,” their number-one hit. The energy at La Santa started rising when Bill took off his pants in the middle of the performance while the puppets moshed and jumped around the venue all sharing one of the many iconic moments of the band. 

Slim Jelly, a vocalist from Green Jellÿ, dressed in a muscle-printed body suit. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

Hearing, seeing, and feeling everyone having the time of their lives is the most powerful thing a band like Green Jellÿ will do. To connect with their fans, Green Jellÿ has their own website where they update their upcoming shows and possibly new music, on wtf./tv.com.

Overall, the show was filled with different energies, sounds, and hundreds of people that turned out to be not so different from each other since all everyone wanted was to hear and give a good show. Those feelings of adrenaline and excitement were transmitted through the music from the stage to the pit and from the pit to the stage all night long. The sweating, running, jumping, moshing and singing are always the most important things at a punk show in downtown Santa Ana.  

Shock Therapy’s member, Holden, plays “Bioluminescent”. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.
Nihilist, a vocalist from Green Jellÿ, as “Stabby the clown” into your soul. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.
Green Jellÿ’s second bass player rocking the night out. Photo by Danha Sanchez/ el Don.

Danha Sanchez
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