Social Distortion

Formed in 1978, Social Distortion is a punk rock band from Fullerton, California that is known for its British punk-influenced sound and is one of the originators of the punk scene in Southern California. The group currently consists of Mike Ness, Jonny Wickersham, Brent Harding, and David Hidalgo, Jr.

Social Distortion first gained notoriety with their debut album Mommy’s Little Monster in 1983 but the bands success hit a speed bump when Mike Ness became addicted to heroin and the band was forced to go on a break. In 1986, Social Distortion came back and released Prison Bound in 1988.

True mainstream success for Social Distortion happened with their third self-titled album Social Distortion in 1990 with hit songs “Ball and Chain” and “Story of My Life”. Multiple albums later like Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992), which went gold, and multiple band member shakeups, Social Distortion released Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes in 2011 which they continue to tour on to this day.

Social Distortion performances are influenced by everyone from Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan to the Sex Pistols and The Clash. Social Distortion tickets sell out quickly, especially since the band typically takes years between new albums.