Stäläg 13’s history can be traced all the way back to 1981 when original vocalist Ron Baird founded the band in Oxnard, California. Heavily influenced by East Coast Hardcore (Minor Threat, SSD, Bad Brains, DYS, among others), Stäläg 13 were arguably the first West Coast hardcore punk band to espouse Straight Edge themes in their lyrics. Along with Dr. Know, Agression, and Ill Repute, Stäläg 13 is considered one of the original Nardcore (Oxnard Hardcore) bands which went on to influence artists throughout the world with their unique take on fast and melodic hardcore.
Stäläg 13 are defined by two core hallmarks, their Positive Mental Attitude and their intense and high energy live shows. From its inception Stäläg 13 played live often, gathering a large and loyal following in Southern California, before venturing out on tours of the Western United States. Stäläg 13 recorded two early demo tapes in 1982 and 1983 before recording their highly influential album In Control in 1984, which was their only official recorded output during their brief, yet powerful career in the 1980s.
Stäläg 13 were a band poised on the cusp of a big future when the band imploded while preparing for a large-scale, three month tour of North America to promote the debut’s release. The band broke up in early 1985 leaving behind a hardcore legacy that has seen In Control go from strength to strength. In Control has stood the test of time, due to the high quality of the recording as well as the prowess of the musicians playing and the insightful and thought-provoking lyrics.
In 2002, Stäläg 13 returned to live performances, with the full In Control line-up: Ron Baird – vocals, Blake Cruz – guitar, John Morris – bass, Larry White – drums and Dave Casillas – lead guitar. Over the years, they’ve toured intermittently with this lineup. The band wanted to continue playing, however with Baird living in Australia, this proved difficult. In late 2012, John Crerar (Missing 23rd, Stop Breathing and Head Cut) joined the band taking on vocal duties with the blessing of Ron. This version of Stäläg 13 went on to tour extensively overseas and recorded Fill in the Silence, an important contribution to the Stäläg 13 catalogue. Fill in the Silence included a mix of new material and re-recordings of some classic tracks from In Control, as well as some unrecorded tunes from the band’s early set.
Fast forward to 2024. Trust Records is proud to announce they’ve been working diligently with the band to reissue a deluxe 40-year anniversary of In Control, and it’s available today across all retailers. Vinyl will be available in stores this Friday, October 4 and includes a 16 page booklet with flyers, memorabilia, unreleased photos, and the history of Stäläg 13 written by vocalist Ron Baird. All audio has been remastered by Dave Gardner.
To celebrate In Control’s reissue, Ron Baird recently sat down with Dead Heat’s Chris Ramos to discuss hardcore and more for Trust Records’ One Two Me You series – watch it here. In addition, Baird compiled a playlist consisting of his top 1983 song picks which heavily influenced him and In Control’s creation. Of the playlist, he tells, “While the playlist is a mix of genres and from different geographical locations, what they have in common is that all of these songs spoke to me on a visceral level as they are connected by a charged sense of interrogating our society, its values, relationships, and meanings on both an emotional and a political level. Listen / share Ron Baird’s Trust Records Playlist 021 here.
Stäläg 13 and Trust Records teamed up with director Brian Balchack to bring fans a brand new official music video for In Control’s opener “Conditioned”. All footage, some unseen, was captured by Louis Elovitz from the mid 80s. Watch it below.
