Watch the SXSW Conversation with John Doe & Mike Watt

John Doe (X) and Tom DeSavia's new book, Under the Big Black Sun: a Personal History of L.A. Punk, culls together first-hand stories of the profoundly influential L.A. punk/hardcore scene of the '70s and '80s, but hearing a few of those stories straight from two of its most bold and impactful players is a rare treat.

The insanity and synchronicity of the whole scene – D. Boon jumps out of a tree and we have the Minutemen; a poetry workshop with Exene bore X. Those musical partnerships defined a whole movement, and the wild, hilarious stories could only have come from that time and place.

Doe and Mike Watt are punk royalty and gifted storytellers. I could listen to either talk to a stump, but together they unearthed and unveiled the magic and boundlessness of that time and place in music and history, and we got to bask in their royal court.

Under the Big Black Sun is out now, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Photo by James Goulden Photography/Getty Images for SXSW