Steve Soto died peacefully in his sleep on this day twelve months ago at the age of 54. Steve first burst onto the scene way back in ’79 as a founding member of Agent Orange. Then moving on to Adolescents a year later playing bass guitar in both bands.
Just before he passed away the band had released their latest album ‘Cropduster’ and were heading out on tour to support that record when he passed peacefully in his sleep. I caught their emotional performance at Rebellion Festival where they paid tribute to their recently departed comrade in what turned out to be one of the festival’s highlights where the band paid an emotional set dedicated to Steve one I’m sure he’d have been proud of.
Soto also enjoyed being a member of Legal Weapon, Joyride, Manic Hispanic and the punk supergroup 22 Jacks. he also had his own band, Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts and in 2001 he joined Punk Rock Karaoke to play sets filled with punk rock classics where members of the audience would get up and perform.
Adolescents were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County at the turn of the ’80s and the iconic debut album (blue yeah that one) sold well all over the USA and further afield. Soto appears on over thirty records (inc Compilations and live albums and always had a smile whilst playing his Bass. Last years ‘Cropduster’ album was one of the best punk rock record to get released in 2018 and Steve passed away just before the band played Rebellion Festival in the UK where the set was dedicated to him and their iconic logo simply read ‘Soto’ – Rest in peace big guy – a punk rock legend.
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