Don't Say Please ― The Oral History of Die Kreuzen

by Sahan Jayasuriya

Genres: Music

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first saw Die Kreuzen play on March 24, 1987—I remember because it was my 18th birthday. I’ve loved them ever since and I still listen to them today. I really looked forward to this book. It took the author about as long to compile this oral history as the band were originally together.

I remember seeing on Facebook that there were talks of a reunion tour recently without one of the members and that there was a big to-do made about them wanting to use the Die Kreutzen name when it wasn’t all four members. It caused a rift. No mention was made of this in the book—I wish I remembered the details but I don’t.

I love oral histories and reading this one about one of my favorite bands was really cool.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you're reading a biography about some groundbreaking musicians and you're like "Wow, love this band so much, but every single one of these guys is an absolute snob." Fear not, because for once, this is NOT that kind of book. Jayasuriya had me emotionally invested in Die Kreuzen's remarkable influence on music history from page one. His own critical analysis of their albums is interwoven with over 10 years of interviews & research, breaking up the narrative in ways that other oral music history books do not - a refreshing style choice that I loved. Jayasuriya's razor-sharp knowledge combined with a genuine love for the band creates a quick read that's just as entertaining as it is educational. From sweet anecdotes about how fellow bands helped them out on tour, to stories from younger musicians about how they were inspired by Die Kreuzen's prolific style, this labor of love is a vital read for all music fans, no matter your preferred genre. 

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was way late to Die Kreuzen. I knew *of* them for a long time, but before streaming -- when we had to either buy the album or have a friend who bought the album -- it wasn't that easy to hear everything. They also broke up before I got into punk rock, and before I started going to shows. I've seen Dan's band The Crosses twice now: once opening for Bad Religion, and most recently opening for a new iteration of the Didjits, where I got to shake Dan's hand and tell him that their set was so much fun ("It *was* so much fun!" he concurred).

I loved hearing from the band, their peers, and people who were influenced by them. The interviews helped me appreciate the work of Die Kreuzen in a fresh way. I was not as big of a fan of the author/ interviewer's analysis. There is a lot of redundancy in the text. Several passages felt either like chatGPT writing it, or like the author just trying to get to a certain word count. But the thoughts and memories from the 4 members as well as luminaries such as Thurston Moore and David Pajo were incredibly illuminating and immensely enjoyable. The book also has a large number of fantastic photos, including several from Jay Brown/jfotoman.

Definitely worth buying if you are a Die Kreuzen fan.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Kreuzen has always been a mystery to me.

Who were these Midwestern hardcore kids with the strange name? Where did they come from and what happened to them?

So when Sahan Jayasuriya’s Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen, arrived in the mail, I tore into it. The book, which was published last month by Feral House, has all the answers.

As I read the book I went through the band’s catalog on Touch & Go and I was blown away by the demos. Demos from obscure hardcore bands from Milwaukee aren’t supposed to sound this good. I gradually came to understand what my peers in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit have always known: Die Kreuzen is on a whole other level.

But Die Kreuzen didn’t stay a hardcore band. They evolved into something else that defies description. I tried to think of a band on SST Records with a comparable progression and I couldn’t. Die Kreuzen is in a class by itself.

To read an interview with the author, visit:

https://jimruland.substack.com/p/driv...

[Chris Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent. It seemed odd that they didn't mention Revolution Summer in DC which must surely have had an impact on Die Kreuzen moving away from hardcore, if not directly, then at least in an ambient way. I also thought they could have included a perspective validating those (like me) who just like Cows and Beer and their first LP and don't get on with the slow, proto-grunge with the puffy shirts and weird time signatures that would follow. I get how people think that stuff was inventive, but to me, the first LP is just so much more original sounding to this day.

[Jim Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
An impressive oral history of the pioneering hardcore-plus band from Milwaukee, with extensive remarks from all four band members and such outside voices as Thurston Moore, Butch Vig, Steve Albini and Neko Case.

[Reza Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down, a fascinating insight into one of the premiere bands from the 1980s and very early 90's. Innovative and ahead of their time, hopefully this will garner the band more attention and a few more sales! Highly recommended.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. The Cows And Beer 7” still rips 40 years later.