Peligro's Greg Kuehn to Compose Opening Music for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

By Chandler Atton, Editor for The Howler

Ask ten people what makes a punk; you'll get ten different answers. It's a subculture driven by a timeless do-it-yourself ethos that’ll remain relevant as long as there's still something for people to revolt about. So it couldn't be more fitting that the man writing the opening ceremony music for this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame broadcast (premiering October 19th on Disney+) is Peligro Music & Sound's very own Greg Kuehn.

Greg is a multi-instrumentalist, a composer with decades of experience under his belt, a family man, and – perhaps most apt – a true punk; rocking for over 40 years with T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) as well as touring with a menagerie of other artists ranging from Bob Dylan, to Berlin, to the Cult and many others.

The Howler reached out to Greg for a quick chat about his latest gig, as well as what it means to him as a hardcore punk pioneer. Check it out.

This isn't your first rodeo; as a touring artist and member of a seminal West Coast punk band – T.S.O.L. – what’s it like working with the Hall of Fame, let alone multiple times?

This is my fourth time doing the open, and it’s always a really fun and challenging project. Some elements of the main nominees' music needs to be incorporated into the theme, so the tempo and key of those songs, and how they work together with each other and the theme, is always a fun puzzle to figure out!

How did you get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame gig in the first place?

I work with a company called 10th Planet, who produces the show, and I started working with producer Rick Austin and executive producer/director Joel Gallen 15 years ago, when I did the music for “CNN Heroes” for a couple seasons. We’ve worked together a lot since then, including scoring the open for Chris Rock’s “Selective Outrage” on Netflix last year. 

How have your experiences touring and writing with T.S.O.L. influenced your creative process over the years?  

I think the punk / DIY work ethic I learned from writing and playing with T.S.O.L. is always present. Know the rules, but know when to throw out the rulebook, too!

You've been scoring film and TV for a long time; does writing for a live broadcast event like the Hall of Fame show require a different approach, or is it business as usual? 

Although it’s a live broadcast, the opening is prepared earlier, so it's normal in that respect. But I’m always aware it’ll be playing for a live audience, too, so I know we need to get the live crowd going!

You're among the pioneers of hardcore punk, but your tastes are pretty eclectic – for example, I know you're a big fan of Japanese artist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto of YMO fame. Who, or what, are your biggest musical influences, and what's the work that drove you to do what you do today?

Well, I’m a big fan of Brian Eno, Roxy Music, David Sylvian and Jimmy Webb, to name a few. Punk Rock used to have a bigger umbrella then people think today, and was a gateway music for me. It was in going backwards from bands like The Damned and The Buzzcocks that I discovered a lot of great music that influenced punk, like Iggy and The Stooges and the MC5. 

Your sons are both musicians. What do they think of you scoring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opening? 

Elvis and Max are both really supportive of everything I do, and very talented songwriters and composers themselves. I often play them stuff before I send it out, and they approved this year’s theme!

To learn more about Greg Kuehn, visit Peligro Music & Sound and don't forget to tune into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 19th!