Dave Mello | |
---|---|
Born | Oakland, California | 24 February 1969
Genres | Ska, punk, hardcore |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter, musician |
Instrument(s) | Drums, vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1986–present |
Labels | Lookout! |
David Mello is an American musician known primarily for his work as drummer for the hardcore ska punk band Operation Ivy. [1]
Prior to Operation Ivy, Mello played in various bands local to the Berkeley and Albany areas such as Rabbi Conspiracy and Distorted Truth [2] [3]
Upon Operation Ivy's formation, their first live appearances took place sequentially one weekend in May 1987. They first played in a garage in Albany, California that Mello had frequently used for his other musical projects. The same weekend, Operation Ivy with Mello on drums made their initial appearance at 924 Gilman Street. Mello continued to play in Operation Ivy until the band's breakup in 1989, citing unwanted attention as the primary cause.
Following the disbandment of Operation Ivy, the remaining members with the exception of Jesse Michaels temporarily formed another punk/ska band, Downfall. Downfall included Mello's brother Pat Mello, who previously assisted Operation Ivy with backup vocals on some songs during the recording of their only studio release, Energy. Dave and Pat Mello parted ways with Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, who went on to form Rancid, starting their own band Schlong. Additionally, Dave has toured with other bands as a stand-in when needed.
Mello has also been involved in drumstick production with the company Twotone Drumsticks, contributing to the design of the Dave Mello signature variety. [4]
In more recent times, Mello continues to live in the East Bay area with his wife Sarah and son Maxwell. Still pursuing his musical aspirations, Dave regularly appears at 924 Gilman Street, playing with multiple groups including the bands Jewdriver and Un'Cus where Mello has traded in his sticks for a guitar.
Timothy Ross Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup Transplants. Prior to forming Rancid, Armstrong was in the ska punk band Operation Ivy.
Lookout Records was an independent record label, initially based in Laytonville, California, and later in Berkeley, focusing on punk rock. Established in 1987, the label is best known for having released Operation Ivy’s only album, Energy, and Green Day's first two albums, 39/Smooth and Kerplunk.
The Alternative Music Foundation located at 924 Gilman Street, often referred to simply as "Gilman", is a non-profit, all-ages, collectively organized music club. It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California.
Roger Matthew Freeman, also known as Matt McCall is an American musician. He is best known for his bass work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy, Rancid and as the frontman of Devil's Brigade.
Dance Hall Crashers was an American ska punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California. Initially founded by former Operation Ivy members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, the band has had a fluid lineup over its career, with the most recent lineup includes Elyse Rogers and Karina Deniké on vocals, brothers Jason Hammon and Gavin Hammon on guitar and drums respectively, and Mikey Weiss on bass. They have released four studio albums, highlighted by the 1995 release Lockjaw which featured the minor hit song "Enough", produced by Rob Cavallo and featured in the film Angus.
Operation Ivy was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, formed in May 1987. They were critical to the emergence of Lookout Records and the so-called "East Bay Sound."
Energy is the only studio album by the American ska punk band Operation Ivy. It was originally released on vinyl and cassette in May 1989 through Lookout! Records with the catalog number LK 010. Although the album itself has never been released on CD, all of the tracks were featured on the career-spanning compilation Operation Ivy issued by Lookout in 1991. Despite achieving no mainstream success, Energy is considered one of the most important albums of ska punk and is frequently cited as an influence by many later bands of the genre.
Jesse Michaels is an American songwriter, painter, illustrator, musician, singer, and author from Berkeley, California. His lyrics deal with politics, racism, and general social issues. He is most well known as the vocalist for the ska punk band Operation Ivy (1987–1989), as well as Classics of Love. In 2023 Michaels formed the band DOOM Regulator. He is the son of the author Leonard Michaels, and was married to producer Audrey Marrs.
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
Boogadaboogadaboogada! is the second studio album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Screeching Weasel. The album was originally released on vinyl in December 1988 through Roadkill Records. It was the group's only album to feature Fish on bass and the last with Steve Cheese on drums, both leaving the band shortly after the album's release. Although still influenced by hardcore punk, the album also shows hints of the band's later Ramones-inspired sound.
"Knowledge" is a song by American band Operation Ivy. It was written by lead vocalist Jesse Michaels and appeared on the album Energy.
Hectic is the debut EP by the American ska punk band Operation Ivy. It was released in January 1988 through Lookout! Records. Hectic is credited as one of the first ska-core records.
Seedy is a compilation album by the American ska punk band Operation Ivy. The album was released in 1996 through Karma Kredit Records. Karma Kredit was a pseudonym for David Hayes' Very Small Records. The compilation collects studio outtakes, live tracks, and demo recordings. The tracks in this compilation were recorded on a mono speaker tape deck recorder. All releases are currently out of print and occasionally surface on eBay.
Plea for Peace is the final EP by the American punk rock band Operation Ivy. It was released in February 1992, three years after they disbanded, through M&E Records. Plea for Peace contained four songs not featured on any of Operation Ivy's studio releases.
Downfall was a ska and punk band from the Bay Area formed by Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman, Dave Mello, Pat Mello, and Jason Hammon following the break-up of Operation Ivy in 1989 and pre-dating Armstrong's and Freeman's wider recognition in Rancid. They performed three shows, one at 924 Gilman Street, over a period of three months.
The Uptones are an American ska band, based in Northern California. Formed in 1981 by a group of high school students in Berkeley, California, The Uptones were influenced by the English 2 Tone sound, as well as the British mod scene, punk rock, and the original Jamaica ska sound. The Uptones were one of the first U.S. bands devoted to playing ska and were an influence on the burgeoning West Coast punk/ska scene. The band reformed with core founding members in the early 2000s and continued to play live shows throughout the Bay Area until 2018.
The Rudiments are an American ska punk band from the East Bay, California, United States.
Stikky was an American punk rock band, formed in Berkeley, California in 1985. The band was part of the 924 Gilman Street-scene. The group originally formed with the line-up of Todd Wilder, Chris Wilder (guitar/vocals), and James Porter (bass/vocals). Porter left Stikky in 1987 and was replaced by former No Use for a Name guitarist Chris Dodge. Stikky's songs are known for being hardcore punk yet still retaining the sense of humor that East Bay bands were known for. After the band stopped playing with any regularity, bassist Chris Dodge released some of their material on his own record label Slap a Ham Records.
Turn It Around! is a punk rock compilation album by Maximumrocknroll. Originally released as two 7-inch records in October 1987, it served as a benefit to raise money for the Berkeley, California DIY punk scene. The compilation featured the first appearances of many bands who would later become well known outside of the scene, including Operation Ivy, Crimpshrine and Isocracy. Due to the poor sound quality of the original 7-inch version, Turn It Around! was reissued by Very Small Records in September 1991 as one LP. However, the compilation is currently out of print and has never seen a CD release.
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk is a 2017 documentary about the punk rock music scene of San Francisco and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area from the late 1970s to the 1990s. It features interviews performances by dozens of associated artists, notably Green Day. Iggy Pop provides voice-over narration throughout the film.