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Fear | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California |
Genres | |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | Slash, Fear, Sector 2 |
Members | Lee Ving Philo Cramer Spit Stix Geoff Kresge Eric Razo |
Past members | Derf Scratch Burt Good Johnny Backbeat Eric Feldman Flea Lorenzo Buhne Will MacGregor Scott Thunes Kelly LeMieux Mando Lopez Sean Cruse Richard Presley Derol Caraco Jeffery “Beldo” Beller Sam Bolle Lawrence Arrieta Andrew Jaimez Paul Lerma Dave Stark Tommy Ufkes |
Fear, stylized as FEAR, is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of Californian hardcore punk. [1] The group gained national prominence after an infamous 1981 performance on Saturday Night Live .
Frontman Lee Ving has been the band's only constant member. Since its formation, the band has gone through various lineup changes, and at one point featured Flea, later a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, on bass. The classic Fear lineup existed from 1978 to 1982, and was composed of Ving, guitarist Philo Cramer, bassist Derf Scratch, and drummer Spit Stix. Cramer and Stix later rejoined the band in 2018.
Fear was formed in 1977 by singer/guitarist Lee Ving and bassist Derf Scratch, who recruited guitarist Burt Good and drummer Johnny Backbeat. In 1978, Fear released the single "I Love Livin' in the City". Shortly after this, Good and Backbeat left the band and were replaced by Philo Cramer and Spit Stix.
Film director Penelope Spheeris met Ving and Stix while they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los Angeles on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. After a brief discussion, she asked if they wanted to be in a documentary about the Los Angeles punk scene, [2] The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). In the film, Fear performed a set in which they baited members of the audience with personal attacks, sexist and homophobic slurs, and offbeat humor, inspiring some audience members to come on stage to fight them. At the time, Spheeris was married to Slash Records president Bob Biggs who, later that year, signed a recording deal with Fear.
Spheeris's documentary brought the band to the attention of John Belushi, who lobbied successfully to get the band a spot as a musical guest on the 1981 Halloween episode of his former show Saturday Night Live . Belushi had originally offered Fear the soundtrack for his major motion picture Neighbors . The film's producers eventually forced Fear off the project, and Belushi got them the infamous SNL gig as compensation. The band's appearance included a group of slamdancers, among them Belushi, Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi, Tesco Vee of the Meatmen, Harley Flanagan and John Joseph of the Cro-Mags, and John Brannon of Negative Approach. The show's director originally wanted to prevent the dancers from participating, so Belushi offered to be in the episode if the dancers were allowed to stay. [2] The end result was the shortening of Fear's appearance on TV. Fear played "I Don't Care About You", "Beef Bologna", "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones", and started to play "Let's Have a War" when the telecast faded into commercial. They ended "Beef Bologna" by saying, "It's great to be in New Jersey", drawing boos from SNL's New York live audience. The slamdancers left ripe pumpkin remains on the set. Cameras, a piano and other property were damaged. After their SNL appearance, which resulted in $20,000 in damage, some clubs chose not to hire the band. [3] [4]
Fear also appeared in the 1981 rotoscope animated film American Pop , directed by Ralph Bakshi. Ving performed under the name Lee James Jude. [5]
Additionally that year, Josie Cotton released the hit song "Johnny Are You Queer?". The song was based on Fear's song "Fetch Me One More Beer", written by Philo Cramer and John Clancy. [6] Bobby and Larson Paine, who were managing the Go-Go's, re-worked the song with new lyrics and gave it to them, but after a falling out forbade the band from playing it and gave it to Cotton. [7] In several interviews Cotton has suggested that the song's title was lifted from lyrics in the Fear song, [8] [9] though she has also stated that Fear's version of it went "You're a fuckin' queer", [7] which is consistent with Fear's demo of the song. [10] [11]
When Fear found out a variation of their song had become popular, a meeting regarding the publishing rights of the song was arranged between them and the Paines. The two sides decided the winner of a coin toss would get the publishing rights to the song, which the Paines won. [12]
In 1982, Fear released their debut album The Record . After touring in support of the album, Ving fired Scratch. Eric Feldman (of Captain Beefheart, Pere Ubu, and later PJ Harvey and Frank Black) briefly filled in on bass before he was replaced by Flea. Flea left the band and was replaced by Lorenzo Buhne. On July 3, 1983, Fear performed at the "Rock Against Reagan" protest concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. along with the Dead Kennedys, MDC, Toxic Reasons, the Crucifucks and others. In the summer of 1983 through early 1984, while Stix was touring Europe with Nina Hagen, Chuck Biscuits was supposed to replace him, but Stix returned and Biscuits never played any shows with Fear. [13] With Ving producing, the band recorded their second album More Beer in 1985 in just two days, supposedly. However, according to a representative from Enigma Records, it took a full year, as quoted in a March 1986 issue of Spin . [14]
Live...For the Record , a live album of a 1985 performance, was released in 1991. Shortly afterwards, bassist Will "Sluggo" MacGregor was hired. After 1991–93 North American tours, Fear disbanded. Cramer and Stix left the band, citing disputes with Ving over finances, his right wing beliefs, and his lack of empathy. For the next two years, Ving performed in Austin, Texas as Lee Ving's Army. This eventually became the new Fear lineup, including Ving backed by LVA members Sean Cruse (guitar), Scott Thunes (bass) and Andrew Jaimez (drums). In 1995, Fear released the Have Another Beer with Fear album, followed by American Beer (2000), which featured Ving and Jaimez along with new members Richard Presley and Mando Lopez. The album included new recordings of several previously unreleased older Fear songs, as well as some new compositions. Presley and Lopez then began playing with Kim Deal and Kelley Deal in the Breeders.
Fear (with Ving as the only original member) performed in the annual Warped Tour in 2008. Former bassist Scratch died from liver disease on July 28, 2010. He was 58 years old.
Fear played the South by Southwest festival in 2012. [15] A re-recording of 1982's The Record was released in late 2012, under the title of The Fear Record . [16] In 2018, the band reunited with Cramer and Stix, and added former AFI bassist Geoff Kresge and Henchmen guitarist Eric Razo to the lineup. [17] In the spring of 2022, Fear announced that they had regained the master rights of The Record from Warner Music and announced a 40th anniversary deluxe edition of the album.
Fear went on tour throughout 2023. [18] In December of that year, Fear released the album For Right and Order. It was their first new studio album in 11 years (and first new studio album of original material in 23 years). The lineup consisted of Ving, Stix, Kresge, and Razo, in addition to songwriting contributions from Cramer. [19]
Current
Former
Drums
Bass
Lead guitar
Studio albums
Singles and EPs
Live albums
Soundtrack compilation appearances
Fear's influence is illustrated by the bands who have paid tribute by covering its songs. [22]
Fear's music has also been featured in several video game soundtracks. "I Love Livin' in the City" appeared in The Warriors and Tony Hawk's Underground 2 , and "The Mouth Don't Stop (The Trouble with Women Is)" appeared in Grand Theft Auto V , on the fictional punk rock radio station, Channel X.
The band, specifically Spit, are mentioned in the Brett Easton Ellis novel Less than Zero . [24]
One of the main characters in the film Relaxer wears a "Fear" t-shirt. "I Love Livin' in the City" also appeared in the film SLC Punk . In the 1987 film Summer Camp Nightmare , the inter-camp talent show includes a performance of "Beef Bologna" which upsets Chuck Connors' straitlaced camp director.
Jealous Again is the second EP by American hardcore punk band Black Flag, and the third-ever release on SST Records.
MD.45 was an American heavy metal/punk rock band formed as a side project by Megadeth guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and Fear vocalist Lee Ving. Bassist Kelly LeMieux and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso rounded out the band's lineup.
Out in L.A. is a compilation of rare tracks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers released November 1, 1994, on EMI.
Zeke is an American hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. They are known for their extremely fast, energetic guitar sound. Zeke mixes this with strong influences from hard rock, and occasionally blues rock, and are often compared to Motörhead.
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King along with Scott Gildersleeve, and John “Jack” Hayes. With the addition of Keith Hages joining on bass in 1983 the band started playing their first public performances. The revised line-up played a total of six live shows between 1983 and 1984. This earliest era of The Queers formation initially broke up in late 1984; however, Joe Queer re-formed the band with an all-new line-up in 1986. In 1990, after several more band line-up changes the band signed with Shakin' Street Records to release their debut album, Grow Up. The album earned the band notability within New England, but with the release of their next album, 1993's Love Songs for the Retarded, on Lookout! Records, their following grew.
Lee James Jude Capallero, also known as Lee Ving, is an American guitarist, singer and actor. Ving is the frontman of the Los Angeles-based hardcore punk band Fear. As an actor, Ving played topless club owner Johnny C. in Flashdance (1983), motorcycle gang leader Greer in Streets of Fire (1984) and murder victim Mr. Boddy in the murder mystery film Clue (1985).
Frederick Charles Milner III, better known by his stage name Derf Scratch, was an American musician, best known as a former member of the punk rock band Fear and its original bass guitarist.
Voodoo Glow Skulls are an American ska punk band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California, by brothers Frank, Eddie, and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill. Voodoo Glow Skulls first played at backyard parties and later at Spanky's Café in their hometown of Riverside, where they played shows with the Angry Samoans, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Firehose, Murphy's Law, and The Dickies.
U.S. Bombs are an American punk rock band, formed in 1993 in Orange County, California, by Duane Peters and Kerry Martinez. For much of the band's career, the U.S. Bombs consisted of Peters and Martinez, with bass guitarist Wade Walston and drummer Chip Hanna. They have also played with Jonny "Two Bags" Wickersham. The U.S. Bombs play '77 style punk, influenced by The Clash, Heartbreakers, Ramones, Flyboys, Chelsea, Stiff Little Fingers, Shane MacGowan & The Popes, Sham 69, the Flys, & the Ruts.
Toxic Reasons were an American punk rock band, formed in 1979. The band released nine full-length studio albums between 1982 and 1995.
Sloppy Seconds is an American, Ramones-influenced punk band sometimes referred to as a junk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, that started in 1984. They gained notoriety in the underground punk scene with gritty and controversial songs like "Come Back, Traci," "I Don't Want to be a Homosexual", "Janie is a Nazi", "I Want 'em Dead" and "So Fucked Up."
Beat is on the Brat is a CD compilation of out of print and vinyl-only material from Screeching Weasel. The majority of the CD contains their cover of the first album by The Ramones in its entirety. The band was approached to cover the album at a party for the completion of their fourth album, Wiggle. Having just lost bassist Johnny Personality, the band was unsure of its future, and they claim that the recording of these covers helped revitalize them.
The Record is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Fear, released May 16, 1982, by Slash Records. It was produced by Gary Lubow. The album was reissued on CD in 1991 with the single "Fuck Christmas" as a bonus track. The band re-recorded the album in its entirety and released it under the title The Fear Record in 2012.
White Flag is an American punk rock band currently based in Los Angeles. Their current lineup consists of frontman Mike Mess (guitar), Jello B. Afro (bass), and Trace Element (drums). These members have been in the band since 1982, though many have rotated in and out. White Flag has a discography that ranges from their 1982 debut R is for Rocket to 2010's Benefit For Cats.
More Beer is the second studio album by Fear, released in 1985. Frontman Lee Ving spent over a year producing the album.
Have Another Beer with Fear is the third studio album by American punk band Fear, released in 1995. Although Lee Ving was the only remaining original member at the time of recording, the album contains a number of tracks written by previous original members. Many of the songs were written and played during the band's brief 1992 reunion tour.
American Beer is a studio album by Fear, released in 2000. Many of the album's tracks were written and recorded during Fear's earlier years, but had not appeared on any prior studio albums.
Live...For the Record is a live album by American punk band Fear, released in 1991.
"I Love Livin' in the City" is the first single by the punk rock band Fear. It was originally released in 1978 on the Los Angeles-based Criminal Records.
Philo Cramer is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles punk band FEAR, from 1978 to 1993. He was a member of the band's classic lineup along with Spit Stix, Derf Scratch and frontman Lee Ving. He rejoined the group in 2018.
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