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God Bullies | |
|---|---|
 God Bullies (1990) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Noise rock |
| Years active | 1986–1995 |
| Labels | Amphetamine Reptile Records Alternative Tentacles |
| Members | Mike Hard Scott Kodrik Pat O’Harris Cliff Carinci |
| Past members | David B. Livingstone Adam Berg Tommy Shannon Mike Corso Tony Oliveri Eric Polcyn |
God Bullies is an American noise rock band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. [1] The God Bullies original lineup was Tommy Shannon guitar, Adam Berg drums, Mike Hard vocals, Mike Corso on bass. Additionally some members changed through time with the addition of David Livingstone also on guitar, Eric Polcyn took over bass for a short time and Adam Berg was briefly replaced with Tony Oliveri of Cows fame on drums. The band has had thirteen total members since its origin until present day with front man Mike Hard always at the helm. They were active from 1986–1995, [2] and were on hiatus for a time. This line reunited in 2010 to coincide with the Amphetamine Reptile Records' 25th Anniversary concert. This 2010 tour was known as the "War On Peace" tour and featured members David B. Livingstone (lead guitar), Mike Hard (vocals), Mike Corso (bass) & Adam Berg (drums) with Johnnie Johnson on guitar. God Bullies have since reformed in 2024.
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The setlists sprawled across the band's entire catalog and averaged 25–30 songs a night. Yourfleshmag.com's review of God Bullies performance at the AmRep 25th Anniversary Bash said : "There were two or three bands that day who generated plenty of talk and God Bullies were easily one of the three. Well deserved praise for a band that hasn’t really been functioning full-time for a while."
Although God Bullies never found any mainstream success then, creepy anthems like "Let's Go To Hell", "Ordinary Man" and "Cemetery", paired with frontman Mike Hard's theatrical delivery and over-the-top stage antics, earned the band a large cult following [3] . God Bullies toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with artists including Hole, Melvins, Helmet, Tar, Surgery, Cows and Helios Creed. The band released material with Alternative Tentacles and Sympathy For The Record Industry, but the bulk of their releases were with Minneapolis based Amphetamine Reptile Records.
Soon after the 2010 AmRep 25th Reunion show the God Bullies called it quits. Mike Hard went on to perform in several bands, Thrall, Hand Over Head, BrainSaw. Most recently Mike Hard was working with David B. Livingston, Scott Kodrik, Cliff Carinci and on November 4, 2021 the band Pig Harvest was created. They did record but guitarist David B. Livingstone passed away in February 2023.
God Bullies have reformed as the new God Bullies with original frontman Mike Hard, Scott Kodrik and the members of the Detroit band Thrall. Hard has been performing with Thrall and releasing albums with Thrall the last thirty two years. God Bullies songs played often in theirs sets and members Kodrik and Johnson have also played several God Bullies shows side by side with David B Livingstone. [4] The new line up is Mike Hard(vocals), Scott Kodrik(Guitars), Pat O’Harris(Bass) and Cliff Carinci(Drums). God Bullies recorded a new album at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio in April 2024 sadly right before Albini's unexpected death that was released October 4th, 2024 on Reptilian Records. The album, titled "As Above So Below" has been getting rave reviews from press being called, "The best God Bullies album ever written". Reviews of the album are exploding on the web, social media, pod casts and virtually every media platform. The release has caught the attention of mainstream radio charting in Spain, Australia, the UK, regions of the United States and Europe. Released at the same time as fellow noise rock band, The Jesus Lizard, many reviews have been comparing the two bands along with Clutch, Chat Pile, Tad and other heavier ended noise rock veterans. God Bullies since the release have toured a string of up close and personal shows at US club venues In fall 2024 including hometown Detroit. The Bullies are now moving into larger US theater venue performances and festival shows starting in January 2025 followed by a European Tour in the fall. Plans for more new recorded material are already In the works for 2025.
