Social Distortion is an American punk rock band from Fullerton, California. The band has been through a number of lineup changes, and currently includes founding member Mike Ness on guitar and vocals, rhythm guitarist Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham (since 2000), bassist Brent Harding (since 2005) and drummer David Hidalgo Jr. (since 2010).
Social Distortion was formed in 1978 by guitarist Mike Ness, bassist Mark Garrett, drummer Casey Royer and vocalist Tom Corvin. Garrett was eventually replaced by Rikk Agnew later that year. After roughly a year in the band, Corvin left and Ness assumed vocal duties while Agnew and Royer also left to play in a separate band named Social Distortion, which also included Garrett, before joining the Adolescents, when Ness brought in Dennis Danell to take over on guitar. [1] [2] When Social Distortion released its first single, Mainliner/Playpen in 1981, the group consisted of Ness on vocals and guitar, Dannell on bass, and John "Carrot" Stevenson ond drums. [3] Partway through 1981, Danell switched to rhythm guitar as Brent Liles took over on bass, joining alongside new drummer Derek O'Brien. [4] The group released its debut album Mommy's Little Monster in 1983. [5] During a show on New Year's Eve, both Liles and O'Brien left abruptly in response to Ness' heroin use. [6] Early the next year, the departed members were replaced by John Maurer (bass) and Christopher Reece (drums). [4] Bob Stubbs briefly served as drummer before Reece. [7]
The band's lineup remained stable for ten years, producing three studio albums, before Reece left in October 1994 on amicable terms. [8] He was initially replaced by Randy Carr, who lasted only until the following spring when he was fired on the recommendation of the band's producer Michael Beinhorn. [9] Session drummer Deen Castronovo performed on the album, after which Chuck Biscuits joined the band as Carr's replacement. [9] The band released Live at the Roxy in 1998, before taking a hiatus the following year as Ness released two solo albums and embarked on a promotional tour. [10] On February 29, 2000, Danell died of a brain aneurysm. [11] In June, Social Distortion returned with a new lineup including rhythm guitarist Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham and drummer Charlie Quintana. [12]
Shortly after recording the band's sixth studio album Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll , Maurer left Social Distortion to spend more time with his family. [13] He was initially replaced by Rancid's Matt Freeman, although by January he had been replaced by Brent Harding, who had previously performed with Ness on his second solo album. [14] In April 2009, Quintana announced his departure from Social Distortion, with Adam "Atom" Willard of Angels & Airwaves taking his place. [15] Willard left again in March 2010, with Fu Manchu drummer Scott Reeder filling in for a South American tour. [16] The group enlisted the services of Josh Freese for the 2011 album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes , [17] before David Hidalgo Jr. joined as the full-time replacement for Willard a few months later. [18]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Ness | 1978–present |
| all Social Distortion releases | |
| Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham | 2000–present |
| all Social Distortion releases from Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll (2004) onwards | |
| Brent Harding | 2005–present |
| all Social Distortion releases from "Far Behind" (2007) onwards | |
| David Hidalgo Jr. | 2010–present |
|
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Royer | 1978–1979 |
| none | |
| Tom Corvin | vocals | |||
| Mark Garrett | 1978 (died; year of death unknown) |
| ||
| Rikk Agnew | 1978–1979 | |||
| Dennis Danell | 1979–2000 (until his death) |
| all Social Distortion releases from "Mainliner/Playpen" (1981) to Live at the Roxy (1998) | |
| John "Carrot" Stevenson | 1979–1981 | drums |
| |
| Brent Liles | 1981–1983 (died 2007) | bass |
| |
| Derek O'Brien | 1981–1983 |
| ||
| John Maurer | 1984–2004 |
| all Social Distortion releases from Prison Bound (1988) to Live in Orange County (2004) | |
| Bob Stubbs | 1984 | drums | none | |
| Christopher Reece | 1984–1994 |
| ||
| Randy Carr | 1994–1995 (died 2002) | none | ||
| Chuck Biscuits (real name Charles Montgomery) | 1996–2000 | Live at the Roxy (1998) | ||
| Charlie "Chalo" Quintana | 2000–2009 (died 2018) | all Social Distortion releases from Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll (2004) to "Far Behind" (2007) | ||
| Matt Freeman | 2004–2005 |
| none | |
| Adam "Atom" Willard | 2009–2010 | drums |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Emory | 2006 | lead guitar | Emory took over on lead guitar from Ness when the frontman broke his wrist in early 2006. [19] | |
| Scott Reeder | 2010 | drums | Reeder filled in for a South American tour after the departure of Atom Willard in March 2010. [16] | |
| David Kalish | 2011–present |
| Kalish has toured with Social Distortion since 2011, performing keyboards and Hammond organ. [20] |
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 |
| none |
| Late 1978 – late 1979 |
| |
| Late 1979 – summer 1981 |
|
|
| Summer 1981 – December 1983 |
|
|
| Early – mid-1984 |
| none |
| Mid-1984 – October 1994 |
|
|
| Late 1994 – spring 1995 |
| none |
| August 1995 – June 1996 |
| |
| July 1996 – February 2000 |
|
|
| June 2000 – August 2004 |
|
|
| August 2004 – January 2005 |
| none |
| January 2005 – April 2009 |
|
|
| April 2009 – March 2010 |
| none |
| March – July 2010 |
| |
| July 2010 – present |
|
|
Michael James Ness is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1979.
Dennis Eric Danell (June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.
The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1979. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with their peers in Agent Orange and Social Distortion. Founding bassist Steve Soto was the sole constant member of the band since its inception until his 2018 death, with singer Tony Reflex being in the group for all but one album.
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness, Jonny Wickersham, Brent Harding, David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards).
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of White Light, White Heat, White Trash in 1996. The album was originally scheduled to be released in the fall of 2000, but was not yet completed, and it was officially released on September 28, 2004. This album is Social Distortion's first to feature guitarist Jonny Wickersham, following the death of original guitarist Dennis Danell in February 2000. The album's opening track, "Reach for the Sky", was released in late 2004 and became one of Social Distortion's biggest hits.
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on February 11, 1992. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough singles "Ball and Chain" and "Story of My Life", Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell became a popular album and received positive reviews from music critics. It also spawned their highest-charting single "Bad Luck", which peaked at number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Prison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988. It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece. It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, Mommy's Little Monster (1983), by adding influences from country music and blues rock.
Adolescents, also known as The Blue Album due to its cover design, is the debut studio album by American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. Recorded after guitarist Rikk Agnew and drummer Casey Royer joined the band, it features several songs written for their prior group, the Detours, including "Kids of the Black Hole" and "Amoeba", which became two of the Adolescents' most well-known songs. Adolescents was one of the first hardcore punk albums to be widely distributed throughout the United States, and became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums of its time. The band never toured in support of it, and broke up four months after its release. The Blue Album lineup of Agnew, Royer, guitarist Frank Agnew, bassist Steve Soto and singer Tony Brandenburg reunited several times in subsequent years, but only for brief periods.
Brats in Battalions is the second studio album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in August 1987 on SOS Records, the band's independent record label. It followed a reunion of the band after a five-year breakup, and subsequent lineup changes which saw drummer Casey Royer and original guitarist Frank Agnew replaced, respectively, by Sandy Hanson of the Mechanics and by Agnew's younger brother, Alfie Agnew. Brats in Battalions explores several styles of punk rock and features new recordings of all three songs from 1981's Welcome to Reality EP, as well as cover versions of the traditional folk song "The House of the Rising Sun" and the Stooges' "I Got a Right". Singer Tony Brandenburg left the band after this album, and the Adolescents recorded one more album without him, 1988's Balboa Fun*Zone, before breaking up for another 12 years.
Gonzalo Quintana III, also known as Charlie Quintana or Chalo, was an American rock and punk drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band The Plugz and as the drummer for the punk rock band Social Distortion from 2000 to 2009.
Return to the Black Hole is a live album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in September 1997 on Amsterdamned Records. It was recorded in December 1989 during a reunion performance by the band's 1980–81 lineup.
Richard Francis "Rikk" Agnew Jr. is an American musician with a career spanning more than 40 years. He has previously been a member of some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk genre, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death. During his years with the Adolescents, Agnew became known as one of the best guitarists in the Southern California hardcore punk scene.
"Story of My Life" is a 1990 song by American punk rock band Social Distortion, written by frontman Mike Ness. It was released as a single and also appeared on their self-titled album as well as Live at the Roxy live album. The song describes a man looking back wistfully on life, such as a love interest he had as a teenager, and how things have changed and how quickly his life has passed him by.
The Mechanics (1977–1981) are considered to be the first punk band to come out of Fullerton, California.
Casey A. Royer, is an American musician and an early pioneer of the hardcore punk rock genre in Orange County. He named and formed the band Social Distortion as a teenager. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Royer is best known as the lead vocalist for Southern Californian punk rock band D.I. and as a drummer for the Adolescents.
Francis Thomas "Frank" Agnew is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of punk rock band the Adolescents. Frank's brothers Rikk Agnew and Alfie Agnew, as well as his son Frank Agnew Jr., are also former Adolescents guitarists.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Social Distortion. It was released on June 25, 2007. It includes hit singles from Mommy's Little Monster to Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll - as well as the unreleased track "Far Behind", which also became a hit single – yet lacks anything from Mainliner, which is actually a compilation of unreleased early material.
OC Confidential is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in July 2005 on Finger Records. It was their first studio album since 1988, and followed their reunion in 2001 after a twelve-year breakup. The album features founding band members Tony Reflex, Frank Agnew, and Steve Soto, joined by drummer Derek O'Brien. It was the final Adolescents album to include Agnew, and their only studio album with O'Brien.
Live at the House of Blues is a live album and concert film by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in February 2004 on Kung Fu Records as part of the label's The Show Must Go Off! series. It marked a reunion of the band after a twelve-year breakup, and features songs from their original 1980–81 run and from their then-upcoming reunion album OC Confidential (2005).
"Amoeba" is a song by American punk rock band the Adolescents. It is the eighth track on their self-titled debut album Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. It is the band's signature song.
