Rob Wright

Last updated

Rob Wright
Rob Wright in Trento.jpg
Rob Wright in Trento, Italy (2010)
Background information
Born (1954-03-12) 12 March 1954 (age 69)
Montreal, Quebec
Genres Punk rock, progressive rock, punk jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, bass guitar, guitar
Years active1979–2016
Labels Alternative Tentacles, Wrong, Southern

Rob Wright (sometimes known as Mr. Wrong, born 1954) is a Canadian musician and songwriter best known as the bassist, lead vocalist and occasional guitarist of the progressive punk rock band Nomeansno, as well as the bassist of the pop punk band The Hanson Brothers. Wright was born in Montreal, Quebec, and currently[ when? ] resides in Vancouver, British Columbia.[ citation needed ]

In addition to NoMeansno and The Hanson Brothers, both of which feature his brother John and guitarist Tom Holliston, Wright has composed and recorded an occasional solo act called Mr. Wrong where he sings and plays bass while performing in an authoritarian priest outfit. He has also recorded with Ford Pier, Itch and the instrumental progressive power-trio Removal (as the Mr. Wrong character in the latter.) In the late '70s and early '80s, Wright dabbled in record production, recording and/or producing many noted underground BC punk groups, most notably the Neos. [1]

As a bassist, Wright utilizes a distinct technique to create a sound that relies on frequencies traditionally associated with a guitar. He took the inspiration for his amplification (involving a Marshall solid state head through a Marshall guitar 4x12 cabinet) from Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, and has cited jazz bassists such as Jimmy Blanton and Paul Chambers as influential players. His hard-picked, fast-fretted playing is highly respected among bassists, and has been praised by Mike Watt of The Minutemen, among other musicians. [2]

Rob Wright co-operates the record label Wrong Records. He has two children. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nomeansno</span> Canadian alternative rock band

Nomeansno was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia and later relocated to Vancouver. They issued 11 albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, as well as numerous EPs and singles. Critic Martin Popoff described their music as "the mightiest merger between the hateful aggression of punk and the discipline of heavy metal." Nomeansno's distinct hardcore punk sound, complex instrumentation, and dark, "savagely intelligent" lyrics inspired subsequent musicians. They are often considered foundational in the punk jazz and post-hardcore movements, and have been cited as a formative influence on the math rock and emo genres.

The Hanson Brothers were a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1984 in Victoria and later based in Vancouver. The group included John and Rob Wright and Tom Holliston, all members of the punk rock band Nomeansno. The Hanson Brothers' band name references characters in the cult ice hockey film Slap Shot.

<i>Sex Mad</i> 1986 studio album by Nomeansno

Sex Mad is the second full-length album by Canadian punk rock band NoMeansNo. Released in 1986, it is both the first Nomeansno LP to feature long-time guitarist Andy Kerr in addition to founding members Rob Wright and John Wright and the first Nomeansno album issued through Alternative Tentacles.

<i>All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt</i> 2006 studio album by Nomeansno

All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt is the tenth and final studio album by Vancouver punk rock band Nomeansno. It was released by the band's own Wrong Records imprint, in conjunction with AntAcidAudio in North America and Southern Records in Europe, making it their first record not to be released by the Alternative Tentacles imprint since Mama in 1982. The album marked a return to shorter and more conventional songs than their previous efforts, Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie (1998) and One (2000).

<i>Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?</i> 1993 studio album by Nomeansno

Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? is the sixth full-length album by Vancouver punk rock group Nomeansno. Released in 1993, it is their second album recorded by the original two-piece lineup of brothers Rob and John Wright following Mama (1982), and first after the departure of longtime guitarist Andy Kerr. Here the band mostly replaced its hardcore punk sound with slower songs influenced by heavy metal and progressive rock. The album was well-received by critics and praised for its balance of heaviness and subtlety, showcasing the dynamics of the band in its original incarnation.

<i>0 + 2 = 1</i> 1991 studio album by Nomeansno

0 + 2 = 1 is the fifth full-length album by Canadian punk band Nomeansno. Released in 1991, it was the fourth and final studio album to feature Nomeansno's longtime guitarist Andy Kerr. The proper follow-up to their most popular album, Wrong, the record was somewhat polarizing but generally well received by critics.

<i>The Worldhood of the World (As Such)</i> 1995 studio album by Nomeansno

The Worldhood of the World (As Such) is the seventh studio album by Canadian punk rock band Nomeansno, released in 1995. It is the first record of the group's to feature guitarist Tom Holliston and the band's only record as a quartet rather than a duo or trio. "State of Grace" was originally a song from Rob Wright's solo project, Mr. Wrong.

<i>Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie</i> 1998 studio album by Nomeansno

Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie is the eighth full-length album released by Canadian punk rock band Nomeansno. It was initially released on Alternative Tentacles in 1998 as a 10-track CD and 12-track double LP. The band's own label Wrong Records, along with distributors Southern Records, re-released the 12-track version of the album in 2007, 2010, and 2014 with modified track order and art.

<i>The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed</i> 1988 compilation album by NoMeansNo

The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed is a compilation album of two records by Vancouver punk band Nomeansno. The compilation album comprises the EP The Day Everything Became Nothing and the full-length album Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, both recorded during the same December 1987 recording session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wright (musician)</span> Canadian musician and songwriter

John Wright is a Canadian musician and songwriter.

Andy Kerr is a Canadian-born musician, originally from British Columbia and currently residing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Kerr is best known as the former guitarist, frequent vocalist, and co-songwriter in the progressive punk rock/punk jazz band NoMeansNo. He has also recorded and performed as a solo artist, and his current group is Two Pin Din.

<i>Mama</i> (Nomeansno album) 1982 studio album by Nomeansno

Mama is the debut album by Victoria, British Columbia punk rock band Nomeansno. Featuring the band's original incarnation comprising brothers John and Rob Wright, the album was released independently on LP in 1982. Nomeansno reissued a remastered version the album in 1992 on their own Wrong Records imprint, coupled with the tracks from their Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred EP of 1981.

<i>You Kill Me</i> (EP) 1985 EP by Nomeansno

You Kill Me is an EP by Canadian punk rock band Nomeansno. Recorded in 1985, it is the first Nomeansno record to feature the band's three-piece lineup, with guitarist Andy Kerr joining founding members Rob Wright and John Wright. Originally issued on the Undergrowth label, it was later re-released on CD with the Sex Mad album on the Sex Mad/You Kill Me compilation CD and cassette released by Alternative Tentacles.

<i>Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred</i> 1981 EP by Nomeansno

Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred is the first EP by Canadian punk rock band Nomeansno. Released in 1981, it and the "Look, Here Come the Wormies / SS Social Service" 7-inch split single from the previous year are the two official Nomeansno releases from their origins recording in their parents' basement before becoming a live band. Originally self-released in a limited vinyl run, the EP since has been re-released by the band's Wrong Records imprint on 7-inch and included on reissues of the band's 1982 debut album Mama.

<i>Mr. Right & Mr. Wrong: One Down & Two to Go</i> 1994 compilation album by Nomeansno

Mr. Right & Mr. Wrong: One Down & Two To Go is a compilation album by Nomeansno. After the departure of long-time guitarist Andy Kerr, the group's lineup stood simply as a two-piece at the time of the album's recording.

<i>0 + 2 = 1 ½</i> 2010 compilation album by Nomeansno

0 + 2 = 1 1⁄2 is a compilation album by Vancouver punk band Nomeansno. Recorded in 1991 and released as a digital album in 2010, it includes five outtakes and four demo tracks recorded for 0 + 2 = 1, Nomeansno's fifth full-length record and final album to feature Nomeansno's longtime guitarist Andy Kerr.

<i>Generic Shame</i> 2001 EP by Nomeansno

Generic Shame is an EP from Vancouver punk rock band Nomeansno. Released in 2001 on Wrong Records, the three-song EP was recorded during the same sessions which produced the album One.

<i>Sex Mad/You Kill Me</i> 1986 compilation album by Nomeansno

Sex Mad/You Kill Me is a compilation of two records by Canadian punk rock band Nomeansno. Released in 1991 on the Alternative Tentacles imprint domestically and Cargo Records internationally, the album compiles the You Kill Me EP from 1985 and the Sex Mad album from 1986. These two records were the band's first recordings with longtime guitarist Andy Kerr.

<i>Tour EP 1</i> 2010 EP by Nomeansno

Tour EP 1 is an EP from Vancouver punk rock band Nomeansno. Released in 2010 on the band's Wrong Records imprint, the four-song EP was issued as a thumb drive and 12" vinyl EP in support of Nomeansno's 2010 touring. Tour EP 1 and its sequel Tour EP 2 were originally intended as the first half of a four-EP series, but this series was never completed. They were Nomeansno's final releases before their 2016 breakup.

Look, Here Come the Wormies / SS Social Service is a split 7-inch vinyl single with one song each from Victoria, British Columbia punk rock bands Nomeansno and Mass Appeal, artist Ray Carter's first audio work. The record was independently issued in a limited run in 1980 and has not been re-released. It is the first Nomeansno record and one of two, along with the Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred EP, from the band's home-recording era before they became a live band.

References

  1. ↑ "Good bad Music for bad, bad Times! / NEOS- End all discrimination 7″EP (Alanandhiscar, Canada, 1982". Goodbadmusic.com. 14 July 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "NOMEANSNO article from bass player magazine – TalkBass Forums". Talkbass.com. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Going Gray with NOMEANSNO". Vice.com. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Rob Wright at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.