Total Chaos | |
---|---|
![]() Total Chaos live in Mexico, 2007 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Pomona, California |
Genres | Hardcore punk, street punk, punk rock |
Years active | 1989–present |
Labels | Punk Core, Epitaph, People Like You, SOS, Cleopatra, Stomp |
Members | Rob Chaos Shawn Smash Miguel Conflict Geordy Justify |
Past members | Gary Doom Ronald McMurder Kraig Marshall Germ Foffle Suzy Homewrecker Steven Gearbox Danny Boy Virus Joe E. Bastard Charlie Brenes Dede Gearhardt ToddTrash Chema Zurita Matt RenEx Renicks |
Total Chaos is an American hardcore punk band from Pomona, California, formed in 1989. Lead vocalist Rob Chaos is also co-owner of SOS Records with Ezzat Soliman, owner of the Showcase Theater, having released albums by classic punk and Oi! bands like The Exploited, Vice Squad, Sham 69, Conflict, The Adicts and Abrasive Wheels among others. [1] With help of Jay Lee from the band Resist and Exist, the band started organizations such as United Valley Punks, Orange County Peace Punks and Alternative Gathering Collective. Together, they held such social events as Food Not Bombs, helped open the Los Angeles Anarchist Center and supported the Big Mountain Indian Reservation. [2]
Formed in 1989, the first Total Chaos line up consisted of vocalist Rob Chaos, guitarist Gary Doom, bassist Joe E. Bastard and drummer Gearbox. In 1991, the band recorded their first demo titled Punk Invasion, followed by the 7-inch EP Nightmares in 1992. In 1993, the band recorded their debut album We Are the Punx, We Are the Future. Shortly after Gary Doom left the band, being replaced by Ronald McMurder, a tour in Mexico with the Mexican band Yaps was booked, having most of the venues sold out.
Epitaph Records decided to sign the band to release the 1994 album Pledge of Defiance. To support the release, a tour was booked with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. After the end of the tour, a second album for Epitaph Records was recorded in 1995, Patriotic Shock, adding Germ as second guitarist. Once again, the band toured for the release, this time with Battalion of Saints. Due to the strong message against racism and socio-political subjects, the band faced racist and nationalist organizations at the shows and the ban of the album in Japan. In the summer of the same year, Total Chaos visited Europe for the first time, with a new lead guitarist, Shawn Smash, playing in Germany for the Chaos Days festival, well known for the often violent environment. [3] [4]
In 1996, Rob Chaos, Joe E. Bastard and Shawn Smash recruited Suzy Homewrecker on drums to record a new album titled Anthems From the Alleyway. This album differs from the others because of the 70s punk rock influenced sound. By 1997, the band lost contact with Epitaph Records while recording demos for the upcoming album, mainly because of the drug rehab of label founder Brett Gurewitz and poor communication with the label president Andy Kalukin. For these reasons, the band decided to leave Epitaph Records. [2]
By early 1998, Total Chaos disbanded, although by September the group reformed without Homewrecker, who was (according to the official Total Chaos website) stealing the band's T-shirts, selling them at a discounted price and keeping the profits herself. [5] Total Chaos asked Traci Michaels to fill in for one show, which was the reunion show at the Showcase Theatre. They continued to search for drummers and found Danny Boy Virus. The band then signed with Cleopatra Records to release the In God We Kill in 1999 and the compilation Early Years 89-93 with the early demos and LPs. The band got back to touring with Blanks77 and in 2000 completed its first Japanese tour. Shortly after, the band recorded Punk Invasion, released on Reject Records in 2001, with Todd Trash playing bass and Danny Boy Virus on drums.
In 2002, the band was invited to the Warped Tour, with bands like The Casualties, Pistol Grip, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Anti-Flag and Bad Religion among others. After the tour, original drummer Gearbox returned with the band, and with the new bassist Charlie, ex-member Life's Halt, the band released Freedom Kills with SOS Records, and toured with The Adicts, The Exploited and Conflict.
On October 14, 2003, the band was scheduled to play in Montreal with The Exploited, but due to legal issues, both bands were retained at the U.S. border. One of the reasons was because The Exploited lied to the Canadian Customs, saying it was a road trip, and they were not a band, being caught when an employee showed a photo of Wattie on stage performing with the band. Total Chaos' entrance was denied due to the criminal records of some members, although Rob chaos stated: "It should be against the law to pry into someone's past and dig up something they'd done 15 years ago". [6] After the cancellation of the show, some fans decided to cause riots and disorder, some cars and shops were damaged, as well as a few police officers injured and an undisclosed number of people were arrested. The events were widely covered by the media. . [7] [8] [9]
NOFX are an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every release of the band, although Sandin departed briefly in 1985, only to rejoin the following year. El Hefe joined the band in 1991 to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer ("Bosstone") Ben Carr remained constant members. The band's final line-up also included drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Leon Silva, guitarist Lawrence Katz, keyboardist John Goetchius, and trombonist Chris Rhodes.
Ska punk is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hardcore punk. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones, making the genre distinct from other forms of punk rock. It is closely tied to third wave ska which reached its zenith in the mid-1990s.
Taang! Records is an independent record label with a roster of hardcore punk, punk rock, Oi!, power pop, ska, indie rock, psychedelic, and ambient artists and bands founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts in 1983.
The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1978 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981, and their debut EP, Army Life, and debut album, Punks Not Dead, were both released that year. The band maintained a large cult following in the 1980s among a hardcore working class punk and skinhead audience. Originally a street punk band, the Exploited eventually became a crossover thrash band with the release of their album Death Before Dishonour in 1987.
Cheap Sex is an American street punk band formed in December 2002, based in San Diego, California. Besides releasing three albums, the band participated in some compilations, including the Pure Punk Rock DVD, released by Punk Core Records, also featuring Action, the Casualties, Blood or Whiskey, Defiance, the Havoc, Lower Class Brats, the Messengers, the Scarred and the Virus, the last one being Mike Virus' previous band.
The Casualties are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, founded by vocalist Jorge Herrera, Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums) in 1990. In July 2017, it was announced on the band's Facebook page that original frontman Jorge Herrera had officially retired from touring. As of 2022, the band consists of members Jake Kolatis (guitarist), Marc Meggers (drums), Doug Underground (bass), and David Rodriguez (vocals).
The Varukers are a British punk rock band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin. They produced their most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band play in D-beat, the musical style of Discharge. Also like Discharge, the Varukers' lyrics carry an anarchist political ideology.
This is a timeline of punk rock, from its beginnings in the early 1960s to the present time. Bands or albums listed before 1974 are of diverse genres and are retrospectively called by their genre name that was used during the era of their release.
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.
Street Dogs were an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2002 by former Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan. The band disbanded in early 2020 after 17 years together.
The Adicts are a British punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. A popular English punk rock band of the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts during that decade.
Blanks 77 is an American punk rock band active from 1990 to 2001, and again from 2004 onward. Originally based in Hillside, New Jersey, they have since relocated to Denville.
Disorder are an English street punk band that formed in the Bristol area of England in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups. They are aligned with politically charged punk bands.
SOS Records is a California-based punk-rock record label. The label was founded by Rob Chaos of Total Chaos and Ezzat Soliman.
Aimee Allen is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She is currently the lead vocalist for the ska-punk band the Interrupters under the moniker Aimee Interrupter. As a singer-songwriter, she has collaborated with Mark Ronson, Sublime with Rome, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Linda Perry, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jimmy Cliff, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Travis Barker, Dirty Heads, and Tom Morello.
The Flatliners are a Canadian punk rock band from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Since their formation in 2002, the band has been a growing influence in the Toronto punk/ska movement, with consistently well-received albums and live shows.
The discography of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, an American ska punk band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts, consists of eleven studio albums, ten EPs and twenty two singles, among other recordings.
Civet is an American punk rock band from Long Beach, California, United States. They are signed to Hellcat Records and have recorded six releases, with the latest being Love & War (2011).
Hunx and His Punx is an American punk band from San Francisco, California.