Champion (band)
Encyclopedia
Champion was a youth crew
band that was formed by vocalist Jim Hesketh, and guitarist
Chris Williams, in the spring of 1999
in Seattle, Washington. A second guitarist, bassist
, and drummer
were soon added.
on cassette and partook in a lengthy West Coast
tour of the United States
.
Although both the demo and the trip were well-received, the band was plagued with constant line-up changes. Despite struggling with a revolving cast of members, Champion were able to regroup in 2000
and release the Come Out Swinging EP on Platinum Recordings (Germany
).
Champion then signed with Bridge 9 Records
and recorded another EP
, entitled Count Our Numbers, followed by the re-release of Come Out Swinging. Constant touring with bands such as Comeback Kid
, Terror
and Sick Of It All
road-tested their sound. They toured all over the US and even made it to Europe.
Champion's full-length LP, Promises Kept, was released on Bridge 9 Records, and was well received. After a second Europe
an tour and an Australia
n leg, Champion toured the United States in early 2005
. "In the spring they were to became one of the first Western independent act to visit the famous country of South Korea where Kill Your Idols and Ensign also played around 2001." 2005 also saw the band re-release their previous two EPs on one CD
, entitled Time Slips Away.
The band announced through Bridge 9 on January 31, 2006
that they were disbanding, with a final show that occurred on May 27, 2006 at El Corazon in their hometown of Seattle, Washington. Their reasoning for breaking up can be found on their MySpace page. Here is a small excerpt:
Since the breakup, all of the members of Champion have remained Straight Edge and continue to be active in the punk/hardcore scene. Aram Arslanian played guitar in The First Step and currently sings for the Straight Edge band Betrayed, plays guitar in Keep It Clear and The Vows, and also runs REACT! RECORDS. Chris Williams sings in Dead Weight and plays guitar The Vows and The Poverty Bay Saints as well as bass in Gone But Not Forgotten. Jim Hesketh currently sings in ON. Todd Preboski plays drums in Betrayed and Lonewolf, Andy Norton currently sings in Praise.
Youth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
band that was formed by vocalist Jim Hesketh, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Chris Williams, in the spring of 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
in Seattle, Washington. A second guitarist, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
were soon added.
History
After a few months of shows, the band released its first demoDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
on cassette and partook in a lengthy West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Although both the demo and the trip were well-received, the band was plagued with constant line-up changes. Despite struggling with a revolving cast of members, Champion were able to regroup in 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
and release the Come Out Swinging EP on Platinum Recordings (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
).
Champion then signed with Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records
Bridge Nine Records is a contemporary hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996...
and recorded another EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, entitled Count Our Numbers, followed by the re-release of Come Out Swinging. Constant touring with bands such as Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid is a Canadian hardcore band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Formed in 2002, the band is currently signed to Facedown Records. Their name comes from a headline in a newspaper about hockey player, Mario Lemieux coming back to the NHL. The band was formed in 2002 by Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy...
, Terror
Terror (band)
Terror is a hardcore punk band from Los Angeles, California. Their second album One with the Underdogs sold over 40,000 copies. They have also been on tours throughout Europe , Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Mexico and South America...
and Sick Of It All
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
road-tested their sound. They toured all over the US and even made it to Europe.
Champion's full-length LP, Promises Kept, was released on Bridge 9 Records, and was well received. After a second Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour and an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n leg, Champion toured the United States in early 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
. "In the spring they were to became one of the first Western independent act to visit the famous country of South Korea where Kill Your Idols and Ensign also played around 2001." 2005 also saw the band re-release their previous two EPs on one CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, entitled Time Slips Away.
The band announced through Bridge 9 on January 31, 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
that they were disbanding, with a final show that occurred on May 27, 2006 at El Corazon in their hometown of Seattle, Washington. Their reasoning for breaking up can be found on their MySpace page. Here is a small excerpt:
"With all the pressure to do another record and to tour, it wasn't what we "wanted" to do anymore; it was what we "had" to do. So before making any commitments that we would be bounded to, we decided to end it now, while everyone in the band was still friends and still loved everything we did as a band together. NO ONE SOLD OUT."
Since the breakup, all of the members of Champion have remained Straight Edge and continue to be active in the punk/hardcore scene. Aram Arslanian played guitar in The First Step and currently sings for the Straight Edge band Betrayed, plays guitar in Keep It Clear and The Vows, and also runs REACT! RECORDS. Chris Williams sings in Dead Weight and plays guitar The Vows and The Poverty Bay Saints as well as bass in Gone But Not Forgotten. Jim Hesketh currently sings in ON. Todd Preboski plays drums in Betrayed and Lonewolf, Andy Norton currently sings in Praise.
Members
- Jim Hesketh — vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Aram Arslanian — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Chris Williams — guitar
- Todd Preboski — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Andy Norton — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Former members
- Ben Colton — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Eagle Barber — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Timm McIntosh — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Joe Preston — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jeff Boltz — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Nikki Platter — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Lucas Macfadden — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sean Spear — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Brandon Wallace — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Discography
- Demo Tape (1999)
- Come Out SwingingCome Out SwingingCome Out Swinging is an EP by Champion. It was released in 2001 on Phyte Records and Platinum Recordings and re-released in 2003 on Bridge 9 Records...
(Platinum Records, 2000) - Count Our NumbersCount Our NumbersCount Our Numbers is an EP by Champion. It was released in 2002 on Bridge 9 Records. Bridge 9 later released this EP with Come Out Swinging as the Time Slips Away album.-Track listing:*"The Decline"*"Fourth Of July"*"Time Slips Away"*"Monument"...
(Bridge 9 RecordsBridge 9 RecordsBridge Nine Records is a contemporary hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996...
, 2002) - Promises Kept (Bridge 9 RecordsBridge 9 RecordsBridge Nine Records is a contemporary hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996...
, 2004) - Time Slips AwayTime Slips AwayTime Slips Away is an album by Champion. It contains their two EPs, Count Our Numbers and Come Out Swinging. It was released in 2005 on Bridge 9 Records....
(Bridge 9 RecordsBridge 9 RecordsBridge Nine Records is a contemporary hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996...
, 2005) - Champion/Betrayed split EP (Rivalry Records, 2006)
- Different Directions DVD/CDDifferent Directions DVD/CDDifferent Directions is a DVD/CD combo by Champion released in March, 2007. It documents their history and includes a DVD of their last show, interviews, and early band footage.- Track listing :#"Promises Kept"#"4th Of July"#"Decisions Made"...
(Bridge 9 RecordsBridge 9 RecordsBridge Nine Records is a contemporary hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996...
, 2007)