D. H. Peligro
Encyclopedia
D.H. Peligro was the third drummer
for the hardcore punk
band Dead Kennedys
from February 1981 until their breakup in December 1986. He appears on the albums Plastic Surgery Disasters
, Frankenchrist
, and Bedtime for Democracy
, as well as the EP
In God We Trust, Inc.
and the singles/rarities collection, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
.
In 1988, Peligro along joined The Red Hot Chili Peppers
replacing drummer, Jack Irons
. Guitarist, Hillel Slovak
had recently died of a heroin overdose and was replaced by guitarist, DeWayne McKnight. McKnight and Peligroo lineup didn't last long but long enough to record one track, "Blues for Meister", which appears on the Out In L.A.
compilation album. McKnight was fired shortly after, replaced by John Frusciante
though Peligro would last a bit longer than McKnight though Peligro, who was a close friend of the band had too many personal issues so the band made the tough decision to fire him replacing him with drummer, Chad Smith
.
Peligro also played briefly with Jungle Studs, Nailbomb
, The Feederz
, Lock-Up, The Two Free Stooges and SSI. In 2001, Peligro rejoined the Dead Kennedys without former frontman and primary songwriter Jello Biafra
following a civil fraud
complaint against Biafra, accusing him of withholding royalties
and creative privilege to license Dead Kennedys songs. In early 2008, D.H. took a hiatus from the Dead Kennedys, citing the need for time off from touring.
D.H. Peligro is the frontman for his band called Peligro (Spanish
for "Danger") and has released three albums: Peligro (released in 1995 on Biafra's Alternative Tentacles
record label, but deleted from the catalog in 2001), Welcome to America and Sum of Our Surroundings, which won Rock Album of the Year from the American Independent Music Awards. Peligro's sound is known to be an eclectic combination of punk
, reggae
, funk
and heavy metal
. He recently recorded a punk rock cover of Jimi Hendrix
's "Purple Haze
", which was nominated for a Grammy Award
. D.H. Peligro has also fronted the bands Reverend Jones and the Cool Aid Choir and Al Sharpton's Hair and the Hellions. He appears as an interview subject in the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk
.
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...
for the hardcore punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
from February 1981 until their breakup in December 1986. He appears on the albums Plastic Surgery Disasters
Plastic Surgery Disasters
Plastic Surgery Disasters is the second album released by the Dead Kennedys. It has been reissued with the EP In God We Trust, Inc., which are the last eight tracks on the CD. The cover photo is "Hands" by photographer Michael Wells. The same photo was used by other San Francisco based punk band...
, Frankenchrist
Frankenchrist
Frankenchrist is the third album released by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.The album was a subject of controversy because of a poster inserted in the original record sleeve. The poster, H. R. Giger's Landscape #XX, or Penis Landscape, was a painting...
, and Bedtime for Democracy
Bedtime for Democracy
Bedtime for Democracy is the fourth album released by Dead Kennedys. Songs on this album cover such common punk subjects as conformity, Reaganomics, the military, and even criticizing aspects of their own punk movement. The title of the album is a reference to the 1951 comedy film, Bedtime for...
, as well as the 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...
In God We Trust, Inc.
In God We Trust, Inc.
In God We Trust, Inc. is a hardcore punk EP by the Dead Kennedys; it is now reissued with the Plastic Surgery Disasters album. The thrashing, lightning-fast beats and shouted vocals, on the first six tracks, resembles Washington D.C.'s punk bands of the time; more than on any other Dead Kennedys...
and the singles/rarities collection, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
-Personnel:* Jello Biafra - vocals, producer, artwork, compiler* East Bay Ray - guitar, echoplex, producer, mixer* Klaus Fluoride - bass, backing vocals * D.H...
.
In 1988, Peligro along joined The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
replacing drummer, Jack Irons
Jack Irons
Jack Steven Irons is an American musician who is best known as the original drummer of the American rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the former drummer for Eleven and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, Spinnerette...
. Guitarist, Hillel Slovak
Hillel Slovak
Hillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
had recently died of a heroin overdose and was replaced by guitarist, DeWayne McKnight. McKnight and Peligroo lineup didn't last long but long enough to record one track, "Blues for Meister", which appears on the Out In L.A.
Out in L.A.
Out in L.A. is a compilation of rare tracks by the Red Hot Chili Peppers released November 1, 1994 on EMI. The tracks contained are varied with the inclusion of four remixes, live cover songs by Jimi Hendrix and Thelonious Monk , demos and joke songs...
compilation album. McKnight was fired shortly after, replaced by John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
though Peligro would last a bit longer than McKnight though Peligro, who was a close friend of the band had too many personal issues so the band made the tough decision to fire him replacing him with drummer, Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
.
Peligro also played briefly with Jungle Studs, Nailbomb
Nailbomb
Nailbomb was an industrial / thrash metal band. The band formed as side project by Brazilian musician Max Cavalera of Sepultura and Soulfly and English musician Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel...
, The Feederz
The Feederz
Feederz were a punk rock band from Arizona. They were known for their song Jesus Entering from the Rear, which featured on Alternative Tentacles', their Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation, and for their provocative album covers. Feederz had strong Situationist tendencies, verging into communism...
, Lock-Up, The Two Free Stooges and SSI. In 2001, Peligro rejoined the Dead Kennedys without former frontman and primary songwriter Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
following a civil fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
complaint against Biafra, accusing him of withholding royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
and creative privilege to license Dead Kennedys songs. In early 2008, D.H. took a hiatus from the Dead Kennedys, citing the need for time off from touring.
D.H. Peligro is the frontman for his band called Peligro (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "Danger") and has released three albums: Peligro (released in 1995 on Biafra's Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
record label, but deleted from the catalog in 2001), Welcome to America and Sum of Our Surroundings, which won Rock Album of the Year from the American Independent Music Awards. Peligro's sound is known to be an eclectic combination of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. He recently recorded a punk rock cover of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's "Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
", which was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. D.H. Peligro has also fronted the bands Reverend Jones and the Cool Aid Choir and Al Sharpton's Hair and the Hellions. He appears as an interview subject in the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk
Afro-Punk (film)
Afro-Punk: The Rock is a 66-minute documentary film directed by James Spooner, exploring race identity within the punk scene across America and abroad. The film focuses on the lives of four people dedicated to the punk rock lifestyle, interspersed with interviews from scores of black punk rockers...
.