Fear (band)
Encyclopedia
Fear is an American punk rock
band from Los Angeles, California
, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk
, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981 performance on Saturday Night Live
. A re-recording of 1982’s "The Record
" is due to release in early 2012.
Frontman Lee Ving
has been the band's only constant member. Since its formation, the band went through various line-up changes and at one point featured Flea
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
on bass.
and bassist Derf Scratch
. They recruited guitarist Burt Good, and drummer Johnny Backbeat to fill out the original lineup. In 1977, Fear released the single "I Love Living in the City". Shortly after this Good and Backbeat left the band and were replaced by Philo Cramer
and Spit Stix
.
met Lee Ving
and Spit Stix
while they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los Angeles on Laurel Canyon. After talking with the two, she abruptly asked if they wanted to be in a documentary she was working on about the Los Angeles punk scene. The film, The Decline of Western Civilization
, was released in 1981. It showed Fear performing a set in which they baited members of the audience with personal attacks and offbeat humor, inspiring some audience members to come on stage and try to fight them. Spheeris was then married to Slash Records
president Bob Biggs who, later that year, signed a recording deal with Fear.
, who lobbied successfully to get the band a spot as a musical guest on the 1981 Halloween episode of his former show Saturday Night Live
. The band's appearance included a group of mosh
ers, among them Belushi, Ian MacKaye
of Minor Threat
(and later Fugazi), Tesco Vee
of The Meatmen
(and later Tesco Vee's Hate Police), Harley Flanagan
and John Joseph
of The Cro-mags
, and John Brannon of Negative Approach
. The show's director originally wanted to prevent the dancers from participating, so Belushi offered to be in the episode if the dancers were allowed to stay. The end result was the shortening of Fear's appearance on TV. They started their second performance by saying, "It's great to be in New Jersey
," drawing boos from SNL's New York live audience. Fear played "Beef Bologna," "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones," and started to play "Let's Have a War" when the audio and video of the telecast faded into commercial. During the performance the slamdancers left ripe pumpkin remains on the set and stage speakers. Belushi also offered Fear the soundtrack for his major motion picture Neighbors
. The film's producers eventually forced Fear off the project, and Belushi got them the infamous SNL gig as compensation. Shortly after that 1981 Halloween SNL appearance, which resulted in $20,000 in damages, some clubs chose not to hire the band.
A New York Post article later reported the figure to be $500,000. This is believed to have originated from a phone call from the New York Post to Ving, in which Ving responded to the claim of causing $20,000 worth of damage by saying "Hold it, hold it! No way, pal. That’s a bald-faced lie! We caused $500,000 worth of damage, a cool half a million dollars worth of damage, ‘cause we’re professionals, and I counted the damage myself."
. After the touring Ving fired Derf Scratch
. In the summer of 1983 through early 1984, while Stix toured in Europe with Nina Hagen
, Chuck Biscuits
had agreed to replace him, but Stix was persuaded to return to the band and Biscuits never played a show. Eric Feldman of PJ Harvey
, Captain Beefheart
, Pere Ubu
, and Frank Black
, briefly filled in, before he was replaced with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. Flea left the band and was replaced by Lorenzo Buhne. In 1986, the band recorded, with Ving producing, their follow up album More Beer
in just two days.
, and shortly afterwards bassist Will "Sluggo" MacGregor was hired. Following the 1991 through 1993 Fear North American touring the original Fear disbanded. Philo Cramer and Spit Stix left Fear citing disputes with Ving over finances, his right wing beliefs, and his lack of empathy. For the next two years Ving reformed in Austin, Texas as Lee Ving's Army. This eventually became the new Fear line-up including Ving backed by Lee Ving's Army members, guitarist Sean Cruse, bassist Scott Thunes, and drummer Andrew Jamiez. Of these new members Jamiez was the only one currently playing in the band. In 1995, an album was released, entitled Have Another Beer with FEAR
. In 2000, Fear released the album American Beer
, which featured Ving and Jamiez, along with new members Richard Presley and Mando Lopez. The album included new recordings of several previously unreleased older Fear songs, as well as some new compositions. Not long after Presley and Lopez began playing with Kim Deal
and Kelley Deal
in The Breeders
.
, a traveling punk rock-themed festival
.
Former members
Singles
Soundtracks
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 from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981 performance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. A re-recording of 1982’s "The Record
The Record
The Record may refer to:Printed publications:* Record , the weekly newsmagazine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific*The Philadelphia Record, a defunct daily newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
" is due to release in early 2012.
Frontman Lee Ving
Lee Ving
Lee Ving Lee Ving Lee Ving (born Lee James Capellaro; April 10, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an American musician, most famous for his role as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Los Angeles-based punk rock band Fear, and actor. In the late 1960s Ving joined Sweet Stavin Chain Blues Band...
has been the band's only constant member. Since its formation, the band went through various line-up changes and at one point featured Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
of 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...
on bass.
1970s
Fear was formed in 1977 by vocalist/guitarist Lee VingLee Ving
Lee Ving Lee Ving Lee Ving (born Lee James Capellaro; April 10, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an American musician, most famous for his role as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Los Angeles-based punk rock band Fear, and actor. In the late 1960s Ving joined Sweet Stavin Chain Blues Band...
and bassist Derf Scratch
Derf Scratch
Derf "Fred" Scratch was best known as the original bass guitarist for, and former member of the punk rock band Fear....
. They recruited guitarist Burt Good, and drummer Johnny Backbeat to fill out the original lineup. In 1977, Fear released the single "I Love Living in the City". Shortly after this Good and Backbeat left the band and were replaced by Philo Cramer
Philo Cramer
Philo Cramer was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles punk band FEAR , following a short stint in his 1977-1978 band, The Cigarettes...
and Spit Stix
Spit Stix
Tim Leitch is a Los Angeles-born drummer, producer and songwriter. He gained prominence as drummer for American punk rock band Fear and produced the first Red Hot Chili Peppers demo record.-Early life:...
.
1980s
Film director Penelope SpheerisPenelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
met Lee Ving
Lee Ving
Lee Ving Lee Ving Lee Ving (born Lee James Capellaro; April 10, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an American musician, most famous for his role as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Los Angeles-based punk rock band Fear, and actor. In the late 1960s Ving joined Sweet Stavin Chain Blues Band...
and Spit Stix
Spit Stix
Tim Leitch is a Los Angeles-born drummer, producer and songwriter. He gained prominence as drummer for American punk rock band Fear and produced the first Red Hot Chili Peppers demo record.-Early life:...
while they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los Angeles on Laurel Canyon. After talking with the two, she abruptly asked if they wanted to be in a documentary she was working on about the Los Angeles punk scene. The film, The Decline of Western Civilization
The Decline of Western Civilization
The soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
, was released in 1981. It showed Fear performing a set in which they baited members of the audience with personal attacks and offbeat humor, inspiring some audience members to come on stage and try to fight them. Spheeris was then married to Slash Records
Slash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
president Bob Biggs who, later that year, signed a recording deal with Fear.
1981 appearance on Saturday Night Live
The movie brought the band to the attention of actor John BelushiJohn Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
, who lobbied successfully to get the band a spot as a musical guest on the 1981 Halloween episode of his former show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. The band's appearance included a group of mosh
Mosh
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
ers, among them Belushi, Ian MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
of Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
(and later Fugazi), Tesco Vee
Tesco Vee
Tesco Vee is a Michigan-based punk rock musician and co-founder of Touch and Go Records zine. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he is a former elementary school teacher and the founding member, and front man, of punk bands The Meatmen, Tesco Vee's Hate Police, Blight, and Dutch Hercules.-History:In...
of The Meatmen
The Meatmen
The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
(and later Tesco Vee's Hate Police), Harley Flanagan
Harley Flanagan
Harley Frances Flanagan is the founder of the Cro-Mags, an influential 1980s hardcore punk band. Flanagan was the drummer for The Stimulators in 1980, when he was 12...
and John Joseph
John Joseph (rock singer)
John Joseph McGowan is a punk rock singer from New York City, most famous for his work with the Cro-Mags in the 1980s.Joseph was raised in foster care and grew up on the streets of New York. He was the lead singer for the New York hardcore punk band Cro-Mags from 1984 until 1987, though he...
of The Cro-mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, and John Brannon of Negative Approach
Negative Approach
Negative Approach is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered among of the pioneers of hardcore punk, particularly in the Midwest region. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known in its day outside of its hometown...
. The show's director originally wanted to prevent the dancers from participating, so Belushi offered to be in the episode if the dancers were allowed to stay. The end result was the shortening of Fear's appearance on TV. They started their second performance by saying, "It's great to be in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
," drawing boos from SNL's New York live audience. Fear played "Beef Bologna," "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones," and started to play "Let's Have a War" when the audio and video of the telecast faded into commercial. During the performance the slamdancers left ripe pumpkin remains on the set and stage speakers. Belushi also offered Fear the soundtrack for his major motion picture Neighbors
Neighbors (film)
Neighbors is a 1981 film based on the book by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, directed by John G. Avildsen and stars John Belushi as Earl, Dan Aykroyd as Vic , Cathy Moriarty as Ramona, Kathryn Walker as Enid, and Lauren-Marie Taylor as Elaine. The film takes liberties...
. The film's producers eventually forced Fear off the project, and Belushi got them the infamous SNL gig as compensation. Shortly after that 1981 Halloween SNL appearance, which resulted in $20,000 in damages, some clubs chose not to hire the band.
A New York Post article later reported the figure to be $500,000. This is believed to have originated from a phone call from the New York Post to Ving, in which Ving responded to the claim of causing $20,000 worth of damage by saying "Hold it, hold it! No way, pal. That’s a bald-faced lie! We caused $500,000 worth of damage, a cool half a million dollars worth of damage, ‘cause we’re professionals, and I counted the damage myself."
1982-1989
In 1982, Fear released their debut album The RecordThe Record (album)
The Record is the debut album by Los Angeles hardcore punk band Fear, released in 1982"We Got to Get Out of This Place" is a cover of the song made famous by The Animals.-Track listing:All songs by Lee Ving, except where noted....
. After the touring Ving fired Derf Scratch
Derf Scratch
Derf "Fred" Scratch was best known as the original bass guitarist for, and former member of the punk rock band Fear....
. In the summer of 1983 through early 1984, while Stix toured in Europe with Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits
Chuck Biscuits is a Canadian-born drummer, now a U.S. citizen, who is best known as an original member of the heavy metal/hard rock band Danzig. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion in the late 1990s...
had agreed to replace him, but Stix was persuaded to return to the band and Biscuits never played a show. Eric Feldman of PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu (band)
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
, and Frank Black
Frank Black
Black Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
, briefly filled in, before he was replaced with Flea of 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...
. Flea left the band and was replaced by Lorenzo Buhne. In 1986, the band recorded, with Ving producing, their follow up album More Beer
More Beer
More Beer is the second album by Fear, released in 1985 . Frontman Lee Ving spent over a year producing the album.-Track listing:All songs by Lee Ving, except where noted....
in just two days.
1990s
In 1991, an album capturing a 1985 performance was released as Live...For the RecordLive...For the Record
Live...For the Record is, to date, the only official live release by American punk band Fear, released in 1991.-Track listing:#Null Detector - 1:17#I Love Livin' in the City - 1:58#New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones- 1:59#Beef Bologna - 2:31...
, and shortly afterwards bassist Will "Sluggo" MacGregor was hired. Following the 1991 through 1993 Fear North American touring the original Fear disbanded. Philo Cramer and Spit Stix left Fear citing disputes with Ving over finances, his right wing beliefs, and his lack of empathy. For the next two years Ving reformed in Austin, Texas as Lee Ving's Army. This eventually became the new Fear line-up including Ving backed by Lee Ving's Army members, guitarist Sean Cruse, bassist Scott Thunes, and drummer Andrew Jamiez. Of these new members Jamiez was the only one currently playing in the band. In 1995, an album was released, entitled Have Another Beer with FEAR
Have Another Beer with FEAR
Have Another Beer With FEAR is the third studio album by Fear, released in 1995. Although Lee Ving was the only remaining original member at the time of recording, the album contains a number of tracks written by previous original members...
. In 2000, Fear released the album American Beer
American beer
Beer in the United States is manufactured by more than 1,700 breweries, which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million barrels of beer in 2009, and consumes roughly of beer per capita annually...
, which featured Ving and Jamiez, along with new members Richard Presley and Mando Lopez. The album included new recordings of several previously unreleased older Fear songs, as well as some new compositions. Not long after Presley and Lopez began playing with Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
and Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal is an American musician. The identical twin sister of Kim Deal, she is the lead guitarist of The Breeders, besides having a solo career.- Early days :...
in The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
.
2000s
In 2008, Fear (with Ving as the only original member) participated in the annual Warped TourWarped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, a traveling punk rock-themed festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
.
Band members
Current members- Lee VingLee VingLee Ving Lee Ving Lee Ving (born Lee James Capellaro; April 10, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an American musician, most famous for his role as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Los Angeles-based punk rock band Fear, and actor. In the late 1960s Ving joined Sweet Stavin Chain Blues Band...
- vocals, guitar (1977–present) - Derol Caraco - guitar (2005–present)
- Dave Stark - guitar (2011-present)
- Paul Lerma - bass (2011-present)
- Andrew Jamiez - drums (1993–present)
Former members
- Burt Good - guitar (1977–1978)
- Derf ScratchDerf ScratchDerf "Fred" Scratch was best known as the original bass guitarist for, and former member of the punk rock band Fear....
- bass (1977–1982) - Johnny Backbeat - drums (1977)
- Philo CramerPhilo CramerPhilo Cramer was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles punk band FEAR , following a short stint in his 1977-1978 band, The Cigarettes...
- guitar (1978–1993) - Spit StixSpit StixTim Leitch is a Los Angeles-born drummer, producer and songwriter. He gained prominence as drummer for American punk rock band Fear and produced the first Red Hot Chili Peppers demo record.-Early life:...
- drums (1978–1993) - Eric Feldman - bass (1982)
- FleaFlea (musician)Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
- bass (1982–1984) - Lorenzo Buhne - bass (1984–1988)
- Will MacGregor - bass (1991–1993)
- Scott ThunesScott ThunesScott Thunes is a former bass player with Frank Zappa, Wayne Kramer, Steve Vai, Andy Prieboy, Mike Keneally, Fear, The Waterboys and others....
- bass (1993–1995) - Kelly LeMieuxKelly LeMieuxKelly LeMieux is a studio session bass guitar player. He is best known for his work in the Dave Mustaine project MD.45. He was touring bass player for Los Angeles punk band Fear in 1997 and 1998...
- bass (1995–1997) - Mando Lopez - bass (1997–2008)
- Sean Cruse - guitar (1995–1999)
- Richard Presley - guitar (1999–2005)
- Sam Bolle - bass (2008–2011)
Discography
Studio albums- Paradise Studio Demos (Unreleased) (1978)
- The RecordThe Record (album)The Record is the debut album by Los Angeles hardcore punk band Fear, released in 1982"We Got to Get Out of This Place" is a cover of the song made famous by The Animals.-Track listing:All songs by Lee Ving, except where noted....
(1982) - More BeerMore BeerMore Beer is the second album by Fear, released in 1985 . Frontman Lee Ving spent over a year producing the album.-Track listing:All songs by Lee Ving, except where noted....
(1985) - Live...For the RecordLive...For the RecordLive...For the Record is, to date, the only official live release by American punk band Fear, released in 1991.-Track listing:#Null Detector - 1:17#I Love Livin' in the City - 1:58#New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones- 1:59#Beef Bologna - 2:31...
(1991) - Have Another Beer with FEARHave Another Beer with FEARHave Another Beer With FEAR is the third studio album by Fear, released in 1995. Although Lee Ving was the only remaining original member at the time of recording, the album contains a number of tracks written by previous original members...
(1995) - American BeerAmerican Beer (album)American Beer is the fourth studio album by Fear, released in 2000. Many of the album's tracks were written and recorded during Fear's earlier years, but have not appeared on any prior studio albums.-Track listing:...
(2000) - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (7 inch)" (2011)
- "The ReRecord" (2012)
Singles
- "I Love Living in the CityI Love Living in the City"I Love Livin' in the City" is the first single by Fear. It was originally released in 1978 on the Los Angeles-based Criminal Records. The single's B-side was re-recorded twice, once during the band's unreleased 1979 sessions, and again for their debut album The Record."I Love Livin' in the City"...
" (1977) - "Fuck ChristmasFuck Christmas"Fuck Christmas" b/w " Christmas" is the second single by Fear. It was recorded during the sessions that produced their debut The Record, but was not released until months later. The single's A-side was later added as a bonus track to the CD reissue of The Record...
" (1982) - "Now You're Dead/I Love Livin' in the City" (1982)
Soundtracks
- The Decline of Western CivilizationThe Decline of Western CivilizationThe soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
(1981) - Class of 1984Class of 1984Class of 1984 is a 1982 action-thriller movie about a newly hired music teacher at a troubled inner city school, where students have to pass through a metal detector due to problems with gangs, drugs, and violence. It was directed by Mark L...
(1982) - Get CrazyGet CrazyGet Crazy is a 1983 film directed by Allan Arkush and starring Malcolm McDowell, Allen Garfield, Daniel Stern, Gail Edwards, and Ed Begley, Jr.-Premise:...
(1983) - NightmaresNightmares (1983 film)Nightmares is a 1983 film with four tales of horror, starring Emilio Estevez, Lance Henriksen, Cristina Raines, Veronica Cartwright and Richard Masur. The film is directed by T.V. veteran Joseph Sargent and began as a television project of four horror stories. The results were deemed too strong for...
(1983) - Repo Man (1984)
- SLC Punk!SLC Punk!# "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" - The Suicide Machines # "Sex and Violence" - The Exploited# "I Love Livin' in the City" - Fear# "1969" - The Stooges# "Too Hot" - The Specials# "Cretin Hop" - Ramones...
(1998)
Influence
Fear has influenced a number of bands who have paid tribute to the band by covering its songs.- A Perfect CircleA Perfect CircleA Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
covered "Let's Have a War" on its album eMOTIVeEMOTIVe-Personnel:* Charles Clouser - Programming* Critter - Engineer* Steve Duda - Digital engineer* Joshua Eustis - Drums, engineer, Fender Rhodes, mixing* Jason Freese - Sax , sax * Steven R Gilmore - Design, photography, sleeve art, poster design...
. - Bad ReligionBad ReligionBad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
covered "Fuck ChristmasFuck Christmas"Fuck Christmas" b/w " Christmas" is the second single by Fear. It was recorded during the sessions that produced their debut The Record, but was not released until months later. The single's A-side was later added as a bonus track to the CD reissue of The Record...
", though it was not released. The band also covered "I Don't Care About You" during its May 18, 1998 performance at the TLA in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. - BlatzBlatz (band)Blatz was a punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California. Blatz came out of the 924 Gilman Street Project scene during the late '80s, and early '90s along with bands like Operation Ivy, Filth, and Green Day.-History:...
covered "I Don't Care About You" on the Shit Split. - Course of EmpireCourse of EmpireCourse of Empire was an Alternative / post-punk band based in Dallas, Texas.- Biography :Course of Empire was a hard-edged, post-industrial, alternative music group based in Dallas, Texas from 1988 to 1998. In the early days, large drums would be placed throughout the audience as a means to...
covered "Let's Have a War" as a b-side on its 1993 single Infested! - City Newton Bombers covered "I Love Livin' in the City" on their 2006 self titled album.
- Dark AngelDark Angel (band)Dark Angel was an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Their over-the-top style earned them the nickname "the L.A...
covered "I Don't Care About You" on its Live Scars album - DemoniacDemoniacDemoniac were a heavy metal band from New Zealand formed in Wellington in 1993 by singer and bass player Lindsay Dawson, guitarist Sam Totman and Drummer Steve Francis. Three of the members went on to form DragonForce...
quoted the lyric "Hatred is purity, weakness is disease" from Fear's "Foreign Policy" in the song "Hatred Is Purity". - Dog Eat DogDog Eat Dog (band)Dog Eat Dog, an American band originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, began in 1990 as part of the hardcore music scenes of New York City and New Jersey. With members now scattered through New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Europe, the band now refers to themselves as being based out all three areas...
covered "More Beer" on its extended play If These Are The Good Times. - From Autumn to AshesFrom Autumn to AshesFrom Autumn to Ashes was a NY melodic hardcore band that formed in Long Island in 2000. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark , Scott Gross , Benjamin Perri , Brian Deneeve , Mike Pilato , Rob Lauritsen , and Jeff Gretz From Autumn to Ashes was a NY...
covered "Let's Have a War" for the Tony Hawk's American WastelandTony Hawk's American WastelandTony Hawk's American Wasteland, abbreviated to THAW, is a video game that was released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube and PC on October 18, 2005. Part of the Tony Hawk series, the game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision.The PC version of the game was ported and...
soundtrack released by Vagrant RecordsVagrant RecordsVagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...
. - Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
covered "I Don't Care About You" released on their 1993 "The Spaghetti Incident?""The Spaghetti Incident?""The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
punk-cover album. - Harvey MilkHarvey Milk (band)Harvey Milk are an American experimental rock/noise rock band that formed in Athens, Georgia in the early 1990s. While Harvey Milk invariably draws comparisons to the Melvins, due to their penchant for slow, heavy riffs, the band has touched upon such artists as ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen,...
covered "We Destroy the Family" on its 2008 album Life... The Best Game in TownLife... The Best Game in TownLife... The Best Game in Town is the fifth full-length album by Athens, Georgia rock group Harvey Milk. It was released in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim, eventually ranking as one of Metacritic's top twenty albums of 2008.-Track listing:... - HellbillysHellbillysHellbillys is a psychobilly band from Oakland, California. The band formed in 1989 and on their MySpace page they claim to be "the longest running Psychobilly band in the states."....
covered "I Love Livin' in the City". - IndecisionIndecisionIndecision was a hardcore band which was started in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in 1993 and officially disbanded in the summer of 2000 though they still play shows occasionally.- History :From the band:...
covered "I Don't Care About You" and "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones" on Punk Rock Jukebox Volume 2. - Method of Destruction (M.O.D.) covered "I Love Livin' in the City" on its Gross MisconductGross MisconductGross Misconduct is the second album from crossover thrash metal band, M.O.D.. It was released in 1989 on Megaforce Records and Noise International and follows 1988's Surfin' M.O.D. It was three years until the band released another record, with Rhythm of Fear in 1992.-Overview:Lyrically, Milano...
album. - Motosierra covered "I Love Living in the City"
- Pink Reason covered "I Love Living in the City" as part of the 2009 7" "Bloodstains"
- Poster ChildrenPoster ChildrenPoster Children are an indie rock band formed at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1987. They have issued eleven studio albums. Known for their strong DIY ethic, the band members continue to drive their own tour bus, create their own artwork and T-shirt designs, and operate their...
covered "Let's Have a War" on their On the OffensiveOn the OffensiveOn the Offensive is an EP released by Poster Children in 2004. It is composed of politically themed cover songs.Original artists for these songs:*"Clampdown" originally by the Clash*"We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang" originally by Heaven 17...
CD EP. - Sacred ReichSacred ReichSacred Reich is a Phoenix, Arizona-based thrash metal band that formed in 1985. Singer/songwriter Phil Rind's interest was in socially conscious and political speed metal. After several records on Metal Blade Records, they signed to Hollywood Records for a short stint, but later returned to Metal...
covered "Let's Have a War" on their extended play A Question EP and "Beef Bologna" on the Japanese version of its album Heal. - SoundgardenSoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
covered "I Don't Care About You" which appears on a few of its singles. - Stormtroopers of DeathStormtroopers of DeathStormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
(S.O.D.) covered "I Love Livin' in the City" on their Live at BudokanLive at Budokan (S.O.D. album)Live at Budokan is a live album released by American crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. The album is a recording of a one-off re-union gig put on by the band, and includes the majority of the longer tracks from their first album and some previously unheard tracks, as well as covers of...
album. - The Flutefuckers, an all-flute quartet, covered "I Love Living in the City"
- The Reatards covered "I Love Living in the CityI Love Living in the City"I Love Livin' in the City" is the first single by Fear. It was originally released in 1978 on the Los Angeles-based Criminal Records. The single's B-side was re-recorded twice, once during the band's unreleased 1979 sessions, and again for their debut album The Record."I Love Livin' in the City"...
" which appears on their album Teenage Hate. - TurbonegroTurbonegroTurbonegro is a Norwegian punk rock band that was initially active from 1989 to 1998, and later reformed in 2002. Their style combines glam rock, punk rock and hard rock into a style the band describes as "deathpunk"....
covered Fear's "I Don't Care About You" released on their Small FecesSmall FecesSmall Feces is a 2-part compilation album by the Norwegian band Turbonegro released in 2005 on Bitzcore Records. It features 42 songs and documents the first steps from the beginning in 1989 until the Ass Cobra times ca. 1997. It contains a lot of unreleased/unheard material, 7"s, compilation...
box-set.
External links
- Spit Stix chronicles his time with Fear From Spit Stix's personal page.
- Breeders unofficial website
- FEAR The Band Facebook Page