Kill Cheerleader
Encyclopedia
Kill Cheerleader was a rock n' roll band whose teenage members formed in 1999 in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
as "Cheerleader 666". Mainly influenced by punk
and heavy metal
acts such as The Stooges, early era Guns N' Roses
, Mötley Crüe
, Iron Maiden
, the Ramones, Girlschool
, Joan Jett
and Neil Young
, they had crafted their own unique, sleazy style of rock 'n' roll, once being described as "a derailed train hitting a Baptist Church". Lemmy from Motörhead described Kill Cheerleader as the "greatest rock n' roll band since Guns N' Roses."
, The Stooges
and Mötley Crüe
songs. A band member reportedly said that the name came from miserable high school experiences, saying, “beat up the jocks and kill the cheerleaders”. They started off playing shows in Toronto but were soon banned from clubs for their on and off stage antics, so they started playing shows in San Diego and L.A. after being invited by San Diego native and brief Toronto resident, Chris Squire of to stay with him in San Diego for 3 weeks and play some shows with his garage punk group, The Tori Cobras. It was in San Diego that Squire introduced the band to professional skateboarder, Kris Markovich, landing Kill Cheerleader (then Cheerleader 666 still) the opening music track in Markovich's part for his Hollywood skateboards video. After playing several shows throughout San Diego, L.A., Orange County, and Riverside with The Tori Cobras and having their music in the Hollywood video, the bands popularity among hardcore skateboarders and so-cal punk rockers began to steamroll. Squire had tried to enlist Cheerleader666 for his record label, Pure Noise Forever but the deal never panned out. by Kenneth Smith Later, Kill Cheerleader's website, the band stated "Chris Squire is the new Jesus."
After some 8000 demo CDs were sold, a German record label licensed one of their unmixed/unmastered recordings and released it as 7 track LP titled Gutter Days
which was rereleased on 10” vinyl in 2003. One reviewer called it "the greatest punk n' roll recording ever made... completely redefined excellence in that genre... I am shaken..." (House of Smut). Ky Anto, lead guitarist for Robin Black
once called them "The sound of desperation"... Nikki Sixx
of Mötley Crüe
called them the "best new band" in his online journal. SPIN Magazine journalists wrote how they were "blown away" about their live show, and Alternative Press has called them a "band to watch." Rock legend Lemmy from Motörhead invited them to open their UK tour and talked about them on SuicideGirls.com and in Playboy
, declaring Kïll Cheerleadër as the "greatest rock n' roll band since Guns N' Roses
."
Their music has been described as “the greatest fusion of Stooges/Guns fuck rock anyone has ever spewed”, as well as “taking the energy of early Motorhead while grinding it together with the energy of bands like The Ramones or The Stooges”. Critics have also stated that “pre-punk rockers The Stooges, glam stalwarts Motley Crue, and straight-up scumbags Guns N' Roses have their fingerprints all over Kill Cheerleader's sound”. Ethan Deth has pointed out that "we have our punk and metal songs but we also have a strong Neil Young influence, which we don't ignore”.
After traveling to the U.S west coast and playing a number of high-profile shows in Los Angeles the band gained a new following for their destructive and fresh take on dirty punk-metal. Their debut album All Hail
was released in 2004 through Spinerazor Records.
The band broke up in 2006.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as "Cheerleader 666". Mainly influenced by 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...
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...
acts such as The Stooges, early era Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns 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...
, Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, the Ramones, Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
, Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, they had crafted their own unique, sleazy style of rock 'n' roll, once being described as "a derailed train hitting a Baptist Church". Lemmy from Motörhead described Kill Cheerleader as the "greatest rock n' roll band since Guns N' Roses."
Biography
The original members of the group were childhood friends who learned their instruments by practicing old Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses
Guns 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...
, The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
songs. A band member reportedly said that the name came from miserable high school experiences, saying, “beat up the jocks and kill the cheerleaders”. They started off playing shows in Toronto but were soon banned from clubs for their on and off stage antics, so they started playing shows in San Diego and L.A. after being invited by San Diego native and brief Toronto resident, Chris Squire of to stay with him in San Diego for 3 weeks and play some shows with his garage punk group, The Tori Cobras. It was in San Diego that Squire introduced the band to professional skateboarder, Kris Markovich, landing Kill Cheerleader (then Cheerleader 666 still) the opening music track in Markovich's part for his Hollywood skateboards video. After playing several shows throughout San Diego, L.A., Orange County, and Riverside with The Tori Cobras and having their music in the Hollywood video, the bands popularity among hardcore skateboarders and so-cal punk rockers began to steamroll. Squire had tried to enlist Cheerleader666 for his record label, Pure Noise Forever but the deal never panned out.
After some 8000 demo CDs were sold, a German record label licensed one of their unmixed/unmastered recordings and released it as 7 track LP titled Gutter Days
Gutter Days
Gutter Days was a 2003 10" vinyl EP re-release of Kïll Cheerleadër's second demo CD, originally released in 2001.Some CD-R versions of "Gutter Days" included a cover of the Ramones song, "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do"...
which was rereleased on 10” vinyl in 2003. One reviewer called it "the greatest punk n' roll recording ever made... completely redefined excellence in that genre... I am shaken..." (House of Smut). Ky Anto, lead guitarist for Robin Black
Robin Black
Robin Black is a Canadian glam rock band, originally known as Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars, formed in 1998. The band's lead singer also uses Robin Black as his stage name.-History:...
once called them "The sound of desperation"... Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
of Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
called them the "best new band" in his online journal. SPIN Magazine journalists wrote how they were "blown away" about their live show, and Alternative Press has called them a "band to watch." Rock legend Lemmy from Motörhead invited them to open their UK tour and talked about them on SuicideGirls.com and in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, declaring Kïll Cheerleadër as the "greatest rock n' roll band since Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns 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...
."
Their music has been described as “the greatest fusion of Stooges/Guns fuck rock anyone has ever spewed”, as well as “taking the energy of early Motorhead while grinding it together with the energy of bands like The Ramones or The Stooges”. Critics have also stated that “pre-punk rockers The Stooges, glam stalwarts Motley Crue, and straight-up scumbags Guns N' Roses have their fingerprints all over Kill Cheerleader's sound”. Ethan Deth has pointed out that "we have our punk and metal songs but we also have a strong Neil Young influence, which we don't ignore”.
After traveling to the U.S west coast and playing a number of high-profile shows in Los Angeles the band gained a new following for their destructive and fresh take on dirty punk-metal. Their debut album All Hail
All Hail
All Hail is Kïll Cheerleadër's first full-length album, released in 2004, by Spinerazor/Corporate Punishment Records and later reissued in 2006...
was released in 2004 through Spinerazor Records.
The band broke up in 2006.
Discography
- 2000: Demo CD-R
- 2001: Gutter DaysGutter DaysGutter Days was a 2003 10" vinyl EP re-release of Kïll Cheerleadër's second demo CD, originally released in 2001.Some CD-R versions of "Gutter Days" included a cover of the Ramones song, "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do"...
(CD-R released in 2001, 10" vinyl released in 2003 as Cheerleader 666) - 2004: All HailAll HailAll Hail is Kïll Cheerleadër's first full-length album, released in 2004, by Spinerazor/Corporate Punishment Records and later reissued in 2006...
(debut full-length CD as Kill Cheerleader, reissued by Sanctuary in 2006.)