Revolting Cocks, also known as
RevCo, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrial rockIndustrial rock is a musical genre that fuses electro-industrial and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band that began as a musical side-project for Richard 23 of
Front 242Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. During their most active period they influenced many electro-industrial and electronic artists.-Formation:When industrial music developed in England in the mid-1970s with Cabaret Voltaire and...
,
Luc Van AckerLuc van Acker is a musician from Tienen, Belgium. He began writing and releasing solo material in 1982, and worked with a few other bands and with Anna Domino over the next few years. Then in 1985, he met Richard 23 of Front 242 at the DNA Club in Brussels, Belgium, and thereby became a founding...
, and
Al JourgensenAl Jourgensen is a Cuban-American musician best known as the founder and frontman of the industrial metal band Ministry. He is sometimes credited as Alain Jourgensen, Alien Jourgensen, Hypo Luxa , Dog, Alien Dog Star and Buck Satan...
of
MinistryMinistry was an American industrial metal band founded by frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed...
.
The group was founded by Richard 23, Luc Van Acker and Al Jourgensen. The band got their name after a fight in a Chicago bar in 1983. Jourgensen, Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker celebrated the formation of the new band with a few drinks.
Revolting Cocks, also known as
RevCo, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrial rockIndustrial rock is a musical genre that fuses electro-industrial and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band that began as a musical side-project for Richard 23 of
Front 242Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. During their most active period they influenced many electro-industrial and electronic artists.-Formation:When industrial music developed in England in the mid-1970s with Cabaret Voltaire and...
,
Luc Van AckerLuc van Acker is a musician from Tienen, Belgium. He began writing and releasing solo material in 1982, and worked with a few other bands and with Anna Domino over the next few years. Then in 1985, he met Richard 23 of Front 242 at the DNA Club in Brussels, Belgium, and thereby became a founding...
, and
Al JourgensenAl Jourgensen is a Cuban-American musician best known as the founder and frontman of the industrial metal band Ministry. He is sometimes credited as Alain Jourgensen, Alien Jourgensen, Hypo Luxa , Dog, Alien Dog Star and Buck Satan...
of
MinistryMinistry was an American industrial metal band founded by frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed...
.
History
The group was founded by Richard 23, Luc Van Acker and Al Jourgensen. The band got their name after a fight in a Chicago bar in 1983. Jourgensen, Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker celebrated the formation of the new band with a few drinks. The evening then ended up in a brawl, with bar stools being thrown through the establishment's windows. As he was throwing the trio out, the owner, a man Jourgensen recalls was named Dess, shouted, "I'm calling the police! You guys are a bunch of revolting cocks!" The trio subsequently decided to use the name for their band.
The first release was
No Devotion on Wax Trax records.
Losing Richard 23 due to creative differences, the group's remaining two members were augmented by a rapidly changing set of musicians centered around Chris Connelly (Fini Tribe, later Damage Manual),
Paul BarkerPaul Barker , was bass guitarist, producer and engineer with the industrial metal band Ministry from 1986 to 2004. He sometimes uses the alias Hermes Pan. He joined Ministry in 1986 for the Twitch tour as a touring bassist, before which he was a member of The Blackouts with his brother Roland...
(
BlackoutsThe Blackouts were a punk rock band formed in Seattle in 1979 by singer/guitarist Erich Werner, bassist Mike Davidson, and drummer William Rieflin, who were all former members of a local punk band, The Telepaths...
,
MinistryMinistry was an American industrial metal band founded by frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed...
), and Bill Rieflin (Blackouts, Ministry, and who is now playing for
R.E.M.R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry . R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M...
and
Robyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
), with around twenty others as irregular contributors or guest artists.
The first single was quickly followed by an album,
Big Sexy Land, in 1986, followed by a double live album,
You Goddamned Son of a Bitch, in 1988 and
Beers, Steers, and QueersBeers, Steers + Queers is an LP released by the Revolting Cocks in 1990. It includes the song "Beers, Steers, and Queers" which is one of the best known Revolting Cocks tracks...
in 1990. After a lengthy hiatus,
Linger Ficken' Good, was released in 1993 - this would be the Cocks' last album for over 10 years.
The first album was a mix of Wax Trax-industrial, hard rock, and
EBMElectronic body music, EBM or Industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
with dominating sampling and strong synthesized beats. The live album, with the change in personnel, featured a return to Ministry-like industrial rock - the
Big Sexy Land tracks embedded in shouting and noise. This trend continued on
Beers, Steers and Queers, layering sample over sample and pushing ever further into distortion.
Linger Ficken' Good was released by Sire records and is a tamer affair, most tracks returning to the less layered material. Included was a cover of
Rod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English lineage....
's
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart. It was written by Stewart and Carmine Appice, and produced by Tom Dowd."Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" spent one week at the top of the British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, starting February 10,...
, also released as a single.
In 2004, the band, now focused on Al Jourgensen and former Cock Phildo Owens (Skatenigs, Snow Black), released iterations of
Prune Tang to disappointing responses from fans. An album titled
Purple Head was due in 2004, but was delayed until 2006 with a change in title,
Cocked & Loaded.
Caliente (Dark Entries), a cover of sorts of
Dark Entries by
BauhausBauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
, with vocalist
Gibby HaynesGibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, painter and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
(
Butthole SurfersThe Butthole Surfers are an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but the core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been together since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
), was featured on the soundtrack to
Saw II in 2005.
After assembling a touring line up to open for Ministry on the MasterBaTour of 2006, Jourgensen chose vocalist Josh Bradford (Stayte), keyboardist
Clayton WorbeckClayton Worbeck is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer and remixer. His career began in 1997 with the industrial rock band Stayte - co-founded with singer/lyricist Joshua Bradford...
(Stayte), and guitarist
Sin QuirinSin Quirin is a guitar player from LA. He was asked to join Ministry as a permanent member and is featured throughout the 2007 Ministry album The Last Sucker....
(later Ministry and ReVamp) as the new full time members for the Revolting Cocks, now simply being called "RevCo". The group recorded
Sex-O Olympic-O, which was originally set to be released in October of 2008, but was delayed until the following February, and was officially released on March 3, 2009.
The Revolting Cocks are also known for their perverse lyrics and raunchy live shows, which made them a target for angry moralists in the late '80s / early '90s. In the mid '80s, their song
No Devotion was put on the PMRC's "banned list", and in 1990, Britain's Home Secretary
Douglas HurdDouglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a senior British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995...
tried to stop the band from performing in the UK by refusing them work permits.
Current line-up
- Al Jourgensen
Al Jourgensen is a Cuban-American musician best known as the founder and frontman of the industrial metal band Ministry. He is sometimes credited as Alain Jourgensen, Alien Jourgensen, Hypo Luxa , Dog, Alien Dog Star and Buck Satan...
(programmingProgramming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s...
, production, voices, and various instruments; 1985-1994, 2004-present [not including tour of 2009])
- Josh Bradford (vocals, 2006-present)
- Sin Quirin
Sin Quirin is a guitar player from LA. He was asked to join Ministry as a permanent member and is featured throughout the 2007 Ministry album The Last Sucker....
(guitars, bass, keyboards; 2006-present)
- Clayton Worbeck
Clayton Worbeck is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer and remixer. His career began in 1997 with the industrial rock band Stayte - co-founded with singer/lyricist Joshua Bradford...
(keyboards, bass, remixing; 2006-present; additional guitar, tour of 2009)
- Murv Douglas (bass, tour of 2009)
- Aaron Rossi (drums, tour of 2009)
Former members
- Luc Van Acker
Luc van Acker is a musician from Tienen, Belgium. He began writing and releasing solo material in 1982, and worked with a few other bands and with Anna Domino over the next few years. Then in 1985, he met Richard 23 of Front 242 at the DNA Club in Brussels, Belgium, and thereby became a founding...
(vocals & various instruments, 1985-1993; remixing, 2007, 2009; tours of 1988, 1991, & 2006)
- Richard 23 (vocals, 1985-1986)
- Bill Rieflin (drums, programming; 1986-1994)
- Paul Barker
Paul Barker , was bass guitarist, producer and engineer with the industrial metal band Ministry from 1986 to 2004. He sometimes uses the alias Hermes Pan. He joined Ministry in 1986 for the Twitch tour as a touring bassist, before which he was a member of The Blackouts with his brother Roland...
(bass, keyboards, programming, voices; 1987-1994)
- Chris Connelly (vocals, programming; 1987-1994)
- Phil Owen (vocals; 1990, 2004-2006; remixing, 2007; tours of 1990-1991, 2006)
Studio members
- Patrick Codenys (keyboards, 1985)
- Nivek Ogre
Nivek Ogre born December 5, 1962 is the vocalist best known for his work in the industrial band Skinny Puppy...
(vocals, 1990)
- Mike Scaccia
Mike Scaccia , is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist for the metal bands Ministry, Rigor Mortis, and The Revolting Cocks.- Professional life :...
(guitar; 1990-1993, 2004-2006)
- Roland Barker (saxophone, keyboards, programming; 1993)
- Duane Buford (keyboards, voices; 1993)
- Patty Jourgensen (backing vocals; 1993)
- Timothy Leary
Dr. Timothy Francis Leary was an American writer, psychologist, futurist, advocate of psychedelic drug research, and one of the first people whose remains have been sent into space. An icon of 1960s counterculture, Leary is most famous as a proponent of the therapeutic, spiritual and emotional...
(voices; 1993)
- Louis Svitek
Louis Svitek - guitarist for M.O.D., Ministry, Pigface, Mind Funk, The Hollow steps and Project .44. You can also find his work in many movie soundtracks such as The Matrix & Blue Hill Ave. He now owns and operates his own recording studio and independent record label, "Wu Li Records" in Chicago, IL...
(guitar; 1993)
- Mark Baker (drums, backing vocals; 2004-2006)
- Stevie Banch (vocals, songwriter, guitar, bass, programming, backing vocals; 2004-2006)
- Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher , more widely known by the stage name Jello Biafra, is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
(vocals, backing vocals; 2004-2006)
- Billy Gibbons
Billy F Gibbons , nicknamed the Reverend Willie G, is a musician, actor, hot rod and car customizer and perhaps best known as the lead guitarist for ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs...
(guitar; 2004-2006)
- Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, painter and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
(vocals; 2004-2006)
- Rick Nielsen
Rick Nielsen is the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Cheap Trick. For the band's first few albums, Nielsen wrote the majority of the material himself. He is well known for having many custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including his famous five-neck...
(guitar; 2004-2006)
- Robin Zander
Robin Zander is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, Cheap Trick.-Early life:Zander is the fourth of five children; he has two older brothers, and older and younger sisters....
(backing vocals; 2004-2006)
Touring members
- Louanne Ponder (dancer; 1987)
- Gina Tubetop (dancer; 1987)
- Kim Assaley (backing vocals, 1993; dancer, tours of 1990-1991)
- Mark Durante
Mark Durante is a pedal steel guitarist who is currently based in Chicago.Durante began playing guitar in 1968 after being inspired by the fretwork of Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Merle Travis. Ten years later, Durante founded a rock combo he named "Public Enemy"...
(guitar; tours of 1990-1991)
- Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist and founder of the industrial rock musical project known as Nine Inch Nails; he was previously associated with the bands Option 30, Exotic Birds, and Tapeworm, among others. As of 2007, Reznor split his ties with...
(vocals, tour of 1990)
- Jeff Ward
Jeff Ward was a drummer for bands including Hammeron, Nine Inch Nails, Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Lard, and Low Pop Suicide....
(drums, 1989-1990; tour of 1990)
- Seven Antonopoulos
Chris Antonopoulos is American rock drummer, who played on Sabian Cymbals for Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes.-Career:Antonopoulos joined the Los Angeles hard rock band Opiate for the Masses as a drummer in 2004....
(drums; tour of 2006)
- Anna Kjellberg
-Biography:Noted today for their Seattle/Grunge sound, Stockholm all female quartet Drain STH have undergone many direction changes in both musical style and image. Guitarist Flavia Canel and drummer Martina Axén have been together in many acts starting with punk band Livin' Sacrifice...
(bass; tour of 2006)
Albums
- Big Sexy Land
Big Sexy Land is a studio album by Revolting Cocks released in 1986. Big Sexy Land is the band's first major release. At that time Revolting Cocks were Luc Van Acker, Richard 23 and Alain Jourgensen.-Releases:...
(1985)
- You Goddamned Son of a Bitch - Live
Live! You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch is a concert album and video, consisting of live material recorded at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago, 1987...
(1988)
- Beers, Steers, and Queers
Beers, Steers + Queers is an LP released by the Revolting Cocks in 1990. It includes the song "Beers, Steers, and Queers" which is one of the best known Revolting Cocks tracks...
(1990)
- Linger Ficken' Good
Linger Ficken' Good… and Other Barnyard Oddities is the third studio album by The Revolting Cocks. The title is a satirical wordplay on the advertising slogan employed by KFC in the 1970s, "Finger Lickin Good."...
(1993)
- Cocked and Loaded
Cocked and Loaded is an LP released February 14, 2006 by the Revolting Cocks on 13th Planet Records.-Promo:# "Fire Engine" – 4:59# "Ten Million Ways to Die" – 4:45...
(2006)
- Cocktail Mixxx
Cocktail Mixxx is a remix album released on March 6, 2007 by the Revolting Cocks on 13th Planet Records. All of the original songs can be found on the band's previous album, Cocked and Loaded, and are remixed in their order of appearance on the promotional issue of that album, with "Fire Engine"...
(2007)
- Sex-O Olympic-O
Sex-O Olympic-O is the fifth album by the Revolting Cocks, released on March 3, 2009 through 13th Planet Records. -Track listing:# "Hookerbot3000" – 3:30# "Keys to the City " – 3:38# "Red Parrot" – 4:32# "Robo Bandidos" – 4:14...
(2009)
- Sex-O MiXXX-O
Sex-O MiXXX-O is a remix album released on September 29, 2009 by the Revolting Cocks on 13th Planet Records. All of the original songs can be found on the band's previous album, Sex-O Olympic-O.-Track listing:#HookerBot3000 - 03:47...
(2009)
Singles
- "No Devotion"
- "Attack Ships..."
- "...On Fire"
- You Often Forget (1986) (UK Indie
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.-History:In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#13)
- "You Often Forget (Benign Side)"
- "You Often Forget (Malignant Side)"
- Stainless Steel Providers (1989)
- "Stainless Steel Providers"
- "At the Top"
- "T.V. Mind [Remix]" (CD only)
- (Let's Get) Physical (1989)
- "(Let's Get) Physical"
- "(Let's Talk) Physical"
- Beers, Steers, and Queers (The Remixes) (1991)
- "Beers, Steers & Queers [Drop Your Britches Mix]" / "Beers, Steers & Queers [Take 'Em Right Off Mix]"
- "Stainless Steel Providers [Live]"
- "Public Image [Live]"
- Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? (1993)
- "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
- "Sergio Guitar"
- "Wrong Sexy Mix"
- "Crackin' Up (Video Edit)"
- "Crackin' Up (Amyl Nitrate Mix)"
- "Gila Copter (Version 2)"
External links