Scratch Acid
Encyclopedia
Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas
noise rock
group formed in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson
(vocals), David Wm. Sims
(guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow
(bass), and Rey Washam
(drums) and Win Vitosky (skin flute). Anderson was kicked out of the band before they ever recorded an album, prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass.
Scratch Acid's first two albums were released by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat, the third and final release, Berserker EP by Touch and Go Records
. A posthumous compilation CD entitled The Greatest Gift
was released by Touch and Go Records
in 1991.
The band was named by music journalist Will Lerner as "the American equivalent of the Birthday Party
." After developing a reputation as a crazy, noisy punk band, Scratch Acid disbanded in 1987. According to the liner notes of The Greatest Gift, the band members never received compensation from either Rabid Cat or Fundamental Records (who distributed their releases in Europe).
Brett Bradford went on to form Colorado punk band Great Caesar's Ghost. They disbanded in 1993. He also formed Sangre De Toro and played with Areola 51. Washam went on to perform with many other bands, including the Big Boys
, Ministry
, Helios Creed
, the Didjits
, Lard
, and Tad
. In 1987, Sims and Washam joined Steve Albini
in the band Rapeman
, which disbanded just before Sims reunited with Yow in 1989 to form the Jesus Lizard
.
All of the original members of the band appeared at Emo's nightclub
in Austin on September 2, 2006, and at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago
, Illinois
on September 9, 2006. They played their third and final show of the brief reunion at Seattle's Showbox Theater on Saturday, September 16, playing 20 songs from their 28-song (recorded) oeuvre before leaving the stage.
The band will reunite for their first UK show since 1987 for the second British All Tomorrow's Parties
music festival March 9 through 11, 2012, curated by Neutral Milk Hotel
's Jeff Mangum
. David Wm. Sims also announced in his blog that the band will play some dates in November and December in the US "and possibly in Europe". On August 31st, David Yow released the complete list of tour dates on his Facebook page.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
group formed in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson (music)
Steve Anderson was briefly a member of the band Scratch Acid. His most recognisable work is as Kylie Minogue's collaborator on her recent tours and previous albums. He was a record producer and co-writer of many of the songs on Impossible Princess as well as some of her earlier and later albums...
(vocals), David Wm. Sims
David Wm. Sims
David William Sims is an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist of the bands Scratch Acid , Rapeman, and the Jesus Lizard. In addition, he has recorded or performed with Sparklehorse, Rhys Chatham, Shivaree, Pigface, Flour, and others...
(guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow
David Yow
David Yow is an American musician born in Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and The Jesus Lizard.-Biography:...
(bass), and Rey Washam
Rey Washam
Rey Washam is a drummer who has been performing for more than 20 years. He has collaborated with many bands, the most notable of which include: Scratch Acid, Rapeman, Ministry, the Big Boys, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad and Butthole Surfers offshoot Daddy Longhead...
(drums) and Win Vitosky (skin flute). Anderson was kicked out of the band before they ever recorded an album, prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass.
Scratch Acid's first two albums were released by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat, the third and final release, Berserker EP by Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
. A posthumous compilation CD entitled The Greatest Gift
The Greatest Gift
The Greatest Gift is a posthumously-released compilation album by Scratch Acid, containing everything they had recorded.Included is one unreleased track, "The Scale Song", which was recorded in December 1982 and is likely the band's earliest recording....
was released by Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
in 1991.
The band was named by music journalist Will Lerner as "the American equivalent of the Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
." After developing a reputation as a crazy, noisy punk band, Scratch Acid disbanded in 1987. According to the liner notes of The Greatest Gift, the band members never received compensation from either Rabid Cat or Fundamental Records (who distributed their releases in Europe).
Brett Bradford went on to form Colorado punk band Great Caesar's Ghost. They disbanded in 1993. He also formed Sangre De Toro and played with Areola 51. Washam went on to perform with many other bands, including the Big Boys
Big Boys (band)
The Big Boys were a pioneering band who are credited with helping introduce the new style of hardcore punk that became popular in the 1980s.-History:...
, Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer 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...
, Helios Creed
Helios Creed
Helios Creed is an American guitarist, singer and bandleader. He first came to prominence in the mid 1970s with the San Francisco band Chrome. They are credited with being the godfathers of what later became known as Industrial Rock music...
, the Didjits
The Didjits
The Didjits were an American punk rock band formed in Sullivan, Illinois in 1983, comprised Rick Sims on guitar/vocals, Doug Evans on bass, and Rick's brother Brad Sims, on drums. Didjits were known for the aggressive guitar playing and persona of Rick Sims, who often baited the audience between...
, Lard
Lard (band)
Lard is a hardcore punk/industrial band founded in 1988 as a side project by Jello Biafra , Al Jourgensen , Paul Barker , and Jeff Ward . Biafra is perhaps best known as the former frontman of the punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
, and Tad
Tad (band)
Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington led by Tad Doyle. Among the first of the many bands which came out of Seattle in the grunge era, Tad was notable for the fact that its music had a noticeable 1970s metal influence, rather than the punk which influenced most other grunge bands...
. In 1987, Sims and Washam joined Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
in the band Rapeman
Rapeman
Rapeman was an American post-hardcore/noise rock group founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1989. It consisted of Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, David Wm. Sims on bass, and Rey Washam on drums.-History:In an interview, Albini reported that "'Rapeman' is .....
, which disbanded just before Sims reunited with Yow in 1989 to form the Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard was an American alternative rock and noise rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial...
.
All of the original members of the band appeared at Emo's nightclub
Emo's
Emo's is a prominent nightclub located in Austin, Texas. Emo's got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992. The Houston location closed its doors in September 2001....
in Austin on September 2, 2006, and at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on September 9, 2006. They played their third and final show of the brief reunion at Seattle's Showbox Theater on Saturday, September 16, playing 20 songs from their 28-song (recorded) oeuvre before leaving the stage.
The band will reunite for their first UK show since 1987 for the second British All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
music festival March 9 through 11, 2012, curated by Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
's Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
. David Wm. Sims also announced in his blog that the band will play some dates in November and December in the US "and possibly in Europe". On August 31st, David Yow released the complete list of tour dates on his Facebook page.
Discography
- 1984 Scratch AcidScratch Acid (EP)Scratch Acid is the self-titled debut by the Austin, Texas noise rock band Scratch Acid. It was only released on vinyl, but now can be found as the first 8 tracks on the compilation album The Greatest Gift....
(Rabid Cat) - 1986 Just Keep EatingJust Keep EatingJust Keep Eating is the only full-length album by the Austin, Texas noise rock band Scratch Acid. Although it was only released on vinyl, it can be found as tracks 9-21 on the compilation album The Greatest Gift.-Track listing:...
(Rabid Cat) - 1987 BerserkerBerserker (Scratch Acid album)Berserker is an EP, the final release by Austin, Texas noise rock band Scratch Acid. Although it is now out of print, it can be found as tracks 22-27 on the compilation album The Greatest Gift.Berserker reached #7 in the UK Indie Chart....
(Touch and Go Records) - 1991 The Greatest GiftThe Greatest GiftThe Greatest Gift is a posthumously-released compilation album by Scratch Acid, containing everything they had recorded.Included is one unreleased track, "The Scale Song", which was recorded in December 1982 and is likely the band's earliest recording....
compilation (Touch and Go Records)