Fear (band)

Fear is a punk rock band from Los Angeles, California,

formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape
the sound and style of Californian hardcore punk,[1] 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.

forced Fear o the project, and Belushi got them the infamous SNL gig as compensation. The bands appearance included a group of moshers, among them Belushi,
Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat (and later Fugazi), Tesco
Vee of The Meatmen, Harley Flanagan and John Joseph
of the Cro-Mags, and John Brannon of Negative ApThe shows director originally wanted to prevent
Frontman Lee Ving has been the bands only constant proach.
the
dancers
from participating, so Belushi oered to be
member. Since its formation, the band has gone through
in
the
episode
if the dancers were allowed to stay.[2] The
various lineup changes, and at one point, featured Flea of
end result was the shortening of Fears appearance on TV.
the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass.
They started their second song by saying, Its great to
be in New Jersey", drawing boos from SNL's New York
live audience. Fear played I Don't Care About You,
1 History
Beef Bologna, New Yorks Alright If You Like Saxophones, and started to play Lets Have a War when
the telecast faded into commercial. The slamdancers left
1.1 1970s
ripe pumpkin remains on the set. Cameras, a piano and
other property were damaged.
Fear was formed in 1977 by vocalist/guitarist Lee Ving
and bassist Derf Scratch. They recruited guitarist Burt After their SNL appearance, which resulted in $20,000 in
Good and drummer Johnny Backbeat to ll out the orig- damage, some clubs chose not to hire the band. A New
inal lineup. In 1978, Fear released the single "I Love York Post article later reported the gure to be $500,000.
Livin' in the City". Shortly after this, Good and Backbeat This is believed to have originated from Ving, who told
left the band and were replaced by Philo Cramer and Spit the Post that "...we caused $500,000 worth of damage, a
cool half a million dollars worth of damage, cause were
Stix.
professionals, and I counted the damage myself.[3]

1.2

1980s

1.2.2 19821989

Film director Penelope Spheeris met Ving and Stix while

they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los
Angeles on Laurel Canyon. After a brief discussion, she
asked if they wanted to be in a documentary about the Los
Angeles punk scene, [2] The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). In the lm, Fear performed a set in which
they baited members of the audience with personal attacks, sexist and homophobic slurs, and obeat humor,
inspiring some audience members to come on stage and
try to ght them. At the time, Spheeris was married to
Slash Records president Bob Biggs who, later that year,
signed a recording deal with Fear.

1.2.1

In 1982, Fear released their debut album The Record. After touring in support of the album, Ving red Scratch.
Eric Feldman (of PJ Harvey, Captain Beefheart, Pere
Ubu, and Frank Black) briey lled in on bass before
he was replaced by Flea. Flea left the band and was replaced by Lorenzo Buhne. On July 3, 1983, Fear performed at the Rock Against Reagan protest concert at
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC along with the
Dead Kennedys, MDC, Toxic Reasons, the Crucifucks
and others. In the summer of 1983 through early 1984,
while Stix was touring Europe with Nina Hagen, Chuck
Biscuits was supposed to replace him, but Stix returned
and Biscuits never played any shows with Fear.[4] With
Ving producing, the band recorded their second album
More Beer in 1986 in just two days.

1981 appearance on Saturday Night Live

Spheeris documentary brought the band to the attention

of John Belushi, who lobbied successfully to get the band
a spot as a musical guest on the 1981 Halloween episode 1.3 1990s
of his former show Saturday Night Live. Belushi had
originally oered Fear the soundtrack for his major mo- Live...for the Record, a live album of a 1985 performance,
tion picture Neighbors. The lms producers eventually was released in 1991. Shortly afterwards, bassist Will
1

3 DISCOGRAPHY

Sluggo MacGregor was hired. After 199193 North Former members

American tours, Fear disbanded. Cramer and Stix left
the band, citing disputes with Ving over nances, his right
Derf Scratch bass (19771982)
wing beliefs, and his lack of empathy. For the next two
Burt Good lead guitar (19771978)
years, Ving performed in Austin, Texas as Lee Vings
Army. This eventually became the new Fear lineup, in Johnny Backbeat drums (1977)
cluding Ving backed by LVA members Sean Cruse (guitar), Scott Thunes (bass) and Andrew Jamiez (drums). In
Philo Cramer lead guitar (19781993)
1995, Fear released the Have Another Beer with Fear al Spit Stix drums (19781993)
bum, followed by American Beer (2000), which featured
Ving and Jamiez along with new members Richard Pres Eric Feldman bass (1982)
ley and Mando Lopez. The album included new recordings of several previously unreleased older Fear songs,
Flea bass (19821984)
as well as some new compositions. Presley and Lopez
then began playing with Kim Deal and Kelley Deal in The
Lorenzo Buhne bass (19841988)
Breeders.
Will MacGregor bass (19911993)

1.4

Scott Thunes bass (19931995)

2000s

In 2008, Fear (with Ving as the only original member)

participated in the annual Warped Tour, a traveling punk
rock-themed festival.
In 2012, Fear performed at the South by Southwest music
festival.[5]
A re-recording of 1982s The Record was released in late
2012.

Paradise Studio Demos

(Unreleased)

Have Another Beer with Fear

(Sector 2 Records)

Richard Presley lead guitar (19992005)

Derol Caraco lead guitar (20052009)
Sam Bolle bass (20082009)

Studio albums

American Beer (Hall of Records)

Fuck Christmas (Slash Records)

Sean Cruse lead guitar (19951999)

3 Discography

Studio Albums
Singles

Live...For the Record

(Caroline Records)

More Beer (Restless Records)

Mando Lopez bass (19972008)

Lawrence Arrieta lead guitar (2010)

Band members

The Record (Slash Records)

Kelly LeMieux bass (19951997)

I Love Livin in the City

(Criminal Records)

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

(The End Records)

Lee Ving

Vocals

Burt Good
Derf Scratch
Johnny Backbeat

Spit Stix
Eric Feldman
Flea
Lorenzo Buhne
Will MacGregor

Lead Guitar

Andrew Jamiez
Scott Thunes
Sean Cruse
Kelly LeMieux
Mando Lopez

Bass

Band Members

Philo Cramer

Guitar

Richard Presley
Derol Caraco
Sam Bolle
Paul Lerma

Drums

Paradise Studio Demos (Unreleased) (1978)

The Record (1982)
More Beer (1985)
Live...for the Record (1991)

Lawrence Arrieta

2014

2010

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1977

Dave Stark

Have Another Beer with Fear (1995)

American Beer (2000)

Timeline of Fear members and releases.

Current members
Lee Ving lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1977
present)
Andrew Jamiez drums (1993present)
Paul Lerma bass, backing vocals (2010present)
Dave Stark lead guitar, backing vocals (2011
present)

The Fear Record (2012) (rerecorded version of The

Record)
Singles
"I Love Livin' in the City" (1977)
"Fuck Christmas" (1982)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (2011)
Paradise Studio Demos (Vol. 1) (2014)

3
Soundtracks
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
Class of 1984 (1982)
Get Crazy (1983)
Nightmares (1983)
Repo Man (1984)
SLC Punk! (1998)

Inuence

Fear has inuenced a number of bands who have paid

tribute to the band by covering its songs.

Poster Children covered Lets Have a War on their

On the Oensive CD EP.
Sacred Reich covered Lets Have a War on their
A Question EP and Beef Bologna on the Japanese
version of their album Heal.
Soundgarden covered I Don't Care About You, appearing as a B-side on several of their singles.
Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.) covered I Love
Livin' in the City on their Live at Budokan album.
The Reatards covered "I Love Livin' in the City" on
their album Teenage Hate.
Turbonegro covered I Don't Care About You on
their Small Feces box set.

5 In popular culture

A Perfect Circle covered Lets Have a War on their

album eMOTIVe.
Fears music has also been featured in several video game
soundtracks. I Love Livin' in the City appeared in
Bad Religion covered "Fuck Christmas", though it The Warriors and Tony Hawks Underground 2, and The
was not released. The band also covered I Don't Mouth Don't Stop (The Trouble with Women Is)" apCare About You during its May 18, 1998, perfor- peared in Grand Theft Auto V, on the ctional punk rock
mance at the TLA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
radio station, Channel X.
Blatz covered I Don't Care About You on Shit Split.
Course of Empire covered Lets Have a War as a
B-side on their 1993 single Infested!"
Dark Angel covered I Don't Care About You on
their Live Scars album.
Demoniac quoted the lyric Hatred is purity, weakness is disease from Fears Foreign Policy in the
song Hatred Is Purity.
Dog Eat Dog covered More Beer on their EP If
These Are the Good Times.
From Autumn to Ashes covered Lets Have a War
for the Tony Hawks American Wasteland soundtrack released by Vagrant Records.
Guns N' Roses covered I Don't Care About You,
released on their 1993 The Spaghetti Incident?"
punk covers album.
Harvey Milk covered We Destroy the Family on
their 2008 album Life... The Best Game in Town.
Hellbillys covered I Love Livin' in the City.
Indecision covered I Don't Care About You and
New Yorks 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 their Gross Misconduct album.

6 References
[1] Huey, Steve. Fear. AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
[2] Spit Stix interview. Markprindle.com. Retrieved 201107-22.
[3]
[4] Fear. MistsCentral.com. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
[5] Music News | SXSW 2013. Sxsw.com. Retrieved 201306-15.

7 External links
Spit Stix chronicles his time with Fear From Spit
Stixs personal page.
FEAR The Band Facebook Page

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Fear (band) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear%20(band)?oldid=639980334 Contributors: Paul A, Minesweeper, RickK, Zoicon5,

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8.2

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8.3

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