Rocket from the Crypt

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Rocket from the Crypt
Atom
Websiterftc.com

Rocket from the Crypt is an American punk rock band from San Diego, California, originally active from 1990 to 2005, then active during 2011 and again from 2013 to the present.

The band gained critical praise and the attention of major

Atom Willard
departed the group.

After a period of inactivity in 1999 and 2000, during which singer/guitarist John Reis formed Hot Snakes and Sultans and launched his Swami Records label, the band signed to Vagrant Records and recruited new drummer Ruby Mars. They experienced a revitalization of creative energy and released two more albums, but were not as prolific as in the past.

Over the next few years the band members became increasingly involved with other projects and Rocket from the Crypt became less of a focus. They decided to disband in 2005, playing a sold-out farewell show on Halloween in their hometown of San Diego.

The band reunited in 2011 for a one-off appearance on the television program Yo Gabba Gabba!, and in 2013 reformed once more for a series of performances in the US, Europe and Australia.

Band history

Formation

After the breakup of his

Adam Willard joined the band under the stage name "Atom."[3]
The rest of the band also assumed stage monikers, with Stamets performing as "ND" and Reichert as "Petey X."

The band soon added a

vinyl singles
around this time and began to attract a dedicated underground following. Reis recalls:

"It was really immediate; that's why we loved putting out singles early on. We recorded some songs for Sympathy for the Record Industry, and two weeks later, we had some finished copies of them. The turnaround time was amazing. And by the time people were able to get them, it was still under a month. They're hearing something that is completely fresh–this is something we're doing at the moment. We did that for, like, a three-year period."[3]

Their second album Circa: Now! was released in 1992, followed by their first tour and music videos for the songs "Ditchdigger" and "Sturdy Wrist." The band also added a second member to its horn section, bringing in trumpeter Jason "JC 2000" Crane.[3] Around this time Reis announced in a fanzine that all fans with Rocket from the Crypt tattoos would be allowed into the band's shows for free, for life, causing tattoos of their logo to become an international phenomenon.[3]

Signing to Interscope

Fueled by a label interest in Drive Like Jehu, both Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu signed to

All Systems Go, while Interscope re-released Circa: Now! and pushed for the band to continue touring in support of the album. Even with market saturation high, however, the band members decided to take a six-month break in 1994 while Reis recorded a second and final album with Drive Like Jehu.[2]

Regrouping after their hiatus, the band experienced a flurry of creative energy that resulted in several more vinyl singles and a trilogy of records in 1995, beginning with the

MTV Europe, earning them rave reviews in NME and allowing them to play Top of the Pops
.

They were also an

Kennedy sported a tattoo of the band's logo on her ankle on national television, and increased radio and MTV airplay continued. A large headlining tour ensued in 1996, as well as supporting tours with Rancid and Soundgarden. The band also gained a reputation for a series of interesting and, at times, seemingly ludicrous gimmicks and stage antics which included holding raffles during live performances, spinning a large game show wheel to determine set lists, onstage fire breathing, annual Halloween and New Year's shows, and the wearing of coordinated and progressively more ornate stage costumes.[citation needed
] In Europe the band also hosted a German variety show, played children's shows and morning shows, and did interviews with fashion magazines.

Lineup change

In 1998, Rocket from the Crypt released

Chris Prescott from San Diego bands Tanner and No Knife, who performed as touring percussionist and keyboardist. Though overall reaction was positive and singles "Break it Up" and "Lipstick" received radio airplay, the album failed to sell well. The band settled some contractual obligations and then left their label. In 1999 San Diego music magazine SLAMM named them the "best San Diego band of all time" in their coverage of local acts leading up to New Year's Eve 2000. The band tried to maintain their creativity with the release of the EP Cut Carefully and Play Loud that year, but disagreements between members over the band's direction resulted in drummer Atom Willard departing the group in early 2000 (he would go on to act as Weezer's drum technician and play in The Special Goodness, later becoming permanent drummer in both The Offspring and Angels & Airwaves). Rocket took a brief hiatus, during which Reis launched his own record label Swami Records and released a second rarities collection called All Systems Go 2, as well as debut albums by his newly formed bands Hot Snakes and Sultans
.

Signing to Vagrant

In 2000, the band signed to independent label

Live From Camp X-Ray
, after which Reis devoted more energy to recording and touring with Hot Snakes and Sultans and to signing and producing bands for his Swami label. Rocket would perform infrequently over the next few years.

Demise

In August 2005, after breaking up Hot Snakes, Reis announced that Rocket from the Crypt would play their final show that Halloween in San Diego. After a final east coast performance in New York, they played a farewell show before a capacity crowd at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel in downtown San Diego on Halloween, which was filmed for a DVD release.

Following the band's breakup Reis focused his energy on running Swami Records and continued to play with the Sultans until their breakup in January 2007. He then formed

Off!
. He also joined Reis in the Sultans for infrequent performances until that group's breakup in January 2007.

Swami Records released a "rough cut" of the Rocket from the Crypt farewell concert DVD in October 2006, but a fire at the offices of Fourth Project, the video company producing the DVD, pushed back the final version. It was eventually released in February 2008 as a CD/DVD set entitled R.I.P. A third installment in their rarities series, All Systems Go 3, was released on August 28, 2008. A fourth, and final, volume of the All Systems Go series is in the works, and will be a CD/DVD set.[6]

Reunion

Rocket from the Crypt reunited, with drummer Adam Willard, in October 2011 for an episode of the children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba![7] Reis, who plays a recurring role on the show as "The Swami", remarked that the band was "only interested in playing to audiences of 5 to 10 people between the ages of 3 to 6" and would "most likely never play as a band ever again".[7] They performed an original song, "He's a Chef", which was released as a single exclusively through Volcom clothing stores.[8] In December 2012 the band announced a full reunion, resulting in gigs in the US, Europe and Australia.[9][10][11][12][13] In March 2015, Vintage Piss was released by Sonny Vincent and Rocket from the Crypt. The album was originally recorded with Vincent in 2003 following a tour with Rocket from the Crypt serving as his backing band however the album was left unmixed and unfinished until twelve years later following the reunion of Rocket from the Crypt when John Reis decided to go back and complete the album, which he also produced.[14]

Band members

Current members
Former members
  • Elaina (Elaina Torres) – backing vocals (1990–1991)
  • Sean (Sean Flynn) – drums (1990–1991)
  • Atom (
    Adam Willard
    ) – drums (1991–2000, 2011, 2013, 2014)

Timeline

Lineups

(only official members listed)
1990–1991
Paint as a Fragrance
1991–1994
Circa: Now!
All Systems Go
  • Speedo – guitar, lead vocals
  • ND – guitar, backing vocals
  • Petey X – bass, backing vocals
  • Apollo 9 – saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • Atom
    – drums
1994–2000, 2011, 2013, 2014
RFTC
Cut Carefully and Play Loud
All Systems Go 2
  • Speedo – guitar, lead vocals
  • ND – guitar, backing vocals
  • Petey X – bass, backing vocals
  • Apollo 9 – saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • JC 2000 – trumpet, percussion, backing vocals
  • Atom – drums
2001–2005, 2013–Present
Group Sounds
Live from Camp X-Ray
R.I.P.
  • Speedo – guitar, lead vocals
  • ND – guitar, backing vocals
  • Petey X – bass, backing vocals
  • Apollo 9 – saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • JC 2000 – trumpet, percussion, backing vocals
  • Ruby Mars – drums

Discography

Main article: Rocket from the Crypt discography
Studio albums
Year Title Label
1991 Paint as a Fragrance Cargo/Headhunter
1992 Circa: Now!
1995 Hot Charity Perfect Sound
Scream, Dracula, Scream! Interscope
1998
RFTC
2001 Group Sounds Vagrant
2002 Live from Camp X-Ray

[5]

References

General references

  • Pecorelli, John. Into the Void: A Short, Woefully Incomplete Oral History of Rocket from the Crypt.
    Alternative Press
    , February 2006, 72–76.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Bray, Ryan (July 2020). "Give It Up For Rocket From The Crypt!". Rock and Roll Globe. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ^
    ISBN 1-85227-745-9
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Pecorelli, 73.
  4. ^ "Exclusives – The Whole Thing Just Seemed Kind of Mystical: The Story of Rocket from the Crypt". FILTER Magazine. 2013-05-28. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  5. ^
    ISBN 1-84195-017-3
    .
  6. ^ "Rocket from the Crypt details All Systems Go 3". Punknews.org. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  7. ^ a b "Rocket from the Crypt Reunite for Yo Gabba Gabba Performance". Punknews.org. 2011-11-02. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
  8. ^ Schild, Matt (2012-09-10). "Rocket from the Crypt Caters to the Coveted Preschool Demographic with Yo Gabba Gabba! Performance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
  9. ^ Coyle, Chris (2012-12-12). "Rocket from the Crypt Makes Reunion Official with Europe Dates". CBS Seattle. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  10. ^ Eakin, Marah (2012-12-12). "Rocket from the Crypt Announces First Run of 2013 Tour Dates". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  11. ^ "Lineup :: Groezrock 2013". Groezrock.be. 2012-12-12. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  12. ^ "Riot Fest 2013 line-up Chicago". Articles.redeyechicago.com. 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  13. ^ "Soundwave Festival 2014". Soundwavefestival.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-12. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  14. ^ "Vintage Piss - Sonny Vincent, Rocket from the Crypt | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.

External links

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