Destroy All Monsters
| Destroy All Monsters | |
|---|---|
 Ron Asheton and Lynn Rovner (1979) |
|
| General information | |
| origin | Ann Arbor , United States |
| Genre (s) | Experimental , Detroit rock , punk , protopunk , noise rock , art punk |
| founding | 1973, 1995 |
| resolution | 1985, 2009 |
| Founding members | |
| Lynn "Niagara" Rovner | |
| Mike Kelley (1973–1976, 1995–2009, † 2012) | |
| Jim Shaw (1973-1976, 1995-2009) | |
| Cary Loren (1973-1978) | |
| Last occupation | |
| Lynn Rovner | |
| Mike Kelley † | |
| Jim Shaw | |
| Cary Loren | |
| former members | |
| Laurence Miller (1977-1978) | |
| Ron Asheton (1977–1985, † 2009) | |
| Michael Davis (1977–1985, † 2012) | |
| Ben Miller (1977-1978) | |
Destroy All Monsters was an American band formed in 1973 in Ann Arbor . They described themselves as an anti-rock band that competed with a “menagerie of words, images and sounds” against the prevailing “circus of rock star bullshit and musical emptiness”.
Band history
Destroy All Monsters - named after a Japanese monster film from 1968, German title Frankenstein and the monsters from space - was founded in 1973 by University of Michigan art students Mike Kelley , Jim Shaw, Niagara (Lynn Rovner) and Cary Loren. When they performed in the Ann-Arbor area, they put on a bloody show of experimental music against the backdrop of trash films Loren was making in his basement. Their first appearance ended after ten minutes: they were asked off the stage. They named Man Ray , The Velvet Underground and Nico , The Hairy Who , Silver Apples , Captain Beefheart , Stanley Mouse , Sun Ra , Comics , Stooges , Beardsley and MC5 as role models . Your show was marked by "a feeling of melancholy, disaster and apocalypse mixed with touches of anarchy, comedy and absurdity".
In 1976, Kelley and Shaw left the group to continue their art studies in Los Angeles . Until then, Destroy All Monsters had not released any records . In 1977, Niagara and Loren signed the twin brothers Larry and Ben Miller (guitar, saxophone). In the same year, two well-known rock musicians joined Ron Asheton (guitar; previously with the Stooges ) and Michael Davis (bass; previously with MC5 ), and a little later the drummer Rob King. With this line-up, they released their first single, Bored , in 1978 , which was marketed in the UK by Cherry Red and received attention in the music press.
Then the group broke up. Niagara had broken up with Loren and was with Asheton. Loren and the Millers left Destroy All Monsters. In late 1978 Loren released the live EP Days of Diamonds on his own label Black Hole, followed in 1979 by the EP Blackout in the City , now under the band name Xanadu. The Miller brothers and Rob King were involved in these projects. Meanwhile, Niagara and Asheton went on with different musicians separately and released three singles. In 1980 the band embarked on a moderately successful UK tour. In 1985, Destroy All Monsters finally disbanded.
1995 the original band members got together again. As a result, compilations and new albums appeared. Various exhibitions in Japan, the United States and Europe dealt with the work of Destroy All Monsters. In 2009, Ron Ashton died of heart failure. In 2012, Mike Kelley committed suicide.
Discography (excerpt)
- Albums
- 1996: Backyard Monster Tube (Time Stereo)
- 1998: Backyard Monster Tube and Pig (The End Is Here)
- 2002: Swamp Gas (The End Is Here)
- 2009: Double Sextet (Compound Annex)
- Extended plays
- 1979: Days of Diamonds (Black Hole Records)
- Live albums
- 1989: Live (Fan Club)
- 1996: Silver Wedding Anniversary (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
- 2003: The Detroit Oratorio (Compound Annex)
- 2004: Live in Tokyo & Osaka (Compound Annex)
- Soundtracks
- 1996: Radio Teardrop (The End is Here)
- Compilations
- 1989: November 22, 1963 (Revenge Records)
- 1994: 1974–1976 (Ecstatic Peace!)
Web links
- Destroy All Monsters at Allmusic (English)
- Destroy All Monsters at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Cary Loren: a manifesto of ignorance; destroy all monsters . May 1996
- ↑ France Swimberge: Tracks - Cary Loren - The Fame Monster ( Memento of the original from April 11, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Arte.tv , March 24, 2011
- ↑ Allmusic.com: Destroy All Monsters Biography. Retrieved October 9, 2018 .
- ^ Tesco Vee & Dave Stimson: Touch and Go. The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79 -'93 . 3. Edition. Bazillion Points, New York 2013, ISBN 978-0-9796163-8-9 , pp. 81 .
