CLICKHEREto read the first newspaper article regarding the band..... (Slower modems allow more time.)
A band that was made to stand outside while it waited to play the Whisky-a-Go-Go because it was underage is today listed fondly in many a garage retrospective as being one of the definitive bands of the sixties garage-punk genre from San Diego in the early eighties. Bands such as The Mummies (friends)The Makers, and a countless legion of garagesters today have taken inspiration from The Gravedigger Five's unformed, unfettered, and unbelievably primitive and rocking style.
The lineup started as The Shamen by singer Leighton Koizumi, 16, and 15 yr old bassist Chris Gast, and included ace guitarist Ted Friedman, 16, punk-rock drummer, Matt, (last name and whereabouts unknown,) replaced by the spectacular drummer Dave Anderson. Rounding up this line-up of strange beings was enigmatic guitarist John Hanrattie. Informed at gig #1 that The Shamen was taken as a name, (by about a zillion bands worldwide), the group sat at Bob's Big Boy for hours coming up with a replacement name. Finally, what began as the Crypt-Kicker 5 morphed somehow into the Gravedigger Five, and the madness officially began
After a slew of LA and San Diego shows, playing with The Tell Tale Hearts, The Pandoras, The Things, The Answers,The Meenies, The Fuzztones, Noise 292, and Manual Scan among others, becoming the youngest legends on the scene more for their outrageous behaviour sometimes, than their music, BOMP's Greg Shaw approached with a recording deal with VOXX and the group went from Chris' garage to the studio. Alas, by 1984, the youngest member of the band had taken to the rock and roll lifestyle a little too much to heart and began nodding off with bass in hand, playing badly and focusing on things other than the music. Chris was asked, understandably, to leave by his friends, and was replaced briefly by Tom Ward, and shortly thereafter the band was dismantled. Two albums on VOXX(a subsidiary of BOMP)songs on the Battle of the Garage Bands series,and the Bomp! double-CD retrospective are available today in re-issue, (on CD too!).
BOMP has as well one of the most comprehensive and thorough catalogues of groovy goods this side of music heaven. Also highly recommended: any albums by The Morlocks. (Includes two members of The Gravedigger Five, Ted and Leighton)
Now, for sounds of the supersonic, get out your dough and direct your browser straight to:http://www.bomp.com/bomp/index.html to get the best deals around and be the hippest cat in your town. Don't forget to add these two rarities!
All Black and Hairy(VOXX)
The Mirror Cracked(VOXX)
All Black and Hairy(VOXX)
The Mirror Cracked(VOXX)