p-roach biography


In the small Northern Califoria town of Vacaville, four high school friends,
 Jacoby Shaddix, Jerry Horton, Dave Buckner, and Will James, decided to
 start a band.  In 1993, they became Papa Roach, a band whose influences
   included prominent Bay Area acts such as Faith No More and Primus.
  Papa Roach quickly rose to the top of the Vacaville music scene with their
          blending of hip-hop, groove-funk, and hardcore.   

     After a couple of years of playing coffeehouses, pizza joints, and
  keg-parties, they were headlining such places as the Cactus Club in San
 Jose, the Cattle Club in Sacramento, and the Berkeley Square in Berkeley.
  Due to the antics of unpredictable Shaddix, and the raw power supplied by
the band in live performances, Papa Roach captured the attention of younger
 audiences.  In turn, kids showed their appreciation for the band by faithfully
 attending all the band's shows.  In these early years, Papa Roach was able
  to support the Deftones on two shows, and have bands such as Incubus,
     Snot, Far, Human Waste Project,and Fu Manchu open for them. 

  In the summer of 1996, while realizing athat they had something special,
  Papa Roach decided to make changes necessary to reach the next level.
  First, the band replaced bass player Will James because his commitment to
  church summer camp that would have prevented the band from practicing
 and playing any shows over the summer.  Papa Roach did not have to go far
 to find their new bass player.  Tobin Esperance, who was only 16 years old
  and who had been a roadie for Papa Roach since age 13, readily became
 the new bass player.  Second, the band hired a manager, Bret Bair, to help
   them with bookings, promotions, and merchandising.  With a new bass
 player and management in place, Papa Roach decided to enter the studio to
                    record a full-length CD. 

 "Old Friends From Young Years" was recorded for $700 at E.S.P. Studios
 in Pittsburg, California, and was subsequently released in February of 1997.
  The CD contains 13 tracks, including the songs "Orange Drive Palms", and
   "Liquid Diet".  Without any push from the band or management, many
  smaller independent and college radio stations in Chico, Davis, San Jose,
 Sacramento, and the Bay Area added Papa Roach to their playlists.  To the
bands' surprise, Papa Roach charted number one as Cal-State Sacramento's
  most requested band for five consecutive weeks.  Papa Roach celebrated
the release of their first album with several CD release shows.  The Vacaville
  CD release show was attended by 700 kids, while CD release shows in
Berkeley and Sacramento were attended by 400 and 300 kids, respectively.

   Papa Roach's emerging popularity did not escape the eyes and ears of
 promoters, who started booking the band as a support act on many larger
  national shows.  In March of 1997, Papa Roach played main support to
   Suicidal Tendencies in front of 1,000 people in Sacramento.  They also
  either headlined or supported many of today's up and coming acts in the
 aggressive rock genre, including Incubus, Snot, Far, Human Waste Project,
 (hed) p.e., Sevendust, Will Haven and Powerman 5000.  Papa Roach has
 also played Southern California on a frequent basis, and is now becoming a
 regular at such reknowned clubs as the Troubador in Hollywood, and Soma
                       in San Diego.   

 In April 1998, Papa Roach released "5 Tracks Deep", and E.P. containing
  five songs which sold 1,000 copies within the first month after its release.
   This CD exemplifies the natural growth in musicianship and song-writing
 ability within band since "Old Friends From Young Years" was recorded 18
 months earlier.  The songs "Revenge in Japanese" is a perfect example of the
   Papa Roach  trademark sound where hip-hop verses lead to a catchy
 radio-friendly chorus.  This results in a song with both energy and emotion
             that will attract diverse crowds of people.
bio courtesy of paparoach.com

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