Naked Raygun

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Naked Raygun is an American punk rock band that formed in Chicago in 1980. The band was active from 1980 to 1992, along with reunion shows in 1997, and since 2006.

Naked Raygun have cited various bands as influences, including Buzzcocks, Wire, the Stranglers, the Damned, the Ruts, Killing Joke,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Jam, and the Clash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Initial run

The band was formed in 1980 by Santiago Durango, Marko Pezzati and later Jeff Pezzati. Singer Jeff Pezzati was the sole constant member through multiple personnel changes. Members over time include drummers Bobby Strange, Jim Colao, and Eric Spicer; bassists Marko Pezzati, Pierre Kezdy, Camilo Gonzalez, Pete Mittler and Fritz Doreza; guitarists Santiago Durango, John Haggerty, and Bill Stephens; and keyboardist John Lundin.<ref name=allmusic>Template:AllMusic</ref>

Durango and Jeff Pezzati were also members of Big Black.<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref>

File:Naked Raygun.gif
Naked Raygun in 1987. L-R: John Haggerty, Jeff Pezzati, Eric Spicer, Pierre Kezdy

Post-Naked Raygun

In 1989, John Haggerty left Naked Raygun to form Pegboy with his younger brother Joe (formerly of Bloodsport and The Effigies) and Steve Saylors and Larry Damore of the Bhopal Stiffs (Pierre Kezdy would later replace Steve Saylors).<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref>

Jeff Pezzati is also the lead singer of The Bomb, which is a different and later band than the San Francisco group, known as "Bomb".<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref>

Reunions

A two-show reunion in 1997 produced the live album Free Shit!.<ref>Template:Cite news </ref><ref>Template:Cite news </ref>

In 1999, the independent record label Quarterstick Records re-issued the band's back catalog on CD.<ref name=allmusic /><ref>Template:Cite news </ref>

In 2006 Naked Raygun reunited for Riot Fest, an annual punk rock festival held in Chicago. Following their 2006 reunion, Naked Raygun announced that the band was "back for good."<ref>Template:Cite news </ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The reunited lineup consists of its "Raygun...Naked Raygun" members: Pezzati, Stephens, Kezdy, and Spicer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009 Naked Raygun returned to the studio for the first time since 1997 for a series of 7-inch singles released on Riot Fest Records and announced plans to record an LP, the first since 1990's Raygun... Naked Raygun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011, Pete Mittler of The Methadones joined the line-up so that longtime bassist Pierre Kezdy could recover from a stroke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2014, Naked Raygun opened for Bad Religion, The Offspring and Stiff Little Fingers on the last two shows of the Summer Nationals tour at The Rave in Milwaukee<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Harrah's Stir Cove in Council Bluffs, Iowa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Naked Raygun (along with Urge Overkill and Cheap Trick) opened for the Foo Fighters at Wrigley Field, Chicago, on August 29, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Although the band announced plans to release a new album in 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> no recordings were released until 2021's Over The Overlords.

Pierre Kezdy died of cancer on October 9, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musical style

Mark Deming of AllMusic described Naked Raygun's sound as "a powerful mix of anthemic melodies, slashing and grinding guitars, shout-along choruses, percolating rhythms, and lyrics that focused on the overlap between the personal and the political." He further characterized the sound as "bridging the gap between hardcore and melodic punk."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy and influence

Naked Raygun have been cited as an influence by Blink-182, Rise Against, Fall Out Boy and Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters. Grohl's first concert was a Naked Raygun performance in Chicago. He recalled: "I'd never seen a band before, and my cousin took me to see a punk-rock band, and it totally changed my life. So I would be in lockdown with one of my favourite punk-rock bands of all time, and I would probably be in heaven."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Blink-182’s Matt Skiba references Naked Raygun in the song “Parking Lot” from their California album.Template:Citation needed

Members

Current members

  • Jeff Pezzati - vocals (1980–1992, 2006–present)
  • Bill Stephens - guitar (1989–1992, 2006–present)
  • Eric Spicer - drums (1984–1992, 2006–present)
  • Fritz Doreza - bass (2013–present)

Former members

  • Santiago Durango - guitar (1980–1983)
  • Marko Pezzati - bass (1980–1981)
  • Bobby Strange - drums (1980)
  • Jim Colao - drums (1980–1984)
  • John Lundin - keyboards (1980–1981)
  • Camilo Gonzalez - bass (1981–1985)
  • John Haggerty - guitar (1983–1989)
  • Sensitive Pete Mittler - bass (2011–2013)
  • Pierre Kezdy - bass (1985–1992, 2006–2010; died 2020)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:60 top:0 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1980 till:01/01/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1980 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1980

Colors = 

id:vocals    value:red       legend:Lead_Vocals
id:guitar    value:green     legend:Guitar
id:bass      value:blue      legend:Bass
id:drums     value:orange    legend:Drums
id:keys      value:purple    legend:Keyboards
id:Lines1   value:black      legend:Studio_Album

BarData = 

bar:PezzatiJ text:"Jeff Pezzati"
bar:Durango  text:"Santiago Durango"
bar:Haggerty text:"John Haggerty"
bar:Stephens text:"Bill Stephens"
bar:PezzatiM text:"Marko Pezzati"
bar:Gonzalez text:"Camilo Gonzalez"
bar:Kezdy    text:"Pierre Kezdy"
bar:Pete     text:"Pete Mittler"
bar:Doreza   text:"Fritz Doreza"
bar:Strange  text:"Bobby Strange"
bar:Colao    text:"Jim Colao"
bar:Spicer   text:"Eric Spicer"
bar:Lundin   text:"John Lundin"

LineData = 

at:01/11/1983  color:Lines1  layer:back
at:01/05/1986  color:Lines1  layer:back
at:01/02/1988  color:Lines1  layer:back
at:30/03/1989  color:Lines1  layer:back
at:01/10/1990  color:Lines1  layer:back
at:08/02/2021  color:Lines1  layer:back

PlotData= 

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:PezzatiJ  from:start      till:01/07/1992 color:vocals
bar:PezzatiJ  from:01/07/2006 till:end        color:vocals
bar:PezzatiM  from:start      till:01/07/1981 color:bass
bar:Strange   from:start      till:01/07/1980 color:drums
bar:Colao     from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1984 color:drums
bar:Durango   from:start      till:01/02/1983 color:guitar
bar:Gonzalez  from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1985 color:bass
bar:Haggerty  from:01/02/1983 till:01/08/1989 color:guitar
bar:Spicer    from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1992 color:drums
bar:Spicer    from:01/07/2006 till:end        color:drums
bar:Kezdy     from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1992 color:bass
bar:Kezdy     from:01/07/2006 till:31/12/2010 color:bass
bar:Stephens  from:01/08/1989 till:01/07/1992 color:guitar
bar:Stephens  from:01/07/2006 till:end        color:guitar
bar:Lundin    from:start      till:01/07/1981 color:keys
bar:Pete      from:01/01/2011 till:01/03/2013 color:bass
bar:Doreza    from:01/03/2013 till:end        color:bass

</timeline>

Discography

Albums

  • Throb Throb LP (Homestead Records) (1985)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2008–LP only)
  • All Rise LP (Homestead) (1986)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2008–LP only)
  • Jettison LP Caroline (1988)/(Quarterstick) (1999 – CD only)
  • Understand? LP (Caroline) (1989)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)
  • Raygun...Naked Raygun LP (Caroline) (1990)/Quarterstick (1999–CD only)
  • Last of the Demohicans CD (Dyslexic) (1997)
  • Free Shit LP/CD (Haunted Town) (2001) - live
  • Over the Overlords LP (Wax Trax!) (2021)

EPs

  • Basement Screams 12-inch (Ruthless (1983)/(Quarterstick) (1999 – CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2007 – LP only)
  • Treason 12-inch (Caroline) (1989) - on pink vinyl limited to 2,500 numbered records (although unnumbered versions, stamped "Promo only" exist)

Singles

  • Flammable Solid 7-inch (Ruthless) (1983) - "Surf Combat", "Gear"/"Libido"
  • Vanilla Blue 7-inch (Sandpounder) (1987) - "Vanilla Blue"/"Slim (The Second Coming Of Christ) [on white/light blue marbled vinyl]
  • Home 7-inch (Caroline) (1990) - "Home"/"Last Drink" [on green vinyl]
  • Series 1 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2009) - "Mein Iron Maiden"/"Out Of Your Mind" [on red & on cream vinyl]
  • Series 2 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2010) - "Growing Away"/"Just For Me" [on violet & on black vinyl]
  • Series 3 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2011) - "Burning Red"/"Black Eyed Blue" [on clear orange vinyl]

Compilations

  • Huge Bigness-Selected Tracks From Collected Works 1980-1992 (Quarterstick) (1999)
  • What Poor Gods We Do Make: The Story And Music Behind Naked Raygun (Riot Fest) (2007) [included with DVD of same name]
  • Totally...Naked Raygun 5XCD (Audio Platter) (2021)

Compilation appearances

  • Busted At Oz (Autum/Permanent) (1981/2011) - "Bomb Shelter", "When The Screaming Stops", "Paranoia", "Libido"
  • Bang Zoom Issue #4 cassette (Bang Zoom) (1984) - "Swingo"
  • Code Blue cassette (Last Rites) (1984) - "No Sex", "Only In America"
  • The Middle Of America Compilation (H.I.D. Productions) (1984) - "I Don't Know", "Stupid"
  • Flipside Vinyl Fanzine #2 (Flipside) (1985) - "Metastasis"
  • Gunfire & Pianos (Situation Two/ZigZag Magazine) (1986) - "Metastasis"
  • Paranoia You Can Dance To (Weird System) (1986) - "Metastasis"
  • Sub Pop 100 (Sub Pop) (1986) - "Bananacuda"
  • Rat Music For Rat People Vol. III (CD Presents) (1987) - "Rocks Of Sweden"
  • Rat Music For Rat People Vol. I, II & III (CD Presents) (1987) - "Rocks Of Sweden"
  • Untitled 7-inch EP (Discopêö) (1987) - "Peacemaker (live)"
  • The Wailing Ultimate-The Homestead Records Compilation ([Homestead Records|Homestead]) (1987) - "I Remember"
  • Sounds And Shigaku Limited Present: Beautiful Happiness (Sounds And Shigaku Limited) (1988) - "Vanilla Blue"
  • Live Treatment cassette (Shotgunning Tape SXXXXX Inc./Discraceland) (1989) - "Never Follow"
  • Somethings's Gone Wrong Again: The Buzzcocks Covers Compilation (C/Z) (1992) - "Love Battery"
  • The Best Of Flipside Vinyl Fanzine 2XCD (Flipside) (1993) - "Metastasis"
  • Faster & Louder-Hardcore Punk, Vol. 2 (Rhino) (1993) - "Metastasis"
  • Nightmare/Bad Taste-News Vol. 10 cassette (Bad Taste) (1998) - "Rat Patrol"
  • Rats In The Hallway #14 (Rats In The Hallway) (2000) - "Treason"
  • Haunted Town Records CD Sampler #1 CDr (Haunted Town) (2008) - "I Lie", "Backlash Jack"
  • You Weren't There movie soundtrack (Factory 25) (2009) - "Tojo (demo)"
  • ... On The Rawks Compilation (ProRawk) (2020) - "Broken Things"

Video

  • "Broken Things"
  • "Home"
  • "Living in The Good Times"
  • "Vanilla Blue"
  • "What Poor Gods We Do Make" DVD (Riot Fest) (2007) [included with CD of same name]

See also

References

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