View source for Lock Up (American band)

{{Short description|US musical group}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Lock Up
| image            = 
| caption          = 
| image_size       = 
| background       = group_or_band
| genre            = [[heavy metal music|Heavy metal]], [[glam metal]], [[funk metal]], [[hard rock]]
| alias            = 
| origin           = [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]], United States
| years_active     = 1987–1990
| label            = [[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
| associated_acts  = [[Rage Against the Machine]]<br> [[Audioslave]]<br> [[The Nightwatchman]]<br> [[Street Sweeper Social Club]]<br> [[Dead Kennedys]]<br> [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]<br>[[Adam Again]]<br>[[White Heart]]<br>[[Future User]]<br> Extra Fancy
| website          = 
| past_members     = Mike R. Livingston<br />[[Tom Morello]]<br />Kevin Wood<br />Brian Grillo<br />[[Brendan Mullen]]<br />Michael Lee<br />[[D. H. Peligro]]<br />Vince Ostertag<br />Chris Beebe<br />[[Jon Knox]]
}}

'''Lock Up''' was a rock band that featured [[Tom Morello]] on guitar before [[Rage Against the Machine]] was formed.

The band was founded by the original guitar player Mike Livingston (formerly of [[The Mau-Mau's]]) and Kevin Wood on bass. They had previously played together in the band Ella and the Blacks, which also included Brian Grillo and [[Brendan Mullen]] (founder of [[The Masque]], the first L.A. [[punk rock]] club). Grillo became Lock Up's lead singer. Grillo had worked several years before with [[Martin Atkins]] in the latter's Brian Brain project, and then was known in Los Angeles for fronting Brian Grillo's Wild Coyote Review.

The original drummer was Michael Lee, (later drummer with [[Sylvia Juncosa]] and with The Homebillies), who quit and was replaced briefly by [[D. H. Peligro]], formerly of the [[Dead Kennedys]] and later in [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]. After Peligro left, he was replaced by Vince Ostertag .

In early 1987, Lock Up signed a production deal with Third Story Music, which was the company associated with [[Herb Cohen]], by Evan Cohen, who later ran [[Manifesto Records]]. Cohen brought the band to the attention of Anna Statman, who was an A & R person at [[Slash Records]]. In 1988, Statman moved to a new job at [[Geffen Records]], and Lock Up was her first signing at Geffen, in mid-1988.

Livingston left Lock Up in late 1987. In early 1988, Livingston was replaced by Morello. Chris Beebe on bass completed the lineup that released Lock Up's sole album on [[Geffen Records]], ''[[Something Bitchin' This Way Comes]]'', which came out in [[1989 in music|1989]]. The title of the album was based on [[Ray Bradbury]]'s 1962 novel ''[[Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel)|Something Wicked This Way Comes]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/05/04/from-libertyville-to-la-and-a-big-time-album-deal/ |title=From Libertyville To L.a.-and A Big-time Album Deal |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=1990-05-04}}</ref> Vince Ostertag was subsequently replaced by [[Jon Knox]] who played drums until the group disbanded.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ocweekly.com/how-drummer-jon-knox-helped-form-rage-against-the-machine-in-irvine/|title=How Drummer Jon Knox Helped Form Rage Against the Machine in Irvine - OC Weekly|date=2018-03-28|work=OC Weekly|access-date=2018-03-29|language=en-US}}</ref>

Following the Lock Up break up, Jon encouraged bassist [[Tim Commerford]] and [[Zack de la Rocha]] to jam with [[Tom Morello]] and drummer [[Brad Wilk]] who unsuccessfully auditioned for Lock Up. This line-up went on to form [[Rage Against the Machine]].

Most of Morello's guitar with Lock Up is unlike his work with [[Rage Against the Machine]] and [[Audioslave]]. His solos, in contrast to Livingston's rootsy blues oriented style mainly consist of arpeggios, tapping and overall fast fretwork. Evidence of his experimenting with the toggle switch can be heard in a few tracks ("Can't Stop the Bleeding", "Nothing New" and "Punch Drunk").

The songs "Punch Drunk" and "Half Man Half Beast" were featured in the 1991 comedy film ''[[Ski School (film)|Ski School]]''.

In 1997, [[Manifesto Records]] licensed the Lock Up album from Geffen, and released it on compact disc.  After the release, Manifesto, Morello, and Morello's label, Sony, got into a legal dispute over whether Manifesto could place a sticker on the compact disc that read "Featuring Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine."

==Band members==
*Brian Grillo – lead vocals <small>(1986–1990)</small>
*[[Tom Morello]] – guitar <small>(1988–1990)</small>
*Mike Livingston – guitar <small>(1986-1987)</small>
*Kevin Wood – bass <small>(1986-1987)</small>
*Michael Lee – drums <small>(1986-1987)</small>
*[[D. H. Peligro]] – drums <small>(1987)</small>
*Vince Ostertag – drums <small>(1988–1990)</small>
*Chris Beebe – bass <small>(1988–1990)</small>
*[[Jon Knox]] – drums <small>(1990)</small>

==Discography==
*''[[Something Bitchin' This Way Comes]]'' (1989)

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

;References
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=VuuGvMBRrYAC&dq=%22tom+morello%22+%22lock+up%22&pg=PA70 SPIN]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&dq=%22tom+morello%22+%22lock+up%22&pg=PA205 The A to X of Alternative Music]

{{Rage Against the Machine}}
{{Tom Morello}}

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[[Category:Heavy metal musical groups from California]]