The Necros | |
---|---|
Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
Genres | Hardcore punk |
Years active | 1979–1987 |
Labels | Touch and Go, Dischord, Gastanka, Restless. Enigma, Rykodisc |
Associated acts | Laughing Hyenas, Big Chief, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Negative Approach, Misfits, The Meatmen, The Beastie Boys |
Past members |
Barry Henssler Andy Wendler Todd Swalla Corey Rusk Brian Pollack Ron Sakowski |
The Necros were an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene. They are the first band to record for Touch and Go Records.
The Necros were formed in 1980 by then-teenagers Barry Henssler (vocals), Andy Wendler (guitar), and Todd Swalla (drums). After going through a handful of bassists (including Donny Brook, Jeff Allsop, David Cooke, Brian Hyland, Jeff Lake, and Brian Pollack), Corey Rusk joined the band. Barry Henssler had struck up a friendship with Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson of Touch and Go magazine after sending them a copy of his own 'zine, Smegma Journal. Vee and Stimson became fans of the Necros and put the Necros' first record, a self-titled 4-song 7" EP (recorded prior to Rusk's entry into the band) most commonly known as "Sex Drive". This was Touch and Go Records' (then spelled "Rekords") first release and was limited to only 100 copies.
Andy Wendler left the band in 1981 (although he continued to write for them) and Brian Pollack joined on guitar. Later that year, the band recorded and released another self-titled 7" record known as "IQ32", produced by Minor Threat vocalist Ian MacKaye. This 9-song was jointly released by Touch and Go (which Rusk now had a hand in running) and MacKaye's own Dischord Records. Wendler rejoined on guitar in late 1982 and in 1983 the band recorded and released two more records, a 7" and LP both titled Conquest For Death.
Early on, the Necros played with many prominent punk bands, including Black Flag, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Minor Threat, and Tesco Vee's group The Meatmen. The Necros also toured as openers for horror punk band the Misfits, including at the Misfits' last show in which Todd Swalla stepped in to play drums when Brian Damage became too drunk to perform.