Fear (band)

Fear
Fear performing on the 2010 Warped Tour
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Hardcore punk, punk rock
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Slash, Fear, Sector 2
Associated acts	MD.45, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Breeders
Members	Lee Ving Andrew Jamiez Paul Lerma Dave Stark
Past members	Derf Scratch Burt Good Johnny Backbeat Philo Cramer Spit Stix Eric Feldman Flea Lorenzo Buhne Will MacGregor Scott Thunes Kelly LeMieux Mando Lopez Sean Cruse Richard Presley Derol Caraco Sam Bolle Lawrence Arrieta

Fear is a hardcore punk band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of Californian hardcore punk. The group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981 performance on Saturday Night Live.

Frontman Lee Ving has been the band's only constant member. Since its formation, the band has gone through various lineup changes, and at one point, featured Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass.

Fear was formed in 1977 by vocalist/guitarist Lee Ving and bassist Derf Scratch. They recruited guitarist Burt Good and drummer Johnny Backbeat to fill out the original lineup. In 1978, Fear released the single "I Love Livin' in the City". Shortly after this, Good and Backbeat left the band and were replaced by Philo Cramer and Spit Stix.

Film director Penelope Spheeris met Ving and Stix while they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los Angeles on Laurel Canyon. After a brief discussion, she asked if they wanted to be in a documentary about the Los Angeles punk scene,The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). In the film, Fear performed a set in which they baited members of the audience with personal attacks, sexist and homophobic slurs, and offbeat humor, inspiring some audience members to come on stage and try to fight them. At the time, Spheeris was married to Slash Records president Bob Biggs who, later that year, signed a recording deal with Fear.