Rocket from the Tombs

Rocket from the Tombs
Also known as	RFTT
Origin	Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	Garage rock, proto-punk, punk rock, hard rock
Years active	1974–1975, 2003–present
Associated acts	Dead Boys, Pere Ubu, Television
Members	David Thomas Craig Willis Bell Steve Mehlman Gary Siperko Buddy Akita
Past members	Peter Laughner Chris Cuda Glen "Thunderhand" Hach Charlie Weiner Tom Foolery Johnny Blitz Cheetah Chrome Richard Lloyd

Rocket from the Tombs (or RFTT) is an American rock band originally active from mid-1974 to mid-1975 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

Heralded as an important protopunk group, they were little known during their lifetime, though various members later achieved renown in Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Billy Bob Hargus wrote, however, that "The sound of the Rockets is much more ferocious than Ubu or the Dead Boys."

In 1974, the original line-up included Peter Laughner, Chris Cuda, and Glen "Thunderhand" Hach sharing guitar duties; Charlie Weiner on bass and other implements; and Tom Foolery (née Clements) on drums.

There was some fluctuation of the group's personnel, but what's come to be known as the "classic" lineup included Laughner, David Thomas (then known as "Crocus Behemoth"), Craig Willis Bell (a.k.a. Darwin Layne), Gene O'Connor (a.k.a. Cheetah Chrome), and Johnny Madansky (a.k.a. "Johnny Blitz").

When RFTT disbanded, the personnel split and formed two different musical groups:

Both groups used songs first written or performed by Rocket From The Tombs as parts of their repertoires: the Dead Boys were known for "Ain't It Fun," "What Love Is," "Down in Flames," "Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth" (done by RFTT as "I'm Never Gonna Kill Myself Again") and "Sonic Reducer"; Pere Ubu went on to reinterpret "Final Solution," "Life Stinks" and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo."

Rocket From The Tombs never recorded an album in their initial timespan, but various live recordings and demos circulated occasionally as bootlegs. Most of these were collected on a single CD by Smog Veil records, and titled The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs (2002).

The Smog Veil Records CD rekindled interest in Rocket From The Tombs, and they reformed in 2003 with original members Thomas, Chrome, and Bell, joined by Richard Lloyd (guitar), and Steve Mehlman (drums). Some claim that decades earlier, when Lloyd briefly quit the New York-based band Television, Laughner was seriously considered as his replacement. However, on his website richardlloyd.com, Richard Lloyd asserts that Laughner "was never even close to being in Television, unless I was way out of town for a month, and I don't think so."

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