The Gun Club (band)

The Gun Club
Jeffrey Lee Pierce, seen performing live with The Gun Club in 1985.
Background information
Also known as	The Cyclones, the Creeping Ritual
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Post-punk, punk rock, psychobilly, cowpunk, punk blues
Years active	1979–1985, 1986-1994
Labels	Ruby Records, Slash Records, Animal Records, Red Rhino Records, Fire Records, New Rose Records, Triple X Records
Associated acts	Blondie, the Red Lights, the E-Types, the Individuals, Phast Phreddie & Thee Precisions, The Cyclones, Bags, 45 Grave, the Cramps, Der Stab, the Weirdos, Legal Weapon, Tav Falco's Panther Burns), Bush Tetras), the Johnnys, the Blasters, Fur Bible, the Sisters of Mercy, the Damned, the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Quartet, Clock DVA, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, World of Twist, Cypress Grove, Congo Norvell, Die Haut, Subway Sect, JoBoxers, Freeheat, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Earl Brutus, Tex & the Horseheads, Wayne Kramer, Pennywise
Past members	Jeffrey Lee Pierce Kid Congo Powers Don Snowden Brad Dunning Terry Graham Rob Ritter Anna Statman Ward Dotson Billy Persons Annie Ungar Patricia Morrison Jim Duckworth Dee Pop Jimmy Joe Uliana Desi Desperate Romi Mori Nick Sanderson Simon Fish Rainer Lingk Robert Marche Efe Mike Martt Randy Bradbury Brock Avery Elisabeth Montague

The Gun Club were a post-punk/cowpunk band from Los Angeles, California that existed from 1979 to 1996. Led by flamboyant singer and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, they merged the contemporary genre of punk rock with the more traditional genres of rockabilly and country music.

Along with X, the Flesh Eaters and the Blasters, they are cited as a "tribal psychobilly blues" band.

The Gun Club were formed by Jeffrey Lee Pierce (guitar and vocals), former head of the Blondie fan club in Los Angeles and previously a member of the Red Lights, the E-Types, the Individuals, Phast Phreddie & Thee Precisions, and the Cyclones.

The Gun Club's precursor band, The Creeping Ritual, formed in late 1979. Along with Pierce (lead vocals and guitar), the first lineup consisted of Brian Tristan (lead guitar), who was later renamed Kid Congo Powers during his stint with the Cramps; Don Snowden (bass), who was at the time a music critic for the Los Angeles Times; and Brad Dunning (drums), now a prominent designer and writer. In April 1980, they changed their name to the Gun Club on a suggestion by Pierce's roommate, Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris. Snowden and Dunning departed in June 1980, replaced by two ex-members of the Bags, Rob Ritter and Terry Graham, respectively. Ritter was temporarily replaced on bass by Anna Statman for two months in the fall of 1980. Tristan left next, to join the Cramps in November 1980, and was replaced by lead and slide guitarist Ward Dotson (ex-Der Stab). During this period, The Gun Club often opened for X, the Bags, Circle Jerks and the Blasters.