The Vindictives | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
Genres | Punk rock |
Years active | 1990-1996, 1999, 2012-present |
Labels | VML, Lookout! Records, Liberation Records, Selfless Records |
Associated acts | Screeching Weasel |
Website | the VINDICTIVES official website |
Members | Joey Vindictive Johnny Personality |
Past members | Ben Weasel, Erik Elsewhere, Dr. Bob, Billy Blastoff, P.J. Parti, Angel Ledezma, Mike Byrne |
The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk rock group founded by singer/songwriter Joey Vindictive in 1990.
They began their career in 1990, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Ben Weasel (guitar) (soon to be replaced by Billy Blastoff), Dr. Bob (guitar), and Erik Elsewhere (soon to be replaced by P.J. Parti) (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 EPs and albums until July 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on.
Guitarist Robert "Dr. Bob" Nielson died of a heroin overdose on February 22, 2003. After Dr. Bob's death, The Vindictives released a pair of records containing material previously unavailable on CD and two new re-recordings; Muzak for Robots which was quirky electronic instrumental versions of their songs and Unplugged soft and toned-down acoustic versions of their works.
In 2004 Billy Blastoff left the Vindictives of his own accord took a year off music joined Lucky Savage in Chicago, Il as their drummer eventually forming the Gornys and switching over to bass in 2005 eventually renamed the John Doh's in 2010 and currently on hiatus.
In 2006, Shot Baker and Vacation Bible School released a limited edition of 500 pressing Split 7" on Chicago's Underground Communique Records featuring The Vindictives' "Future Homemakers of America", "Glad to Be", "Assembly Line", and "Automoton".
In 2006, Joey Vindictive and Johnny Personality started to demo material under Joey Vindictive & The Personality Crisis. The two performed under the name Faerie Wunderpuss, releasing a split 12" LP with Chicago's own Alla, an experimental heavy rock psychedelia band, and is said to be in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age.
In addition to possible new material surfacing, Joey Vindictive launched a new theatre art program called The 1901 Gallery Theatre with wife, Jenny, and band mate, Johnny Personality.
In 2011 Billy Blastoff joined Magatha Trysty a culmination of power pop and punk rock sensibility as Bass player.
In 2011, Joey Vindictive revamped the official website at www.vindictivesmusic.com allowing any user to download all previous released, as well unreleased material, of the Vindictives, free as long as you become a registered user on the website's Forum.
The Vindictives' song "The Invisible Man" was covered by Ghoti Hook on their cover album Songs We Didn't Write.