This is a biased bio from one former member of the band.
It's the fucking Internet, I can say whatever I like!
Savage Republic began in 1981 with 3 UCLA art students:
Bruce Licher
Mark Erskine
Phil (Jackson Del Rey) Jackson
and one Santa Monica High School student
Jeff Long
practicing in the parking structures and underground
steam tunnels at UCLA, and playing in the
explosive, vibrant, and self-destructive
Los Angeles punk/art scene.
The band began as Africa Corps, but
changed their name to Savage Republic
in 1982 just as they released their first
album "Tragic Figures". This album has long
been considered a "Seminal" release.
In particular, many of Jeff Long's songs
were performed by the band long after
he quit to dedicate his life to God.
Although a tragic loss for the band,
Jeff's personal life seemed to improve
substantially by leaving that part of his
life behind. Jeff is one of the most amazing
artists I've seen in my entire life.
The next year UCLA art student Robert Loveless
joined the group for a year. The first of
many internal band tensions resulted in
Phil and Robert forming the project
"17 Pygmies", joined by drummer Debbie Spinelli.
In 1983 the band broke up, and reformed with
the trio
Ethan Port
Thom Fuhrman
Ethan Port
This grouping recorded the "Trudge" EP.
The band did a brief US tour with this lineup.
The band played for several years, with
Robert Loveless joining briefly during 1985 to create
"Cerimonial", and the subsequent US tour.
This album is perhaps the bands
most polished, and is quite different
than the versions of the songs that appear
on "Live Trek '86-'87". A European tour followed.
Following the tour, personal issues having
nothing to do with artistic differences resulted
in Mark Erskine no longer being able to
perform with the band.
Brad Laner replaced Mark on drums. Brad fit in well
with the experimental nature of the band and
also contributed musically on guitar and
analog keyboards to the studio albums.
In 1988 Phil Drucker returned to assist with
"Jamahariya" and a European tour. This was the
bands most widely publisized album. An extensive
European tour followed that elevated the band's
status and exposure. While stuck in
Greece on this tour awaiting their equiptement
to be released from customs, the band
recorded an impromptue full length studio album
in Greece using available equiptment,
including local Greek instruments. The album
has a rather "Can" feeling.
Several live releases and live videos also followed
this tour, plus a grass roots "officail"
bootlegging channel run by Ethan (me).
Following the European tour, as the band
finally hit some commercial success, Bruce Licher,
the only original member left in the band,
decided to disolve the band just prior to
his move of Independent Projects Press to
Arizona. Bruce has continued to make less noisy/punky,
more ambient/surfy music in "Scenic".
The band went out in a blaze on Feb 22, 1989 at an outdoor
amphi-theater called the "Wash" in
Claremont, California. 10 video cameras
and a digital mobil studio captured this final show
and has to date never been released.
Ethan, Greg, and Thom continued with a project called
"Motor Mouth" and "Wonder", going through 11 drummers
in 5 years.
This project disolved when Ethan moved to Missouri, then
Northern California.
Thom and Greg also worked on
a few "Autumn Faire" releases, and a
project called "Grinch".
During the later 90s Brad Laner became
quite renouned with his "Medicine" project,
and more recently with "Electric Company".
Ethan now plays with noize artist
Scot Jenerik in San Francisco and
participates in Burning Man each year.
Savage Republic information and links can
be found from
http://www.mobilization .com
Rumors and arguments circulate about a possible reunion.
After 10 years, who knows?
Bio written by: savagerepublic |
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