Naked Raygun

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Final Naked Raygun lineup

Naked Raygun was one of the first, one of the longest running and one of the best Chicago punk bands. They are considered by a large majority to be the most important band in the history of Chicago punk.


Members


Short Term Members

Records

Compilations (incomplete)

  • Busted at Oz (Autumn Records, March 1981) - Bomb Shelter, When the Screaming Stops, Paranoia, Libido
  • The Middle of America Compilation (H.I.D., 1984) - I Don't Know, Stupid
  • Sub Pop 100 (Sub Pop, 1986) - Bananacuda
  • The Wailing Ultimate (Homestead, 1987) - I Remember
  • Rat Music For Rat People Vol. III (1987) - Rocks of Sweden
  • Beautiful Happiness (Happy, 1988) - Vanilla Blue
  • Something's Gone Wrong Again, The Buzzcocks Covers Compilation (Caroline, 1992) - Love Battery, Running Free
  • Faster & Louder: Hardcore Punk, vol. 2 (Rhino, 1993) - Rat Patrol

History

1980

Naked Raygun began in February of 1980 when Marko Pezzati and Santiago Durango decided to form a band. Jim Colao joined the band briefly, but left almost immediately after joining. Jeff Pezzati started practing with Marko and Santiago at 222 S. Morgan St., playing their first gig shortly thereafter in June. At this point they used the name Negro Commando. Shortly thereafter Bobby Strange signs up on drums and they a record demo, which get included on the Basement Screams CD reissue. First gig as Naked Raygun was in August at the original Oz. In October, they played their third gig in Detroit, where the audience walked out on them. Strange leaves in December, and the band tries out various replacements. One short-term replacement was John Lundin, who quickly switched over to keyboards. For their New Years Eve gig at Oz, Jim Colao rejoins as a full-time drummer.

1981-1982

With a stable lineup in place, Naked Raygun began to play a lot more shows and really fine-tuned their sound. In March of 1981, Raygun records a couple live tracks for the Busted at Oz comp - this would be the first time Raygun is put on vinyl. Marko Pezzati leaves in 1981 (likely April/May, from CR 13&14) and is replaced by original Silver Abuse member Camilo Gonzalez. John Lundin leaves April/May 1981. Because he was not replaced, Naked Raygun ditched the keyboards and became a four piece.

In this period, Raygun's music was very experimental and quite different from the more straight-ahead Buzzcocks-influenced punk sound that would later bring them fame. Durango, in particular, would frequently experiment with his guitar sound, changing nearly from gig to gig. In a 1992 [interview], Steve Albini raved "I mean, they were so weird back then. Totally left field. Going to see them live at that time was totally invigorating because they were so damn weird. It was like a space age rockabilly band. With this bizarre jungle drumming going on. And periodically they would take too much drugs or whatever, and Santiago would come out with this completely underwater guitar sound. It would just flatten everybody." Albini later wrote an extended paean to the early Raygun incarnation in the liner notes for Basement Screams. Frustratingly, very little recorded output exists from this period, save for the 222 S. Morgan St. demo, four songs on Busted at Oz, a few poor-quality demo tracks on the posthumous Last of the Demohicans CD, and Basement Screams.

1983

The band records and releases the Basement Screams EP. John Haggerty, who would occasionally join Raygun on stage to perform Swingo on sax, joins up on guitar. For a brief period, Haggerty & Santiago were both playing guitar and Raygun was a 5-piece again. Shortly after Haggerty joins, Santiago decides to leave Raygun. With Haggerty on lead guitar, the band records Throb Throb, which because of funding would not get released until 1985.

Interviews

External Links

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