Trial By Fire



Trial by Fire was a Chicago punk band that performed from Autumn 1981 to Autumn 1982, after the demise of Strike Under. All of the members, Pierre Kezdy, Chris Bjorklund and Bob Furem had been in Strike Under. In a now defunct post on her message boards, Marie Kanger said that Trial By Fire did not offically release any records though they did record an album's worth of material. Note that this Trial By Fire has absolutely nothing to do with the current band of the same name on Jade Tree Records.

Just about anyone who saw Trial By Fire live or heard their ultra rare recordings said that they were a special band. Even today people who were part of the scene in 1982/1983 say that Trial By Fire was one of the best bands of the Chicago Punk era.

Members

 * Chris Bjorklund - Guitar
 * Pierre Kezdy - Bass
 * Bob Furem - Drums

Available Recordings

 * A inquiry on the TCP Punk messageboard reveals that there is a three song demo and some live casettes, but they are not readily available.
 * It is rumored (old message board post) that they recorded an album but it was never released. Not sure if that is different then the demo cassette, but I assume so.  This was confirmed in issue #1 of Last Rites
 * In Naked Raygun's Quartersick CD re-release of All Rise, they include a cover of Trial By Fire's Rocks of Sweden.
 * Naked Raygun's Last of the Demohicans includes a cover of TBF's Giveaway, written by Pierre Kezdy. The cover was recorded during the Jettison sessions on April 21, 1987
 * Arsenal, a later band with Pierre Kezdy and Santiago Durango does a cover of Trial By Fire song(s) on their Factory Smog Is A Sign of Progress EP.

Releases

 * Demo Tape (1981)


 * "Rocks of Sweden" on the You Weren't There: A History of Chicago Punk 1979-1984 soundtrack LP (Factory 25, 2008)


 * 1982 CD/LP/Digital (Alona's Dream Records, 2017)
 * Includes the band's unreleased LP and 8 demo tracks (demo tracks are included on the CD and available as an additional download with the LP)

Shows Played

 * December 31, 1981 - at O'Banion's with Naked Raygun. Perhaps their first show.
 * February 26, 1982 - at C.O.D. with The Effigies
 * March 25, 1982 - at 950 Lucky Number
 * April 23, 1982 - at the Cubby Bear, opening for Naked Raygun
 * August 26, 1982 - at C.O.D. with Rights of the Accused
 * September 11, 1982 - Lincoln Arcade, Milwaukee