The Queers
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The Queers are a pop punk band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, formed in 1982.
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[edit] Biography
Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter Joe King (A.K.A. Joe Queer) has been the principal member of the group, with a vast number of musicians cycling in and out of the band over the years. Supposedly, the band name 'Queers' was used simply to poke fun at what he called the "Art Fag" community in NH. That same brand of humor and inanity has become a staple of The Queers music, who have produced songs such as "I Can't Stop Farting", "Born To Do Dishes", and "I Can't Get Invited To The Prom" in their own Ramones-esque style. While some punk rock bands attempt to use their music to impart a social or political message, King has made it clear that The Queers exist simply to play punk rock for the fun of it.
The Queers play a Ramones/Beach Boys style of pop punk with songs about girls and beer. King has often collaborated with Ben Weasel, from Screeching Weasel. The band begun with a notoriety primarily in their own backyard, but with the release of Love Songs for the Retarded, recorded by legendary punk producer Mass Giorgini, their following grew to international proportions. They have collaborated with Mass Giorgini several times since.
Every once in a while, usually in the Boston or New Hampshire area, The Queers will reunite with previous members on stage. These members usually include Harlan(guitar), JJ Rassler(guitar), Wimpy Rutherford(vocals) and Bobby Gaudreau(vocals).
Along with his casual acquaintance Ben Weasel, Joe King has criticized the re-emergence of the street punk scene and what he sees as the glorification of violence and class warfare by certain bands. The song, "Little Rich Working Class Oi Boy" from the album Beyond the Valley of the Assfuckers takes aim at the working class pretensions and bellicose attitudes of some members of the Oi! scene. In a 2005 post to The Queers official website, King criticizes the effect of Boston punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. Writes King, "With all this stupid fucking Irish/Dropkick BS these days the whole punk scene (what's left of it) is full of assholes that just wanna fight."
In September of 2006, shortly before their US tour, Joe parted ways with Lurch and Phillip Hill. Too much drinking and partying, with a lack of emphasis on the music, led to Joe's decision. Replacing them in The Queers' rhythm section is Salsaman Dave and Ben Vermin. In an unlikely event, former guitarist Chris Fields joined the band for one more show September 22nd in San Diego.
Joe Queer has a project in the works with Ben Weasel, Marky Ramone and B-Face. In December he will be doing a string of shows in Spain with Marky Ramone.
[edit] Partial discography
- Grow Up - 1990, Shakin Street(UK) / re-issue 1994, Lookout! Records
- Love Songs for the Retarded - 1993, Lookout!
- Beat Off - 1994, Lookout!
- Rocket to Russia - 1994, Selfless Records
- Surf Goddess EP - 1994, Lookout!
- Move Back Home - 1995, Lookout!
- A Day Late and a Dollar Short (compilation) - 1996, Lookout!
- Don't Back Down - 1996, Lookout!
- Everything's OK - 1998, Hopeless Records
- Punk Rock Confidential - 1998, Hopeless
- Beyond the Valley of the Assfuckers - 2000, Hopeless
- Today EP - 2001, Lookout!
- Pleasant Screams - 2002, Lookout!
- Summer Hits No. 1 - 10-19-2004 Suburban Home Recordings
- Munki Brain - To be released Feb.2007 Asian Man Records
[edit] Current lineup
Joe Queer - 6-string and lead vocals
Ben Vermin - bass and back vocals
Salsaman Dave - drums
[edit] Previous lineups
- 1982 - Love Me 7"
Joe King - guitar and vocals
Tulu - bass
Wimpy - drums
(vocals on "Love Me" by William H. MacLaren, Sr. aka 'Pappy')
- 1984 - Webelos 7"
Wimpy - vocals
Joe King - guitar, backing vocals
Keith Hages - bass
Tulu - drums
(Backing Vocals: Fagtown Boys Choir under the direction of Bruce Pingree)
- 1990 - Grow Up
Joe King "Queer" - lead vocals, guitar "Huge" Hugh O'Neill - drums, vocals
"Young" Sean Rowley - guitar
Greg Urbatis - bass
(with the following session players: J.J. Rassler - guitar, vocals; Kevin Kecy - bass, vocals; Magoo Pirhana - bass; and Jeebs Pirhana - drums)
- 1993 - Love Songs For The Retarded
Joe Queer - lead vocals, guitar
B-Face - bass, backing vocals
Hugh O'Neill - drums, backing vocals
- 1993 - Too Dumb To Quit 7"
Joe King - guitar & vocals
B-Face - bass & vocals
Hugh O'Neill - drums & vocals
Wimpy - guest vocalist
(this same lineup appears on the Look Ma No Flannel" 7" released in 1995)
- 8/1993 - 11/1993 -Rocket To Russia, and Punk USA
Joe- Guitar/vocals
B-Face - Bass/backing vocals
Jay - Drums
- 1994 - Beat Off -Suck This and Shout At The Queers
Joe - guitar and vocals
B-Face - bass and vocals
Vapid - guitar and vocals
Danny Panic - drums
- 1995 - Surf Goddess 7"/CDEP
Joe - guitar & vocals
B-Face - bass & vocals
Hugh - drums & vocals
(with Vapid - guitar)
- 1995 - Move Back Home
Joe King - guitar and lead vocals
B-Face - bass and vocals
Hugh O'Neill - drums and vocals
- 1996 - Bubblegum Dreams 7" and Don't Back Down
Joe King - guitar and vocals
B-Face - bass and vocals
Hugh O'Neill - drums
(with J.J. Rassler - guitar and vocals and Lisa Marr - backup and lead vocals on "I Can't Get Over You")
- 1998 - Everything's O.K. 7"/CDEP
Joe Queer - guitar, vocals
Jeff Useless - bass, vocals
Rick Respectable - drums, vocals
- 1998 - Punk Rock Confidential
Joe Queer - guitar, vocals
Dangerous Dave - guitar, vocals
Chris Cougar Concentration Camp - bass, vocals
Steve Stress - drums
(with Lisa Marr - vocals, arranging and production; Jeff Useless - bass guitar, and Gretchen Smear - keyboards and vocals)
NOTE - This lineup is listed on the record insert; however, Chris says he played drums and Geoff Useless played bass. Steve and Dave didn't play much on the recording.
- 2000 - Beyond The Valley Of The Assfuckers
Joe Queer - guitar and vocals
Dangerous Dave - bass
Lurch Nobody - drums and vocals
(with Joe Brien - guitar solos on "Oi Boy" and "Babyface (Boo-Hoo-Hoo)" and Wimpy - vocals on "I Just Called To Say Fuck You" and "Stupid Fucking Vegan")
- 2001 - Today CDEP
Joe Queer - guitar
dangerous Dave - guitar
A-1 (Isaac Lane) - bass
Lurch Nobody- drums
- 2002 - Pleasant Screams
Joe Queer - guitar and vocals
Dangerous Dave - bass, keyboards, vocals
Matt Drastic - drums
(with Gretchen Smear - lead vocal on "You Just Gotta Blow My Mind," Phillip Hill - guitar and vocals on a bunch of stuff, and Dan Lumley - drums on "Molly Neuman")
- 2004 - Acid Beaters and Summer Hits No. 1
Joe Queer - lead vocals, guitar
Phillip Hill - bass, vocals
Dusty Watson - drums, vocals
- Late 2003 - Spring 2006 TOURING LINEUP
Joe Queer - lead vocals, guitar
Phillip Hill - bass, vocals
Dave 'Salsaman' Trevino - drums, interpreter
- 2006 - Weekend at Bernie's
Joe Queer - lead vocals, guitar
Phillip Hill - bass, vocals
Dave Tervino - drums, vocals
Special Guests:
Wimpy - Lead vocals
Evil Presley- (Rockaway Beach)
Don B-(Batman)
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Official Myspace page
- Queers Discography Page (also, source of previous lineups)
- 2006 Audio Interview with Joe Queer on The NH Edge
- September 2006 Article and Interview with Joe Queer in San Diego CityBeat
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