The Queers
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Origin | Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA |
Years active | 1982-1984, 1990-Present |
Genres | Pop punk |
Labels | Asian Man Records |
Members | Joe Queer Dangerous Dave Geoff Useless Adam Woronoff |
The Queers are an American pop punk band formed in 1982 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King (A.K.A. Joe Queer). Supposedly, the name 'Queers' was used simply to poke fun at what he called the "Art Fag" community in New Hampshire. The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1990. That year, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up. The album earned the band notoriety within New England, but with the release of their next album 1993's Love Songs for the Retarded, on Lookout! Records, their following grew to larger proportions.
In 2006 after releasing 6 albums on Lookout!, the band rescinded their master rights from the label, citing breach of contract over unpaid royalties. Later that year they signed with Asian Man Records.
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[edit] Music
The Queers play a Ramones style of pop punk. Much like the Ramones, common lyrical themes were girls, drugs, and having fun. Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel frequently collaborates with the band to write their songs.
Along with 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. Songs like, "Little Rich Working Class Oi Boy" take 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."
[edit] Members
Since its formation, the band has gone through many line-up changes with Queer as the only constant member. The band currently consists of Joe Queer (Guitar/Vocals), Dangerous Dave (Guitar), Geoff Useless (Bass), and Adam Woronoff (Drums).
The full list of band members includes:
- Joe Queer (Vocals/Guitar) (1982-1984, 1990-Present)
- Tulu (Bass/Drums) (1982-1984)
- Wimpy (Drums/Vocals) (1982-1984)
- Keith Hages (Bass) (1984)
- Hugh O'Neill (Drums/Vocals) (1990-1993, 1995 (deceased)
- Sean Rowley (Guitar) (1990-?)
- Greg Urbatis (Bass) (1990-?)
- B-Face (Bass/Vocals) (1993-?)
- Jay (Drums) (1993)
- Dan Vapid (Guitar/Vocals) (1994)
- Danny Panic (Drums) (1994)
- Erick Coleman (guitar) (1995-1996)
- Metal Murf Cretin (guitar) (1996)
- Hunter Oswald (drums) (1996)
- Geoff Useless (Bass/Vocals) (1998, 2006-Present)
- Rick Respectable (Drums/Vocals) (1998)
- Dangerous Dave (Guitar/Vocals/Keyboards) (1998-2002, 2006-Present)
- Chris Cougar Concentration Camp (Bass/Vocals) (1998-?)
- Steve Stress (Drums) (1998-?)
- Lurch Nobody (Drums/Vocals) (2000-2001)
- Isaac Lane (Bass) (2001)
- Matt Drastic (Drums) (2002)
- Dave 'Salsaman' Trevino (Drums) (2003-2006)
- Phillip Hill (Bass/Vocals) (2003-2006)
- Dusty Watson (Drums, Vocals) (2004)
- Ben Vermin (Bass) (2006)
- Ryan Kwon Do (Drums) (2006)
- Adam Woronoff (Drums) (2007-Present)
Every once in a while, usually in the Greater Boston area, The Queers will reunite with previous members on stage.
[edit] Partial discography
- Love Me 7" - 1982
- Webelos 7" - 1984
- Grow Up - 1990, Shakin' Street (UK) / reissue 1994, Lookout! Records
- Love Songs for the Retarded - 1993, Lookout! / reissue 2006, Asian Man Records
- Beat Off - 1994, Lookout! / reissue 2007, Asian Man Records
- Rocket to Russia - 1994, Selfless Records
- Surf Goddess EP - 1994, Lookout!
- Move Back Home - 1995, Lookout! / reissue March 2007, Asian Man Records
- A Day Late And A Dollar Short (compilation) - 1996, Lookout!
- Bubblegum Dreams 7" - 1996, Lookout!
- Don't Back Down - 1996, Lookout!
- Everything's OK - 1998, Hopeless Records
- Punk Rock Confidential - 1998, Hopeless
- Later Days And Better Lays - 1999, Lookout!
- Beyond The Valley... - 2000, Hopeless
- Live In West Hollywood - 2001, Hopeless
- Today EP - 2001, Lookout!
- Pleasant Screams - 2002, Lookout!
- Summer Hits No. 1 - 10-19-2004 Suburban Home Recordings
- Weekend at Bernie's (live)- 2006
- Munki Brain - Released February 6, 2007 on Asian Man Records