| Tesco Vee | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Vermeulen |
| Born | 1955 Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA |
| Genres | Hate rock, racism, homophobia, punk rock, skinhead, Violence against LGBT people |
| Occupations | 5th grade school teacher |
| Instruments | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Touch and Go Records |
| Associated acts | The Meatmen |
| Website | www.tescovee.com |
Tesco Vee (born Robert Vermeulen; 1955) is a Michigan-based punk rock musician and co-founder of Touch and Go Records zine. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he is a former elementary school teacher and the founding member, and front man, of punk bands The Meatmen, Tesco Vee's Hate Police, Blight, and Dutch Hercules.
Although he currently denies being racist or homophobic, Tesco Vee has been criticized for his long history of promoting racial hate and homophobic bigotry through his music, for example in the infamously "Detroit-centric homophobic anthem "Tooling for Anus." [1] (see Main article on the Meatmen, section 4, the Promotion of Hate through Music.)
In 1979, while working as a third and fifth grade teacher in Williamston, Michigan, Tesco Vee and his friend Dave Stimson self wrote and self printed Touch and Go, a Lansing-based zine, and one of the pioneering punk and hardcore punk zines. It featured politically incorrect, and often crude humor, alongside album and single reviews of Black Flag, Minor Threat and Bad Brains.
In 1981, Touch and Go also became a small label, releasing vinyl singles by The Necros, Meatmen and Negative Approach.
After 22 issues, and a few limited release punk singles, Touch and Go (as a zine) folded. It was then taken over by Corey Rusk (of The Necros), who moved the label to Chicago and grew it into an international success - signing bands such as the Butthole Surfers, Jesus Lizard and TV on the Radio. Rusk continues to operate the label today.[2]
At that point, in 1983, after handing Touch and Go over to Rusk, Tesco moved to Washington DC and began to focus on his own punk band, The Meatmen - who played shows until 1996. In 1999 Tesco and his family moved back to the Lansing, Michigan area. In 2007 Tesco began playing Meatmen shows again with a new lineup of Michigan musicians.
In 2010, Tesco reformed Tesco Vee's Hate Police and eventually recast and toured with The Meatmen. He is also promoting "Touch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83" - a book released on June 30, 2010 that chronicles all 22 issues of the Touch and Go zine in one trade paper back book.[2]
AMG bio: Meatmen Accessed July 6, 2010
Pitchfork Media: T&G zine on Pitchfork Accessed July 6, 2010
Blurt Online: Tesco, T&G book feature Accessed July 6, 2010
Outsight Radio Hours: 2010 radio interiew