| The Weirdos | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Years active | 1976–1981, 1986,1990, 2004–2005 |
| Labels | Frontier, Bomp! |
| Website | http://www.theweirdos.net/ |
| Members | |
| John Denney Dix Denney |
|
| Past members | |
| Cliff Martinez Cliff Roman David Trout Nickey Beat Billy Persons Danny Benair Willy Williams Art Fox |
|
The Weirdos were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1976 and broke up in 1981, were occasionally active in the 1980s, and recorded new material in the 1990s. Critic Mark Deming calls them "quite simply, one of the best and brightest American bands of punk's first wave."[1]
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The band was formed in 1976 by singer John Denney and his brother Dix on guitar, initially using the band names The Barbies and The Luxurious Adults.[2] They were the only constant members, though guitarist/bassist Cliff Roman, bassist Dave Trout and drummer Nickey "Beat" Alexander were relatively long-term Weirdos.
Cliff Martinez, who briefly drummed for the band, went on to join the Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing on the latter's first two albums. Dix Denney was also close to becoming a member of the Chili Peppers. However, after many practices with Denney, things didn't work out and he was replaced by guitarist Jack Sherman. Zander Schloss, who would later join a reunited Weirdos lineup, also auditioned for the Chili Peppers when guitarist John Frusciante quit in 1992.
The Weirdos were originally an art rock band, and were featured in a news article featuring punk rock groups in Time magazine; thus the "punk" label stuck.
The band broke up in 1981, but reunited several times, recording 1990 album Condor.[2] A 2004 reunion included Circle Jerks bassist Zander Schloss and The Skulls drummer Sean Antillon in the lineup.
Cliff Roman later became an eighth grade Art & Algebra teacher at Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School in Northridge, CA.