Guy Picciotto

Guy Picciotto
Background information
Born	(1965-09-17) September 17, 1965[1] Washington D.C.[1]
Genres	Post-hardcore, hardcore punk, emo, alternative rock, punk rock
Occupations	Songwriter, Musician, Producer
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drum machine, Clarinet, Thumb piano, Percussion
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Dischord
Associated acts	Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Happy Go Licky, One Last Wish
Notable instruments
Rickenbacker 330

Guy Picciotto (pronounced [ˈɡi piˈtʃoto] or "Gee Pi-CHO-toe") is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and producer from Washington, DC.^[2]

He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist in Fugazi and Rites of Spring.^[3]

Career

Rites of Spring and early projects

Picciotto's musical career began in 1985, with the group Rites of Spring. A part of the D.C. post-hardcore scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with its compositional rules. Picciotto, as the band's lyricist, as well as singer & guitarist also shifted hardcore into intensely personal realms and, in doing so, is generally credited with creating emo.^[4]

Picciotto's early musical resume also includes the bands One Last Wish (1986), Happy Go Licky (1987–1988), Brief Weeds (EPs released circa 1991-1992), and The Black Light Panthers (ongoing sporadic project since 1982), the last two bands both being projects with Brendan Canty. He also created a record label called Peterbilt Records, which released limited-quantity vinyl record albums for the bands Rain, Happy Go Licky, and Deadline, then years later was involved in releasing the album 1986 by One Last Wish, along with Dischord Records.

Fugazi

Though not in the original line up of Fugazi, Picciotto joined very early in the group's career, singing with them by their second show and appearing on all the band's studio recordings.

From the Margin Walker EP on, he also took up 2nd guitar duties, playing characteristically trebly Rickenbacker guitars. After seven albums (13 Songs, Repeater, Steady Diet of Nothing, In on the Kill Taker, Red Medicine, End Hits, The Argument), and several tours, Fugazi went on "indefinite hiatus" in 2003.

Side projects and production work

Picciotto has collaborated and performed with Mats Gustafsson, Vic Chesnutt, and members of the Ex among others. He has also produced numerous albums including, The Gossip's breakthrough record Standing in the Way of Control as well as Blonde Redhead's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (2000), Misery Is a Butterfly (2004) and The Blood Brothers final album, Young Machetes. Picciotto played on the Vic Chesnutt albums North Star Deserter (2007) and At the Cut (2009), and accompanied him on a 2009 Fall/Winter North American Tour. He co-produced the film Chain with Jem Cohen (who made the Fugazi film Instrument).

Equipment

Guitars

• Rickenbacker 330 - Picciotto's main guitars are a sunburst Rickenbacker 330 and 2 identical black Rickenbacker 330's all equipped with RIC HB1 humbuckers. He has also occasionally been seen playing a natural-finish 330. The characteristically trebly Rickenbackers allowed Picciotto to make use of sonic space not taken by MacKaye's chunkier, rhythmic guitar playing in Fugazi.^[5]
• Rickenbacker 370 - Picciotto's main guitar when he fronted Rites of Spring, One Last Wish and in the first few years with Fugazi was a Mapleglo Rickenbacker 370. It eventually ended up in a state too fragile for live use, but he still used it in the studio right up to The Argument.^[6]
• Gibson Les Paul Jr. - During Picciotto's time with Rites of Spring and during the early days of Fugazi he could also be seen playing Les Paul Juniors.

Amplification

• Park 100 Watt heads
• Marshall JCM 800 2203 heads
• Red or Black Marshall JCM 800 4x12 cabinets fitted with 75-watt celestion speakers

Effects

• MXR Distortion+
• Vox 847 Wah or Buddah Budwah
• Echo Park Echoplex
• Diamond Memory Lane Delay (first edition)
• Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Plus
• Z.Vex Seek Tremolo
• Z.Vex Fuzz Factory
• Z.Vex Ringtone
• Frantone Cream Puff Fuzz
• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
• Boss TU-2 Tuner

Picciotto uses Bullet Cables for all pedal and guitar/amplifier connections live and in-studio.^[7]

Personal

Picciotto holds a B.A. degree in English from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the Washington, D.C. private school, the Georgetown Day School.^[8]

Discography

Rites of Spring

• Rites of Spring (1985)
• All Through a Life [EP] (1987)
• End on End (complete discography) (1991)

One Last Wish

• 1986 (1999)

Happy Go Licky

• 12" (EP) (1988)
• Will Play (live Compilation) (1997)

Black Light Panthers

• Peterbilt 12" 82-97 (1997)

Brief Weeds

• A Very Generous Portrait 7" (1990)
• Songs of Innocence and Experience 7" (1992)

Fugazi

• 13 Songs (September, 1989)
• Repeater (March, 1990)
• Steady Diet of Nothing (August, 1991)
• In on the Kill Taker (May, 1993)
• Red Medicine (June, 1995)
• End Hits (April, 1998)
• Instrument Soundtrack (1999)
• The Argument (October, 2001)

References

External links

• Interview from 2001 at Welcome to Flavor Country
• January 1998 interview with Picciotto in Diskant
• Nude as the News interview with Guy Picciotto (October 2001)
• Pitchfork interview with Picciotto
• Picciotto interview on the Morphizm site
• Exclaim.ca September 2007 interview with Guy Picciotto
• Picciotto's 1999 Fugazi Guitar Rig. GuitarGeek.com