Thursday, January 28, 2010

Gang Green



Gang Green
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Genres Punk rock, Hardcore punk, Crossover thrash
Years active 1981 – 1998
2000 – some tours
Labels Taang! Records
Roadrunner Records
Website www.taang.com
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty (guitar), Bill Manley (bass) & Mike Dean (drums) started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984. The band was influential in the formation of the East Coast hardcore scene.
The first incarnation of the band in 1980 consisted of 15 year olds Chris Doherty, Mike Dean, and Bill Manley and contributed seven tracks to the This Is Boston, Not L.A. compilation in 1982.

In 1984 the group disbanded and lead singer Chris Doherty joined the band Jerry's Kids for their album Is This My World?

In 1985, Gang Green released the 7" "Sold Out" on Taang! Records, the heavily influential Boston label's first release. All of the tracks recorded by the original line up of Gang Green were later released on the Gang Green, Preschool CD, released by Taang! Records.

In 1985 Doherty reemerged with an all new Gang Green lineup consisting of himself (vocals, guitar), Chuck Stilphen (guitar, vocals), Glen Stilphen (bass, vocals) and Walter Gustafson (drums). This second lineup is the most famous nationally as it was both the first to tour and the one that recorded the songs "Alcohol" and "Skate to Hell". This edition of Gang Green released the Another Wasted Night LP on Taang! Records in 1986. This record is considered to be the band's best recording and was a defining moment in Boston punk in the 1980s.


The song "Alcohol" from Another Wasted Night has been covered by a number of bands. Tankard, a German thrash metal band, featured the song on their album Chemical Invasion. It was also covered by Impaled Nazarene, a black metal band from Finland. It appeared on their EP entitled Motörpenis which was released in 1996. Boston punkrock band Dropkick Murphys covered the song on their "Back to the Hub" 7inch. It also appeared on their live compilation, Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA. It was also covered by The Meatmen on their album Pope on a Rope, and also by No Fun At All on their album Master Celebrations.

By 1987, when they were signed by Roadrunner Records the band’s musical style had come to lean more toward heavy metal and the personnel of the band, save Doherty, had changed completely. This incarnation of Gang Green consisted of Doherty, Fritz Erickson (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass) and former Jerry's Kids drummer Brian Betzger. In 1989 Gittleman left to devote more time to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and was replaced by Josh Pappe, formerly of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.


After touring the United States with Social Distortion in 1990 Gang Green experienced a few more lineup shuffles before being dropped by Roadrunner and going on hiatus for several years in which Doherty founded the bands Klover (Mercury Records) and Hamerd.

In 1996 Gang Green surfaced yet again with Walter Gustafson returning on drums, along with newcomers Mike Earls (guitar, vocals) and Matt Sandonato (bass, vocals). They re-signed with Taang! Records and in 1997 released Back & Gacked (EP) and Another Case Of Brewtality. These records saw the band returning to their punk roots and even moving in a pop direction. Gang Green toured Europe and the U.S. extensively in 1997 and 1998. Chris Doherty moved from Boston to Cincinnati shortly afterwards and in the early 2000s Gang Green played only once or twice a year in Boston and NYC.

 visit: Wikipedia

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