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The Locust
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Locust | |
|---|---|
 The Locust
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| Background information | |
| Origin | San Diego, California |
| Genre(s) | Noise rock |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Associated acts |
Holy Molar, Cattle Decapitation, Some Girls, Head Wound City |
| Members | |
| Justin Pearson Gabe Serbian Bobby Bray Joey Karam |
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| Former members | |
| Dylan Shcarf Dave Warshaw Jimmy LaValle Dave Astor |
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| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Keyboards, Guitar, Drums, Bass | |
- For other uses, see Locust (disambiguation).
The Locust is a group from San Diego, California, United States.
The Locust are known for their synth-heavy, distorted sound, snotty vocals and their stage presence. Singer Justin Pearson has said, "I just want to destroy music in general."
The Locust's music is complex and fast-paced, featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in." Over the years, their sound has changed several times. This progression in sound can be heard on almost every record they've released, presumably up to Plague Soundscapes.
Members include Justin Pearson, singer and bass guitarist; Gabe Serbian on drums, who replaced Dave Astor; Joey Karam on vocals and the synthesizer; and Bobby Bray on vocals and guitar. Some members formerly played in somewhat well-known political punk bands called Swing Kids and Struggle as well as the punk rock band Le Shok, and current side projects Holy Molar, Head Wound City, Ground Unicorn Horn, Some Girls and Cattle Decapitation (the latter broke its connection with The Locust and Three One G, Justin Pearson's personal record label, and acquired an avant-garde reputation of its own).
The Locust have a unique stage presence, costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (that the band refers to as uniforms) with bug-like mesh eye and mouth coverings. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The group recommends that in order to get the full impact of the band, one should see them live.
The Locust boycotts Clear Channel Communications, refusing to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas.
In their lyrics The Locust satirize mainstream US culture, sexuality, and politics.
The Locust released New Erections in March, 2007 on ANTI-
Contents |
- The Locust are known to produce what some consider tasteless merchandise such as their puddle-shaped (and bodily fluid-coloured) 7" split with Arab on Radar, compacts which are not cocaine mirrors, soap, and small comic books that look like Chick tracts, coinciding with their debut record on ANTI-, Plague Soundscapes.
- They also have released some of their CDs in the 3" CD format, or in the case of Follow The Flock, Step in Shit, a 3 inch square.
- Gabe Serbian and Justin Pearson staged a wedding while in Hawaii. Also, as a hoax Justin and Scott Beibin (of Lost Film Fest, Evil Twin Booking and Bloodlink Records) appeared on an episode of Jerry Springer, and shared a kiss.
- An unknown party released a bootlegged record purporting to be a The Locust record, but actually only containing recordings of crying or screaming babies. The record is known as "Mystery Screams".
- Justin Pearson is credited with giving Los Angeles based synth punk group Halloween Swim Team their name in 2002.
- A bootleg Locust 7" record titled "The Only Element That Matters Is Einsteinium" was released by the label I Don't Feel A Thing some time ago, containing only animal calls and not actual songs. The song titles are convincingly real, as they're very random and perfectly disguised as normal Locust songs.
- Justin Pearson - Bass / Vocals (1994 - Present)
- Gabe Serbian Drums (2001-Present)
- Bobby Bray - Guitar / Vocals (1994 - Present)
- Joey Karam - Keyboards / Samples / Vocals (1997 - Present)
Past Members
- Dylan Shcarf - Vocals / Guitar (1994 - 1996)
- Dave Warshaw - Keyboards / Vocals (1994 - 1996)
- Dave Astor - Drums (1994 - 2001)
- Jimmy LaValle - Keyboards (1996 - 1997)
- Split 10" EP with Man Is the Bastard on King of the Monsters (1995)
- Split 5" with Jenny Piccolo on Three One G (1995)
- The Locust 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories (1997), re-issued on 3" CD and 7" with bonus tracks in 2004.
- The Locust LP/CD on Gold Standard Laboratories (1998)
- Split 7" with Arab on Radar on Gold Standard Laboratories (2000)
- Well I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle 2x12"/CD (2000) featuring remixes by Kid606, I Am Spoonbender and Sinking Body, among other artists
- Flight of the Wounded Locust 7"/CDEP on Gold Standard Laboratories (2001)
- Split 7" with Melt-Banana on Gold Standard Laboratories (2002)
- Follow the Flock, Step in Shit 3" CD on Three One G (2003), tracks from split 5" with Jenny Piccolo and one extra track.
- Plague Soundscapes CD/LP picture disc on ANTI- (2003)
- Safety Second, Body Last CDEP on Ipecac Recordings, 12" on Radio Surgery (2005)
- New Erections CD on ANTI-, LP on Radio Surgery (2007)