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Circle Jerks

From Alfawiki
Circle Jerks
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1979 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
FounderKeith Morris, Greg Hetson
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Keith Morris (vocalist), Greg Hetson (guitarist)
ProductsMusic albums, live performances
Number of employees
4 (current members) (2024)
Websitecirclejerks.com

Circle Jerks (presented as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) is a hardcore punk band originating from Los Angeles, California in 1979. The group was established by vocalist Keith Morris, formerly of Black Flag, and guitarist Greg Hetson of Redd Kross. Their discography includes six studio albums, one compilation, a live album, and a live DVD. Their inaugural release, Group Sex (1980), is widely recognized as a seminal work within the hardcore punk scene.

Throughout their existence, the band has experienced several splits and reformations, frequently accompanied by changes in personnel. Following their fifth album, VI (1987), they disbanded to allow Hetson to concentrate on his role with Bad Religion, which he had joined in 1984. The Circle Jerks reunited in 1994 and produced their sixth studio album, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities, released in 1995, before dissolving once more. A subsequent reunion in 2001 led to intermittent live shows and the release of a new track titled "I'm Gonna Live" on their MySpace page in 2007. Internal conflicts and unsuccessful recording sessions contributed to another breakup in 2011. In November 2019, the band announced plans for a 2020 reunion tour commemorating the 40th anniversary of Group Sex.

The influence of Circle Jerks extends to various artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Anti-Flag, Dropkick Murphys, the Offspring, NOFX, and Pennywise.

Formation and Rise (1979–1982)

Keith Morris, the lead singer, co-founded Black Flag alongside guitarist Greg Ginn and contributed to the Nervous Breakdown EP before departing in December 1979. Subsequently, Morris established Circle Jerks—originally named the Bedwetters—with guitarist Greg Hetson, bassist Roger Rogerson (who had classical training), and drummer Lucky Lehrer (with a background in jazz). Dissatisfied with their initial name, Morris opted to rename the group Circle Jerks.

In early 1980, the band recorded their initial songs, including "Wild in the Streets," which appeared on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation by Posh Boy. Their debut album, Group Sex, launched in October 1980 through Frontier Records, comprised 14 tracks with a total duration of approximately 15 minutes; some songs were penned by Morris during his tenure with Black Flag. That same year, they featured in Penelope Spheeris' documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, contributing five live recordings to its soundtrack.

By late 1980, Circle Jerks signed with Faulty Products, an imprint under IRS Records, and released their sophomore album, Wild in the Streets, in 1982. The title track was a reinterpretation of Garland Jeffreys' original song. Following Faulty Products' closure shortly thereafter, the band reclaimed rights to their material but lost the original stereo master tape; consequently, a remix was created from multi-track sources for the 1988 reissue.

Subsequent Period (1983–1989)

After releasing Wild in the Streets, drummer Lehrer departed to pursue legal studies and was succeeded by John Ingram. The band entered into a contract with Jerry Goldstein's Far Out Productions and unveiled their third album, Golden Shower of Hits, in 1983 via Goldstein's LAX Records label. The album's title track consisted of a medley combining six varied cover songs that collectively narrated themes of love and separation. The song "Coup d'État" from this record was featured in Alex Cox's 1984 film Repo Man, where Circle Jerks performed an acoustic rendition of "When the Shit Hits the Fan" with new members: drummer Chuck Biscuits, formerly of Black Flag and D.O.A., and bassist Earl Liberty, previously with Saccharine Trust. Liberty had transitioned from being a roadie for the Misfits and left Saccharine Trust due to creative dissatisfaction.

Eventually, Biscuits and Liberty were replaced by Keith Clark on drums and Zander Schloss on bass; both appeared in Repo Man. The band then signed with Combat Core, a punk division under Relativity Records' metal imprint Combat Records. This lineup produced Wonderful in 1985 followed by VI in 1987. The track "Love Kills" from VI was specifically commissioned by Alex Cox for his 1986 motion picture Sid and Nancy.

Around 1989, after Schloss's departure, former Megadeth bassist Chris Poland briefly joined Circle Jerks.

Hiatus (1990–1993)

Circle Jerks disbanded in 1990 following Hetson's departure to dedicate his efforts exclusively to Bad Religion. Live recordings captured during their concluding tour were issued as the live album Gig in 1992, marking their final release through Relativity Records.

Throughout this break, Hetson remained active with Bad Religion; Schloss engaged with various musical projects; Clark exited the music industry entirely; and Morris stepped away from performing to focus on health concerns, having successfully overcome substance addiction by 1988.

Reunions and hiatuses (1994–2011)

In 1994, the group reassembled with the lineup from the Wonderful period and secured a contract with the major label Mercury Records. Complexities emerged due to Hetson's existing contract with Atlantic Records for Bad Religion and Schloss's affiliation with Interscope Records. Once these issues were settled, they released their newest studio album, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities, on June 20, 1995. The record included a noteworthy collaboration featuring pop artist Debbie Gibson on a rendition of the Soft Boys' "I Wanna Destroy You". Despite attracting media interest, the band disbanded again just three weeks into the tour supporting the album. They performed occasionally afterward, but Clark permanently retired from music. Original bassist Rogerson passed away in 1996 at age 41 due to a drug overdose.

Progress was further hindered when Morris was diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes in 1999, leading to benefit shows organized by numerous punk bands.

Morris, Hetson, and Schloss—joined by drummer Kevin Fitzgerald—continued to perform sporadically until 2011 while managing other obligations: Hetson maintained his full-time role in Bad Religion; Schloss played bass for the reformed LA punk group the Weirdos; and Morris worked as an A&R director at V2 Records until its closure in 2007.

In 2004, Circle Jerks recorded a live concert DVD for Kung-Fu Records' series The Show Must Go Off!, showcasing songs from all six studio albums along with covers connected to Schloss' and Morris' other bands. The following year, Hetson initiated a new project called Black President.

Speculation about a new Circle Jerks album persisted for several years. In February 2007, they released "I'm Gonna Live" via Myspace—their first new track since 1995. Nevertheless, by April 2008 Hetson confirmed that no studio recordings were planned imminently.

The band featured in an XM Satellite Radio commercial using "Operation" from Group Sex and uploaded a cover of Germs' "The Slave" on Myspace.

Their final performance before an extended break occurred at Denver's Bluebird Theater on January 27, 2011.

Between 2011 and 2019, internal disagreements brought activity to a standstill. The dispute revolved around new material co-written by Morris and producer Dimitri Coats (of Burning Brides), who criticized Hetson's contributions as substandard. While Morris backed Coats' creative direction, other members considered Coats "arrogant" and pushed for his removal. As a result, Morris and Coats created a new band, Off!, recruiting Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross) and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes).

Anniversary Tour for Group Sex (2019–Present)

On November 22, 2019, Circle Jerks revealed plans for a reunion tour in 2020 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their first album, Group Sex, which included an appearance at Punk Rock Bowling. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheduled shows were deferred until 2021. The reunion featured three out of four members from the final lineup: vocalist Keith Morris, guitarist Greg Hetson, and bassist Zander Schloss.

Drummer Joey Castillo, formerly of Queens of the Stone Age and Danzig, became part of the band on July 15, 2021.[1]

In April 2022, six concerts were postponed after Morris tested positive for COVID-19. The group resumed touring alongside the Descendents throughout North and South America during 2023 and 2024, with plans for a European tour in 2025.[2][3][4]

Current Members

  • Keith Morris – lead vocals (1979–1990, 1994–1995, 2001–2011, 2019–present)
  • Greg Hetson – guitar (1979–1990, 1994–1995, 2001–2011, 2019–present)
  • Zander Schloss – bass guitar (1984–1988, 1989–1990, 1994–1995, 2001–2011, 2019–present)
  • Joey Castillo – drums (2021–present)

Discography

Studio Releases

Bibliography

External links

  1. ↑ John Gentile, "Joey Castillo is the new drummer for Circle Jerks," Punknews.org, July 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ James Biagiotti, "Concert Review: Descendents at Revolution Live," Boca Magazine, April 3, 2024.
  3. ↑ Amanda Hatfield, "Descendents & Circle Jerks announce fall co-headlining tour," Brooklyn Vegan, April 16, 2024.
  4. ↑ Max Pilley, "Descendents and Circle Jerks announce 2025 UK and European co-headline tour," NME, November 18, 2024.
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