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Firehose (band)

From Alfawiki
Firehose
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1986
Defunct1994
FateDisbanded; brief reunion in 2012
Headquarters
San Pedro, Los Angeles
,
United States
Key people
Mike Watt, Ed Crawford, George Hurley
ProductsMusic albums, EPs, singles

Firehose (often written as fIREHOSE) was an American alternative rock group composed of Mike Watt on bass and vocals, Ed Crawford handling guitar and vocals, and George Hurley on drums. The band was active from 1986 until 1994, with a brief reunion occurring in 2012.

History

After the tragic passing of D. Boon, which brought an end to Watt and Hurley’s previous ensemble, Minutemen, Firehose was formed in the spring of 1986. The band’s inception came about when Ed Crawford, then a 21-year-old student at Ohio State and an admirer of Minutemen, reached out to Watt following an erroneous report that Watt and Hurley were seeking guitarists.[1] Although initially hesitant due to grieving Boon’s death, Watt consented after Crawford’s determined efforts and a spontaneous audition in San Pedro. Crawford subsequently moved to San Pedro, earning the moniker ed fROMOHIO while living modestly as he integrated into the group. The name "fIREHOSE" was inspired by a Bob Dylan cue card from the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video and is stylized with a lowercase f as a tribute to Minutemen’s distinctive all-uppercase logo.[1]

Their first album, Ragin', Full On, was issued in 1986 through the independent label SST, coinciding with their role as opening act for Sonic Youth on tour that same year. Firehose quickly garnered a devoted fan base, particularly within the skateboarding scene, bolstered by their music featuring prominently in influential skate videos such as Santa Cruz Skateboards’ "Streets on Fire," which included tracks like "Brave Captain," "Sometimes," "Hear Me," and "Windmilling."

Throughout more than seven years of activity, Firehose cultivated a unique sound that fused elements of punk, funk, and free jazz while maintaining an intensive touring schedule. They performed nearly 1,000 shows and produced five albums along with two EPs before officially disbanding in 1994. Their final concert took place on February 12, 1994, at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.

Watt encapsulated their philosophy in Billboard: "Most bands tour to promote records. We make records to promote tours."[2]

After Firehose (1994–2012)

Once Firehose dissolved, Mike Watt embarked on releasing four solo albums and participated in numerous collaborations. His projects include the bass duo Dos with former Black Flag bassist and ex-wife Kira Roessler, FITTED alongside Graham Lewis from Wire, and Banyan with Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins. Additionally, he contributed to works by J Mascis + The Fog, The Stooges, and Unknown Instructors. Watt also hosts the online radio program The Watt from Pedro Show and continues to reside in San Pedro, Los Angeles.

George Hurley has been involved with multiple bands such as Vida (featuring former Black Flag member Dez Cadena), Red Krayola, Tripod (both collaborations with Tom Watson), and the Unknown Instructors. He remains based in San Pedro.

Ed Crawford went on to lead the North Carolina-based trio Grand National and toured with the now-defunct alt-country group Whiskeytown. Presently, he fronts the alt/rock trio FOOD and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Reunion

At the beginning of 2012, Firehose revealed plans for their first live performances in more than eighteen years, aligning with the launch of lowFLOWS: The Columbia Anthology ('91–'93), a collection that includes Flyin' the Flannel, the Live Totem Pole EP, Mr. Machinery Operator, along with additional live recordings and instrumental tracks.

The reunion was officially announced on December 29, 2011, at Harlow's in Sacramento, confirming a comeback show scheduled for April 5, 2012. Soon after this announcement, Firehose was confirmed as part of the roster for the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held in Indio, California. Their West Coast tour, titled "Smokin' on the Ol' Pink Pole," kicked off on April 5 at Harlow's and encompassed 14 dates, including two appearances at Coachella.

Concerning new compositions, Mike Watt shared that although their immediate priority was to perform existing tracks, there was an openness to creating new material: "Edward... has a band called Food and has been writing songs. For these two weeks of gigs, we're just going to play some old ones. But he was talking about writing songs. So, I don't know – maybe down the road."

Studio albums

EPs and singles

Compilations

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named burnsilver
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AVClub
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