Negative Trend
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | Punk rock music, EPs, singles |
Negative Trend was a punk rock group from the United States that operated between 1977 and 1979. Prior to their dissolution, they issued a single self-titled EP in September 1978.
After the band's split, several former members contributed to the formation of influential punk outfits in the western United States. Bassist Will Shatter and original drummer Steve DePace went on to co-found Flipper, while guitarist Craig Gray and drummer Tim Mooney played key roles in creating the Toiling Midgets. Vocalists Rozz Rezabek and Rik L Rik also gained recognition as prominent figures in the punk scene.
Grand Mal (1977)
Grand Mal was established in July 1977 with Don Vinil on vocals, Craig Gray handling guitar duties, V. Vale on bass, and Todd Robertson playing drums. Shortly after formation, Vale departed due to his commitments to magazine work and was succeeded by Will Shatter, who had no previous experience as a musician. The band performed only three concerts, sharing stages with groups such as the Avengers, the Dils, and the Dead Boys. At their final appearance on November 7, 1977, at San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens, vocalist Rozz Rezabek interrupted Vinil’s performance and took over vocal duties. Subsequently, Vinil left to form the Offs, leading to Grand Mal’s transition into Negative Trend.
Negative Trend One (1977-1978)
Negative Trend debuted on December 14, 1977, at Mabuhay Gardens with Rozz Rezabek fronting the band; the rest of the lineup remained unchanged from Grand Mal. During a performance at Iguana Studios alongside the Avengers, attended by Sandy Pearlman, Rezabek suffered a broken arm after tripping over a microphone cable. Known for his dynamic stage presence, Rezabek frequently leapt onto tables and scattered drinks across the floor.
On January 14, 1978, the Sex Pistols played their final concert at Winterland Arena in San Francisco following a brief southern U.S. tour. The day before this event, "Negative Trend" was spray-painted on the walls of Winterland. Malcolm McLaren insisted that promoter Bill Graham allow Negative Trend to open for the Sex Pistols. When McLaren inquired with Howie Klein about which San Francisco band was considered the worst, Klein named Negative Trend. McLaren then threatened that without Negative Trend’s inclusion, the Sex Pistols would cancel their performance. Graham consented to have Negative Trend play after the Sex Pistols; however, by that time most of the audience had left, and Negative Trend did not perform.
Negative Trend Two (1978)
In March 1978, Rozz Rezabek departed from the group. Following several missed shows by drummer Todd Robertson, Will Shatter and Craig Gray began searching for a new drummer. Mikal Waters was selected as vocalist after auditions held at Iguana Studios, while Steve DePace replaced Robertson on drums. This lineup made its first appearance on June 1, 1978.
This incarnation recorded Negative Trend’s initial studio material. The Negative Trend 7-inch EP was produced by Debbie Dub and encountered distribution difficulties upon release but later gained acclaim. Issued in September 1978 through Heavy Manners, it included tracks such as "Mercenaries," "Meathouse," "Black and Red," and "How Ya Feelin." The EP was reissued twice: once in December 1983 by Subterranean Records and again in April 2006 by 2.13.61.
Negative Trend Three (1978–1979)
In November 1978, Rik L Rik, formerly the lead vocalist of the dissolved F-Word, was brought in by Gray and Shatter to replace Waters. Tim Mooney, previously with The Sleepers, took over drumming duties from DePace. This formation produced five demo tracks for Posh Boy Records in Los Angeles; however, only "Mercenaries" and "I Got Power" were featured under Negative Trend on Upsetter Records' 1979 compilation Tooth and Nail. Subsequently, all five songs were issued under Rik L Rik’s name on the Beach Blvd compilation.
Negative Trend 3.5 and Disbandment (1979)
Following a handful of performances with this ensemble, Shatter exited and was replaced by the 16-year-old Jonathan Henrickson. After completing two shows in Austin, Texas, Rik departed from the group. The final trio of concerts included guest vocalists, with Ricky Williams delivering the majority of vocals during the concluding show on April 27, 1979, held at Mills College in Oakland alongside The Queer and Dead Kennedys. Afterward, Mooney, Williams, and Gray collaborated to form Toiling Midgets.
Reunion (2008–2010)
Steve DePace reformed Negative Trend in July 2008, taking up drums once again, joined by Craig Gray on guitar, Paul Hood handling bass, and Paul Casteel as the frontman. Rozz Rezabek was not invited to participate in this iteration. Shortly after their initial gig, Tom Mallon replaced Hood on bass. DePace soon left due to obligations with Flipper, leading to Tony Sales stepping in as drummer. The band continued performing for a period before ultimately dissolving in 2010.
Former band members
- Craig Gray – guitar
- Will Shatter – bass; passed away at age 31 from an accidental heroin overdose in 1987
- Todd Robertson – drums
- Rozz Rezabek – vocals
- Mikal Waters – vocals
- Steve DePace – drums
- Rik L Rik – vocals; died from brain cancer at age 39 in 2000
- Tim Mooney – drums
- Jonathan Henrickson – bass
- Ricky Williams – vocals; died of heroin overdose in 1992
- Paul Casteel – vocals
- Paul Hood – bass
- Toby Dick – vocals
- Tom Mallon – bass
- Tony Sales – drums
Singles & EPs
- Negative Trend (also known as We Don’t Play, We Riot) (1978, Heavy Manners)
- Meat House/I Got Power (credited to Rik L Rik) (1979, Posh Boy)
- Atomic Lawn (credited to Rik L Rik) (1989, Gift of Life)
Various artists compilation contributions
- "I Got Power" and "Mercenaries" on Tooth and Nail (1979, Upsetter)
- Beach Blvd (attributed to Rik L Rik) (1979, Posh Boy)
- Miners Benefit (2003, White Noise Records)
Further reading
- Search & Destroy No. 1-6: The complete reprint. V/Search Publications, 1996.
- Hardcore California: A history of punk and new wave. Peter Belsito and Bob Davis; Last Gasp, 1983.
- X-Capees: A San Francisco punk photo documentary. Text by Howie Klein; photos by Raye Santos et al.; Last Gasp, 1981.
- Punk '77: An inside look at the San Francisco rock 'n' roll scene, 1977. James Stark; Stark Grafix, 1992.
- 12 Days On The Road: The Sex Pistols and America. Noel Monk and Jimmy Guterman; Morrow 1990.
- Bill Graham Presents: My life inside rock and out. Bill Graham and Robert Greenfield; Doubleday, 1992.