Negative Approach
is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered one of the pioneers of hardcore punk, along with bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains and Black Flag [1]. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known in its day outside of its hometown. It is now idolized in the Detroit rock underground and the punk subculture, considered to be one of the elite bands of the "old school" era, and continues to be influential. [2] Negative Approach initially broke up in 1983 with singer John Brannon moving onto Laughing Hyenas, but the band has reformed as of 2006 and continues to tour sporadically. [3]
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NEGATIVE APPROACH TICKETS
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Biography
Main career (1981-1983)
Negative Approach was formed in August 1981 in
Detroit, Michigan by John Brannon and Pete Zelewski, supposedly after seeing a
Black Flag/
Necros show. The first NA lineup consisted of Brannon on vocals, Rob McCulloch on guitar, Pete Zelewski on bass and Zuheir on drums. Not long after, Zelewski left the band to form the Allied and was replaced by Rob McCulloch's brother Graham.
Zuheir was later replaced by Chris "Opie" Moore. The lineup of Brannon/McCulloch/McCulloch/Moore would remain unchanged until NA disbanded.
NA's first gig was in the basement of Necros drummer Todd Swalla's mother's home. Soon after, they recorded a demo, and followed that up with an appearance on the
Process of Elimination
compilation 7” EP, released on
Meatmen frontman Tesco Vee's fledgling
Touch & Go label, named after his
fanzine of the same name. The comp also featured the
Necros and the
Meatmen, among others. NA, the Necros and the Meatmen then embarked on the Process of Elimination tour. Though this “tour” consisted of a mere three shows (
Boston,
New York City and
Washington, DC), it is cited as being a key event in the early spread of hardcore.
The first proper Negative Approach studio release came in 1982 with their self-titled 7” EP, also on Touch & Go. It contained some now-legendary songs such as “Can't Tell No One,” “Ready To Fight” and “Nothing,” which is considered by many to be the quintessential NA song.
The quality of the recording is quite poor, but the performances themselves are powerful, and the record is now held in nearly universal high regard by hardcore fans.
The following year saw the release of the
Tied Down
LP, also venerated as a hardcore classic.
While it mostly contains more of the same ultra-fast, angry music as the 7”, the band also branched out somewhat and included a plodding dirge (“Evacuate”) and a (relatively) mid-tempo rocker (“Dead Stop”) on the album.
The classic line-up fell apart in 1983. Rob McCulloch claims that the band had grown weary of the group's reputation for writing negative lyrics but that John Brannon was not comfortable writing differently
[4]. Also, Rob has stated that John's involvement with Larissa Stolarchuk from
L-Seven was another source of tension for the group
[5]. The band re-grouped long enough to record the
Tied Down
LP, then split for good
.
Afterwards, Brannon assembled a new line-up with members Kelly Dermody (guitar), Dave (bass) and Mike (drums). This version of Negative Approach played a series of live shows throughout 1984 which featured some new songs, such as "Obsession," "Tunnel Vision," "Kiss Me Kill Me" and a cover of "I Got A Right" by the Stooges. This line-up can be heard on the
Live at the Newtown Theater
bootleg 7" and some live tracks recorded at Boston's Paradise club that appear on the
Total Recall.
discography CD. The new line-up of the band split during the first week of their tour in support of
Tied Down
, playing their last show in
Memphis.
Post-break up (1983-2006)
John Brannon went on to front the
punk blues band
Laughing Hyenas with his girlfriend Larissa Stolarchuk (then calling herself "Larissa Strickland") from L-Seven
[6], and currently sings for Easy Action. In 2008 John Brannon sings 2 songs on
Vitamin X's album Full Scale Assault produced by
Steve Albini.
Opie Moore moved out from behind the drums to front '80s/'90s alt-rock act Crossed Wire along with Rob McCulloch. After Crossed Wire, Rob McCulloch attended college and has not pursued a career in music, although he maintains a home recording studio. Currently, Moore enjoys a respected solo career as an edgy roots-oriented singer and songwriter. His current band, Moore & Sons on the UK's Triumphant Sounds/Drawing Room label, features
Lambchop member Dennis Cronin.
Graham McCulloch moved to Washington, DC and joined the
Meatmen before forming Earth 18 with John "Bubba" Dupree (formerly of
Void). Earth 18 released several albums and toured the US, opening for Nitzer Ebb. After Earth 18 disbanded Graham played for several years in Mother May I.
Reunion (2006-present)
It was announced in May 2006 that Brannon and Moore would play a Negative Approach reunion show, of sorts, for Touch & Go's 25th Anniversary show on September 9, 2006,
[7] as well as two later shows in the UK - London on December 7 and at
All Tomorrow's Parties on December 10. Despite repeated efforts by Rob and Graham McCulloch to be a part of the reunion and have the classic NA lineup play, John refused. It was instead announced that Harold Richardson (of Brannon's current band Easy Action) and Ron Sakowski (formerly of Easy Action, Laughing Hyenas, and Necros) would complete the lineup. Rob and Graham maintain that the appearance shouldn't be labeled as Negative Approach without the classic NA lineup. John asserts that his talks with the McCullochs deteriorated early on, and that they conceded that they were unprepared to play after years away from the music business. The whole affair has generated considerable controversy, and there is little agreement as to exactly who is in the right and for what reasons.
Negative Approach closed out the No Fun Fest in Brooklyn, NY on May 20, 2007.
Thurston Moore played guitar on two songs at the start of their set.
Negative Approach did a brief reunion tour in the northeast United States in April 2008, performing in Brooklyn and Providence. They also played the wedding of
Anal Cunt founder
Seth Putnam.
The band did a lengthier tour of Europe in June 2008, playing in Amsterdam, Antwerp, London, Barcelona, Manchester, Milan, Muenster and Hamburg. Later in 2008, they did a show in Los Angeles.
Influences and style
Negative Approach's musical style was based on Detroit proto-punk/rock & roll icons
The Stooges. Of The Stooges, John Brannon said, "So much of what NA stands for; our sound and lyrics were based on the music which [The Stooges' guitarist
Ron Asheton helped to create." NA were also influenced by high-octane
British punk rock (especially
Discharge) and
Oi! music (
Blitz,
4-Skins, et al.), although from the start their sound and demeanor were considerably more aggressive and brutal than that of their influences. NA's brand of hardcore was savage and nihilistic, exuding frustration, pessimism and rage. This was personified in the band's vocalist John Brannon, an intimidating and intense young man with a shaved head, piercing stare and belligerent attitude. His vocal style and stage presence set the standard for those that followed.
Band members
Current
- John Brannon - vocals(1981-1984, 2006-Present)
- Chris "Opie" Moore - Drums (1981-1983, 2006-Present)
- Harold Richardson - Guitar (2006-Present)
- Ron Sakowski - Bass (2006-Present)
Former
- Pete Zelewski - Bass (1981)
- Zuheir - Drums (1981)
- Rob McCulloch - Guitar (1981-1983)
- Graham McCulloch - Bass (1981-1983)
Touring Musicians
- Kelly Dermody - Guitar (1984)
- Dave - Bass (1984)
- Mike - Drums (1984)
Discography
Studio albums
- Tied Down
(1983, Touch & Go)
EPs
- Negative Approach
(1982, 7", Touch & Go)
Demos
- Lost Cause
(1981)
- Tied Down
(1983)
- Rice City
(1984)
Compilation albums
- Total Recall
(1992, Touch & Go)
- Ready to Fight: Demos, Live and Unreleased 1981-83
(2005, Reptilian)
Video
- Fair Warning, Vol. 1
(2006)
- Fair Warning, Vol. 2
(2007)
- Can't Tell No One
(2008)
Other appereances
- "Lost Cause" on Process of Elimination
(1981, 7" EP, Touch & Go)
- "Can't Tell No One" on Reagan Regime Review
(Selfless) (1992, a compilation of live tracks, released with the last issue of Touch & Go
fanzine)
References
- Negative Approach
- The Detroit hardcore scene
- F Yeah Fest Preview: An Interview with John Brannon of Negative Approach
- KFTH - Negative Approach Interview from Game of the Arseholes #4
- The Detroit hardcore scene - SWINDLE Magazine
- LAUGHING HYENAS
- Touch & Go 25th Anniversary Block Party, Day Two