Revolting Cocks , also known as RevCo , is an American industrial rock band that began as a musical side-project for Richard 23 of Front 242, Luc Van Acker, and Al Jourgensen of Ministry.

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History

The group was founded by Richard 23, Luc Van Acker and Al Jourgensen. The band got their name after a fight in a Chicago bar in 1983. Jourgensen, Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker celebrated the formation of the new band with a few drinks. The evening then ended up in a brawl, with bar stools being thrown through the establishment's windows. As he was throwing the trio out, the owner, a man Jourgensen recalls ^[1] was named Dess, shouted, "I'm calling the police! You guys are a bunch of revolting cocks! ^[1]" The trio subsequently decided to use the name for their band.

The first release was No Devotion on Wax Trax records.

Losing Richard 23 due to creative differences, the group's remaining two members were augmented by a rapidly changing set of musicians centered around Chris Connelly (Fini Tribe, later Damage Manual), Paul Barker (Blackouts, Ministry), and Bill Rieflin (Blackouts, Ministry, and who is now playing for R.E.M. and Robyn Hitchcock), with around twenty others as irregular contributors or guest artists.

The first single was quickly followed by an album, Big Sexy Land , in 1986, followed by a double live album, You Goddamned Son of a Bitch , in 1988 and Beers, Steers, and Queers in 1990. After a lengthy hiatus, Linger Ficken' Good , was released in 1993 - this would be the Cocks' last album for over 10 years.

The first album was a mix of Wax Trax-industrial, hard rock, and EBM with dominating sampling and strong synthesized beats. The live album, with the change in personnel, featured a return to Ministry-like industrial rock - the Big Sexy Land tracks embedded in shouting and noise. This trend continued on Beers, Steers and Queers , layering sample over sample and pushing ever further into distortion. Linger Ficken' Good was released by Sire records and is a tamer affair, most tracks returning to the less layered material. Included was a cover of Rod Stewart's Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? , also released as a single.

In 2004, the band, now focused on Al Jourgensen and former Cock Phildo Owens (Skatenigs, Snow Black), released iterations of Prune Tang to disappointing responses from fans. An album titled Purple Head was due in 2004, but was delayed until 2006 with a change in title, Cocked & Loaded . Caliente (Dark Entries) , a cover of sorts of Dark Entries by Bauhaus, with vocalist Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), was featured on the soundtrack to Saw II in 2005.

After assembling a touring line up to open for Ministry on the MasterBaTour of 2006, Jourgensen chose vocalist Josh Bradford (Stayte), keyboardist Clayton Worbeck (Stayte), and guitarist Sin Quirin (later Ministry and ReVamp) as the new full time members for the Revolting Cocks, now simply being called "RevCo". The group recorded Sex-O Olympic-O , which was originally set to be released in October of 2008, but was delayed until the following February, and was officially released on March 3, 2009.

The Revolting Cocks are also known for their perverse lyrics and raunchy live shows, which made them a target for angry moralists in the late '80s / early '90s. In the mid '80s, their song No Devotion was put on the PMRC's "banned list", and in 1990, Britain's Home Secretary Douglas Hurd tried to stop the band from performing in the UK by refusing them work permits.

Members

Current line-up

• Al Jourgensen (programming, voices, and various instruments; 1985-1994, 2004-present)
• Josh Bradford (vocals, 2006-present)
• Sin Quirin (guitars, bass, keyboards; 2006-present)
• Clayton Worbeck (keyboards, remixing; 2006-present)
• Stevie Banch (vocals, songwriter, guitar, bass, programming, backing vocals; 2006; bass, tour of 2009)
• Aaron Rossi (drums, tour of 2009)

Former members

• Luc Van Acker (vocals & various instruments, 1985-1993; remixing, 2007, 2009; tours of 1988, 1991, & 2006)
• Richard 23 (vocals, 1985-1986)
• Bill Rieflin (drums, programming; 1986-1994)
• Paul Barker (bass, keyboards, programming, voices; 1987-1994)
• Chris Connelly (vocals, programming; 1987-1994)
• Phil Owen (vocals; 1990, 2004-2006; remixing, 2007; tours of 1990-1991, 2006)

Studio members

• Patrick Codenys (keyboards, 1985)
• Nivek Ogre (vocals, 1990)
• Mike Scaccia (guitar; 1990-1993, 2004)
• Roland Barker (saxophone, keyboards, programming; 1993)
• Duane Buford (keyboards, voices; 1993)
• Patty Jourgensen (backing vocals; 1993)
• Timothy Leary (voices; 1993)
• Louis Svitek (guitar; 1993)
• Mark Baker (drums, backing vocals; 2004)
• Jello Biafra (vocals, backing vocals; 2006)
• Billy Gibbons (guitar; 2006)
• Gibby Haynes (vocals; 2006)
• Rick Nielsen (guitar; 2006)
• Robin Zander (backing vocals; 2006)

Touring members

• Louanne Ponder (dancer; 1987)
• Gina Tubetop (dancer; 1987)
• Kim Assaley (backing vocals, 1993; tours of 1990-1991)
• Mark Durante (guitar; tours of 1990-1991)
• Trent Reznor (vocals, tour of 1990)
• Jeff Ward (drums, 1989-1990; tour of 1990)
• Seven Antonopoulos (drums; tour of 2006)
• Anna Kjellberg (bass; tour of 2006)

Discography

Albums

• Big Sexy Land (1985)
• You Goddamned Son of a Bitch - Live (1988)
• Beers, Steers, and Queers (1990)
• Linger Ficken' Good (1993)
• Cocked and Loaded (2006)
• Cocktail Mixxx (2007)
• Sex-O Olympic-O (2009) ^[3]
• Sex-O MiXXX-O (2009) ^[4]

Singles

• "No Devotion" (1985)
• "You Often Forget" (1986) (UK Indie #13) ^[5]
• "Stainless Steel Providers" (1989)
• "(Let's Get) Physical" (1989)
• "Beers, Steers, and Queers (The Remixes)" (1991)
• "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (1993)
• "Crackin' Up" (1994)

References

1. Al Jourgensen: Sex-O Olympic-O
2. Al Jourgensen: Sex-O Olympic-O
3. Interview :: 13th Planet Records - Celebrating New Beginnings
4. RevCo announce Sexo-O MiXXX-O Tracklisting
5. Indie Hits 1980-1999