Mucky Pup
Encyclopedia
Mucky Pup began as an American hardcore
and crossover thrash
band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey
in 1985, when brothers John (drums) and Chris (vocals) Milnes joined up with Dan Nastasi (guitar) and former Hades member, Scott LePage (bass). The band went through various incarnations and several musical style changes while gaining minor success in both the USA and Europe. Arguably, their breakthrough moment occurred when Berke Breathed picked their songwriting contest entry for release with a 1987 Bloom County
comic strip compilation. However, their European success, based on strong tours and charting for the 1989 A Boy in a Man's World album, surpassed all recognition achieved in their home country.
" competitions in and around New Jersey
. It was during one such event in 1986, while playing with the band Trixter
at the Paramus, New Jersey
roller rink
, that a representative from Torrid Records first saw the band. The band was offered a record contract and several weeks later, they signed their first record deal with the independent label.
' sister label, Roadracer Records. The band's first album, Can't You Take a Joke?, was released in 1987. Around the same time, the band also won a song writing contest for the Bloom County comic strip. Entrants to the contest were to come up with a song for the fictional band Billy and the Boingers
. Their winning song, "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U," was included as a flexi-disc in the Bloom County book, Billy and the Boingers Bootleg
(ISBN 0-316-10729-8).
In 1988, the band released their second album, A Boy In A Man's World
. The album featured a re-recorded version of "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U", for which the band shot their first music video. MTV
played the video two times. A Boy In A Man's World also featured cover art by friend and future DC
and Marvel
comic book artist, Nelson DeCastro
, who had previously created t-shirt art for the band as well.
Before the recording of A Boy In A Man's World, LePage, who had never been considered an official member of the band, left due to touring conflicts. He was replaced by Dave Neabore. Shortly after the album was released, the band found themselves on their first tour of Europe. Although Mucky Pup never had a hit in the U.S., their European distribution deal, combined with this tour, helped the band attain success in Europe. When the band returned home, Nastasi resigned and helped co-found the band Non-Fiction with former members of Hades. Nastasi stayed with Non-Fiction for a short time before leaving to embark on a brief stint with Murphy's Law
. Nastasi's position in Mucky Pup was filled by band friend Sean Kilkenny. After a year or so, Neabore and Kilkenny left to form the band Dog Eat Dog
and Nastasi returned to Mucky Pup while simultaneously joining Dog Eat Dog as well.
The band's third album, Now
, was released in 1989. Now featured new bass player Marc DeBacker, of Belgium, in the lineup, and featured guest appearances by Evan Seinfeld
and Billy Graziadei of the band Biohazard
, whom Mucky Pup had befriended and regularly used as an opening act. In the past, various clubs had refused to let Biohazard play, thinking that their performances would lead to violence, but Mucky Pup would sneak the band on stage for a few songs before their own set. The band shot a second video, "Hippies Hate Water," which MTV never played.
The band began playing shows with bands such as Primus
, Gwar
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
, Murphy's Law, Bad Brains
, 24-7 Spyz
, and Scatterbrain. While Nastasi had returned to record Now, he no longer toured with the band, as he was performing with Dog Eat Dog at the same time Mucky Pup was touring. As a result, new guitarist Splatter toured with the band. Splatter's time with band was brief though and it wasn't long before he was replaced by Terry, who would remain their live guitarist until 1992.
After the release of Now, Mucky Pup ended their association with Torrid and Roadrunner Records.
and released Act Of Faith. Once again, the lineup shuffled with DeBacker being replaced by Christopher "Junior" LaPlante and the addition of Kevin Powers as a keyboard player. Powers had previously played in the local New Jersey band, Articulate Violence. Videos were shot for the songs "Freakin' at the Peepshow" and "Mr. Hand", which only received airplay in Europe.
Shortly after the recording of the album, Nastasi stepped down from both Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog to focus on his family and his business. It wasn't long though before he re-joined the original lineup of Non-Fiction, now calling themselves #9. #9 was in the process of recording their debut when Nastasi accepted a solo record deal with SPV Records. Nastasi named the band Nastasee
and recorded two albums, featuring collaborations with members of both Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog. Trim The Fat and Ule Tide were only intended for European release and as a result, the band embarked on four tours of the continent. Before Ule Tide could officially be released, Nastasee was dropped from the label and the album was never officially released outside of promotional and mail order copies. As a result, Nastasi disbanded his band.
1992 saw the band take a turn away from humorous pop songs to focus on more aggressive, emotional and angry songs with their fifth release, Lemonade. The album brought another lineup change, as John Milnes moved to guitar and Kevin Powers took the drummer's position. It also saw the return of Marc DeBacker on bass. Since his previous run with Mucky Pup, DeBacker had moved on to replace Nastasi on guitar in Dog Eat Dog and had taken part in the recording of the band's second full length album, Play Games as well as the European tour that preceded it. Once again, Mucky Pup returned to Europe, appearing frequently with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine with whom the band became good friends.
After releasing two albums in as many years with Century Media Records, Mucky Pup ended their association with the label.
"Darling Nikki
" and Sade's
"Nothing Can Come Between Us
". New additions to the lineup were Eric "EVS" VanSteenbergh and Glen Cummings, both on guitar. Cummings had previously been a member of both Ludichrist
and Scatterbrain and would tour Europe with Mucky Pup, on two occasions, as a part time member of the band.
The band's final album, Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage, was released in Germany in 1996. The final lineup saw John Milnes return to the drums and also featured the additions of Jack "Hinge" Pitzer, formerly of New Jersey thrash metal
band, The Beast, on guitar and Joe Mama on bass. Marc DeBacker had since left the band a second time to return to Belgium and form the band 10,000 Women Man. Bass player Bill Bergmann appeared on two of the songs and was pictured on the album cover. Bergmann would remain the bass player for what would be the last several months of the band's existence.
s and road crew
members for artists such as The Bloodhound Gang, the Genitorturers
, Type O Negative
, Monster Magnet
, Liz Phair
and Tracy Bonham
.
In 1998, Chris and John Milnes formed a band named Bully with Bill Bergmann & Kevin Powers. Bully was an attempt to continue recording together without the Mucky Pup name which they felt, at the time, had run its course. This lineup recorded a five song demo consisting of the final original Mucky Pup material but no album ever materialized. Mucky Pup's website now retroactively refers to the recording as a Mucky Pup demo titled Bully.
Also in 1998, Dan Nastasi & John Milnes joined forces with former Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog bandmates Dave Neabore & Sean Kilkenny to become All Boro Kings. The project was a throwback to the early days of Dog Eat Dog as it focused on the hardcore style that Dog Eat Dog had originally displayed on their first two releases. The band quickly signed with Century Media Records who released their debut album Just For The Fun Of It in 2002. The album was released exclusively in Europe due to the strong European fan base the members had in their other bands. The band would also appear on several compilation album
s. The band played most of their shows in and around New Jersey before embarking on one European tour with Biohazard, Agnostic Front
, Hatebreed
, Discipline, Death Threat and Born From Pain
, as part of the Eastpak Resistance Tour. In 2004, All Boro Kings quietly disbanded.
In 2000, Chris and John Milnes would once again join Dan Nastasi and Bill Bergmann to form The Hasbeens, a cover band
that would perform popular songs of the 1980s & 1990s, as well as the occasional Mucky Pup song. The band played bars and small clubs in the Bergen County, New Jersey
area for a year or so before disbanding.
In 2005, Kevin Powers directed the music video for the Bloodhound Gang's song Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss
, the second single from their Hefty Fine
album.
Dog Eat Dog continues to record and tour Europe but of the three former Mucky Pup members who helped found the band, only Dave Neabore remains. Dog Eat Dog released their fourth full length album, Walk With Me, in Europe on June 23, 2006.
Chris and John Milnes now co-own the website development company True9. Pitzer and Powers also contribute work for the company, which has been instrumental in the development and maintenance of websites for the World Baseball Classic
, the Charlotte Bobcats
and MetLife Bank, N.A. among others.
In October, 2008, the band updated their website for the first time in several years. As part of the update, the band announced that they would embark on a European mini-tour in the summer of 2009. The reunited band, consisting of Chris Milnes, John Milnes, Dan Nastasi, Dave Neabore and Kevin Powers, made a United States appearance at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey
, on April 11, 2009, performing to a sold out crowd. In July, 2009, the band performed at the Rock for People
and With Full Force
festivals. The band made a second trip to Europe in late August to play a handful of festival dates with bands such as Municipal Waste
, Gorefest
, Flotsam and Jetsam
, Sodom
and Martyr
, before ending the tour with a string of dates with Superbutt
. The European tour dates featured the lineup of Chris Milnes, Dan Nastasi, Mark DeBacker and Kevin Powers performing songs voted on, via the internet, by their fans. The band returned to Mexicali Live on December 11 to perform their final show of 2009. The show was a release party for Live At Mexicali 2009, a DVD and CD recording of the show held at the same location, the previous April. Towards the end of Mucky Pup's set, the original lineup of Dog Eat Dog reunited onstage to perform two songs.
Mucky Pup continued to perform in 2010 starting with a performance at The Saint
, a nightclub located in Asbury Park, New Jersey
, on January 16. On May 1, 2010, the band performed at a small benefit show held in honor of Marc DiNardo, a Jersey City
Emergency Services Unit Police Officer
, who was killed in the line of duty in July, 2009. DiNardo had been a longtime fan of the band. Mucky Pup made its return to Europe during the summer of 2010 for several festival and club dates. The most notable appearance of the tour was on June 27 at the Graspop Metal Meeting
in Dessel
, Belgium
where the band appeared alongside acts such as Killswitch Engage
, Amon Amarth
and Kiss
. The band returned for a third performance at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey on November 24, 2010 with Murphy's Law as an opening act.
On February 27, 2011, Mucky Pup appeared as an opening act for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
at Starland Ballroom
in Sayreville, New Jersey
. A short tour of Holland and Belgium
followed on the first week of June, 2011 and featured the lineup of Chris Milnes, Kevin Powers, Mark DeBacker and Sean Kilkenny. On June 24, 2011, Mucky Pup performed on the first day of the three day East Coast Tsunami Fest in Reading, Pennsylvania
where they shared the stage with several bands such as Skarhead, Murphy's Law and Leftöver Crack
.
Later members
Final lineup
2009-2011 reunion lineup
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey
Bergenfield, New Jersey
Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,764.Bergenfield was formed on the basis of a referendum held on June 25, 1894, from portions of Englewood Township and Palisades Township at the height of the...
in 1985, when brothers John (drums) and Chris (vocals) Milnes joined up with Dan Nastasi (guitar) and former Hades member, Scott LePage (bass). The band went through various incarnations and several musical style changes while gaining minor success in both the USA and Europe. Arguably, their breakthrough moment occurred when Berke Breathed picked their songwriting contest entry for release with a 1987 Bloom County
Bloom County
Bloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
comic strip compilation. However, their European success, based on strong tours and charting for the 1989 A Boy in a Man's World album, surpassed all recognition achieved in their home country.
Early years
The band recorded two demos, Live And Mucky and Greatest Hits, which sold a combined amount of over 1,200 copies. The band would also play "battle of the bandsBattle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
" competitions in and around New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was during one such event in 1986, while playing with the band Trixter
Trixter
Trixter is an American hard rock band from Paramus, New Jersey. The band achieved moderate success in the late 1980's and early 1990s but disbanded for several years as glam metal lost mainstream popularity...
at the Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
roller rink
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
, that a representative from Torrid Records first saw the band. The band was offered a record contract and several weeks later, they signed their first record deal with the independent label.
Torrid Records
Signing with Torrid brought a distribution deal in Europe with Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
' sister label, Roadracer Records. The band's first album, Can't You Take a Joke?, was released in 1987. Around the same time, the band also won a song writing contest for the Bloom County comic strip. Entrants to the contest were to come up with a song for the fictional band Billy and the Boingers
Billy and the Boingers
Billy and the Boingers is a fictional heavy metal rock band from the comic strip Bloom County, originally known as Deathtöngue.Most of the Deathtöngue saga is contained in the Bloom County collection Billy and the Boingers Bootleg, which included a flexi-disc containing what were apparently two...
. Their winning song, "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U," was included as a flexi-disc in the Bloom County book, Billy and the Boingers Bootleg
Billy and the Boingers Bootleg
Billy and the Boingers Bootleg is the fifth collection of the comic strip series Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed. It was published in 1987.It is preceded by Bloom County Babylon and followed by Tales Too Ticklish to Tell....
(ISBN 0-316-10729-8).
In 1988, the band released their second album, A Boy In A Man's World
A Boy in a Man's World
A Boy in a Man's World is the second studio album by Mucky Pup. The album was recorded at Nevessa Productions and released in 1988 through Torrid Records and Roadrunner Records. The album features a re-recorded version of "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U," which the band had previously won a Bloom County...
. The album featured a re-recorded version of "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U", for which the band shot their first music video. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
played the video two times. A Boy In A Man's World also featured cover art by friend and future DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book artist, Nelson DeCastro
Nelson DeCastro
Nelson Faro DeCastro, known professionally as Nelson , is an American comic book artist known for his airbrushed cover art, and his interior penciling, inking and coloring work. He is also a writer and teacher...
, who had previously created t-shirt art for the band as well.
Before the recording of A Boy In A Man's World, LePage, who had never been considered an official member of the band, left due to touring conflicts. He was replaced by Dave Neabore. Shortly after the album was released, the band found themselves on their first tour of Europe. Although Mucky Pup never had a hit in the U.S., their European distribution deal, combined with this tour, helped the band attain success in Europe. When the band returned home, Nastasi resigned and helped co-found the band Non-Fiction with former members of Hades. Nastasi stayed with Non-Fiction for a short time before leaving to embark on a brief stint with Murphy's Law
Murphy's Law (band)
Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...
. Nastasi's position in Mucky Pup was filled by band friend Sean Kilkenny. After a year or so, Neabore and Kilkenny left to form the band Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog (band)
Dog Eat Dog, an American band originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, began in 1990 as part of the hardcore music scenes of New York City and New Jersey. With members now scattered through New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Europe, the band now refers to themselves as being based out all three areas...
and Nastasi returned to Mucky Pup while simultaneously joining Dog Eat Dog as well.
The band's third album, Now
Now (Mucky Pup album)
Now is the third studio album by hardcore band Mucky Pup. It was released in 1989.-Track listing:# Hippies Hate Water 3:21# Three Dead Gophers 3:06# Jimmies 3:48# Baby 2:21# She Quieffed 0:42# Feeling Sick 1:52# A Headbanger's Balls & 120 Minutes 1:38...
, was released in 1989. Now featured new bass player Marc DeBacker, of Belgium, in the lineup, and featured guest appearances by Evan Seinfeld
Evan Seinfeld
Evan Seinfeld is an American musician and actor, as well as a director, photographer, and writer. He has also appeared in several pornographic films under the pseudonym "Spyder Jonez". He is best known for playing bass guitar and serving as vocalist for the heavy metal band Biohazard, and as the...
and Billy Graziadei of the band Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
, whom Mucky Pup had befriended and regularly used as an opening act. In the past, various clubs had refused to let Biohazard play, thinking that their performances would lead to violence, but Mucky Pup would sneak the band on stage for a few songs before their own set. The band shot a second video, "Hippies Hate Water," which MTV never played.
The band began playing shows with bands such as Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Gwar
Gwar
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, Murphy's Law, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, 24-7 Spyz
24-7 Spyz
24-7 Spyz are a band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel , Rick Skatore , Kindu Phibes , and P. Fluid . The band is best known for mixing soul, funk, reggae, and R&B with heavy metal and hardcore punk...
, and Scatterbrain. While Nastasi had returned to record Now, he no longer toured with the band, as he was performing with Dog Eat Dog at the same time Mucky Pup was touring. As a result, new guitarist Splatter toured with the band. Splatter's time with band was brief though and it wasn't long before he was replaced by Terry, who would remain their live guitarist until 1992.
After the release of Now, Mucky Pup ended their association with Torrid and Roadrunner Records.
Century Media Records
In 1990, the band signed with Century Media RecordsCentury Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
and released Act Of Faith. Once again, the lineup shuffled with DeBacker being replaced by Christopher "Junior" LaPlante and the addition of Kevin Powers as a keyboard player. Powers had previously played in the local New Jersey band, Articulate Violence. Videos were shot for the songs "Freakin' at the Peepshow" and "Mr. Hand", which only received airplay in Europe.
Shortly after the recording of the album, Nastasi stepped down from both Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog to focus on his family and his business. It wasn't long though before he re-joined the original lineup of Non-Fiction, now calling themselves #9. #9 was in the process of recording their debut when Nastasi accepted a solo record deal with SPV Records. Nastasi named the band Nastasee
Nastasee
Nastasee was a hardcore band formed in New Jersey, by former Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Murphy's Law guitar player, Dan Nastasi. Nastasee recorded two albums featuring collaborations with members of Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Non-Fiction, Hades and Murphy's Law....
and recorded two albums, featuring collaborations with members of both Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog. Trim The Fat and Ule Tide were only intended for European release and as a result, the band embarked on four tours of the continent. Before Ule Tide could officially be released, Nastasee was dropped from the label and the album was never officially released outside of promotional and mail order copies. As a result, Nastasi disbanded his band.
1992 saw the band take a turn away from humorous pop songs to focus on more aggressive, emotional and angry songs with their fifth release, Lemonade. The album brought another lineup change, as John Milnes moved to guitar and Kevin Powers took the drummer's position. It also saw the return of Marc DeBacker on bass. Since his previous run with Mucky Pup, DeBacker had moved on to replace Nastasi on guitar in Dog Eat Dog and had taken part in the recording of the band's second full length album, Play Games as well as the European tour that preceded it. Once again, Mucky Pup returned to Europe, appearing frequently with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine with whom the band became good friends.
After releasing two albums in as many years with Century Media Records, Mucky Pup ended their association with the label.
Mucky Records / SPV Music
In 1993, the band released the album Alive & Well under their own imprint, Mucky Records, through SPV Music exclusively in Europe. The album was primarily a collection of live tracks recorded during their 1993 tour of Europe. It also contains a demo version of "The Skinheads Broke My Walkman" from the Act of Faith album, as well as cover versions of Prince'sPrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
"Darling Nikki
Darling Nikki
"Darling Nikki" is a song produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and originally released on his Grammy Award-winning 1984 album, Purple Rain. Though the song was not released as a single, it gained wide notoriety for its sexual lyrics...
" and Sade's
Sade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....
"Nothing Can Come Between Us
Nothing Can Come Between Us
"Nothing Can Come Between Us" was the third release from the band Sade's album Stronger Than Pride. The song was released in the winter of 1988 and peaked at number three on Billboards R&B Charts....
". New additions to the lineup were Eric "EVS" VanSteenbergh and Glen Cummings, both on guitar. Cummings had previously been a member of both Ludichrist
Ludichrist
Ludichrist was an American hardcore punk/speed metal band formed in the 1980s in New York. Their musical style broke from traditional New York hardcore roots by adding aspects of rock, heavy metal and jazz, like extended guitar solos and musical interludes...
and Scatterbrain and would tour Europe with Mucky Pup, on two occasions, as a part time member of the band.
The band's final album, Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage, was released in Germany in 1996. The final lineup saw John Milnes return to the drums and also featured the additions of Jack "Hinge" Pitzer, formerly of New Jersey thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band, The Beast, on guitar and Joe Mama on bass. Marc DeBacker had since left the band a second time to return to Belgium and form the band 10,000 Women Man. Bass player Bill Bergmann appeared on two of the songs and was pictured on the album cover. Bergmann would remain the bass player for what would be the last several months of the band's existence.
Post-Mucky Pup
After the final album, the band members continued to collaborate on different bands and projects. Members of the final lineup became tour managerTour Manager
A tour manager is the person who helps to organize the administration for a schedule of appearances of a musical group or artist at a sequence of venues .-Background:...
s and road crew
Road crew
The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...
members for artists such as The Bloodhound Gang, the Genitorturers
Genitorturers
The Genitorturers are an industrial metal/industrial rock band from the United States, with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band".-History:...
, Type O Negative
Type O Negative
Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...
, Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
, Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
and Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham
Tracy Bonham is an American alternative rock musician best known for her 1996 single "Mother Mother".Raised in Eugene, Oregon, Bonham is a classically-trained violinist and pianist...
.
In 1998, Chris and John Milnes formed a band named Bully with Bill Bergmann & Kevin Powers. Bully was an attempt to continue recording together without the Mucky Pup name which they felt, at the time, had run its course. This lineup recorded a five song demo consisting of the final original Mucky Pup material but no album ever materialized. Mucky Pup's website now retroactively refers to the recording as a Mucky Pup demo titled Bully.
Also in 1998, Dan Nastasi & John Milnes joined forces with former Mucky Pup and Dog Eat Dog bandmates Dave Neabore & Sean Kilkenny to become All Boro Kings. The project was a throwback to the early days of Dog Eat Dog as it focused on the hardcore style that Dog Eat Dog had originally displayed on their first two releases. The band quickly signed with Century Media Records who released their debut album Just For The Fun Of It in 2002. The album was released exclusively in Europe due to the strong European fan base the members had in their other bands. The band would also appear on several compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s. The band played most of their shows in and around New Jersey before embarking on one European tour with Biohazard, Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
, Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, Discipline, Death Threat and Born From Pain
Born From Pain
Born from Pain is a Dutch hardcore band from the Oostelijke Mijnstreek which formed in 1997. Since they formed they have achieved fame through energetic shows and grew out to become the international band they are today. They have toured in all of Europe, in the United States and in Japan...
, as part of the Eastpak Resistance Tour. In 2004, All Boro Kings quietly disbanded.
In 2000, Chris and John Milnes would once again join Dan Nastasi and Bill Bergmann to form The Hasbeens, a cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
that would perform popular songs of the 1980s & 1990s, as well as the occasional Mucky Pup song. The band played bars and small clubs in the Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
area for a year or so before disbanding.
In 2005, Kevin Powers directed the music video for the Bloodhound Gang's song Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss
Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss
"Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss" is the eleventh track and the second single on the Bloodhound Gang's 2005 album Hefty Fine. The title is an onomatopoeic representation of a typical dance beat.-Music video:...
, the second single from their Hefty Fine
Hefty Fine
Hefty Fine has been critically panned by music critics. The review aggregator website Metacritic gave the album an average score of 28% from ten reviews, making it the second worst reviewed album tallied.-Chart performance:...
album.
Dog Eat Dog continues to record and tour Europe but of the three former Mucky Pup members who helped found the band, only Dave Neabore remains. Dog Eat Dog released their fourth full length album, Walk With Me, in Europe on June 23, 2006.
Chris and John Milnes now co-own the website development company True9. Pitzer and Powers also contribute work for the company, which has been instrumental in the development and maintenance of websites for the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
and MetLife Bank, N.A. among others.
Reunions
Since their breakup in 1996, Mucky Pup has reunited for one night performances on several occasions, each time featuring a different incarnation or combination of previous lineups. In 1999, they reunited as an opening act for their first show ever with Dog Eat Dog. This was followed by five more one-off headlining reunion shows in 2000, 2002 & 2003.In October, 2008, the band updated their website for the first time in several years. As part of the update, the band announced that they would embark on a European mini-tour in the summer of 2009. The reunited band, consisting of Chris Milnes, John Milnes, Dan Nastasi, Dave Neabore and Kevin Powers, made a United States appearance at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, on April 11, 2009, performing to a sold out crowd. In July, 2009, the band performed at the Rock for People
Rock for People
Rock for People is one of the biggest rock festivals held annually in the Czech Republic. The festival began in 1995 in the town Český Brod. In 2007 it was moved to the unused airport of Hradec Králové and since that time has welcomed many Czech and world rock stars. In 2007 there were top star...
and With Full Force
With Full Force
With Full Force is a metal, hardcore and punk festival held annually in Germany since 1994. The 2011 edition took place on July 1 and July 3 at the Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz near Leipzig in the Saxon county of Delitzsch.-2010:...
festivals. The band made a second trip to Europe in late August to play a handful of festival dates with bands such as Municipal Waste
Municipal Waste (band)
Municipal Waste is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from Richmond, Virginia.They performed at the UK's Download Festival on June 15, 2008, on the tuborg stage....
, Gorefest
Gorefest
Gorefest was a Dutch band from the Zeeland region of the Netherlands which was founded in 1988 as a death metal outfit by De Koeyer, Harthoorn, van Schaik and Hoogendoorn.-History:...
, Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
, Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
and Martyr
Martyr (band)
Martyr is a Canadian death metal band from Trois-Rivières, Québec, founded in 1994 by brothers Daniel and François Mongrain.- History :Formed in 1994 by brothers Daniel and François Mongrain , along with Pier-Luc Lampron and François Richard , Martyr recorded a demo tape in September 1995...
, before ending the tour with a string of dates with Superbutt
Superbutt
Superbutt is a Hungarian rock and heavy metal band. The Budapest based five-piece combo started up in 2000, and has released four full length albums in English and an EP in Hungarian...
. The European tour dates featured the lineup of Chris Milnes, Dan Nastasi, Mark DeBacker and Kevin Powers performing songs voted on, via the internet, by their fans. The band returned to Mexicali Live on December 11 to perform their final show of 2009. The show was a release party for Live At Mexicali 2009, a DVD and CD recording of the show held at the same location, the previous April. Towards the end of Mucky Pup's set, the original lineup of Dog Eat Dog reunited onstage to perform two songs.
Mucky Pup continued to perform in 2010 starting with a performance at The Saint
The Saint (music venue)
The Saint is a music venue located in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is reminiscent of places like The Cellar Door in Washington, DC, CB's 313 Gallery , and The Living Room in New York City and features live, original music. The Saint opened on November 18, 1994...
, a nightclub located in Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
, on January 16. On May 1, 2010, the band performed at a small benefit show held in honor of Marc DiNardo, a Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
Emergency Services Unit Police Officer
Emergency Service Unit
The Emergency Service Unit is the multi-faceted and multi-talented element within municipal, county, or state authority law enforcement agency’s Special Operations command. ESU’s exist mainly in the regional New York City Area but includes several jurisdictions outside the region. ESU is also...
, who was killed in the line of duty in July, 2009. DiNardo had been a longtime fan of the band. Mucky Pup made its return to Europe during the summer of 2010 for several festival and club dates. The most notable appearance of the tour was on June 27 at the Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting is an annual metal festival in Dessel, Belgium that has taken place each year since 1996. Despite the small size of the festival grounds the festival draws a large number of international spectators, with a total of 142,000 visitors in the course of the 2011 edition...
in Dessel
Dessel
Dessel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the town of Dessel proper. On January 1, 2006 Dessel had a total population of 8,773 inhabitants...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
where the band appeared alongside acts such as Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström...
and Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
. The band returned for a third performance at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey on November 24, 2010 with Murphy's Law as an opening act.
On February 27, 2011, Mucky Pup appeared as an opening act for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
at Starland Ballroom
Starland Ballroom
The Starland Ballroom is a concert venue located in Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. Opening night was December 7, 2003 and featured a performance by former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth...
in Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 42,704....
. A short tour of Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
followed on the first week of June, 2011 and featured the lineup of Chris Milnes, Kevin Powers, Mark DeBacker and Sean Kilkenny. On June 24, 2011, Mucky Pup performed on the first day of the three day East Coast Tsunami Fest in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
where they shared the stage with several bands such as Skarhead, Murphy's Law and Leftöver Crack
Leftöver Crack
Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of the ska punk band Choking Victim. Primarily playing an amalgam of ska and hardcore punk, they classify themselves as "crack-rocksteady". The band is currently signed to Fat Wreck Chords for CD releases, and...
.
Band members
Original lineup- Chris Milnes - lead vocalistLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
(all releases and tours) - John Milnes - drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, guitarist (all releases and tours) - Dan Nastasi - guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
(Can't You Take A Joke? - Act Of Faith) - Scott LePage - bassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
(Can't You Take A Joke) (not considered a full-time member)
Later members
- Dave Neabore - bassist (A Boy In A Man's World)
- Sean Kilkenny - guitarist (live during the A Boy In A Man's World tours)
- Marc DeBacker - bassist (Now and Lemonade)
- Christopher "Junior" LaPlante - bassist (Act Of Faith)
- Eric VanSteenbergh - guitarist (Alive & Well)
- Joe Mama - bassist (Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage)
- Splatter - guitarist (live during the Now tour)
- Terry - guitarist (live during the Now and Act Of Faith tours)
- Glenn Cummings - guitarist (Alive & Well) (not considered a full-time member)
Final lineup
- Chris Milnes - lead vocalist
- John Milnes - drummer
- Jack "Hinge" Pitzer - guitarist (Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage)
- Bill Bergmann - bassist (live after Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage)
- Kevin Powers - keyboardistKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(Act Of Faith and Five Guys In A Really Hot Garage) / drummer (Lemonade and Alive & Well)
2009-2011 reunion lineup
- Chris Milnes - lead vocalist
- John Milnes - drummer (USA dates 2009 - 2011 / Europe dates in 2010)
- Dan Nastasi - guitarist
- Kevin Powers - keyboardist (2009–2011) / drummer (Europe dates in 2009 & 2011)
- Marc DeBacker - bassist (select dates)
- Dave Neabore - bassist (select dates)
- Sean Kilkenny - guitarist (Europe dates in 2011)
- Jack "Hinge" Pitzer - live soundMixing consoleIn professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
(2009 & 2010)
Demos
- Live And Mucky (cassette only demo)
- Greatest Hits (cassette only demo)
- Bully
Studio albums
- Can't You Take A Joke? (1987)
- A Boy In A Man's WorldA Boy in a Man's WorldA Boy in a Man's World is the second studio album by Mucky Pup. The album was recorded at Nevessa Productions and released in 1988 through Torrid Records and Roadrunner Records. The album features a re-recorded version of "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U," which the band had previously won a Bloom County...
(1988) - NowNow (Mucky Pup album)Now is the third studio album by hardcore band Mucky Pup. It was released in 1989.-Track listing:# Hippies Hate Water 3:21# Three Dead Gophers 3:06# Jimmies 3:48# Baby 2:21# She Quieffed 0:42# Feeling Sick 1:52# A Headbanger's Balls & 120 Minutes 1:38...
(1989) - Act of FaithAct Of Faith (album)Act of Faith is the fourth studio album by Mucky Pup. It was released in 1990. It was the last studio album to feature founding member and guitarist, Dan Nastasi. It also features the debuts of bassist, Christopher "Junior" LaPlante and keyboardist, Kevin Powers. A video was shot for the song "Mr....
(1990) - LemonadeLemonade (Mucky Pup album)Lemonade is the fifth studio album by Mucky Pup. Released in 1992, the album saw the band take a turn away from humorous crossover thrash and hardcore songs to focus on more aggressive, emotional and angry songs. The album also brought another lineup change to the band as John Milnes moved from...
(1992) - Five Guys In A Really Hot GarageFive Guys In A Really Hot GarageFive Guys In A Really Hot Garage is a 1996 album by Mucky Pup. It was their final studio album. A video was made for the song 'Short Attention Span'.-Tracks:# This Ain't Workin'# Short Attention Span# Messed Up# Jail# I've Got A Plan# You Know...
(1996)
Singles
- "U-Stink-But-I-♥-U" (1987) (included as a flexi-disc in the Bloom County book, Billy and the Boingers BootlegBilly and the Boingers BootlegBilly and the Boingers Bootleg is the fifth collection of the comic strip series Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed. It was published in 1987.It is preceded by Bloom County Babylon and followed by Tales Too Ticklish to Tell....
(ISBN 0-316-10729-8)) - "Short Attention Span" (1996)
Live
- Alive & WellAlive & Well (album)Alive & Well is the first live album by Mucky Pup. The album was released in 1993, under their own imprint, Mucky Records, through SPV Music exclusively in Europe...
(1993) (Europe only release) - Live At Mexicali 2009 (2009) (CD & DVD)
Compilation appearances
- Stars On Thrash (1988, Roadrunner Records)
- Funky Metal (1991, Intercord)
- A Journey Into Sound Vol. V (1995, Visions Magazine)
- Introducing Vol. 3 (1996, Indigo Records)
- Board To Hell (1996, Viceroy Music Europe)
- Slammed (1997, Roadrunner Records)
- Hard Rock Hitters (1998, Disky Records)
- The New, The Classic & The Unexplored - Volume Three (1998, Visions Magazine)
- Crossing All Over! - The Classix (1999, Supersonic Records)
- Guitar Club Classics (1999, SPV Recordings)
- Lords of the Boards (2000, Modul Records)
Associated acts (and shared members)
# 9 (Dan Nastasi)- 10,000 Women Man (Marc DeBacker)
- All Boro Kings (Dave Neabore, John Milnes, Dan Nastasi and Sean Kilkenny)
- Articulate Violence (Kevin Powers)
- The Beast (Jack "Hinge" Pitzer)
- Bully (Chris Milnes, John Milnes, Bill Bergmann and Kevin Powers)
- Candypants (Bill Bergmann and Kevin Powers)
- Dog Eat DogDog Eat Dog (band)Dog Eat Dog, an American band originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, began in 1990 as part of the hardcore music scenes of New York City and New Jersey. With members now scattered through New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Europe, the band now refers to themselves as being based out all three areas...
(Dan Nastasi, Sean Kilkenny, Dave Neabore, John Milnes and Marc DeBacker) - Hades (Scott LePage)
- The Hasbeens (Chris Milnes, John Milnes, Bill Bergmann and Dan Nastasi)
- LowBuz (Dave Neabore)
- Ludichrist (Glen Cummings)
- Murphy's Law (Dan Nastasi and Sean Kilkenny)
- Nastasee (Dan Nastasi, John Milnes, Bill Bergmann and Sean Kilkenny)
- Non-Fiction (Dan Nastasi)
- Scatterbrain (Glen Cummings)
- The Skels (Eric VanSteenbergh)
External links
- Official Mucky Pup Site
- True9 - website development company owned by the Milnes brothers
- [ Mucky Pup] on Allmusic