The Parkinsons (band)
Encyclopedia
The Parkinsons were a punk rock
band originally from Coimbra
, Portugal
, formed in the mid-1990s, but later based in London
, known for their outrageous live performances.
. Torpedo and Xau were already well-known in their native country having played in the bands 77 and The Tédio Boys, releasing three albums between 1994 and 1998. The band soon built a reputation for riotous live shows and clashes with police, and relocated to the United States, where they were asked to perform at Joey Ramone
's birthday party. The band secured support slots on tours with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
and The Fall, where they caused further controversy and excitement by often appearing on stage naked. The band relocated to London
in 2000 and recruited former Apostles drummer Chris Low before recording their debut album, A Long Way to Nowhere (2002), which was produced by Ben Lurie
and Jim Reid
of The Jesus and Mary Chain
, and was described in The Times
as "a melody-soaked revelation: 30 minutes of blank generation brilliance". The band were compared to The Stooges
by the NME
, who also called them "Europe's snotty, messed up answer to The Strokes
", and to Sham 69
by Q
. The band played at the Reading Festival in 2001, where a drunken Pinto greeted fellow-performers The Strokes whilst smearing chocolate fudge cake on his genitals before flicking it in his visitors' faces, and Pinto's girlfriend was "forcibly ejected" by security staff after running onto the stage topless. In 2001 they were described as "a danger-junkie's wildest fantasy, a journalist's wet dream, and a venue-promoter's nightmare", and a year later as "the most dangerous live band around", with gigs variously ending abruptly with the band destroying the lighting rig, urinating on the audience or damaging stage equipment.
Pinto left the band in 2003, with the band's songwriter Torpedo taking over on vocals, and new guitarist Jet and drummer Eric Baconstrip added. The same year, Pinto was involved in a recreation of The Cramps
' infamous 1978 performance at the Napa Mental Institute in California, taking on the role of Lux Interior in the show at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts
. The band split up in 2005, but reformed with Pinto in 2006 for a gig to celebrate 10 years of one of their favourite venues, the Dirty Water Club in North London
.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band originally from Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, formed in the mid-1990s, but later based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, known for their outrageous live performances.
History
The band was formed by singer Afonso Pinto (aka Al Zheimer), guitarist Victor Silveria (aka Victor Torpedo), and bass guitarist Pedro Xau, and took their name from Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. Torpedo and Xau were already well-known in their native country having played in the bands 77 and The Tédio Boys, releasing three albums between 1994 and 1998. The band soon built a reputation for riotous live shows and clashes with police, and relocated to the United States, where they were asked to perform at Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
's birthday party. The band secured support slots on tours with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
and The Fall, where they caused further controversy and excitement by often appearing on stage naked. The band relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2000 and recruited former Apostles drummer Chris Low before recording their debut album, A Long Way to Nowhere (2002), which was produced by Ben Lurie
Ben Lurie
Ben Lurie is an Australian musician, best known as a member of the Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain from 1989 to 1998.-Biography:...
and Jim Reid
Jim Reid
Jim Reid is the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid -The Jesus and Mary Chain:...
of The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
, and was described in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "a melody-soaked revelation: 30 minutes of blank generation brilliance". The band were compared to The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
by the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, who also called them "Europe's snotty, messed up answer to The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
", and to Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
by Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
. The band played at the Reading Festival in 2001, where a drunken Pinto greeted fellow-performers The Strokes whilst smearing chocolate fudge cake on his genitals before flicking it in his visitors' faces, and Pinto's girlfriend was "forcibly ejected" by security staff after running onto the stage topless. In 2001 they were described as "a danger-junkie's wildest fantasy, a journalist's wet dream, and a venue-promoter's nightmare", and a year later as "the most dangerous live band around", with gigs variously ending abruptly with the band destroying the lighting rig, urinating on the audience or damaging stage equipment.
Pinto left the band in 2003, with the band's songwriter Torpedo taking over on vocals, and new guitarist Jet and drummer Eric Baconstrip added. The same year, Pinto was involved in a recreation of The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
' infamous 1978 performance at the Napa Mental Institute in California, taking on the role of Lux Interior in the show at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
. The band split up in 2005, but reformed with Pinto in 2006 for a gig to celebrate 10 years of one of their favourite venues, the Dirty Water Club in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
Albums
- A Long Way to Nowhere (2002), Fierce Panda (UK)/Elevator Music (US)
- Reason To Resist (2004), Curfew
- Down with the Old World (2005), Rastilho
Singles
- "Streets of London" (2002), Fierce Panda
- "New Wave" (2004), Curfew
- Up For Sale EP (2005), Wrench
Compilation appearances
- T in the Park (2000) - free CD with The List - "Primitive"
- Mosh EP (2001), Fierce Panda - "Bad Girl"
- Mosh & Go (2001), Fierce Panda - "Bad Girl"
- Live the Dream - The Second Fierce Panda sampler (2002), Fierce Panda - "Nothing to Lose"
- Sonic Mook Experiment 2 - Future Rock & Roll (2002), Blast FirstBlast FirstBlast First is a sub label of one-time independent record label, Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal Blast, published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914...
- "Primitive"