The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower
Encyclopedia
The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower was a four-piece punk
/noise band from San Diego, California
, that formed in 2001. After disbanding in 2006, drummer Brian Hill now plays with The Soft Pack
, while singer Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell formed the duo Crocodiles
.
in a jazz
-oriented improvisational and constructional sequence, whilst later works incorporated a more noise and lo-fi approach. Their name is taken from the book Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century
by Greil Marcus
, itself a reference to a line in Guy Debord
's 1978 film In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.
The band was known for their confrontational live shows. While performing on their 2005 tour with The Blood Brothers and Big Business
, each member wore a red armband with "PLOT" written in a white circle, intentionally mimicking the armbands worn by members of the Nazi Party. The armbands were in keeping with thematic/aesthetic elements associated with the 3rd Reich that was prevalent on their album Love in the Fascist Brothel
.
Live shows often included "everything from smashing the stage, molesting the microphone to random acts of homo-erotic behavior." Welchez often walked into the crowd to spit on, kiss, touch or undress members of the audience, especially men, to which some people took offense. At one stop on their final tour, Brandon even insisted on half of the audience joining the band on-stage during "SLC Hunks" and encouraged them to "brutalize" the band.
Welchez also claims they caused a "near riot" in Salt Lake City, and caused a "piss waterfall" in Baltimore
, which lead to them being banned from playing in the city.
The Plot won the San Diego Music Award's "Best Punk Act" award two years running, in both 2005 and 2006.
records was in the works, but Three One G
has since said they will not be releasing the title.
) created The Prayers, a more 60's pop influenced band that released a cd/12" EP entitled "God Save the Prayers" on Art Fag Records in summer of 2007. Willie and Brian have since left The Prayers, Willie replaced by Chuck Rowell and Brian replaced by Joel Issac Black.
Charles Rowland and The Vultures have released an album entitled "Vulture Land" and are also planning to put out a 7" called "Let Them Bleed/Sex Bomb" on Collective Records. Sir Charles has also written two books: "Darkland" and "Friends, Lovers, and Suckers" (with Wes Eisold).
Dan Maier, the original bass player and recording engineer for the first few Plot releases, continues to produce and record albums in San Diego.
Brandon and Sir Charles also participate in Skull Kontrol, an odd conglomerate that usually also involves Welchez's bandmate Andrew Miller
and Mario Orduno of Art Fag fame. Skull Kontrol's mission is to put on amazing parties, mainly at clubs in the San Diego area, featuring combinations of its four main members and various other musicians/artists/creative-types DJing and causing a scene.
The Prayers broke up in March 2008, having released only one recording and having completed only one US tour, with two brief trips to the UK. Brandon and Sir Charles have since reunited as a two-piece; Crocodiles
. Brian Hill is currently playing drums in The Soft Pack
(aka The Muslims).
Willy Graves died Sunday, September 14, 2008
, jazz
, post-punk
, noise rock
, indie rock
, spoken word
and hardcore punk
. The band took influences from John Zorn
, Swing Kids (band)
, Miles Davis
, Drive Like Jehu
, Bad Brains
and Fugazi.
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...
/noise band from San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, that formed in 2001. After disbanding in 2006, drummer Brian Hill now plays with The Soft Pack
The Soft Pack
The Soft Pack is an indie rock band from San Diego.- History :The band was originally named The Muslims, but changed the name due to "ignorant and racist" comments. Matt Lamkin has stated Soft Pack can describe the band as being well mannered or it can refer to a device that when worn is intended...
, while singer Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell formed the duo Crocodiles
Crocodiles (band)
Not to be confused with the New Zealand band of the same name, Crocodiles are an noise pop/indie pop band from San Diego, California, USA. The group was formed in 2008 by core members Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell after the break-up of their former hardcore bands Some Girls and The Plot to...
.
Members
- Brandon Welchez - Vocals/Saxophone
- Willy Graves - Bass (Deceased)
- Charles Rowell (A.K.A. Charles Rowland, Sir Charles or Chuck) - Guitar
- Brian Hill - Drums (A.K.A. B.H. Peligro- in tribute to drummer D.H. Peligro of the Dead KennedysDead KennedysDead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
) - CodyCodyCody is a surname and given name. It may also be spelled Codey, Codie, Codee, Kodi or Kody. Cody may refer to:-First name:*Codey Burki , Canadian ice hockey player*Cody Cameron , American voice actor...
- Bass (2001) - Dan Maier - Bass (2001–2003)
Background
On their earlier work, their music incorporated elements of punk rockPunk 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...
in a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-oriented improvisational and constructional sequence, whilst later works incorporated a more noise and lo-fi approach. Their name is taken from the book Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century
Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century
Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century is a non-fiction book by American rock-music critic Greil Marcus that examines popular music and art as a social critique of Western culture....
by Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...
, itself a reference to a line in Guy Debord
Guy Debord
Guy Ernest Debord was a French Marxist theorist, writer, filmmaker, member of the Letterist International, founder of a Letterist faction, and founding member of the Situationist International . He was also briefly a member of Socialisme ou Barbarie.-Early Life:Guy Debord was born in Paris in 1931...
's 1978 film In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.
The band was known for their confrontational live shows. While performing on their 2005 tour with The Blood Brothers and Big Business
Big Business
Big business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
, each member wore a red armband with "PLOT" written in a white circle, intentionally mimicking the armbands worn by members of the Nazi Party. The armbands were in keeping with thematic/aesthetic elements associated with the 3rd Reich that was prevalent on their album Love in the Fascist Brothel
Love in the Fascist Brothel
Love in the Fascist Brothel is the second studio album by San Diego band The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, released on Revelation Records and Three One G on February 15, 2005.-Track listing:#"Reichstag Rock" – 1:45#"Exile on Vain Street" – 2:24...
.
Live shows often included "everything from smashing the stage, molesting the microphone to random acts of homo-erotic behavior." Welchez often walked into the crowd to spit on, kiss, touch or undress members of the audience, especially men, to which some people took offense. At one stop on their final tour, Brandon even insisted on half of the audience joining the band on-stage during "SLC Hunks" and encouraged them to "brutalize" the band.
Welchez also claims they caused a "near riot" in Salt Lake City, and caused a "piss waterfall" in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, which lead to them being banned from playing in the city.
The Plot won the San Diego Music Award's "Best Punk Act" award two years running, in both 2005 and 2006.
Breakup
On September 26, 2006, The Plot announced via a Myspace bulletin that their then-current U.S tour would be the band's last before disbanding. Their final show was in their hometown of San Diego. A posthumous release of a seven-song mini-LP entitled "Saviors & Suckers" on Three One GThree One G
31G Records, or Three One G, is a San Diego, California based record label, started by grindcore and hardcore musician Justin Pearson in 1994...
records was in the works, but Three One G
Three One G
31G Records, or Three One G, is a San Diego, California based record label, started by grindcore and hardcore musician Justin Pearson in 1994...
has since said they will not be releasing the title.
Aftermath
Brandon, William, and Brian (with the addition of Andrew MillerAndrew Miller
-Sports:* Andrew Miller , pitcher for the Boston Red Sox* Andrew Miller , cricketer for Oxford University and Middlesex* Andrew Miller , Canadian professional ice hockey player...
) created The Prayers, a more 60's pop influenced band that released a cd/12" EP entitled "God Save the Prayers" on Art Fag Records in summer of 2007. Willie and Brian have since left The Prayers, Willie replaced by Chuck Rowell and Brian replaced by Joel Issac Black.
Charles Rowland and The Vultures have released an album entitled "Vulture Land" and are also planning to put out a 7" called "Let Them Bleed/Sex Bomb" on Collective Records. Sir Charles has also written two books: "Darkland" and "Friends, Lovers, and Suckers" (with Wes Eisold).
Dan Maier, the original bass player and recording engineer for the first few Plot releases, continues to produce and record albums in San Diego.
Brandon and Sir Charles also participate in Skull Kontrol, an odd conglomerate that usually also involves Welchez's bandmate Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller
-Sports:* Andrew Miller , pitcher for the Boston Red Sox* Andrew Miller , cricketer for Oxford University and Middlesex* Andrew Miller , Canadian professional ice hockey player...
and Mario Orduno of Art Fag fame. Skull Kontrol's mission is to put on amazing parties, mainly at clubs in the San Diego area, featuring combinations of its four main members and various other musicians/artists/creative-types DJing and causing a scene.
The Prayers broke up in March 2008, having released only one recording and having completed only one US tour, with two brief trips to the UK. Brandon and Sir Charles have since reunited as a two-piece; Crocodiles
Crocodiles (band)
Not to be confused with the New Zealand band of the same name, Crocodiles are an noise pop/indie pop band from San Diego, California, USA. The group was formed in 2008 by core members Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell after the break-up of their former hardcore bands Some Girls and The Plot to...
. Brian Hill is currently playing drums in The Soft Pack
The Soft Pack
The Soft Pack is an indie rock band from San Diego.- History :The band was originally named The Muslims, but changed the name due to "ignorant and racist" comments. Matt Lamkin has stated Soft Pack can describe the band as being well mannered or it can refer to a device that when worn is intended...
(aka The Muslims).
Willy Graves died Sunday, September 14, 2008
Style and influences
Plot's style is a fusion of the genres: post-hardcorePost-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
and hardcore punk
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...
. The band took influences from John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
, Swing Kids (band)
Swing Kids (band)
Swing Kids were a hardcore band from San Diego California during the mid 1990s. They were closely involved with and influenced by the forerunners of the San Diego hardcore punk scene of the 1990s....
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore and alternative rock band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. Formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis following the breakup of their band Pitchfork, the band's lineup also included bassist Mike Kennedy and...
, 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...
and Fugazi.
Discography
- If You Cut Us, We Bleed (EP)If You Cut Us, We Bleed (EP)If You Cut Us, We Bleed is an EP by San Diego band The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, released on the Happy Couples Never Last label on March 9, 2004.-Personnel:*Brandon Welchez - Vocals/Saxophone*Dan Maier - Bass/Mastering/Mixing*Brian Hill - Drums...
- Split 7" with Necktie Party
- Dissertation, HoneyDissertation, HoneyDissertation, Honey is the debut studio album by San Diego band The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, released on the Happy Couples Never Last label on June 17, 2003...
- Love in the Fascist BrothelLove in the Fascist BrothelLove in the Fascist Brothel is the second studio album by San Diego band The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, released on Revelation Records and Three One G on February 15, 2005.-Track listing:#"Reichstag Rock" – 1:45#"Exile on Vain Street" – 2:24...
- INRI (EP)
- Saviors & Suckers (Unreleased)