The Meatmen are an American

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band headed by

Tesco Vee Tesco Vee (born Robert Vermeulen; August 26, 1955) is an American, Michigan-based punk rock musician, and co-founder of Touch and Go Records zine. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he is a former elementary school teacher and the founding member, an ...

, originally existing from 1981 to 1988, before reforming in the mid-1990s, and again in the 2000s. They were known for their outrageous stage antics and offensive lyrics. They reformed in 2008 and continue to tour and record.

History

The Meatmen formed in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

, in 1981. The original band, existing with various lineups for approximately two years, first comprised vocalist

(a.k.a. Robert Vermeulen), guitarist Rich Ramsey, bassist Jim Forgey and drummer Mr. X. The Meatmen made their recorded debut with the song "Meatmen Stomp", which appeared on the 1981 7-inch compilation EP ''Process of Elimination'', released in 1981 on

Touch and Go Records Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. Tou ...

(an offshoot of ''Touch and Go'' fanzine, which Vee co-founded in 1979). The band's first 7-inch EP, ''Blüd Sausage'', was released in 1982 on Touch and Go. By this time, Gregg Ramsey had joined on guitar, with his brother Rich switching to bass, replacing Forgey. For their second EP, ''Crippled Children Suck'', issued later that same year, Vee and Rich Ramsey (now on guitar) were joined by two new members, bassist Mike Achtenburg (formerly of the Fix) and drummer Berl Johnson. Also in 1982, Vee and Achtenberg played in the brief punk

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

Blight Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organ ...

.- True, Christopher. "Blight" allmusic.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009. In 1983, the Meatmen issued a full-length album, '' We're the Meatmen...and You Suck!!'', compiling the first EP on side A, and live material recorded at New York City's

Mudd Club The Mudd Club was a nightclub located at 77 White Street in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It operated from 1978 to 1983 as a venue for underground music and counterculture events. It was opened by Steve Maas, Die ...

on side B. Vee then relocated from Michigan to

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in the fall of 1983, dissolving the ''Crippled Children Suck'' lineup and assembling a new band consisting of members of several DC hardcore bands. Vee then released the 1984 EP, ''Dutch Hercules'', credited to Tesco Vee and the Meatkrew, before reforming the Meatmen with a rotating cast of members including Todd Swalla of

Necros Necros was an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene. They were the first band to record for Touch and Go Records. History Necros was formed in mid-1975 by then-t ...

and Brian Baker and

Lyle Preslar Lyle Preslar is an American musician best known for being the guitar player and songwriter for the hardcore punk band Minor Threat. Before that, he was the vocalist for The Extorts, who later became State of Alert after he quit. Despite not perfo ...

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...

. During this period, the band changed their approach dramatically to a more heavy metal sound. Their first actual studio album, ''War of the Superbikes'', was released in 1985 on

Homestead Records Homestead Records was a Long Island, New York-based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading that operated from 1983 to 1996. The label was known for not paying its artists and not spending any money on promotion. History The l ...

, featuring a lineup of Vee, guitarists Baker and Preslar, bassist Graham McCulloch (ex-

Negative Approach Negative Approach is an American hardcore punk band, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1981. The band is considered among the pioneers of hardcore punk, particularly in the Midwest region. Like most hardcore bands, Negative Approach was little known ...

), and drummer Eric Zelsdorf. For the 1986 follow-up ''Rock 'N' Roll Juggernaut'', released on

Caroline Records Caroline Records is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976, and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. ...

, lead guitarist James Cooper (later of

Battalion of Saints Battalion of Saints was an American hardcore punk band from San Diego, California, that was founded in 1980. The band went through numerous lineup changes before touring the United States and Canada from 1984–1985 with George Anthony, Chris ...

) replaced Baker. Following a solo Vee single, "Twisted Road", issued in 1987 by

Forced Exposure ''Forced Exposure'' was an independent music magazine founded by Jimmy Johnson and Katie The Kleening Lady (Goldman) (zine). It was published sporadically out of Boston from 1982 to 1993, edited by Jimmy Johnson and Byron Coley. It was printed on ...

under the name the Tesco Vee Experience, Caroline issued a live Meatmen album, ''We're the Meatmen... And You Still Suck!'' (1988), featuring covers of "

Razamanaz ''Razamanaz'' is the third studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in May 1973. It was the band's first LP record to break the charts and was produced by Roger Glover of Deep Purple, who the band was on tour with at the t ...

" by

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

and "Rebel Rouser" by

the Sweet The Sweet (often shortened to just Sweet), are a British glam rock band that rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mic ...

. The lineup included Vee, Preslar, McCulloch and two new members, lead guitarist Stuart Casson and drummer Mark "Goolie" Kermanj. In the early 1990s, Vee formed Tesco Vee's Hate Police, backed by guitarists Keith Campbell and Tommy "Dog" Cohen, bassist Scotty "Thorson" Slade and drummer Neil Ekberg (Campbell and Ekberg were also members of D.C. punk band

Black Market Baby Black Market Baby was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C. They were one of the groups that created the original punk rock scene in the Washington area in the 1980s. They were extremely popular locally, and were known to be an excell ...

). The group released several EPs and one album, 1992's ''Gonzo Hate Vibe''. Vee then released three more albums with the Meatmen (including guitarist Norman Voss, bassist Mark Davis, and drummers Mark Glass and Rob San Pietro) in a metal-influenced punk style: ''Toilet Slave'' (1994, Meat King Records), ''Pope on a Rope'' (1995, also on Meat King) and ''War of the Superbikes II'' (1996,

Go-Kart Records Go-Kart Records is an independent record label specializing in punk rock located in New York City that was most active from 1995 to 2005. It also has a European division in Mannheim, Germany. History In its May 1999 issue, '' Guitar World'' ...

). They also released several EPs, including the "Drugs & Masturbation"/"True Grit" split 7-inch with

Boris the Sprinkler Boris the Sprinkler is a punk rock band that formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1992. History Boris the Sprinkler was founded in Green Bay in 1992 by Reverend Nørb (vocals) and Paul #1 (guitar).Fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fang ...

and

Anal Cunt Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1988. From its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes and never had a bass player. The band, known for its flippan ...

Reunion

A reunited 2008 Meatmen lineup included new members Ian "The Pit Viper" Sugierski on drums, Dave "Malarsh" Malosh (later of

Electric Six Electric Six is a six-piece American rock band formed in 1996 in Detroit, Michigan. Their music was described by AllMusic as a combination of garage, disco, punk rock, new wave, and metal. The band achieved recognition in 2003 with the singl ...

) on guitar and Andy "Lord Vapid" Lucas on bass. This lineup toured the U.S. through 2009 and performed on that year's ''Cover the Earth'' covers album. In 2010, Vee recruited members of Detroit-based

stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep. ...

band Chapstik: guitarist Leighton Mann, bassist Dan "Danny Dirtbag" Gillies and drummer John "Swarthy 'Bun-Length' Franklin" Lehl. They released the ''Happy Fucking Easter, Asshole'' EP, featuring two Germs covers as

B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

, on TKO Records for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

2011. Mann was replaced by guitarist Kevin "Hindu Kush" Roberts from 2012-2016, first appearing on 2013's ''The Tribute with Two Heads'' split 7-inch with

Antiseen Antiseen (often stylized as ANTiSEEN) is an American punk rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Jeff Clayton and Joe Young in 1983. The name "Antiseen" serves as a deliberate deviation of the phrase "anti-scene" - the group not wis ...

. In 2014, the Meatmen released a new full-length studio album, ''Savage Sagas'', on Self Destructo Records.

Band members

– vocals (1981–1988, 1993–1997, 2008–present) *Dan Gillies – bass (2010–present) *John Lehl – drums (2010–present)

Former members

*Rich Ramsey – guitar (1981, 1982–1983), bass (1981–1982) *Jim Forgey – bass (1981) *Mr. X – drums (1981–1982) *Gregg Ramsey – guitar (1981–1982) *Mike Achtenburg – bass (1982–1983) *Todd Swalla a.k.a. Berl Johnson – drums (1982–1983) *

– lead/rhythm guitar (1983–1988) * Brian Baker – lead guitar (1983–1985) *Bert Quieroz – bass (1983–1984) *Rich Moore – drums (1983–1984) *Graham McCulloch – bass (1984–1988) *Eric Zelsdorf – drums (1984–1987) *James Cooper – lead guitar (1986–1987) *Stuart Casson – lead guitar (1985–1986, 1987–1988) *Mark "Gooly" Kermanj – drums (1987–1988) *Norman Voss – guitar (1993–1997) *Mark Davis – bass (1993–1997) *Mark Glass – drums (1993–1995) *Rob San Pietro – drums (1995–1997) *Dave Malosh – guitar (2008–2010) *Andy "Lord Vapid" Lucas – bass (2008–2010) *Ian "The Pit Viper" Sugierski – drums (2008–2010) *Leighton Mann – guitar (2010–2012) *Kevin "Hindu Kush" Roberts – guitar (2012–2016)

Discography

Studio albums

*1985 – ''War of the Superbikes'' (

Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses *Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...

) *1986 – ''Rock 'N' Roll Juggernaut'' ( Caroline) *1994 – ''Toilet Slave'' (Meat King) *1995 – ''Pope on a Rope'' (Meat King) *1996 – ''War of the Superbikes II'' (

Go-Kart A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance Kart rac ...

) *2009 – ''Cover the Earth'' (Meat King) *2014 – ''Savage Sagas'' (Self Destructo)

Singles and EPs

*1982 – ''Blüd Sausage'' 7-inch EP ( Touch and Go) *1983 – ''Crippled Children Suck'' 7-inch EP (Touch and Go) *1984 – ''Dutch Hercules'' (as Tesco Vee and the Meatkrew) 12-inch EP (Touch and Go) *1985 – "The Making of War of the Superbikes" 7-inch flexidisc single (Caroline) *1986 – "Rock 'N' Roll Juggernaut... The True Story" 7-inch flexidisc single (Caroline) *1987 – ''Vintage Meat'' 7-inch single (Perpetual Disc) *1995 – "Drugs & Masturbation"/"True Grit" split 7-inch with

Boris the Sprinkler Boris the Sprinkler is a punk rock band that formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1992. History Boris the Sprinkler was founded in Green Bay in 1992 by Reverend Nørb (vocals) and Paul #1 (guitar).Antiseen Antiseen (often stylized as ANTiSEEN) is an American punk rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Jeff Clayton and Joe Young in 1983. The name "Antiseen" serves as a deliberate deviation of the phrase "anti-scene" - the group not wis ...

(TKO)

Live albums and EPs

*1988 - ''We're the Meatmen... And You Still Suck!'' album (Caroline) *1996 – ''3/3/95 (

Empty Bottle The Empty Bottle is a bar and music venue located at 1035 N. Western Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Located on the west side of Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood, the venue primarily hosts local, regional, and touring alternative music act ...

- Chicago, IL)'' 7-inch EP (V.M.L.)

Compilation albums

*1983 – '' We're the Meatmen...and You Suck!!'' (''Blüd Sausage'' EP plus live set) (Touch and Go) *1990 – ''Crippled Children Suck'' (Touch and Go) *1990 – ''Stud Powercock: The Touch and Go Years 1981-1984'' (Touch and Go)

Compilation appearances

*1981 – "Meatmen Stomp" on ''Process of Elimination'' 7-inch compilation EP (Touch and Go)

Videos

*2008 – ''The Devil's in the Details, Vol. 1'' (MVD)

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meatmen, The Touch and Go Records artists Caroline Records artists Musical groups established in 1980 Hardcore punk groups from Michigan