Vic Bondi is an American singer-songwriter and one of the founding members of political Chicago hardcore punk band
Articles of Faith
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
. He went on to form Alloy, and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup Bondi was working as a history instructor at the
University of Massachusetts Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a Public university, public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus Un ...
. Bondi's subsequent day jobs included working on
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
's
Encarta
''Microsoft Encarta'' is a discontinued digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft from 1993 to 2009. Originally sold on CD-ROM or DVD, it was also available on the World Wide Web via an annual subscription, although later articles ...
as well as other projects in educational and media software. After a hiatus in the late 90s, Bondi resurfaced with new bands, Report Suspicious Activity and Dead Ending. He was featured in the documentaries ''
American Hardcore'' and ''
You Weren't There''.
Musical career
Early life
Bondi is the son of a U.S. Navy captain and his family moved frequently when he was young: by his own count, he moved to new homes twenty-two times before the age of eighteen. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1985 and earned a PhD in history at Boston University in 1992.
Articles of Faith
Bondi founded
Articles of Faith
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
in 1981. Originally called Direct Drive, the band changed its name and began to play thrash and hardcore after Bondi saw the Bad Brains at the 930 club in Washington, D.C. in 1981. Combining thrash, reggae, and noise, the group was notable for its political lyrics, three-guitar attack, and sponsorship of the Chicago scene. AoF released two EPs (''What We Want is Free'' and ''Wait'') and two LPs (''Give Thanks'' and ''In This Life,'' both produced by
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.
Early years
Born in Malone, ...
, and toured North America several times from 1983 to 1985. Bondi had already left Chicago by the time AoF disbanded in 1985.
Other projects
Bondi was also the lead singer and guitarist of Jones Very and Alloy and later fronted Report Suspicious Activity which also featured
J. Robbins
James Robbins (best known as J. Robbins) is an American rock musician.
Career
Robbins began his career as a bassist for Government Issue, and has also led five of his own bands: Jawbox, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines, Channels, and Off ...
of Channels,
Jawbox
Jawbox is an American alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1989 by J. Robbins (vocals/guitar), Kim Coletta (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). After the trio released the album ''Grippe'' in 1991, Bill Barbot (guitar/vocals) join ...
, and
Burning Airlines
Burning Airlines was an American rock band from Washington, D.C. J. Robbins and Bill Barbot of Jawbox formed the band with Peter Moffett (formerly of Government Issue) in 1997. The band released two full-length albums, a self-titled 7", and sp ...
, Darren Zentek from
Kerosene 454
Kerosene 454 was a punk rock band from Washington, D.C. They formed in 1992. The core of the group, brothers John and Jim Wall along with Erik Denno, went through a number of drummers before hooking up with Darren Zentek in time to record their ...
/Oswego/Channels, and Erik Denno from
Kerosene 454
Kerosene 454 was a punk rock band from Washington, D.C. They formed in 1992. The core of the group, brothers John and Jim Wall along with Erik Denno, went through a number of drummers before hooking up with Darren Zentek in time to record their ...
, and released a record on Alternative Tentacles in 2005. Vic has also played with
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello ...
of
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
in a project called Weatherman. Bondi now fronts hardcore band Dead Ending with members of
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
,
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
, Noise by Numbers & The Bomb. Dead Ending have released three EPs, a single and an LP. Bondi was also a participant in Reed Mullin's Teenage Time Killers project, recording on that album and appear in the band's Los Angeles showcase in 2015. In 2016, Bondi recruited Alloy drummer Colin Sears and released a solo album, ''Primary''. They played a number of shows on the West Coast as "Black Theory." Dead Ending also released a highly charged political single, "Ivanka Wants Her Orange Back"/"Class War" in time for the election. In 2017, Bondi resumed recording and playing with Report Suspicious Activity, and they and Dead Ending both released records that year. He also played a number of live shows, with both bands, and solo acoustic.
Redshift and solo acoustic (2022–present)
Vic Bondi (guitar, vocals) formed the Seattle surfpunk ban
Redshiftin 2019 with Michael Catts (bass, vocals) and Adam Gross (drums). Redshift is described as a "surf band for the apocalypse" and play aggressive surfpunk—a mix of surf-style instrumentals and traditional punk rock numbers. After being sidelined by the pandemic, Redshift is again playing live shows in 2022 in support of their forthcoming album (November 2022) o
Boss Tuneage Records which will be titled, "The Worst Timeline Possible."
Bondi also continues to play solo acoustic shows, including a set of Pacific Northwest dates in 2022 opening for his longtime friend,
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.
Early years
Born in Malone, ...
.
Discography
With Articles of Faith
*''What We Want is Free'' EP (Affirmation, 1982)
*''Wait'' EP (Affirmation, 1983)
*''Give Thanks'' (Reflex, 1984)
*''In This Life'' (Lone Wolf, 1985)
*''Core'' (Bitzcore, 1991)
*''Your Choice Live Series 022'' (
Your Choice Records
Your Choice Records was a German independent record label that was founded in 1988 by producer Tobby Holzinger. The label specialized in independent punk music, including live releases of German and other international acts.http://www.de.wikiped ...
, 1994)
*''Complete, Vol. One'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2004)
*''Complete, Vol. Two'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2004)
*''New Normal Catastrophe'' LP (Alternative Tentacles, 2012)
Compilation and soundtrack appearances
*"Buried Alive" and "False Security" on the ''Master Tape'' compilation LP (Affirmation Records, 1982)
*"Five O'Clock" - On ''The Middle of America'' compilation LP (H.I.D. Productions, 1984)
*"Up Against The Wall" on the ''P.E.A.C.E.'' compilation LP (R Radical Records, 1985)
*"Buy this War" and "American Dreams" on the ''Fortunate Son'' split EP (2 songs by AoF and Vic Bondi performing one original and one cover song solo) (
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
, 2003)
*"Bad Attitude" on the ''
American Hardcore - The History Of American Punk Rock 1980-1986'' original documentary soundtrack (Rhino Records, 2006)
*"I Got Mine" on the ''You Weren't There: A History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984'' documentary soundtrack (Factory 25, 2009)
As himself
* ''Ghost Dances'' (Bitzcore, 1988)
* ''Garza, Missouri'' EP (A to Z media 2015)
* ''Primary'' (Wasteland, 2016)
Compilation appearances
* ''For A Fistful Of Yens!'' (Bitzcore/Indigo/Century Media, 1994) - "Don't Turn Away"
* ''Ox-Compilation #16-Destroy!'' 7-inch EP (Ox Fanzine, 1994) - "Chain Of Graves"
* ''Different Notes'' (Notes Music, 1995) - "Don't Turn Away"
* ''Fortunate Son'' split EP with Articles of Faith (
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
, 2003) - "Hardball", "Fortunate Son"
* ''Go Contrary, Go Sing'' (Made in Brooklyn, 2005) - "Blues For Sophie"
* ''Lean Into It-A Tribute to Die Kreuzen'' (Erosion, 2005) - "Enemies"
* ''The World I Know: A Tribute To Pegboy'' (Underground Communique, 2006) - "Method"
With Jones Very
*''Words and Days'' (Hawker/Roadrunner, 1989)
*''Radio Wave'' (Bitzcore, 1991)
*''Trains of Thought'' 7-inch single (
Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree International, Inc. is an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in 1990 in Wilmington, Delaware.
History
Origin (1987–1990)
In 1987, Tim Owen and Darren Walters were introduced during a punk show in Washingto ...
, 1991)
* "Straight Time" /"Ideas New Tomorrow" 7-inch single (Bitzcore, 1991)
*''New Life For Lies'' (Jade Tree, 1992)
Compilation appearances
* ''The New Breed'' cassette (
Roadrunner
The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico, us ...
, 1989) - "Words And Days", "Rest You Know Too Well"
* ''For A Fistful Of Yeng!'' (Bitzcore/Indigo, 1994) - "Straight Time"
* ''Jade Tree-First Five Years'' 2XCD (Jade Tree, 2000) - "No More", "It Comes Around", "What She Told Me", "Idea New Tomorrow", "Feet Of Clay", "Fugitive Time"
With Alloy
* "Untitled" b/w "Hard Rain" 7-inch single (Plastic Distribution, 1992)
*''Eliminate'' (Bitzcore, 1992)
*''Alloy'' (Engine, 1993)
* "Reading Blind" b/w "Eliminate" 7-inch single (Engine, 1993)
* "Razor Wire" on split 7-inch with Bob Evans (Skene!, 1994)
*''Paper Thin Front'' MiniAlbum (Engine, 1994)
Compilation appearances
* ''Chairman Of The Board-Interpretations Of Songs Made Famous By Frank Sinatra'' 2XCD (Grass, 1993) - "One More For My Baby"
* ''Life Is Too Short For Boring Music Vol. III'' (EFA, 1993) - "Absurd"
* ''Sampler Spring 1993'' (Caroline Distribution, 1993) - "Reading Blind"
* ''Case Closed?'' (An International Compilation Of Hüsker Dü Cover Songs) (Snoop, 1994) -"Out On A Limb"
* ''For A Fistful Of Yens!'' (Bitzcore/Indigo, 1994) - "More Alone With You"
* ''Strange Notes! A Germs Cover Compilation'' (Bitzcore, 1994) - "My Tunno
* ''I Hear Ya! Winter 1994-1995 - The Caroline Distribution CD Sampler'' (Caroline, 1995) - "Allegheny"
* ''So You Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Compilation?'' (Bitzcore, 1995) - "Graduate", "Who Bought The Con"
With Report Suspicious Activity
*''Report Suspicious Activity'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2005)
*''Dreamland'' EP (Underground Communiqué, 2006)
*''Destroy All Evidence'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2008)
*''Leviathan'' (Arctic Rodeo, 2017)
* "The Wilderness" b/w "Just 'Cos You Got The Power" 7-inch single (Arctic Rodeo, 2018)
Compilation appearances
* ''Stay Sick In '06'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2006) - "Subtle"
* ''Alternative Tentacles'' (Pasżaer, 2010) - "Bush Is Brezhniev"
With Dead Ending
* ''DE'' EP (Alternative Temtacles, 2012)
*''DE II'' EP (Alternative Tentacles, 2013)
*''DE III'' EP (Bridge Nine, 2014)
* "Class War" b/w "Ivanka Wants Her Orange Back" 7-inch single (Alternative Tentacles, 2016)
*''Shoot The Messenger'' (Alternative Tentacles, 2017)
* "(It's Not) What You Believe" b/w "Painkiller" 7-inch single (Alternative Tentacles, 2018)
* "American Virus" b/w "Walter Benjamin At The Door" 7-inch single (Alternative Tentacles, 2020)
Compilation appearances
* ''Ox Compilation #106'' (Ox Fanzine, 2013) - "Infinite Detention"
* ''Ox Compilation #136'' (Ox Fanzine, 2018) - "Bring On The Mob"
References
External links
Interview with Vic Bondi on ChicagoPunkPics 2007
2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bondi, Vic
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty
American punk rock musicians
Hardcore punk musicians