Naked Raygun is an American punk rock band that formed in Chicago in 1980. The band was active from 1980 to 1992, along with reunion shows in 1997, and since 2006.
Naked Raygun have cited various bands as influences, including Buzzcocks, Wire, the Stranglers, the Damned, the Ruts, Killing Joke,
History
Initial run
The band was formed in 1980 by
Santiago Durango, Marko Pezzati and later
Jeff Pezzati. Singer Jeff Pezzati was the sole constant member through multiple personnel changes. Members over time include drummers Bobby Strange, Jim Colao, and Eric Spicer; bassists Marko Pezzati,
Pierre Kezdy, Camilo Gonzalez, Pete Mittler and Fritz Doreza; guitarists
Santiago Durango,
John Haggerty, and Bill Stephens; and keyboardist John Lundin.
Durango and Jeff Pezzati were also members of Big Black.
Post-Naked Raygun
In 1989, John Haggerty left Naked Raygun to form
Pegboy with his younger brother Joe (formerly of Bloodsport and
The Effigies) and Steve Saylors and Larry Damore of the
Bhopal Stiffs (Pierre Kezdy would later replace Steve Saylors).
Jeff Pezzati is also the lead singer of The Bomb, which is a different and later band than the San Francisco group, known as "Bomb".
Reunions
A two-show reunion in 1997 produced the live album
Free Shit!.
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][
]
In 1999, the independent record label Quarterstick Records re-issued the band's back catalog on CD.[
]
In 2006 Naked Raygun reunited for Riot Fest, an annual punk rock festival held in Chicago. Following their 2006 reunion, Naked Raygun announced that the band was "back for good."[
]
In 2011, Pete Mittler of The Methadones joined the line-up so that longtime bassist Pierre Kezdy could convalesce from a stroke.
In August 2014, Naked Raygun opened for Bad Religion, The Offspring and Stiff Little Fingers on the last two shows of the Summer Nationals tour at The Rave in Milwaukee
Naked Raygun (along with Urge Overkill and Cheap Trick) opened for the Foo Fighters at Wrigley Field, Chicago, on August 29, 2015.
Although the band announced plans to release a new album in 2016,
Pierre Kezdy died of cancer on October 9, 2020.
Musical style
Mark Deming of
AllMusic described Naked Raygun's sound as "a powerful mix of anthemic melodies, slashing and grinding guitars, shout-along choruses, percolating rhythms, and lyrics that focused on the overlap between the personal and the political." He further characterized the sound as "bridging the gap between
Hardcore punk and
melodic punk."
Legacy
Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and
Foo Fighters, has frequently discussed seeing Naked Raygun as his first concert in 1982 (when he was 13) at Chicago's
Cubby Bear. During their October 17, 2014, show at the Cubby Bear, Jeff Pezatti joined the band for a Naked Raygun cover. Naked Raygun themselves later opened for Foo Fighters on select dates during the Sonic Highways World Tour.
Blink-182’s Matt Skiba references Naked Raygun in the song “Parking Lot” from their California album.
Members
Current members
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Jeff Pezzati - Vocals (1980–1992, 2006–present)
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Bill Stephens - Guitar (1989–1992, 2006–present)
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Eric Spicer - Drums (1984–1992, 2006–present)
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Fritz Doreza - Bass (2013–present)
Former members
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Santiago Durango - Guitar (1980–1983)
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Marko Pezzati - Bass (1980–1981)
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Bobby Strange - Drums (1980)
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Jim Colao - Drums (1980–1984)
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John Lundin - Keyboards (1980–1981)
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Camilo Gonzalez - Bass (1981–1985)
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John Haggerty - Guitar (1983–1989)
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Sensitive Pete Mittler - Bass (2011–2013)
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Pierre Kezdy - Bass (1985–1992, 2006–2010; died 2020)
Timeline
Discography
Albums
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Throb Throb LP (Homestead Records) (1985)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2008–LP only)
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All Rise LP (Homestead) (1986)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2008–LP only)
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Jettison LP Caroline (1988)/(Quarterstick) (1999 – CD only)
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Understand? LP (Caroline) (1989)/(Quarterstick) (1999–CD only)
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Raygun...Naked Raygun LP (Caroline) (1990)/Quarterstick (1999–CD only)
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Last of the Demohicans CD (Dyslexic) (1997)
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Free Shit LP/CD (Haunted Town) (2001) - live
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Over the Overlords LP (Wax Trax!) (2021)
EPs
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Basement Screams 12-inch (Ruthless (1983)/(Quarterstick) (1999 – CD only)/(Haunted Town) (2007 – LP only)
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Treason 12-inch (Caroline) (1989) - on pink vinyl limited to 2,500 numbered records (although unnumbered versions, stamped "Promo only" exist)
Singles
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Flammable Solid 7-inch (Ruthless) (1983) - "Surf Combat", "Gear"/"Libido"
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Vanilla Blue 7-inch (Sandpounder) (1987) - "Vanilla Blue"/"Slim (The Second Coming Of Christ) on
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Home 7-inch (Caroline) (1990) - "Home"/"Last Drink" on
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Series 1 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2009) - "Mein Iron Maiden"/"Out Of Your Mind" on
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Series 2 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2010) - "Growing Away"/"Just For Me" on
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Series 3 7-inch (Riot Fest) (2011) - "Burning Red"/"Black Eyed Blue" on
Compilations
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Huge Bigness-Selected Tracks From Collected Works 1980-1992 (Quarterstick) (1999)
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What Poor Gods We Do Make: The Story And Music Behind Naked Raygun (Riot Fest) (2007) included
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Totally...Naked Raygun 5XCD (Audio Platter) (2021)
Compilation appearances
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Busted At Oz (Autum/Permanent) (1981/2011) - "Bomb Shelter", "When The Screaming Stops", "Paranoia", "Libido"
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Bang Zoom Issue #4 cassette (Bang Zoom) (1984) - "Swingo"
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Code Blue cassette (Last Rites) (1984) - "No Sex", "Only In America"
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The Middle Of America Compilation (H.I.D. Productions) (1984) - "I Don't Know", "Stupid"
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Flipside Vinyl Fanzine #2 (Flipside) (1985) - "Metastasis"
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Gunfire & Pianos (Situation Two/ZigZag Magazine) (1986) - "Metastasis"
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Paranoia You Can Dance To (Weird System) (1986) - "Metastasis"
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Sub Pop 100 (Sub Pop) (1986) - "Bananacuda"
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Rat Music For Rat People Vol. III (CD Presents) (1987) - "Rocks Of Sweden"
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Rat Music For Rat People Vol. I, II & III (CD Presents) (1987) - "Rocks Of Sweden"
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Untitled 7-inch EP (Discopêö) (1987) - "Peacemaker (live)"
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The Wailing Ultimate-The Homestead Records Compilation (Homestead) (1987) - "I Remember"
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Sounds And Shigaku Limited Present: Beautiful Happiness (Sounds And Shigaku Limited) (1988) - "Vanilla Blue"
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Live Treatment cassette (Shotgunning Tape SXXXXX Inc./Discraceland) (1989) - "Never Follow"
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Somethings's Gone Wrong Again: The Buzzcocks Covers Compilation (C/Z) (1992) - "Love Battery"
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The Best Of Flipside Vinyl Fanzine 2XCD (Flipside) (1993) - "Metastasis"
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Faster & Louder-Hardcore Punk, Vol. 2 (Rhino Records) (1993) - "Metastasis"
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Nightmare/Bad Taste-News Vol. 10 cassette (Bad Taste) (1998) - "Rat Patrol"
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Rats In The Hallway #14 (Rats In The Hallway) (2000) - "Treason"
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Haunted Town Records CD Sampler #1 CDr (Haunted Town) (2008) - "I Lie", "Backlash Jack"
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You Weren't There movie soundtrack (Factory 25) (2009) - "Tojo (demo)"
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... On The Rawks Compilation (ProRawk) (2020) - "Broken Things"
Video
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"Broken Things"
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"Home"
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"Living in The Good Times"
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"Vanilla Blue"
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"What Poor Gods We Do Make" DVD (Riot Fest) (2007) included
See also
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(dir. Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman) (2007) - Documentary
External links
