US Punk Band Fugazi Wikipedia Biography

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Fugazi is a United States punk band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987 and have been on hiatus since 2002. The band’s continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty. Fugazi are noted for their DIY ethicalstance and manner of business practice.

Formation

After the hardcore punk group Minor Threat dissolved, Ian MacKaye (vocals and guitar) was active with a few short-lived groups, most notablyEmbrace. MacKaye decided he wanted a project that was “like the Stooges with reggae,” but was wary about forming another band after Embrace’s break up. MacKaye recalled, “My interests were not necessarily to be in a band [per se], but to be with people who wanted to play music with me.”MacKaye recruited ex-Dag Nasty drummer Colin Sears and bass guitarist Joe Lally, and the trio began practicing together in September 1986. After a few months of rehearsals, Sears returned to Dag Nasty and was replaced by Brendan Canty (earlier of Rites of Spring). One day Canty’s Rites of Spring bandmate Guy Picciotto dropped by during a practice session to see how his friend was getting along; he later admitted he secretly harbored the idea of joining the group. But Picciotto was disappointed that there seemed to be no place for him; he said, “It seemed really completed already [. . .] It had a completely different feel from what I’d been doing with Brendan. It seemed just solid and done.”

After some uncertainty from Canty about what he wanted to do with his future, the trio regrouped and booked their first show at the Wilson Center in early September 1987. The group still needed a name, so MacKaye chose the word “fugazi” from Mark Baker’s Nam, a compilation of stories ofVietnam War veterans, where it was used as slang for “fucked up”, or, to be precise, “Fucked Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In (‘… into a body bag’)”.

The band began inviting Picciotto to practices. Inspired by use of a foil in hip hop, Picciotto sang backup vocals. After his band Happy Go Licky broke up, he became more involved with Fugazi. MacKaye eventually asked Picciotto to become a full member, which he accepted.

Hiatus

Fugazi is currently on what the band describes as a “hiatus”, partly brought on by Canty wanting to spend more time with his family.

In the meantime, the members are undertaking side projects, with MacKaye forming the duo The Evens with drummer and singer Amy Farina (formerly of the Warmers). In 2004, MacKaye produced theDC EP for former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, which also featured Jerry Busher.

Canty has been doing a variety of soundtrack scores and playing bass in the trio Garland Of Hours alongside frequent Fugazi guest contributors Jerry Busher and Amy Domingues, and has played bass live with Mary Timony. Canty also appears on Bob Mould’s 2005 album Body of Song and on Mould’s 2008 album District Line, and has toured with Mould, appearing in the live DVD Circle of Friends. He is currently working in the Burn to Shine DVD series which is being released by Trixie DVD.

Lally has released two solo albums, There to Here and Nothing Is Underrated. He has also appeared on fellow DC post-punkers Decahedron’s debut album Disconnection_Imminent, as well as on a one shot project with John Frusciante (formerly) of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and current Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer known as Ataxia.

Picciotto currently works as a record producer most notably with Blonde Redhead and The Blood Brothers, and he has performed alongside members of The Ex at the Jazz festival in Wels, Austria. Picciotto also co-produced and contributed guitar on Vic Chesnutt’s most recent album, At The Cut, for Constellation Records and performed live with Chesnutt on the Fall/Winter 2009 North American Tour. He has a daughter, Sophie, with musician Kathi Wilcox from the band Bikini Kill and The Frumpies.

Studio albums

• Repeater (1990)
• Steady Diet of Nothing (1991)
• In on the Kill Taker (1993)
• Red Medicine (1995)
• End Hits (1998)
• The Argument (2001)

Compilations/Soundtracks

• 13 Songs (1989)
• Instrument Soundtrack (1999)