The Adolescents
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the punk music group The Adolescents. For the stage of life, see Adolescence.
| The Adolescents | ||
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 Cover of Classic Eponymous Album
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Fullerton, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Skate Punk Hardcore Punk |
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| Years active | 1979—1981 1986—1989 2001—present |
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| Label(s) | Finger Records Frontier Records Posh Boy Records |
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| Associated acts |
Agent Orange, D.I., Abandoned, Social Distortion, The Detours, Legal Weapon, ADZ, Christian Death, HVY DRT, Flower Leperds, Pinups, Sister Goddamn, The Vandals |
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| Members | ||
| Tony Cadena Steve Soto Frank Angew Derek O' Brien Frank Angew Jr. |
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| Former members | ||
| Alfie Agnew (Guitar 1987) Rikk Agnew (Guitar 1979-89) Jeff Beans (Bass 1982) Dan Colburn (Guitar 1987-89) John O'Donovan (Guitar 1979) Sandy Hansen (Drums 1987-89) Rick Herschbeth (Guitar 1982) Peter Pan (Drums 1979) Paul (Guitar 1988-89) Steve Roberts (Guitar 1981-82) Casey Royer (Drums 1979-87) Pat Smear (Guitar 1981) Sparky (Vocals 1982?) |
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The Adolescents are a punk music group formed in 1979 in Fullerton, California.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] The beginning, first album and hiatus
The Adolescents were formed by Steve Soto after leaving Agent Orange in December 1979. The original line-up was led by frontman Tony Cadena, with Steve Soto on bass, Frank Agnew on guitar, John O'Donovan on guitar and Peter Pan on drums. Both O'Donovan and Pan left in June and were replaced by Rikk Agnew and Casey Royer formerly of Social Distortion and The Detours. The band created fast, energetic music that was at the forefront of the Orange County punk music scene.
Later that year, the group released the classic hardcore single "Amoeba" on Posh Boy Records. The track also appeared on the Rodney on the ROQ compilation, assembled by L.A. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer.
The Adolescents signed with Frontier Records in January 1981 and recorded The Adolescents the following month. It quickly became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums behind the Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Despite this Rikk Agnew left and was replaced by Pat Smear, formerly of The Germs. This line up lasted until the end of June when Smear left (he would later go on to Nirvana and the Foo Fighters).
The Adolescents broke up in August 1981. Cadena formed The Abandoned, Soto and Agnew joined Legal Weapon, Royer formed D.I. and Agnew joined Christian Death after his departure.
Rikk Agnew made his solo album in 1983 then joined D.I. with Alfie Agnew, Frank and Rikk's younger brother.
[edit] Reunion and second hiatus
In 1986 The Adolescents reformed with their original line-up and started to work on a new album. Before recording Casey Royer and Frank Agnew left the band. Royer had wanted to keep D.I. going (until 1995), and Agnew lost interest. Sandy Hansen took Royer's place on drums and Alfie took Frank's place on guitar. They recorded Brats in Battalions in the late summer. The record came out in August 1987 due to the band deciding to produce and release the album themselves with little cash or backing.
At the end of 1986 Alfie went to college and his place was taken by Dan Coburn; by the end of the year Cadena and Coburn left.
In 1988 Rikk Agnew and Steve Soto decided to replace Coburn with Paul Casey and start singing themselves. Casey left after four months and Frank Agnew replaced him on guitar, after touring the band recorded their then-final album Balboa Fun Zone.
The Adolescents broke up in April 1989. Steve Soto, Sandy Hansen and Frank Agnew started Joyride and Rikk Agnew did a couple of solo albums.
[edit] Second reunion and the future of the band
The band regrouped to tour for the 20th anniversary of their self-titled album in 2001 and have continued to perform. They released their first reunion album, O.C. Confidential, in 2005 on Finger Records, a label owned and run by Mel Schantz out of Orange County, California.
Bassist Steve Soto has confirmed that The Adolescents have begun writing material for their follow-up to O.C. Confidential, which is possibly due for release "by the end of" 2007. [1] As of now, there are no further details regarding the new album and its title is yet to be confirmed.
[edit] Previous Members
- Alfie Agnew (Guitar 1987)
- Rikk Agnew (Guitar 1979-89)
- Jeff Beans (Bass 1982)
- Dan Colburn (Guitar 1987-89)
- John O'Donovan (Guitar 1979)
- Sandy Hansen (Drums 1987-89)
- Rick Herschbeth (Guitar 1982)
- Peter Pan (Drums 1979)
- Paul (Guitar 1988-89)
- Steve Roberts (Guitar 1981-82)
- Casey Royer (Drums 1979-87)
- Pat Smear (Guitar 1981)
- Sparky (Vocals 1982?)
[edit] Current Members
- Tony Cadena
- Steve Soto
- Frank Agnew
- Derek O'Brien
- Frank Agnew Jr.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1981 | The Adolescents | Debut release. |
| 1987 | Brats in Battalions | The first Adolescents album since their first break up. |
| 1988 | Balboa Fun Zone | Final album before breaking up again. |
| 2005 | O.C. Confidential | The first Adolescents album since their second break up. |
| 2007? | Untiled 5th album | The band is currently working on their follow-up to O.C. Confidential. |
[edit] Other releases
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1989 | Live 1981 and 1986 | Live album |
| 1997 | Return to the Black Hole | Live album |
| 2003 | Live at the House of Blues 10/3/03 (The Show Must Go Off!) | Live album; CD/DVD Set |
| 2005 | Complete Demos 1980-1986 | Compilation |
[edit] Trivia
- "Kids of the Black Hole" was used as the music for Mike Escamillas section in the 'Forward' BMX video produced by Etnies.
- The song "Amoeba" was featured in the video- and PC game Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3, as well as the Movie SLC Punk!
- "Creatures" was used in the Creature Skateboards video "Born Dead".
- Dropkick Murphys made a cover of 'Who Is Who?' for video- and PC Game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
- Drummer Derek O'Brien was the former drummer for Social Distortion's Mommy's Little Monster album.
- "Richard Hung Himself", better known as a D.I. song, was originally an Adolescents song, slated to appear on "Welcome to Reality".
