Rocket from the Crypt

Rocket from the Crypt is an American punk rock band from San Diego, California, formed by singer-guitarist John Reis and originally active from 1990 to 2005, briefly in 2011, and again from 2013 to the present.

The band gained critical praise and the attention of major record labels after the release of their 1992 album Circa: Now!, leading to a recording contract with Interscope Records. They experienced a surge of popularity with the release of the albums Scream, Dracula, Scream! (1995) and RFTC (1998), accompanied by numerous vinyl singles and EPs released on independent labels. However, album sales did not meet expectations and Interscope soon turned their attention to higher-grossing acts. The band left the label, and shortly thereafter drummer Atom Willard departed the group. After a period of inactivity in 1999 and 2000, during which singer/guitarist John Reis formed Hot Snakes and Sultans and launched his Swami Records label, the band signed to Vagrant Records and recruited new drummer Ruby Mars. They experienced a revitalization of creative energy and released two more albums, but were not as prolific as in the past.

Over the next few years the band members became increasingly involved with other projects. Rocket from the Crypt decided to disband in 2005, playing a sold-out farewell show on Halloween in their hometown of San Diego. However, the band reunited in 2011 for a one-off appearance on the television program Yo Gabba Gabba!, and in 2013 reformed once more for a series of performances in the US, Europe and Australia.

Rocket From the Crypt have had a significant impact on alternative music, being cited as an influence by such bands as Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids, and Unbroken.

Band history

Formation

After the breakup of his post-hardcore band Pitchfork in 1990, Reis formed both Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu in July and August of that year respectively. Envisioned as a punk-inspired rock and roll band, Rocket from the Crypt's original lineup consisted of Reis, guitarist Andy Stamets, bassist Pete Reichert, drummer Sean, and backing vocalist Elaina. The band took their name from the then-defunct 1970s underground punk band Rocket from the Tombs. This lineup lasted roughly six months and recorded the band's debut album Paint as a Fragrance, released in 1991 on local label Cargo Music.

At this time, Reis began to use the pseudonym "Speedo" when working with the band. He was also simultaneously performing in Drive Like Jehu, who recorded their debut album around the same time. When Sean and Elaina moved away from San Diego, drummer Adam Willard joined the band under the stage name "Atom." The rest of the Rocket also assumed stage monikers, with Stamets performing as "ND" and Reichert as "Petey X."

The band also began to wear matching stage attire, an idea that, according to Reis was a result of being inspired by older artists as it was a reaction to the alternative and punk rock scene around them:[The idea to wear matching outfits] was taken from hundreds of garage rock and soul bands from the 50s, 60s and 70s. But among our peers? We started in an era in the 1990s when bands were wearing flannel and torn denim: that's what punk rock had turned into. (...) It was like American punk-rock music and hardcore had turned into more like a 1970s dirtbag aesthetic, you know? We looked at it and thought "that looks dumb". We knew that we didn't want anything to do with it because it didn't really represent who we were. So there was a bit of a contradiction in us being into punk-rock music and also being into rock & roll and wanting to entertain and put on a show. But for us it made perfect sense: you could not only be inspired by Black Flag but you could be inspired by James Brown as well.The band soon added a horn section, recruiting saxophone player Paul "Apollo 9" O'Beirne. They developed a reputation for their creative and energetic live shows, taking unusual measures to encourage audience participation such as handing out homemade lyric booklets and noisemakers. They released many vinyl singles around this time and began to attract a dedicated underground following. Reis recalls:

"It was really immediate; that's why we loved putting out singles early on. We recorded some songs for Sympathy for the Record Industry, and two weeks later, we had some finished copies of them. The turnaround time was amazing. And by the time people were able to get them, it was still under a month. They're hearing something that is completely fresh–this is something we're doing at the moment. We did that for, like, a three-year period."