Dave Kushner
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" Kushner is an American musician
perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup
Velvet Revolver
. Kushner has also been a member of Wasted Youth
, Electric Love Hogs
, Loaded
, Danzig
, Jane's Addiction
guitarist Dave Navarro
's solo band, Sugartooth
, Zilch
while he has also recorded with Infectious Grooves
, Cyco Miko
and more recently collaborated with Scars on Broadway
guitarist Franky Perez
releasing songs under the pseudonym of DKFXP
, a combination of the initials of Perez and Kushner, as well as Indian
singer and actress Shruti Haasan
.
Kushner has also been writing and composing music for films and television, most notable the theme for FX series Sons of Anarchy
, titled "This Life
", where he received an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
in 2009 while in 2010 he received an ASCAP Award for the theme. He collaborated with composer John O'Brien on the music for the movies Four Christmases
, Couples Retreat
and the ABC
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
while he was also asked to develop a spin off of How I Met Your Mother
entitled "The Bro Code" by Fox
creative director Dave Warren and The Simpsons
segment director Ralph Sosa.
In 2009, Kushner was named "One of The 50 Greatest Unsung Guitar Heroes Ever" by Total Guitar
magazine.
, California
. He attended Junior High and High School with Slash
, frequently attending the shows of Slash's then band Tidus Sloan
, and began playing in bands at the age of 16. He attended music school at the age of 18 before signing his first record deal when he was 20. Prior to joining Wasted Youth, Kushner worked at Tower Video.
as a guitarist but played bass on the group's second album Black Daze
, released in 1988, with the exception of the Van Halen
cover of "On Fire
" where he performed rhythm and lead guitar duties. Kushner left the group over a year later.
by friends John Feldmann
, Kelly LeMieux
and Bobby Hewitt playing their first shows locally before relocating to Los Angeles
adding Kushner to the group along with guitarist Donni Campion. The band named itself Electric Love Hogs in a satirical swipe at the L.A. glam rock
scene of the late '80s. They signed a deal with London Records
and released their only album Electric Love Hogs in 1992. The album was produced by Mark Dodson
, whose production credits include Anthrax
and Suicidal Tendencies
, while Mötley Crüe
drummer Tommy Lee
also co-produced two album tracks. Percussion for the album was handled by Jane's Addiction
drummer Stephen Perkins
.
Robert Trujillo
, then of Suicidal Tendencies
and Infectious Grooves
, contributed to the record while Kushner was asked to make a guest appearance on the song "Punk It Up" from the Infectious Grooves debut album The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves
, also produced by Dodson, released in 1991 before touring with Infectious Grooves for a few months.
Electric Love Hogs went on to tour with Stone Temple Pilots
, when they were known as Mighty Joe Young, and L.A. Guns
in the U.S.
and Ugly Kid Joe
in the United Kingdom
. The group disbanded in 1993.
bassist Duff McKagan
, touring with his group Loaded, met Kushner who was at the time playing with Japanese hard rock group Zilch
. After the tour, bassist Jeff Rouse
left the band to rejoin Alien Crime Syndicate
to release their new album XL from Coast to Coast
with Mike Squires
also leaving to join ACS becoming the groups second guitarist. Kushner and bassist George Stuart Dahlquist, of Asva and Burning Witch
, replaced the departed duo. Loaded announced a tour of Europe
with stops in Holland, Germany
, France
, Italy
and Spain
as well as shows in the UK
however this tour was soon canceled after McKagan began collaborating with his former Guns N' Roses band mates on a new project.
in 2002, former Guns N' Roses members Slash
, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum
decided to form a new band after recognizing that their musical relationship was still very much intact. Initially they began rehearsing with Buckcherry
duo Josh Todd
and Keith Nelson, who performed with the trio at the benefit, but eventually decided against forming a group with them. During a Loaded show at Hollywood's Viper Room
, McKagan introduced Kushner to Slash, after Kushner said they had known each other previously, who confirmed they were friends at Junior High and High School. After Kushner jammed with the group he was invited to join with Slash stating that "Dave brought a cool vibe to what we were doing. There was no deliberation; that was it, it was a perfect fit." Former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin
also joined them for 2 weeks eventually suggesting that "Duff and I will sing and we will just do a club tour in a van." Slash states in his autobiography that it was hard to tell if Stradlin was serious or kidding. After auditioning Kelly Shaefer (of Atheist
/Neurotica
), Stradlin left the group.
While Shaefer's audition was unsuccessful, the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer, with VH1
filming the recruitment process. The quartet were referred to under the temporary name "The Project" during this time. The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned, including Canadian Todd Kerns
(formerly of Age of Electric
), Michael Matijevic
(of Steelheart
), Sebastian Bach
(formerly of Skid Row), Shawn Albro (of U.P.O.
), and Travis Meeks
(of Days of the New
). Myles Kennedy
(of Alter Bridge
and formerly of The Mayfield Four
) declined an invitation, from Sorum, to audition, because he wanted to focus more on other projects. Scott Weiland
had become friends with McKagan (via their respective wives) and had once played on the same bill as Kushner, when Electric Love Hogs supported Mighty Joe Young. Originally Weiland was wanted by the band but due to STP still touring he declined. After the band heard about STP's split in 2003, they were quick to get Weiland involved. Once he heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer, the band was formed.
The group released their debut album Contraband in 2004, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200
, and the follow-up, Libertad, in 2007. The albums were produced by Josh Abraham
and Brendan O'Brien
respectively. Contraband album tracks "Set Me Free
" and "Dirty Little Thing
" appeared on the soundtracks to the movies Hulk
and xXx: State of the Union
while they recorded a cover
of Pink Floyd
's "Money
" and a new song entitled "Come On, Come In
" for the The Italian Job
remake and Fantastic Four
respectively. With their single "Slither
", they won the 2005 Grammy Award
for Best Hard Rock Performance
.
Weiland stated on March 20, 2008 at Velvet Revolver's show in Glasgow
that this would be the band's final tour. At the time Slash hinted in an interview with Classic Rock magazine that, contrary to Weiland's assertions, Velvet Revolver will continue beyond its current tour. When asked "Will Scott be singing?", Slash replied "I have no comment on that", and laughed.
It was announced on April 1 that Weiland had officially parted ways with Velvet Revolver. Later that month, Weiland performed with Stone Temple Pilots
for the first time since 2002, kicking off their reunion tour
.
The release of Slash's solo album, Slash, and Duff McKagan's addition to the Jane's Addiction
lineup, both in 2010, seemed to put future of the band in doubt. However, they still remain optimistic about the future, with new songs written and plans to reconvene in 2011 while in September 2010, McKagan departed Jane's Addiction.
formed a new group called Lit. The group went through several lineup changes, with the final lineup consisting of Kushner, former Electric Love Hogs drummer Bobby Hewitt, Jar Gordon on bass, Amir Derakh
on guitar and a singer known only as Eric. After a year and a half, Kushner was invited to join Geffen
group Sugartooth
with Lit being disbanded and selling their name rights to the well known band of the same name.
In 1995, he teamed up with Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves singer Cyco Miko
on his solo album Lost My Brain! (Once Again)
before going on to join Danzig
. Kushner's tenure in Danzig lasted 9 months where he performed only one show at the Whisky a Go Go
in Hollywood, California.
In 1997, Kushner appeared on the compilation album
Friends & Family, Vol. 1
which featured music by Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves and Cyco Miko among others.
In 1998, Kushner joined the hard rock group Zilch
, formed by former X Japan
guitarist hide
. Unfortunately, hide died before the release of their debut album. The group continued and eventually recorded and released Skyjin in 2001 and it was during this time that Kushner met Duff McKagan who, at the time, was touring with Loaded.
In 2001, Kushner became musical director for Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro
's touring band following the released of his solo album Trust No One
.
On June 20, 2009, Scars on Broadway
guitarist and solo artist Franky Perez
announced via his official MySpace
that he was in the studio collaborating with Kushner. To date they have released three song for free via the Franky Perez official website under the pseudonym of DKFXP
, a combination of the initials of Perez and Kushner.
In October 2009, Franky Perez stated on his Twitter
account that he and Kushner were jamming with Weezer
bassist Scott Shriner
and his Scars on Broadway band mate, drummer John Dolmayan
.
In 2009, he played rhythm guitar with rock band Weezer
when they performed "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
" on Spike TV
's Video Game Awards.
On September 8, 2010, it was announced that Kushner was to collaborate with Indian
singer and actress Shruti Haasan
on a new musical project. Haasan will be writing the lyrics with Kushner composing the music. On working with Kushner, Haasan stated: "
When the opportunity to work with US supergroup guru David Kushner came to me, I was really excited. I really loved Dave's song and felt a connect between it and my music, thereby making it a meaningful collaboration for me. As a singer, songwriter and musician and a rock-n-roll loyalist, this is a dream come true [...] Dave is an icon and it's an unbelievable opportunity for any musician. I'm also so thrilled to be able to express myself as an artist on a global platform of this caliber. To be the first Indian to get an opportunity like this to not just sing but also write the English lyrics for this track, is truly an honour". It was later announced, on September 21, that Kushner and Dave Navarro
collaborated on a cover of The Kinks
' "You Really Got Me
" to be used in a Hyundai
commercial.
, Curtis Stigers
and Kurt Sutter
, Kushner co-wrote the theme song for the 2008 FX television series Sons of Anarchy
titled "This Life
". In 2009, the song was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
but lost out to the theme for PBS
television series Great Performances
. In 2010, the quartet received an ASCAP Award for the theme.
Kushner was also asked to develop a spin off of How I Met Your Mother
entitled "The Bro Code" by Fox
creative director Dave Warren and The Simpsons
segment director Ralph Sosa. Kushner also wrote a song with composer John O'Brien, Franky Perez
and Dave Navarro
for a new merchandise line called "Bartrock" after Dave Warren wanted "a song to tie in with the merch line".
In 2010, Kushner announced that he removed the vocals and "messed around" with the song "Beyond the Wire", which he released with Perez as DKFXP, giving it the new title of "Beyond the Snake". The song appears at the end credits of the film Hisss featuring vocals and lyrics by Shruti Haasan
. Four tracks by both Perez and Kushner will also appear in the film Hamill.
Kushner has also collaborated with friend and composer John O'Brien on numerous occasions providing music to films such as Four Christmases
, Couples Retreat
and, most recently, the upcoming ABC
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
which will begin airing in the fall season of 2010.
and has two signature models based on the Ravelle available in forest green finish with cream binding and metallic blue finish with black binding. Besides his signature guitars he also owns Montereys and Vertigos from Fernandes as well as a Yamaha
SAO 503 TVL, which is the signature guitar for Troy Van Leeuwen
from Queens of the Stone Age
. Lately Kushner's main instruments have been various Gibson models, such as the ES-335
, SG
and Les Paul
models.
Dave uses a 12-space rack with a switching system that allows him to use whatever effects he would like in any sequence. Some of the effect pedals he uses most often include Line 6 DM-4, Boss Flanger BF-2, Boss Super Phaser PH-2, Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-5, Boss Digital Delay DD-3, Line 6 Filter Pro, Dynacord CLS222, Rocktron Hush II CX Noise Reduction System, Electro-Harmonix Micro synth, Boss Hyperfuzz, Line 6 delay pedal and a MXR Zakk Wylde
overdive pedal. He also uses Dunlop programmable Wah Wah effects and Rotovibe MIDI controllers which are rackmounted.
Kushner mostly uses Bogner
amplifiers during live performances, specifically an Ecstasy 101B amplifier that runs Bogner straight cabs fitted with Vintage Celestion 30 watt and Celestion Greenbacks 25 watt speakers. He has also used Mesa Boogie Stilletto Ace and Fender Super Sonic amplifiers.
|align="center"| 2005 || "Slither
" || Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
||
|-
|align="center"| 2009 || "This Life
" || Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
||
|-
|align="center"| 2010 || "This Life" || ASCAP Award ||
|-
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
. Kushner has also been a member of Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
, Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs
Electric Love Hogs were a short-lived American funk metal band formed in San Diego, California in 1991. The band's lineup consisted of John Feldmann , Dave Kushner , Donni Campion , Kelly LeMieux and Bobby Hewitt...
, Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
, Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
's solo band, Sugartooth
Sugartooth
Sugartooth was an alternative rock band that was formed in the early 1990s.Marc Hutner and Josh Blum formed the group after meeting each other on the California band circuit . They worked with two different drummers over time...
, Zilch
Zilch (band)
Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
while he has also recorded with Infectious Grooves
Infectious Grooves
Infectious Grooves is a funk metal band led by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir. It also features former Excel guitarist Adam Siegel, ex-Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo , and ex-Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins...
, Cyco Miko
Mike Muir
Mike Muir is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves...
and more recently collaborated with Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway is an American-Armenian rock band, founded by System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan. The band's eponymous debut album was released on July 29, 2008....
guitarist Franky Perez
Franky Perez
Franky Perez is an American musician best known as the guitarist for Scars on Broadway as well as being a solo artist. He has released two solo albums, Poor Man's Son and My 4th of July, and performed with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash in his live band before Slash has assembled the tour band...
releasing songs under the pseudonym of DKFXP
DKFXP
DKFXP is the name of a musical collaboration between Franky Perez , of Scars on Broadway, and Dave Kushner , of Velvet Revolver...
, a combination of the initials of Perez and Kushner, as well as Indian
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
singer and actress Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
.
Kushner has also been writing and composing music for films and television, most notable the theme for FX series Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
, titled "This Life
This Life (Theme from Sons of Anarchy)
"This Life" is a theme song for the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, written by singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner, producer Bob Thiele Jr...
", where he received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
in 2009 while in 2010 he received an ASCAP Award for the theme. He collaborated with composer John O'Brien on the music for the movies Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
, Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Peter Billingsley with contributions to the script by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox, Curtis Hanson, and Greg Beeman. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Åkerman and...
and the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7 is an American crime drama series about Detroit's leading homicide unit, created by Jason Richman for ABC. It features an ensemble cast of actors including Michael Imperioli and James McDaniel...
while he was also asked to develop a spin off of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
entitled "The Bro Code" by Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
creative director Dave Warren and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
segment director Ralph Sosa.
In 2009, Kushner was named "One of The 50 Greatest Unsung Guitar Heroes Ever" by Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
magazine.
Early life
Kushner was born November 16, 1966 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He attended Junior High and High School with Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, frequently attending the shows of Slash's then band Tidus Sloan
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, and began playing in bands at the age of 16. He attended music school at the age of 18 before signing his first record deal when he was 20. Prior to joining Wasted Youth, Kushner worked at Tower Video.
Wasted Youth (1988–1989)
Kushner joined Wasted YouthWasted Youth (American Band)
Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,...
as a guitarist but played bass on the group's second album Black Daze
Black Daze
Black Daze is the 1988 and final album by the Los Angeles punk band Wasted Youth, that saw the band turn to a thrash metal style.- Track listing :# "Any Gun Can Play"# "Ordinary Woman"# "Bucket Head"# "Black Daze"# "Good Day for a Hanging"...
, released in 1988, with the exception of the Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
cover of "On Fire
Van Halen (album)
Van Halen is the debut studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released in February 1978.- History :Recorded in 1977, Van Halen sold over 10 million copies in the US alone, becoming one of the most successful debuts by a rock band. Along with 1984, it gives Van Halen two original albums with...
" where he performed rhythm and lead guitar duties. Kushner left the group over a year later.
Electric Love Hogs and Infectious Grooves (1991–1993)
The group was initially formed as a cover band in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
by friends John Feldmann
John Feldmann
John William Feldmann is an American musician and producer who is the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger. He is known as an animal rights advocate.- Music :...
, Kelly LeMieux
Kelly LeMieux
Kelly LeMieux is a studio session bass guitar player. He is best known for his work in the Dave Mustaine project MD.45. He was touring bass player for Los Angeles punk band Fear in 1997 and 1998...
and Bobby Hewitt playing their first shows locally before relocating to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
adding Kushner to the group along with guitarist Donni Campion. The band named itself Electric Love Hogs in a satirical swipe at the L.A. glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
scene of the late '80s. They signed a deal with London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
and released their only album Electric Love Hogs in 1992. The album was produced by Mark Dodson
Mark Dodson
Mark Dodson is a prolific record producer and sound engineer, who mostly works with artists in the heavy metal genre. He is best known for producing albums by Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies.-Biography:...
, whose production credits include Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, while Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
drummer Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
also co-produced two album tracks. Percussion for the album was handled by Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
drummer Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
.
Robert Trujillo
Robert Trujillo
Robert Trujillo is an American bassist who currently plays bass in Metallica. He has also played in Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, and with Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne.-Career:...
, then of Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
and Infectious Grooves
Infectious Grooves
Infectious Grooves is a funk metal band led by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir. It also features former Excel guitarist Adam Siegel, ex-Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo , and ex-Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins...
, contributed to the record while Kushner was asked to make a guest appearance on the song "Punk It Up" from the Infectious Grooves debut album The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves
The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves
The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves is the debut album by Infectious Grooves, released in 1991. The second song "Therapy" featured Ozzy Osbourne. The album introduces the character Sarsippius. As of 2011, the album is out of print and problems with the rights...
, also produced by Dodson, released in 1991 before touring with Infectious Grooves for a few months.
Electric Love Hogs went on to tour with Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
, when they were known as Mighty Joe Young, and L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The group disbanded in 1993.
Loaded (2002)
During a tour of Japan, former Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
bassist Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, touring with his group Loaded, met Kushner who was at the time playing with Japanese hard rock group Zilch
Zilch (band)
Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
. After the tour, bassist Jeff Rouse
Jeff Rouse (musician)
Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
left the band to rejoin Alien Crime Syndicate
Alien Crime Syndicate
Alien Crime Syndicate, often abbreviated to ACS, were a rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1997. From 1999 to the band's breakup in 2005, the lineup consisted primarily of Joe Reineke , Jeff Rouse , Nabil Ayers , while guitarists Jason Krevey, Mike Squires and Mike Davis were also...
to release their new album XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast is the third album by alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released in 2002 through V2 and The Control Group, incorporating influences like The Replacements and Urge Overkill...
with Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
also leaving to join ACS becoming the groups second guitarist. Kushner and bassist George Stuart Dahlquist, of Asva and Burning Witch
Burning Witch
Burning Witch was an American doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998.-History:Burning Witch formed on Capitol Hill, Seattle in early 1995. After the breakup of the doom/death band Thorr's Hammer in 1995, Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson and Jamie Sykes formed Burning...
, replaced the departed duo. Loaded announced a tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with stops in Holland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
as well as shows in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
however this tour was soon canceled after McKagan began collaborating with his former Guns N' Roses band mates on a new project.
Velvet Revolver (2002–present)
After performing at a benefit gig for Randy CastilloRandy Castillo
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
in 2002, former Guns N' Roses members Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
decided to form a new band after recognizing that their musical relationship was still very much intact. Initially they began rehearsing with Buckcherry
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
duo Josh Todd
Josh Todd
Josh Todd is an American musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Buckcherry.-Background:...
and Keith Nelson, who performed with the trio at the benefit, but eventually decided against forming a group with them. During a Loaded show at Hollywood's Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
, McKagan introduced Kushner to Slash, after Kushner said they had known each other previously, who confirmed they were friends at Junior High and High School. After Kushner jammed with the group he was invited to join with Slash stating that "Dave brought a cool vibe to what we were doing. There was no deliberation; that was it, it was a perfect fit." Former Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
also joined them for 2 weeks eventually suggesting that "Duff and I will sing and we will just do a club tour in a van." Slash states in his autobiography that it was hard to tell if Stradlin was serious or kidding. After auditioning Kelly Shaefer (of Atheist
Atheist (band)
Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combines metal riffs with subtle Latin music arrangements and jazz fusion.- History :...
/Neurotica
Neurotica (band)
Neurotica was started around 1995 by singer Kelly Schaefer and guitarist Shawn Bowen. Performances in local clubs brought the band to the attention of AC/DC singer and Sarasota resident Brian Johnson, who helped them find a management deal and produced their debut album, Seed...
), Stradlin left the group.
While Shaefer's audition was unsuccessful, the quartet continued auditioning for a lead singer, with VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
filming the recruitment process. The quartet were referred to under the temporary name "The Project" during this time. The resulting documentary was aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. A number of lead singers auditioned, including Canadian Todd Kerns
Todd Kerns
Todd Kerns and grew up in Lanigan, Saskatchewan is a Canadian musician who has worked with several successful Canadian bands, most notably Age of Electric...
(formerly of Age of Electric
Age of Electric
Age of Electric was a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s.The band, consisting of two pairs of brothers, formed in Lanigan, Saskatchewan in 1989. The members were guitarists Ryan Dahle and Todd Kerns, bassist John Kerns and drummer Kurt Dahle. Ryan, Todd and Kurt all contributed vocals as...
), Michael Matijevic
Michael Matijevic
Miljenko Matijevic, also known as Michael Matijevic is a rock vocalist best known as the lead singer of the American band Steelheart. He has cited Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and David Coverdale of Whitesnake as his strongest influences...
(of Steelheart
Steelheart
Steelheart is a glam metal band based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Formed in 1990, the band is fronted by vocalist Miljenko Matijevic.- Formation :...
), Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
(formerly of Skid Row), Shawn Albro (of U.P.O.
U.P.O.
U.P.O. was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997. Since 2004, the band's line-up has included Shawn Albro , Chris Weber , Ben Shirley and Tommy Holt . Previous members include Zoltan Bathory and Philippe Mathys.To date, U.P.O...
), and Travis Meeks
Travis Meeks
Travis Shane Meeks , is an American musician, and is the lead singer, guitarist and song writer for acoustic rock band Days of the New.-Early life and career:...
(of Days of the New
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
). Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
(of Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
and formerly of The Mayfield Four
The Mayfield Four
For the telephone signalling method known in the UK as MF4, see Dual-tone multi-frequencyThe Mayfield Four was an American rock band formed by Myles Kennedy in Spokane, Washington in 1996...
) declined an invitation, from Sorum, to audition, because he wanted to focus more on other projects. Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
had become friends with McKagan (via their respective wives) and had once played on the same bill as Kushner, when Electric Love Hogs supported Mighty Joe Young. Originally Weiland was wanted by the band but due to STP still touring he declined. After the band heard about STP's split in 2003, they were quick to get Weiland involved. Once he heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer, the band was formed.
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and the follow-up, Libertad, in 2007. The albums were produced by Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham is a Grammy-winning record producer and co-owner of Pulse Management and Check Your Pulse Publishing. He has produced songs and albums for many of the industry's most successful artists such as Velvet Revolver, 30 Seconds to Mars, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson and Courtney Love...
and Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
respectively. Contraband album tracks "Set Me Free
Set Me Free (Velvet Revolver song)
"Set Me Free" is the debut single by Velvet Revolver, released in 2003. It initially appeared on the Hulk soundtrack, and eventually wound up on their debut album, Contraband.-Alternative versions:...
" and "Dirty Little Thing
Dirty Little Thing
"Dirty Little Thing" is a hard rock song by the supergroup Velvet Revolver, released as the fourth single off the band's debut album Contraband...
" appeared on the soundtracks to the movies Hulk
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
and xXx: State of the Union
XXX: State of the Union
xXx: State of the Union, mainly released as xXx²: The Next Level outside the United States and Canada, is a 2005 action-adventure film directed by Lee Tamahori. It is a sequel to the 2002 film xXx...
while they recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Money
Money (Pink Floyd song)
"Money" is the sixth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by bassist Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original vinyl LP, and is the only song on the album to enter the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" and a new song entitled "Come On, Come In
Come On, Come In
"Come On, Come In" is a song by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 superhero film Fantastic Four. When released as a promotional single in the United States on June 21, 2005, the song reached number 14 on the American Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" for the The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
remake and Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (film)
Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the...
respectively. With their single "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
", they won the 2005 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
.
Weiland stated on March 20, 2008 at Velvet Revolver's show in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
that this would be the band's final tour. At the time Slash hinted in an interview with Classic Rock magazine that, contrary to Weiland's assertions, Velvet Revolver will continue beyond its current tour. When asked "Will Scott be singing?", Slash replied "I have no comment on that", and laughed.
It was announced on April 1 that Weiland had officially parted ways with Velvet Revolver. Later that month, Weiland performed with Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
for the first time since 2002, kicking off their reunion tour
2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour
The 2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour was a 75-date reunion tour for the popular American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, who originally disbanded in 2003. The tour, which kicked off on May 17, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio at the Rock on the Range festival, ran throughout the summer and ended on...
.
The release of Slash's solo album, Slash, and Duff McKagan's addition to the Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
lineup, both in 2010, seemed to put future of the band in doubt. However, they still remain optimistic about the future, with new songs written and plans to reconvene in 2011 while in September 2010, McKagan departed Jane's Addiction.
Other musical projects
After the breakup of Electric Love Hogs in 1993, Kushner, Kelly LeMieux, also of Electric Love Hogs, and Kushner's former Wasted Youth bandmate Joey CastilloJoey Castillo
Joseph Willam "Joey" Castillo is an American drummer currently playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal...
formed a new group called Lit. The group went through several lineup changes, with the final lineup consisting of Kushner, former Electric Love Hogs drummer Bobby Hewitt, Jar Gordon on bass, Amir Derakh
Amir Derakh
Amir Davidson is an American musician. He is currently guitar/synthesizer player for the band Orgy and guitar player for the band Dead by Sunrise...
on guitar and a singer known only as Eric. After a year and a half, Kushner was invited to join Geffen
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
group Sugartooth
Sugartooth
Sugartooth was an alternative rock band that was formed in the early 1990s.Marc Hutner and Josh Blum formed the group after meeting each other on the California band circuit . They worked with two different drummers over time...
with Lit being disbanded and selling their name rights to the well known band of the same name.
In 1995, he teamed up with Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves singer Cyco Miko
Mike Muir
Mike Muir is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves...
on his solo album Lost My Brain! (Once Again)
Lost My Brain! (Once Again)
Lost My Brain! is the first of two solo albums from Mike "Cyco Miko" Muir – lead singer of Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves. It was released in January, 1996 on the Epic Records label...
before going on to join Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
. Kushner's tenure in Danzig lasted 9 months where he performed only one show at the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in Hollywood, California.
In 1997, Kushner appeared on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Friends & Family, Vol. 1
Friends & Family, Vol. 1
* Tracks 1 – 3 performed by Suicidal Tendencies* Tracks 4 – 6 performed by Infectious Grooves* Tracks 7 – 8 performed by Cyco Miko* Tracks 9 – 10 performed by The Funeral Party* Tracks 11 – 12 performed by Creeper* Tracks 13 – 14 performed by Musical Heroin...
which featured music by Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves and Cyco Miko among others.
In 1998, Kushner joined the hard rock group Zilch
Zilch (band)
Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
, formed by former X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
guitarist hide
Hide (musician)
, better known by his stage name hide , was a popular Japanese musician. He was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan from 1987 to 1997...
. Unfortunately, hide died before the release of their debut album. The group continued and eventually recorded and released Skyjin in 2001 and it was during this time that Kushner met Duff McKagan who, at the time, was touring with Loaded.
In 2001, Kushner became musical director for Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
's touring band following the released of his solo album Trust No One
Trust No One
Trust No One is the debut solo album by Jane's Addiction and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro, released on June 19, 2001 on Capitol....
.
On June 20, 2009, Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway
Scars on Broadway is an American-Armenian rock band, founded by System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan. The band's eponymous debut album was released on July 29, 2008....
guitarist and solo artist Franky Perez
Franky Perez
Franky Perez is an American musician best known as the guitarist for Scars on Broadway as well as being a solo artist. He has released two solo albums, Poor Man's Son and My 4th of July, and performed with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash in his live band before Slash has assembled the tour band...
announced via his official MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
that he was in the studio collaborating with Kushner. To date they have released three song for free via the Franky Perez official website under the pseudonym of DKFXP
DKFXP
DKFXP is the name of a musical collaboration between Franky Perez , of Scars on Broadway, and Dave Kushner , of Velvet Revolver...
, a combination of the initials of Perez and Kushner.
In October 2009, Franky Perez stated on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that he and Kushner were jamming with Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
bassist Scott Shriner
Scott Shriner
Scott G. Shriner is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Weezer.-Early life:Shriner was born in Toledo, Ohio. He took up bass in high school. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, he found his high school bass teacher Mark Kieswetter, with whom he studied until moving to Los...
and his Scars on Broadway band mate, drummer John Dolmayan
John Dolmayan
John William Dolmayan is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American songwriter and drummer. He is best known as the drummer of System of a Down. Dolmayan is also the drummer for the band Scars on Broadway and Indicator....
.
In 2009, he played rhythm guitar with rock band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
when they performed "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived " is a song released as an iTunes single from American alternative rock band Weezer's sixth album, Weezer . The song bears a resemblance to the Shaker song "Simple Gifts" hence the "" in the title...
" on Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
's Video Game Awards.
On September 8, 2010, it was announced that Kushner was to collaborate with Indian
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
singer and actress Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
on a new musical project. Haasan will be writing the lyrics with Kushner composing the music. On working with Kushner, Haasan stated: "
When the opportunity to work with US supergroup guru David Kushner came to me, I was really excited. I really loved Dave's song and felt a connect between it and my music, thereby making it a meaningful collaboration for me. As a singer, songwriter and musician and a rock-n-roll loyalist, this is a dream come true [...] Dave is an icon and it's an unbelievable opportunity for any musician. I'm also so thrilled to be able to express myself as an artist on a global platform of this caliber. To be the first Indian to get an opportunity like this to not just sing but also write the English lyrics for this track, is truly an honour". It was later announced, on September 21, that Kushner and Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
collaborated on a cover of The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' "You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
" to be used in a Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
commercial.
Work in television and film
Alongside Bob Thiele Jr.Bob Thiele Jr.
-References:...
, Curtis Stigers
Curtis Stigers
Curtis Stigers is an American jazz vocalist, saxophonist, guitarist, and songwriter.-Early life and career:Stigers was born in Boise, Idaho, and started his music career as a teenager, playing in jazz, rock and blues groups, as well as receiving formal training in clarinet and saxophone at high...
and Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter
Kurt Sutter is an American screenwriter, director, producer and actor. He worked as a producer, writer and director on The Shield, also appearing on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy on FX and writes, produces, directs and performs for the series,...
, Kushner co-wrote the theme song for the 2008 FX television series Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
titled "This Life
This Life (Theme from Sons of Anarchy)
"This Life" is a theme song for the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, written by singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner, producer Bob Thiele Jr...
". In 2009, the song was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
but lost out to the theme for PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
television series Great Performances
Great Performances
Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
. In 2010, the quartet received an ASCAP Award for the theme.
Kushner was also asked to develop a spin off of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
entitled "The Bro Code" by Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
creative director Dave Warren and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
segment director Ralph Sosa. Kushner also wrote a song with composer John O'Brien, Franky Perez
Franky Perez
Franky Perez is an American musician best known as the guitarist for Scars on Broadway as well as being a solo artist. He has released two solo albums, Poor Man's Son and My 4th of July, and performed with Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash in his live band before Slash has assembled the tour band...
and Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
for a new merchandise line called "Bartrock" after Dave Warren wanted "a song to tie in with the merch line".
In 2010, Kushner announced that he removed the vocals and "messed around" with the song "Beyond the Wire", which he released with Perez as DKFXP, giving it the new title of "Beyond the Snake". The song appears at the end credits of the film Hisss featuring vocals and lyrics by Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
. Four tracks by both Perez and Kushner will also appear in the film Hamill.
Kushner has also collaborated with friend and composer John O'Brien on numerous occasions providing music to films such as Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
, Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat
Couples Retreat is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Peter Billingsley with contributions to the script by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox, Curtis Hanson, and Greg Beeman. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Åkerman and...
and, most recently, the upcoming ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama series Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7 is an American crime drama series about Detroit's leading homicide unit, created by Jason Richman for ABC. It features an ensemble cast of actors including Michael Imperioli and James McDaniel...
which will begin airing in the fall season of 2010.
Musical equipment
Kushner has been a longtime user of Fernandes GuitarsFernandes Guitars
Fernandes Guitars is a guitar and accessory manufacturer that originated in Japan in 1969, building flamenco guitars. As the company grew it expanded production to include more acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, and accessories to become one of the biggest guitar...
and has two signature models based on the Ravelle available in forest green finish with cream binding and metallic blue finish with black binding. Besides his signature guitars he also owns Montereys and Vertigos from Fernandes as well as a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
SAO 503 TVL, which is the signature guitar for Troy Van Leeuwen
Troy Van Leeuwen
Troy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
from Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
. Lately Kushner's main instruments have been various Gibson models, such as the ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
, SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
and Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
models.
Dave uses a 12-space rack with a switching system that allows him to use whatever effects he would like in any sequence. Some of the effect pedals he uses most often include Line 6 DM-4, Boss Flanger BF-2, Boss Super Phaser PH-2, Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-5, Boss Digital Delay DD-3, Line 6 Filter Pro, Dynacord CLS222, Rocktron Hush II CX Noise Reduction System, Electro-Harmonix Micro synth, Boss Hyperfuzz, Line 6 delay pedal and a MXR Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
overdive pedal. He also uses Dunlop programmable Wah Wah effects and Rotovibe MIDI controllers which are rackmounted.
Kushner mostly uses Bogner
Bogner
Bogner is an American guitar amplifier manufacturing company founded by Reinhold Bogner in 1989 in Los Angeles, California, best known for the Shiva, Ecstasy, and Überschall guitar amplifiers.-Models:*Ecstasy 100A and 100B:...
amplifiers during live performances, specifically an Ecstasy 101B amplifier that runs Bogner straight cabs fitted with Vintage Celestion 30 watt and Celestion Greenbacks 25 watt speakers. He has also used Mesa Boogie Stilletto Ace and Fender Super Sonic amplifiers.
Discography
| Title | Release | Label | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Daze Black Daze Black Daze is the 1988 and final album by the Los Angeles punk band Wasted Youth, that saw the band turn to a thrash metal style.- Track listing :# "Any Gun Can Play"# "Ordinary Woman"# "Bucket Head"# "Black Daze"# "Good Day for a Hanging"... |
1988 1988 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert.... |
Medusa | Wasted Youth Wasted Youth (American Band) Wasted Youth was a hardcore punk band in early 1980s from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, and were a prominent and popular act amongst the Los Angeles punk underground of the early 1980s.-Overview:The band consisted of Chett Lehrer,... |
| The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves is the debut album by Infectious Grooves, released in 1991. The second song "Therapy" featured Ozzy Osbourne. The album introduces the character Sarsippius. As of 2011, the album is out of print and problems with the rights... |
1991 1991 in music See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year... |
Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
Infectious Grooves Infectious Grooves Infectious Grooves is a funk metal band led by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir. It also features former Excel guitarist Adam Siegel, ex-Suicidal Tendencies bassist Robert Trujillo , and ex-Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins... |
| Electric Love Hogs | 1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
London London Records London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label.... |
Electric Love Hogs Electric Love Hogs Electric Love Hogs were a short-lived American funk metal band formed in San Diego, California in 1991. The band's lineup consisted of John Feldmann , Dave Kushner , Donni Campion , Kelly LeMieux and Bobby Hewitt... |
| Lost My Brain! (Once Again) Lost My Brain! (Once Again) Lost My Brain! is the first of two solo albums from Mike "Cyco Miko" Muir – lead singer of Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves. It was released in January, 1996 on the Epic Records label... |
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact... |
Epic | Cyco Miko Mike Muir Mike Muir is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves... |
| Friends & Family, Vol. 1 Friends & Family, Vol. 1 * Tracks 1 – 3 performed by Suicidal Tendencies* Tracks 4 – 6 performed by Infectious Grooves* Tracks 7 – 8 performed by Cyco Miko* Tracks 9 – 10 performed by The Funeral Party* Tracks 11 – 12 performed by Creeper* Tracks 13 – 14 performed by Musical Heroin... |
1997 1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy... |
Suicidal | Various Artists |
| Skyjin | 2001 2001 in music See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band.... |
Avex Trax Avex Trax , listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan... |
Zilch Zilch (band) Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A... |
| Contraband | 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
RCA RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until... |
| Melody and the Tyranny Melody and the Tyranny Melody and the Tyranny is an EP released by Velvet Revolver as a precursor to their album Libertad. It includes two tracks from Libertad as well as the Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer" and a live rendition of "Do It for the Kids", a song from Velvet Revolver's debut album, Contraband... |
2007 2007 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame... |
||
| Libertad | |||
| Sons of Anarchy: North Country - EP | 2009 2009 in music The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year... |
— | Various Artists |
| Hisss Soundtrack | 2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
— | Shruti Haasan Shruti Haasan Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,... (featuring DKFXP DKFXP DKFXP is the name of a musical collaboration between Franky Perez , of Scars on Broadway, and Dave Kushner , of Velvet Revolver... ) |
Awards and nominations
|-|align="center"| 2005 || "Slither
Slither (song)
-Personnel:*Scott Weiland – lead vocals*Slash – lead guitar*Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals*Matt Sorum – drums*Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar...
" || Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
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|-
|align="center"| 2009 || "This Life
This Life (Theme from Sons of Anarchy)
"This Life" is a theme song for the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, written by singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner, producer Bob Thiele Jr...
" || Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
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|align="center"| 2010 || "This Life" || ASCAP Award ||
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