Hell's Kitchen (band)
Encyclopedia
Hell's Kitchen was a rock group formed in 1987 when Guitarist Luke Skeels
decided to leave Boneless Ones due to conflict with the singer. When the other members heard the news, they too left en masse, and Hell's Kitchen was born. The band recruited members of Verbal Abuse
and Fang
, for the first lineup. The band was known for its expert musicianship and total irreverence for the music scene in general, and Heavy Metal in particular. Their attitude was "shows should be fun".
After various line-up changes, the band's first release featured: Luke Skeels
(guitar), Sean Condon (vocals), Troy Takaki (bass), Mike Branum (drums). Condon was later replaced by Jimi Hayes.
Their songs, performed in a mock-speed-metal/punk style, include such topics as beer
, satan
, chicken
and The Grateful Dead.
Hell's Kitchen has released two full-length albums as well as appearing on an episode of HBO's Tales from the Crypt
.
The band toured Europe twice in 1990, covering most, if not all, of Western Europe as well as parts of Scandinavia, and a few Eastern Block countries as well. Shows were played with German punk bands such as Spermbirds
and Militant Mothers.
There was a demo cassette released with the original line-up called Fast Food Demo in 1987.
Luke Skeels
Luke Skeels is a guitarist, music teacher, music producer, session player, and recording artist. He has played with the bands Boneless Ones, Hell's Kitchen, and Edge City Ruins. He is currently playing guitar for the Hardcore Punk band Verbal Abuse...
decided to leave Boneless Ones due to conflict with the singer. When the other members heard the news, they too left en masse, and Hell's Kitchen was born. The band recruited members of Verbal Abuse
Verbal Abuse
Verbal Abuse is a hardcore punk band, originally from Houston, Texas, but which became successful after moving to San Francisco.Verbal Abuse was started in Houston, Texas in 1981 after singer and songwriter Nicki Sicki quit the band Sick Pleasure and moved to Virginia, then back to Texas when he...
and Fang
Fang (band)
Fang is a punk rock band that originated in 1980. Fang was originally part of the punk rock scene in Berkeley, California in the 1980s. The band broke up in 1989 when key member Sam McBride was sent to prison for killing his girlfriend, Dixie Lee Carney...
, for the first lineup. The band was known for its expert musicianship and total irreverence for the music scene in general, and Heavy Metal in particular. Their attitude was "shows should be fun".
After various line-up changes, the band's first release featured: Luke Skeels
Luke Skeels
Luke Skeels is a guitarist, music teacher, music producer, session player, and recording artist. He has played with the bands Boneless Ones, Hell's Kitchen, and Edge City Ruins. He is currently playing guitar for the Hardcore Punk band Verbal Abuse...
(guitar), Sean Condon (vocals), Troy Takaki (bass), Mike Branum (drums). Condon was later replaced by Jimi Hayes.
Their songs, performed in a mock-speed-metal/punk style, include such topics as beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
and The Grateful Dead.
Hell's Kitchen has released two full-length albums as well as appearing on an episode of HBO's Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
.
The band toured Europe twice in 1990, covering most, if not all, of Western Europe as well as parts of Scandinavia, and a few Eastern Block countries as well. Shows were played with German punk bands such as Spermbirds
Spermbirds
Spermbirds are a German punk band from Kaiserslautern. Formed in 1982, by the members of the melodic punk rock band Die Walter Elf among American G.I. stationed in Germany, they created a fast hardcore punk group that gained popularity inside as well as outside of Germany...
and Militant Mothers.
Past
- Tom Flynn - Guitar (1988)
- Dave Chavez - Vocals (1988)
- Chris KontosChris Kontos (musician)Chris Kontos is best known as the drummer of Machine Head on their first album, Burn My Eyes. He and the band parted ways before their second album in 1997...
- Drums (1988) - Sean Condon - Vocals (1988–89) †
- Chachi - Guitar (1989) ‡
- Marty Ros - Guitar (1990–91)
- Andy - Bass (1991)
- Greg Elliot - Guitar (1990)
- Pat Mack - Bass (1990)
Discography
- If You Can't Take The Heat (LP - Boner RecordsBoner RecordsBoner Records is a Berkeley, California based independent record label, run by Tom Flynn. They have released recordings by Fang , Verbal Abuse, MDC, Boneless Ones, Duh, Steel Pole Bath Tub, The Melvins, The Warlock Pinchers, Hell's Kitchen, and Superconductor, among others.-The Melvins:*Bullhead...
) - 1988 (†) http://www.discogs.com/release/468102 - Fistful Of Chicken (LP - Weird System Records) - 1989 (‡) http://www.discogs.com/release/444325
There was a demo cassette released with the original line-up called Fast Food Demo in 1987.