Kill Buddha
Encyclopedia
Kill Buddha were an American
alternative rock
band from Los Angeles, California
, active in 1992 – 1995. Kill Buddha toured around Southern California mainly playing in West Hollywood, Hollywood and Santa Monica
clubs like The Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood), Raji's
, and Alligator Lounge. During their formation, grunge
was considered the new punk rock
, but Kill Buddha did not sound like other acts of the day. Their sound had more pop elements and less metal, while providing a deep groove with edgy guitars.
The main members were Nick Delancy (Ken David Paul), Oscar Nomination (Andrew Burkhart), and Gary Dade. Mike Steele was in the band early on as the drummer, but he only lasted one week, and then Gary settled in. In 1993, David Botkin occupied the drum seat for a year while Gary suffered a nervous breakdown and escaped to North Dakota to recover, apparently, from a bad marriage.
Controversy surrounded the name of the band as most people thought they were anti-Buddhist or anti-religion, but this was not accurate. The idea of the name came from a saying in Buddhism
, “Kill the Buddha”. The saying comes from the teachings ascribed to the Chinese
Ch'an master Lin-chi I-hsüan (d. 866), ‘If you meet the Buddha
, kill the Buddha…in this way, you attain liberation.’ The intention was to shock students into realizing that they themselves were Buddhas, and that they had no need to depend upon, mistakenly objectify, or inordinately revere figures external to themselves.
Earlier band names used were: Luscious God Boys (a play on Keanu Reeves
and his band, Dogstar
), The Ruling Class
, and f stop.
The Los Angeles music scene was still recovering from the Big Hair bands and phony showcases as a result of the prevalent pay-to-play policies that most of the clubs had during this time, so the Buddha's went south to Orange County
and performed at Club Mesa for their first show. They liked the place and returned many times, eventually playing their final show there (which was professionally videotaped). The band also had befriended some San Diego musicians and were invited to play in San Diego's alternative clubs, The Casbah (US music venue) and Bodie's World Famous Dive Bar, but the Buddha's always failed to show up.
In late 1992, Kill Buddha entered Paramount Recording Studios (with Barry Conley engineering) and recorded 10 songs in 2 days, all performed live. They entered the studio again in early 1993 to record 4 new songs. All of these recordings were never released, although a few mix tapes did manage to get out to some of their fans. This material included many of their live show staples: Values, Fog, Greenflash (a holdover from Screams From the Trees), I Love You To Pieces, Grand Prix and Because You Stole Cherries, amongst others. Band interest waned on completing these recordings, and stopped altogether when Gary left. They decided to start fresh after David came aboard in late 1993 and recorded 5 new songs (one remains unreleased) at Cadillac Sound Studios.
In early 1994, Kill Buddha released their widely cherished self titled EP
on Deviant Records
(US) (currently out of print) which included four songs: Cleopatra, Liar Liar, The Antidote and Laundry. It found radio airplay mainly on KXLU
, KNAC
, KUCI
, 91X as well as other radio stations around Southern California
. Oddly, the EP was "rejected" by radio stations KROQ-FM
and KLOS
, so the band had the rejection letters framed and hung on the wall of their record company. The EP was also a favorite that was played most nights at Raji's
in Hollywood. Industry insider Bob Timmons (Geffen Records
, Nirvana
, Aerosmith
, Smashing Pumpkins) was also extremely impressed after seeing them perform and approached them about representation. The EP was making the rounds at CBS Records
in Santa Monica
and was generating a buzz. Unfortunately, they would never benefit from the goodwill that was building.
Kill Buddha had decided to quit in January 1995 before playing their last show at Club Mesa.
Later, unbeknownst to the individual band members, they all had eventually relocated to San Francisco. Upon discovering this in 1999, they reunited for a one-off gig in October, which was recorded (presently unreleased).
Gary Dade was previously a member of LA metal band Armored Saint (1980-1982), Tempered Steel (1983-1985), influential industrial LA band Screams From The Trees (1987-1989) (sometimes with Andrew) and also appears on Bruce Drake's first solo release, Locust (2004). Gary Dade (2008) playied and recorded with Smokin' 66 (www.myspace.com/smokinsixtysix), based in Seattle. The band released a 6 song album in February 2009, "Smokin 66".. The name of the band came from bass player, Todd Perkins' restored 1966 Chevy Malibu, which had a personalized license plate reading "Smokin66". In 2009, Smokin 66 parted ways with singer Shannon. Presently, the band is known as Deliciously Infectious. They are presently on Hiatus after recording and performing in the Seattle area.
David Botkin (son of Perry Botkin Jr.) was a member of The Men (band)
(1991-1992). David also appears on the Dr. Demento
novelty track, Down with V.E.G. by The Amazing Onionheads (1994), which Andrew produced. Ken and David were in a "Men" side project band, Jimi's Kids (1991). During 2008-2009, David was playing in an L.A. area band which sometimes features Slash
on guitar. David's current project is The Ooks of Hazzard, noted for their cover of MGMT
's song "Kids", which went viral on You Tube in April 2010.
Andrew and Gary formed Joy Bang in 1995 as an on again, off again project (currently on hiatus), after Kill Buddha dissolved. A three song EP was released in 1995 (currently out of print). Some new material was recorded in 2007. Andrew also appears on Jackson Kayne's single, A Post Christmas (1987). Andrew and Mike Steele were also in Ray Rae's Tribute to Hendrix band (1989-1991), which performed around Los Angeles area clubs and colleges.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, active in 1992 – 1995. Kill Buddha toured around Southern California mainly playing in West Hollywood, Hollywood and Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
clubs like The Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood), Raji's
Raji's
Raji's was a rock and roll nightclub in central Hollywood, open in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was located in the Hastings Hotel building. The space had previously been a Greek restaurant called The King's Palace....
, and Alligator Lounge. During their formation, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
was considered the new punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, but Kill Buddha did not sound like other acts of the day. Their sound had more pop elements and less metal, while providing a deep groove with edgy guitars.
The main members were Nick Delancy (Ken David Paul), Oscar Nomination (Andrew Burkhart), and Gary Dade. Mike Steele was in the band early on as the drummer, but he only lasted one week, and then Gary settled in. In 1993, David Botkin occupied the drum seat for a year while Gary suffered a nervous breakdown and escaped to North Dakota to recover, apparently, from a bad marriage.
Controversy surrounded the name of the band as most people thought they were anti-Buddhist or anti-religion, but this was not accurate. The idea of the name came from a saying in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, “Kill the Buddha”. The saying comes from the teachings ascribed to the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Ch'an master Lin-chi I-hsüan (d. 866), ‘If you meet the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, kill the Buddha…in this way, you attain liberation.’ The intention was to shock students into realizing that they themselves were Buddhas, and that they had no need to depend upon, mistakenly objectify, or inordinately revere figures external to themselves.
Earlier band names used were: Luscious God Boys (a play on Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
and his band, Dogstar
Dogstar (band)
Dogstar was an alternative rock group active from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. The band performed at the 1996 Zwemdokrock Festival and at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival , and it released an EP and two albums...
), The Ruling Class
The Ruling Class
The Ruling Class is a 1972 British black comedy film. It is an adaptation of Peter Barnes' satirical stage play which tells the story of a paranoid schizophrenic British nobleman who inherits a peerage. The film costars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour,...
, and f stop.
The Los Angeles music scene was still recovering from the Big Hair bands and phony showcases as a result of the prevalent pay-to-play policies that most of the clubs had during this time, so the Buddha's went south to Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
and performed at Club Mesa for their first show. They liked the place and returned many times, eventually playing their final show there (which was professionally videotaped). The band also had befriended some San Diego musicians and were invited to play in San Diego's alternative clubs, The Casbah (US music venue) and Bodie's World Famous Dive Bar, but the Buddha's always failed to show up.
In late 1992, Kill Buddha entered Paramount Recording Studios (with Barry Conley engineering) and recorded 10 songs in 2 days, all performed live. They entered the studio again in early 1993 to record 4 new songs. All of these recordings were never released, although a few mix tapes did manage to get out to some of their fans. This material included many of their live show staples: Values, Fog, Greenflash (a holdover from Screams From the Trees), I Love You To Pieces, Grand Prix and Because You Stole Cherries, amongst others. Band interest waned on completing these recordings, and stopped altogether when Gary left. They decided to start fresh after David came aboard in late 1993 and recorded 5 new songs (one remains unreleased) at Cadillac Sound Studios.
In early 1994, Kill Buddha released their widely cherished self titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
on Deviant Records
Deviant Records
Deviant Records was a London-based record label which has featured releases from artists such as Paul Van Dyk, Witchman, Humate, and Spooky. It went into liquidation in 2006 and was sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd.-External links:*...
(US) (currently out of print) which included four songs: Cleopatra, Liar Liar, The Antidote and Laundry. It found radio airplay mainly on KXLU
KXLU
KXLU is an FM radio station broadcasting out of Loyola Marymount University in southwest Los Angeles, California. It was first on the air in 1957, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It is a non-commercial college radio station that plays many styles of music broadly classified under...
, KNAC
KNAC
KNAC is an internet based heavy metal music radio station. It was previously a Los Angeles, California area FM radio station.-KNAC at 105.5 FM:...
, KUCI
KUCI
KUCI is a college radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Irvine, California, USA, the station serves the Orange County area...
, 91X as well as other radio stations around Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Oddly, the EP was "rejected" by radio stations KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
and KLOS
KLOS
KLOS is an FM rock music radio station based in Los Angeles, California, that debuted in 1969. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. It is home to the nationally broadcast Mark & Brian radio show, and Off The Record host Uncle Joe Benson.-History:...
, so the band had the rejection letters framed and hung on the wall of their record company. The EP was also a favorite that was played most nights at Raji's
Raji's
Raji's was a rock and roll nightclub in central Hollywood, open in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was located in the Hastings Hotel building. The space had previously been a Greek restaurant called The King's Palace....
in Hollywood. Industry insider Bob Timmons (Geffen Records
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:...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Smashing Pumpkins) was also extremely impressed after seeing them perform and approached them about representation. The EP was making the rounds at CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
and was generating a buzz. Unfortunately, they would never benefit from the goodwill that was building.
Kill Buddha had decided to quit in January 1995 before playing their last show at Club Mesa.
Later, unbeknownst to the individual band members, they all had eventually relocated to San Francisco. Upon discovering this in 1999, they reunited for a one-off gig in October, which was recorded (presently unreleased).
Band members
- Andrew Burkhart (aka Oscar Nomination) - Guitar, Vocals
- Ken David Paul (aka Nick Delancy) - Bass, Vocals
- Gary Dade - Drums (1992-1993, 1995)
- David Botkin - Drums (1993-1994)
- Mike Steele (Dalton) - Drums (1992)
Band member history
Prior to Kill Buddha, Ken, David and Andrew, along with Michael Kerns (Paramount Recording Studios) were in the LA band, Tocan (1978-1980).Gary Dade was previously a member of LA metal band Armored Saint (1980-1982), Tempered Steel (1983-1985), influential industrial LA band Screams From The Trees (1987-1989) (sometimes with Andrew) and also appears on Bruce Drake's first solo release, Locust (2004). Gary Dade (2008) playied and recorded with Smokin' 66 (www.myspace.com/smokinsixtysix), based in Seattle. The band released a 6 song album in February 2009, "Smokin 66".. The name of the band came from bass player, Todd Perkins' restored 1966 Chevy Malibu, which had a personalized license plate reading "Smokin66". In 2009, Smokin 66 parted ways with singer Shannon. Presently, the band is known as Deliciously Infectious. They are presently on Hiatus after recording and performing in the Seattle area.
David Botkin (son of Perry Botkin Jr.) was a member of The Men (band)
The Men (band)
The Men were an American pop rock band from Santa Monica, California. Despite its name, the group actually had two females as members. The group released a self-titled album on Polygram Records in 1992, which hit #22 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart on the strength of the single "Church of Logic,...
(1991-1992). David also appears on the Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
novelty track, Down with V.E.G. by The Amazing Onionheads (1994), which Andrew produced. Ken and David were in a "Men" side project band, Jimi's Kids (1991). During 2008-2009, David was playing in an L.A. area band which sometimes features 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'...
on guitar. David's current project is The Ooks of Hazzard, noted for their cover of MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
's song "Kids", which went viral on You Tube in April 2010.
Andrew and Gary formed Joy Bang in 1995 as an on again, off again project (currently on hiatus), after Kill Buddha dissolved. A three song EP was released in 1995 (currently out of print). Some new material was recorded in 2007. Andrew also appears on Jackson Kayne's single, A Post Christmas (1987). Andrew and Mike Steele were also in Ray Rae's Tribute to Hendrix band (1989-1991), which performed around Los Angeles area clubs and colleges.
External links
- http://www.answers.com/topic/kill-the-buddha
- www.myspace.com/smokinsixtysix
- http://www.killbuddha.com Kill Buddha web site