Gang Green

Gang Green is a rock band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty (guitar), Bill Manley (bass) and Mike Dean (drums) started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984. The band was influential in the formation of the East Coast hardcore scene.

History

Formation and first hiatus (1980-1984)

The first incarnation of the band in 1980 consisted of 15-year-olds Chris Doherty, Mike Dean, and Bill Manley, who contributed seven tracks to the This Is Boston, Not L.A. compilation in 1982, and one track to the follow-up Unsafe at Any Speed EP, also in 1982.

In 1984 the group disbanded and lead singer Chris Doherty joined the band Jerry's Kids for their album Is This My World?.^[1] In 1985, Gang Green released the 7" "Sold Out" on Taang! Records, the heavily influential Boston label's first release.^[2] All of the tracks recorded by the original line up of Gang Green were later released on the Preschool CD, released by Taang! Records.

First reunion and Another Wasted Night (1985-1986)

In 1985,Chris Doherty reemerged with an all new Gang Green lineup consisting of former members of D.A.M.M. (Drunks Against Mad Mothers), The Freeze and Smegma And The Nunz. Chuck Stilphen (lead guitar), Glen Stilphen (bass, vocals) and Walter Gustafson (drums). This second lineup is the most famous nationally as it was both the first to tour and the one that recorded the songs "Alcohol" and "Skate to Hell". This edition of Gang Green released the Another Wasted Night LP on Taang! Records in 1986. This record is considered to be the band's best recording and is regarded as one of the definitive hardcore punk records of its time. This line-up of Doherty, Stilphen, Stilphen and Gustafson only existed for 1 year from November 1984 until November 1985 before Gustafson quit to pursue The Outlets. The sound of the band changed again after this point and it was never the same. The following year, arguments about the band's direction and alcohol abuse finally ended when Doherty fired Chuck from the band against every one else's wishes. Glen quit in protest.

The song "Alcohol" (C. Stilphen/C. Doherty) from Another Wasted Night has been covered by a number of bands. Tankard, a German thrash metal band, featured the song on their album Chemical Invasion. It was also covered by Impaled Nazarene, a black metal band from Finland. It appeared on their EP entitled Motörpenis which was released in 1996. Boston punk rock band Dropkick Murphys covered the song on their "Back to the Hub" 7 inch. It also appeared on their live compilation, Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA. Dropkicks play this song actively. Before The Meatmen covered Alcohol Tesco Vee's Hate Police featuring Keith Campbell and Tommy "Dog" Cohen released it on a 7" on Sympathy For The Record Industry. Then it was also covered by The Meatmen on their album Pope on a Rope They owned it!, and also by No Fun at All on their releases No Straight Angles (US edition), EP's Going Steady, and Master Celebrations. Metallica also played the song live and it was rumoured to be a consideration for their Garage Days EP but did not appear on the release. The song was originally an instrumental entitled "The Drinking Song" before Doherty attached his infamous lyrics to one of the best riffs in punk history. "Alcohol" also appears on the soundtrack to the 2010 film Jackass 3D.

Roadrunner years (1987-1989)

By 1987, when Gang Green were signed by Roadrunner Records the band’s musical style had come to lean more toward heavy metal and the personnel of the band had changed completely after the Stilphen brothers departed at the end of 1986 to form Mallet-Head and later Scratch (They also did a studio project, entitled Celebrity Death Certificate,with singer Erich Thaler of Stompbox). This incarnation of Gang Green consisted of Doherty, Fritz Erickson (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass) and former Jerry's Kids drummer Brian Betzger. In 1989 Gittleman was fired by Doherty and was replaced by Josh Pappe, formerly of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. Joe returned to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Second hiatus (1990-1995)

After touring the United States with Social Distortion in 1990 Gang Green experienced a few more lineup shuffles before being dropped by Roadrunner and going on hiatus for several years in which Doherty founded the bands Klover (Mercury Records) and Hamerd.

Second reunion (1996-2004)

In 1996, Chris Doherty, Chuck Stilphen, Glen Stilphen And Walter Gustafson re-formed to play 5 east coast dates including shows at The Rat and CBGB's. Later in 1996 Gang Green surfaced yet again with Walter Gustafson returning on drums, along with newcomers Mike Earls (guitar, vocals) and Matt Sandonato (bass, vocals). They re-signed with Taang! Records and in 1997 released Back & Gacked (EP) and Another Case Of Brewtality. These records saw the band returning to their punk roots and even moving in a pop direction. Gang Green toured Europe and the U.S. extensively in 1997 and 1998. Chris Doherty moved from Boston to Cincinnati shortly afterwards and in the early 2000s Gang Green played only once or twice a year in Boston and NYC.

Third reunion (2005-2011)

In 2005 Chris Doherty and a new Gang Green lineup supported the Dropkick Murphys’ tour of the U.S. west coast tour.

In early 2007, the band toured through Florida and up the east coast of the US with bands like Lucky Scars before heading out for a European tour scheduled for spring 2007 that included UK and Irish dates. These Irish dates were filmed for a live DVD by punk filmmaker, Lewis Smithingham.

Lineup of 2013- Present

2013 Chris Doherty teamed up with local Cincinnati music veterans Chris Donelly, Sean Boyle, and Dale Kishbaugh and have played around Cincinnati, Atlanta, Boston, Wallingford, CT, Dover NH, Raleigh, Nashville, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, Miami,West Palm Beach..etc..

Current members

• Chris Doherty – vocals, guitar (July 1980–present)
• Chris Donnelly – vocals, guitar
• Sean Boyle – vocals, bass
• Matt Hemingway – drums

Previous members

• Ray Jeffrey – guitar
• Chuck Stilphen – guitar (November 1984–1986)
• Tony Nichols – guitar (November 1986–April 1987)
• Fritz Erickson – guitar (April 1987–May 1990)
• Troy Bryant- drums (2009)
• Dusty Bryant- bass (2009)
• Mike Lucantonio – guitar (May 1990–1992)
• Bob Cenci – guitar (2005–2007)
• Bill Manley – bass (July 1981–March 1983)
• Glen Stilphen – bass (November 1984–1986)
• Joe Gittleman – bass (November 1986–August 1989)
• Josh Pappe – bass (August 1989–1991)
• Kevin Brooks – bass (1991–1992)
• Mike Dean – drums (July 1981–March 1983)
• Brian Betzger – drums (1986–February 1991, September 1991–1992)
• Molly Flanagan – guitar and vocals (1992–February 1992, June 1991)
• Nate Rubright – drums and vocals (1992–February 1992, June 1991)
• Mike Earls – guitar (1996–1998, 2007–2011)
• Bryan Hinkley – guitar (1999)
• Walter Gustafson – drums (November 1984–September 1985, February–August 1991, 1996–1998, 2005–2011)
• Matt Sandonato – bass (1996–2011)

Discography

• Another Wasted Night (1986)
• You Got It (1987)
• Older... Budweiser (1989)
• Another Case of Brewtality (1997)

P.M.R.C. Sucks (Taang Records #10)

References

External links

• Official Gang Green website
• Official Gang Green MySpace page
• http://www.taang.com/bands_ganggreen_body.html
• http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/usa/ganggreen_main.html
• http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/scratch22
• http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mallethead
• http://www.bostonpunkrock.com