Primus is an American band (San Francisco) of fusion rock created at the end of the Eighties in a nascent alternative current oriented to indie and experimental. Initially a power trio, the music of Primus is notoriously directed by the powerful bass of Les Claypool, in addition to the wide range of instruments that this one executes in each one of its LP. The lyrics of Primus frequently relate bizarre situations, example of this is one of their most celebrated songs when they perform live performances, My Name is Mud.
Primus was the group in charge of the original song of the South Park series. Originally composed by Les Claypool on bass and vocals, Todd Huth on guitar and an army of drummers being Jay Lane the longest in the pre-studio group stage. For 1989 they released the first album that was live, called Suck on this, which had the classic Primus lineup that changed Huth by Larry LaLonde and Lane by Tim Alexander until 2010, year in which he returns to the band.
If we have to name some groups that practice an unclassifiable style and that its premise is to innovate and make music without limitations, without a doubt that Primus would be within that select list. Formed in the mid-80s, they have developed a very particular way of creating songs, which has positioned them in a secluded and exclusive place within the context of modern rock, where they unceremoniously merge doses of funk, metal, progressive rock and several other elements, creating a hybrid of eclectic sound that is absolutely recognizable, differentiating its work from any other contemporary proposal, especially by the distinctive and preponderant sound of the bass, which is used almost like a guitar.
From the beginning things were difficult for the band, as they failed to form a stable lineup until several years later, when today is the only original member of what was originally called Primate (name that changed due to a threat from another group called The Primates), the virtuoso Les Claypool recruited, after two demos and a one-year hiatus, those who eventually became the classic Primus formation: Larry "Ler" LaLonde, former guitarist of the legendary death metal band Possessed, and Tim "Herb" Alexander.
Thus, a month after such a union, they released the first serious record of the band: the live album "Suck On This", and already in 1990 they released their first studio album called "Frizzle Fry", which highlights the cuts " John The Fisherman "and" Too Many Puppies ", both singles and with a considerable radial success, that eventually caught the attention of the Interscope Records label, hiring them that same year.
Takeoff and consolidation
In 1991 and with the backing of a major label, appeared "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese", his second album, which was a best seller, with three singles that helped to position it commercially: "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers" , "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" and "Tommy The Cat", these last two with two video clips rotating constantly on MTV. By then the mixed sound of the band is transformed into a registered trademark, an unmistakable hallmark that will last over time and that will serve as a transcendental inspiration in subsequent generations of ensembles that developed other fusions of metal and alternative components.
During that period, he toured with artists of the caliber of U2, Rush (one of his greatest influences), Anthrax or Public Enemy exponentially increased his fame and demand to see them live, and therefore decided to create his third full-length : "Pork Soda", a darker album in terms of the message they exhibited and which was ranked seventh in the Bilboard Top 10 list of the time, with singles such as "DMV", "Mr. Krinkle "and the seminal" My Name Is Mud ", in addition to leading the then alternative rock festival Lollapalooza and participating in Woodstock 1994, being both memorable and defining performances in the future of the band.
Claypool and his henchmen figured as one of the most striking and innovative acts of rock of those days, not only for its differentiation from the rest of the scene and its virtuosity in the instrumental performance, but also for the extravagance and irreverence that manifested both in its letters and concepts, as in the outlandish outfits they used in all areas, whether in a mega festival or a television presentation, such as those made in the programs of famous conductors such as David Letterman or Conan O'Brien.
Following the tonic of the band, in 1995 they released "Tales From The Punchbowl", which still contains its most popular and Grammy-nominated song, "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver". In the following days, Alexander leaves the group and is replaced by Bryan "Brain" Mantia. With him in charge of the drums, Primus recorded the main theme of the successful animated series South Park and released his fifth studio record called "Brown Album". After leading the Sno-Core tour with The Aquabats, PRIMUS 03Long Beach Dub Allstars and less known then Blink-182, in addition to recording a cover EP, they released "Antipop" in 1999, which includes collaborations by Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, James Hetfield of Metallica, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Jim Martin of Faith No More and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, who while producing the song and single "Lacquer Head", advised Claypool to recover the sound more aggressive and close to the metal that they developed at first.
Separation, meeting and the "Chocolate Factory"
The new millennium arrived and, according to Claypool himself, by that time he was in a creative block that ended up triggering a recess of almost 3 years, in which the members separately worked on different projects. Already in 2003 the band recovers to Alexander in battery and they appear in different instances, like festivales and other shows where they touched completely the first disc, for example.
During the following years, they were basically dedicated to the reissue of old material, a record of great successes and that kind of things, apart from performances in different festivals around the world, until in 2011 "Herb" left the group again and in his replacement becomes the founding drummer along with Claypool, Jay Lane, to work on what would be his new and seventh studio album, called "Green Naugahyde". In spite of all the new dates and the exposure that means to play in a band of the fame of Primus, Lane leaves the formation in 2013 and Alexander arrives again to take charge of the drumsticks and to continue with the race of the band, that soon of this he decides to return to the studio to interpret through the style of Primus, the soundtrack of the 1971 film, "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory", which becomes his most recent album.
Filled with higher than low, the story of Primus is rich in anecdotes and above all in critical acclaim, due to the unique mix of sounds they have conjugated over time, with Claypool being its main architect, Nowadays, he holds the title of prodigy and is undoubtedly one of the most creative and refreshing minds within the context of modern rock mass, but with a validity in the underground that any musician would like. In RockOut Fest we will have the possibility to enjoy again all the sound paraphernalia of a unique group of its kind, although we do not know which one.
