Lewd Lewd Lewd

These guys were super important.  I'm not the sort who usually goes in for "scenes" and all the in-crowd snobby bullshit that usually goes with them, but mid-to-late-nineties Seattle?  When you got to see these guys just ANNIHILATING on a regular basis?  When the entire crowd at the Velvet Elvis (or wherever) would end up ON TOP OF THE BAND, and Josh Plague would just grab yr nuts and Quitty would smack you with his bass and then you'd all eat vegan hors d'oeuvres and then the Murder City Devils would play and they didn't even suck yet?  That was pretty great.

Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live (that's who we're talking about, BTW, and that's of course them knocking over Las Vegas hipsters in the clip up top) grew out of the demise of the Mukilteo Fairies (about whom more later, probably).  Jon "Quitty" Quittner and Josh Plague from th' Fairies started Behead The Prophet with Dave Harvey (guitar), Jordan Rain (drums), and Michael Griffen (violin, R.I.P.).  They were, um... chaotic?  Noisy?  The sweetest bunch of guys you'd ever want to meet?  Sure.

As is par for the course with these Promethean God-Killing Anarchist types, there was a strong undercurrent of romantic mysticism to Behead's lyrics, and all the noise and ferocity was meant less as a negation than a catharsis.  Yes, Behead The Prophet tore shit down (with enthusiasm and efficiency), but with the clear intent to build anew on the ashes of the old order.  Yes, the punk imperative to Fuck Shit Up was definitely in full effect, but the final goal was to create a better (animal-friendly, queer-positive, pro-pleasure) world, and all the audience-tackling and Immediate Physical Danger stuff always ended up as hugs and ear-to-ear grins... 'cos, goddamn, we all BELIEVED in this stuff for a while.  Some of us still do.


Anyway.  Here's their final EP, which I consider their finest work.  Here, the free jazz grind-hardcore meltdown of their previous (and excellent) recordings begins to shade into the over-the-top AC/DC worship that would define Quitty and Dave's work in the Tight Bros. From Way Back When (who were fucking EXCELLENT for about twenty-five minutes).  So instead of total feedback punk noise terror, you get total feedback punk noise terror with HUGE RIFFS.  Flawless victory.  Members of Botch and Blatz contribute guest vocals, if that's what floats yr boat.

Josh Plague is now a "touring vegan chef" and sings for Warm Streams.  Quitty and Dave are in a heavy psych band called Nudity.  Jordan Rain was DJing some sorta regrettable reggae as Yogoman, but I dunno if he's still doing it.  Micheal Griffen passed away in 2008.  Thanks for the laughs, guys.