"10 Years Kicking The Same Dead Sex Pistol" - a brief history of the Motherfuckers
The Motherfuckers originally formed in 1998, with Sean Hunter on guitar, Roger Nilson on bass, Tim Bastard on drums, and Dan Izzo on vocals.
Hunter, Roger and Tim had already been jamming together for some time, but hadn't managed to find a singer.
Sometime in the Spring of 1998 Dan Izzo was brought in. Hunter suggested Dan about six months earlier (and has Tim as a witness to this...) but Roger was
against it at the time, then forgot all about it until he thought he'd had the brilliant idea of getting Dan.
There was much rolling of eyes between Hunter and Tim on that day. Izzo was too scared to notice. These guys were OLD. and GRUMPY.
Nonetheless, the band started to come together, united by their lack of talent, and such notable songs as "Ode to Beer", "Jerk Around Queen", "E.M.O." and "Punk Like Skabby" were written in this time period.
Soon after, rumors of a show ran rampant, but it wasn't until Boxing Day 1998 that the band finally played its first show.
A few names had been tossed around, the most memorable being "Inside Joke" ("AND THE ALBUM COVER IS A PICTURE OF A PROSTATE!!!" Hunter
cackled as he suggested it), and "The Butcher Boys."
Dan had jokingly suggested "Rowdy Roger and the Motherfuckers", and, unfortunately, had also started telling everyone who would listen that
that was the name of the band. By the time the band played their first show on Boxing Day 1998, the name had stuck, and there was no turning back.
The original incarnation of the band only played 4 shows - two all-ages shows in Calgary and shows in Edmonton and Invermere,BC with
Knucklehead.
During this time, Roger became the bass player of Field Day, and became increasingly unpleasant to be around, and disinterested in the band.
"Rowdy Roger and the Motherfuckers" fifth, and last, show was on May 22, 1999, the band's second show in Invermere. At the last minute, Roger
decided he couldn't go, and Matt Young of Knucklehead was brought in to replace him.
The Motherfuckers, circa 1998
Shortly after the band and Roger parted ways, and Dan parted for six weeks in Europe. The band went into hiatus for about a year, but eventually set about rebuilding.
Scott Belton was brought in on bass sometime in 2000, and the band made a dramatic re-emergence into the Calgary scene. Once again, various
names were tossed around (most notably "Sensitive Sean and the Pig Fuckers"), but in the end the band simply dropped the "Rowdy Roger" and
became the Motherfuckers.
The Motherfuckers played a bunch of shows in 2000, and started writing more material.
In early 2001 Andrew McColl, top fan and former bass player of such Calgary bands as Sadistfaction and the Ex-Patriots, was brought in on
bass, and Belton moved over to 2nd guitar.
This 5-piece Motherfuckers line-up went into Echo Base studios somewhere around April 2001 and recorded the six songs that would eventually
become the classic "If It Ain't Puke, It Ain't Punk" CD ep. Belton, Hunter and Andrew in the studio, 2001
Before the recording was ever released, the band went through some more lineup changes.
Hunter got stinking drunk one night and fired Scott. Andrew moved away to finish his college degree (he now holds a Masters in
Biochemistry, or something), Dan moved briefly to Ottawa, Tim and Hunter were both playing with The Disrupters, and apart from filling in for The Disrupters on one bill, the band went into another extended hiatus.
Hunter, Izzo and Andrew - A surprise show as a 4-piece during the hiatus
In 2002, Rich "El Roach-o" Williams, formerly of the Uglies and Cheapshot, was brought in on guitar. Andrew was in and out of town at
the time, and still jammed with the band occasionally, but Hunter ended up doing most of the bass playing. Once again, the band was in need
of a bassist.
Around this time Izzo had started a band called the Blotto Boys, with Jay Misery (Jay Riot, at the time).
Jay agreed to play bass in the Motherfuckers, "but only temporarily... I don't have time for another band!!"
The Blotto Boys didn't last, but Jay did become a full-time member of the Motherfuckers.
This lineup would stay together for the better part of four years, recording "Classless Society" and playing numerous shows along the way.
The Motherfuckers in full five-piece glory, during the "Classless Society" era
Eventually Jay moved to the Right Coast to take a break away from the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
Hunter moved to bass, and several tracks which ended up on "The Mother of all Fuckers" were recorded at this time.
In Feb 2006, tragedy struck the band. The band had already been having issues internally, and a breakup looked imminent.
Things really came to a head with the passing of Rich Williams, and it looked like the end of the band had finally come to pass.
But during Rich's wake a conversation started amongst the remaining band members, and original bass player Roger Nilson, and the band
decided to record some additional tracks (including the last song Rich wrote for the band) to add to those recorded with Rich, all of which eventually became "The Mother of all Fuckers."
Once that work was completed, the band rediscovered the drive that had been lost during the turbulent times.
So the Motherfuckers were reborn with the original line-up, if not the original name.
The Motherfuckers in 2007, with Rowdy Roger back on bass
This newly revamped lineup played a few local shows, and made a couple short road trips to the Left Coast and Edmonton.
Once more the band headed into the studio to record 10 tracks, 6 of which would become the "I Wanna Be A Cop" 7".
Shortly after the recording was completed, the band returned to what it has always done best, change members, and Roger and the band were
again parted.
Jay Misery, back from Halifax for a couple of years by this point, stepped back into the fold, taking up the guitar instead
of the bass, and Hunter shifted back to playing bass.
Currently, the band is writing again, and plan to go back into the studio to start assembling the tracks for a new full-length album,
which should be released in 2009.
The band will be touring this September, heading out to Montreal and back. New ground to break for the Motherfuckers.
All of the current and past members of the band would like to thank all of you who have come to their shows, bought their merch and generally
supported the band over the years.
10 years in this town is an accomplishment for any band, and the Motherfuckers are thrilled to be making this milestone
this year, and they have all of you to thank for it.
