
Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar/vocals), and Derrick Bostrom (drums). The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix. The three then moved to Tempe, Arizona (a Phoenix suburb and home to Arizona State University), where the Kirkwood brothers purchased two adjacent homes, one of which had a shed in the back where they regularly practiced.
Meat Puppets started as a punk rock band, but like most of their labelmates on SST Records, they established their own unique style, blending punk with country and psychedelic rock, and featuring Curt's warbling vocals. Meat Puppets later gained significant exposure when the Kirkwood brothers served as guest musicians on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. The band's 1994 album Too High to Die subsequently became their most successful release. The band broke up twice, in 1996 and 2002, but reunited again in 2006.
Links to Peel[]
Peel first played the group's material in 1982. He would play many of their songs on his radio programmes through the 80's and early 90's. He even revisited them in 2001 when he played a track from their 1985 album, 'Up On The Sun'.
Shows Played[]
- 11 August 1982 (BFBS): In A Car (7") World Imitation
- 07 September 1982: H-Elenore (v/a LP - Keats Rides A Harley) Happy Squid
- 15 September 1982 (BFBS): H-Elenore (v/a album - Keats Rides A Harley) Happy Squid
- 23 September 1982: Reward (LP - Meat Puppets) SST
- 06 October 1982 (BFBS): Love Offering (12" EP - Meat Puppets) SST
- 10 October 1982 (BFBS): Milo, Sorghum, And Maize (12" EP - Meat Puppets) SST
- 11 October 1982: Playing Dead (mini album - Meat Puppets) SST
- 1983
- 09 May 1983: Tumblin' Tumbleweeds (LP - Meat Puppets) SST
- 1985
- 19 August 1985: Buckethead (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 26 August 1985 (BFBS): Swimming Ground (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 03 September 1985: Buckethead (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 04 September 1985: Too Real (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 09 September 1985: Animal Kingdom (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 16 September 1985 (BFBS): Swimming Ground (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 1986
- 18 August 1986: Buckethead (album - Up On The Sun) SST SST 039
- 1987
- 04 December 1987 (BFBS): 'I Can't Be Counted On (LP-Huevos)' (SST)
- 1990
- 09 August 1990: 'Tumblin' Tumbleweeds (LP-Meat Puppets)' (SST)
- 1993
- 10 December 1993: 'Plateau (LP-Meat Puppets II)' (SST)
- 11 December 1993: Oh Me (LP - Meat Puppets II) SST
- 18 December 1993: Oh, Me (LP-Meat Puppets II)' (SST)
- 1994
- 08 April 1994: 'Roof With A Hole' (4 Track promo for LP 'Too High To Die') London
- 16 April 1994 (BFBS): Roof With A Hole (promo EP - 4 Track Promo) London
- 29 April 1994: ‘Violet Eyes (12 inch - 4 Track Promo)’ London
- 2001
- 18 January 2001: Maiden's Milk (LP - Up On The Sun ) SST