"The following morning (of the Reading Festival), the music was started with the Melvins, who introduced themselves with a particularly long and lugubrious Miles Davis track, and were OK once they got going." [1]
The grunge band Melvins were formed in Aberdeen / Montesano, WA in 1983: the founding members were Roger "Buzz" Osborne, aka King Buzzo (guitar/vocals); Mike Dillard (drums), and ex-Mudhoney bassist Matt Lukin. Buzz, Mike, and Matt all went to high school in Montesano. The name Melvins came from a grocery clerk at a Thriftway in Montesano where King Buzzo served as a clerk. Melvin was the most hated fellow employee and they felt it to be an appropriately ridiculous name.
In the beginning they played Cream and Jimi Hendrix covers, and also began playing fast hardcore punk. When Dillard left the band, Dale Crover took his place, and the band's rehearsals moved to a back room of Crover's parents' house in Aberdeen, Washington. Soon afterward, they started to play songs slower and "heavier" than nearly anyone else at the time. Boris named themselves after a song on the 1991 LP Bullhead.
The band are still extant and releasing new material. In 2016, they toured with Peel favourites Napalm Death and Melt Banana. [2]
Links to Peel[]
The band recorded one session for Peel, which to date has only appeared on a bootleg compilation. Three of the songs were cover versions: Leech (Green River); Theme (Clown Alley); and Way Of The World (Flipper). JP supported their music with frequent plays, and seems to have been particularly proud of his copy of a rare single release with a nod to Lukin's original band
Osborne appears to have been a fan of Captain Beefheart: in an interview, he mentioned a Peel-narrated documentary about the man on YouTube. [3]
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
- One session, produced by Dale Griffin. No known commercial release. Featured on Best Of Peel Vol 24. For this session, Osborne and Croven were augmented by Lori Black (bass, vocals).
1. Recorded: 1991-02-17. First broadcast: 10 March 1991. Repeated: 11 May 1991
- Leech / Euthanasia / Theme / Way Of The World
Other Shows Played[]
- 25 April 1989: Echo Head / Don't Piece Me (album - Gluey Porch Treatments) Alchemy
- 02 May 1989: Heater Moves And Eyes (album - Gluey Porch Treatments) Alchemy
- 04 May 1989: Exact Paperbacks (album - Gluey Porch Treatments) Alchemy
- 10 May 1989 (BFBS) / Peel 104 (BFBS): 'Echo Head (LP-Gluey Porch Treatments)' (Alchemy)
- 15 May 1989: Steve Instant Newman (CD - Ozma) Tupelo
- 19 September 1989: Oven (7") Leopard Gecko
- 10 October 1989: Oven (7") Leopard Gecko (Peel mentions it is on pink vinyl)
- 14 December 1989: Green Honey (LP - Ozma) Boner
- 18 December 1989: Agonizer (album - Ozma) Boner
- 1990
- 01 January 1990: Agonizer (album - Ozma) Boner
- 02 January 1990: Green Honey (album - Ozma) Boner
- 04 January 1990: Kool Legged (album - Ozma) Tupelo
- 20 January 1990 (BFBS) / Peel 130 (BFBS): 'Let God Be Your Gardener (LP-Ozma)' (Tupelo Recording Company)
- 25 January 1990: Dead Dressed (album - Ozma) Boner
- 05 March 1990: Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (shared 7" with Steel Pole Bath - Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More / I Dreamed I Dream) Boner
- 14 March 1990: Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (split 7" with Steel Pole Bath Tub - Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More / I Dreamed I Dream) Boner
- 28 March 1990: Agonizer (LP - Ozma) Boner
- 03 April 1990: Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (shared 7" with Steel Pole Bath Tub - Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More / I Dreamed I Dream) Boner
- 07 April 1990 (BFBS) / Peel 140 (BFBS): Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (split 7" with Steel Pole Bath Tub)' (Boner)
- 19 May 1990 (BFBS) / Peel 148 (BFBS): 'Oven (pink vinyl 7")' (Leopard Gecko)
- 28 June 1990 / The Peel Tapes Vol.10: Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (shared single with Steel Pole Bath Tub) Tupelo
- 23 December 1990: 'Sweet Young Thing (Ain't Sweet No More) (split 7 inch with Steel Pole Bath Tub)' (Boner) (JP: 'People have offered me money for that, but not enough.')
- 1991
- 19 January 1991: With Yo' Heart, No Yo' Hands (7") Sympathy For the Record Industry
- 02 February 1991: It's Shoved (album - Bullhead) Tupelo
- 10 February 1991: Zodiac (Album: Bullhead)
- 24 February 1991: Ligature (Album: Bullhead) Boner Records
- 06 April 1991 / Peel April 1991: If I Had An Exorcism (album - Bullhead) Tupelo
- 11 May 1991 / OT Mixtape Y: 'Leech'
- 14 July 1991: 'Sweet Young Thing (Ain't Sweet No More) (split 7 inch with Steel Pole Bath Tub)' (Boner)
- 27 October 1991 / Best Of Peel Vol 39: 'Hog Leg (10"-Eggnog)' (Tupelo Recording Company)
- 03 November 1991: 'Antitoxidote (10" EP-Eggnog)' (Tupelo Recording Company)
- 08 November 1991 (BFBS): 'Hog Leg (10"- Eggnog)' (Boner)
- 14 November 1991 (Radio Mafia): Hog Leg (10"- Eggnog) Boner
- 01 December 1991 / HO John Peel 38 1992: 'Hog Leg' (10" LP 'Eggnog') Tupelo
- 1992
- 28 August 1992 / DW Tape 15: Respite (EP - Dale Crover) Tupelo
- 04 September 1992 / DW Tape 16: 'Isabella / Porg (12 inch EP-King Buzzo)' (Tupelo)
- 04 December 1992: Love Canal (5 inch) Slap A Ham
- 06 December 1992 (BFBS): Vile (LP - Mesomorph Enduros) Big Cat
- 11 December 1992: Sacrifice (LP - Lysol)
- 1993
- 22 January 1993: Love Canal (5 inch) Slap A Ham
- 22 October 1993 / Peel October 1993: Going Blind (album - Houdini) Amphetamine Reptile
- 23 October 1993: Honey Bucket (album Houdini) Amphetamine Reptile
- 29 October 1993: ‘Joan Of Arc (LP – Houdini)’ (Amphetamine Reptile Records)
- 29 October 1993 (BFBS): Agonizer (album - Ozma) Tupelo
- 06 November 1993: ‘Going Blind (LP – Houdini)’ (Amphetamine Reptile Records)
- 06 November 1993 (BFBS): Joan Of Arc (album - Houdini) Amphetamine Reptile
- 1997
- 06 May 1997: They Must All Be Slaughtered (album - Honky) Amphetamine Reptile
- 07 May 1997: Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow (LP - Honky) Amphetamine Reptile
- 16 May 1997 (BFBS): 'Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow (CD-Honky)' (Amphetamine Reptile)
- 21 May 1997: ‘Pitfalls In The Serving Warrants (LP – Honky)’ Amphetamine Reptile
- 29 May 1997 (BFBS): 'Pitfalls In Serving Warrants (CD-Honky)' (Amphetamine Reptile) wrong track moment
- 1999
- 08 July 1999: 'We All Love JUDY (CD-The Maggot)' (Ipecac)
- 13 July 1999: 'The Horn Bearer (CD-The Maggot)' (Ipecac)
- 27 July 1999: 'AMAZON (CD-The Maggot)' (Ipecac)
- 29 July 1999 (Radio Eins): Amazon (CD - The Maggot) Ipecac
- 05 August 1999 (Radio Eins): The Horn Bearer (CD - The Maggot) Ipecac
- 2004
- 13 October 2004 (& Jello Biafra): "The Lighter Side of Global Terrorism" (LP - 'Never Breathe What you Can't See') - (Alternative Tentacles)