The Gun Club

Genres:	Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	post-punk • psychobilly • punk • garage rock • rock
Decades Active:	1980s • 1990s • 2000s

Biography

Briefly known as Creeping Ritual, the Gun Club was formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1980. Led by vocalist Jeffrey Lee Pierce (27 June 1958, Montebello, California, USA, d. 31 March 1996, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA), the band was initially completed by Kid Congo Powers (b. Brian Tristan; guitar), Rob Ritter (d. 1992, bass; ex-Bags) and Terry Graham (drums; ex-Bags). 1981’s Fire Of Love established the unit’s uncompromising style, which drew from delta blues and the psychobilly tradition of the Cramps. The set included anarchic cover versions of Robert Johnson’s ‘Preachin’ The Blues’ and Tommy Johnson’s ‘Cool Drink Of Water’. Pierce’s own compositions followed a similar pattern. There would be some clumsy ‘deep southisms’ in his early lyrics: ‘Searching for niggers down in the dark’, being one example, but generally most of Pierce’s lyrics were non-specific in their hate-mongering...

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