Gang Green

Wiki Bio Official Biography

Early 80's - Braintree, Massachusetts

Teenage skatekids in love with Budweiser, Ted Nugent, AC/DC and the early American Hardcore sound, Gang Green started life with one goal - to be the fastest band in the land. Check 1982's infamous This Is Boston: Not L.A. compilation (Modern Method) for proof. Songs like "Snob" or "Liar" were lacerating bursts of teen-testes overloaded with adrenaline and angst. You think you know THRASH? You don't know shit, jack. Gang Green - then comprised of guitarist/screamer Chris Doherty, bassist Bill Manly and future US Marine/drummer Mike Dean - wrote the book. And in the burst of energy that so typified the early hardcore scene, these Southern, Mass speedsters split up - live fast, split up young, leave a lot of Mohicaned dumbfucks dumbfounded and lookin' for more high-velocity kicks.

Doherty spent the next couple years toiling with Mass hardcore heavies Jerry's Kids, as well as early ska-corists. The Cheapskates - basically, the Bosstones Mach 1 with Dickie Barrett on vocals! Come 1984, prompted by Taang! Records guru Curtis, the threesome pulled it back together for the infamous "Alcohol"/"Another Wasted Night" 7". "Alcohol" was the proverbial dumbass anthem that still sounds just as vital today. Hessian overlords, Metallica even covered the song! With The Brothers Stilfen: Chuck and Glen on guitar and bass, respectively, as well as ex-Jerry's Kids skinsman Brian Betzger. Gang Green were back on the map and touring the states in a haze of frayed chords, great rock riffs and their trademark spray of Budweiser. And in their wake the T-SHIRT - the Budweiser logo replaced with the words GANG GREEN: KING OF BANDS! If any of you out there have that infamous bit of couture, please forward a photo of yourself in it!

Yes, they drank. And drank. And skateboarded...And drank. Gang Green's beverage du-jour? Budweiser - "No doubt about it, can't live without it!" became the Gang Green call-to-arms and with the Bud label, their coat of arms. Da Green ruled the Boston area under that red and white flag. Their hometown popularity swelled to mammoth proportions, the band winning local radio station, WBCN's 1987 "Rock N Roll Rumble" and a coveted opening slot for none other than Ozzy Osbourne in New Hampshire in the hot Summer of that year. That era of the band is best documented on 1987's Taang! LP Another Wasted Night (which featured their infamous cover of Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" -- titled "Voices Scarey"!) A few line-up changes - future Bosstones founder Joe Gittleman coming in on bass and guitarist Fritz Erickson picking up guitar chores, Gang Green inked with Roadrunner imprint Emergo.

It was inevitable. Gang Green had begun to trade pure speed for pure rock. Their subsequent, and cheekily titled, Roadrunner/Emergo output's Older Budweiser, King of Bands and the brilliantly titled I81B4U (their riff on the classic Van Halen title) - all collected on 1991's King of Bands compilation - saw a brilliant fusion of rock n roll deering do and frat-house hi-jinks. There were the inevitable line-up changes - DRI bassman Josh Pappe doing a stint with Doherty and crew as they kicked up a storm of dust and a haze of brew in their travels.

Where are they now? Chris Doherty did momentarily resurface with punk resurgence hangers-on Klover in 1993. Basically, that was a short-lived affair engineered by former Gang Green manager Alec Peters, then an A&R type at Mercury. Suffice to say, that went nowhere fast. A CD entitled Another Case of Brewtality surfaced on Taang! a couple years back. From time to time, Gang Green - still fronted by Doherty, last seen running a Sacramento, Ca. rehearsal space where noiseniks, Will Haven practice - poke out their heads to kick out the jams and have a few brews. No doubt about it, Gang Green carved out their place as the fastest and probably drunkest in the land.