The Blackouts were a punk rock band formed in Seattle in 1979 by singer/guitarist Erich Werner, bassist Mike Davidson, and drummer Bill Rieflin, who were all former members of a local punk band, The Telepaths.[3] They were joined by Roland Barker, first on synthesizer and later on saxophone.[3][4]
The Blackouts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seattle, Washington |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1979–1985 |
| Labels | Situation Two, Wax Trax! |
| Past members | Erich Werner Bill Rieflin Mike Davidson Roland Barker Paul "Ion" Barker |
Following a single and EP on small local labels, Davidson was replaced by Roland's brother Paul Barker in 1981.[5] This line-up recorded the "Exchange of Goods" single for English label Situation Two, and relocated to Boston in 1982.[1] There they met Al Jourgensen of Ministry, who produced their last recording, the Lost Soul's Club EP for Wax Trax! Records.[6]
The band relocated a second time to San Francisco in 1984, and toured the East Coast with Ministry that year before breaking up.[6] Jourgensen recruited Paul and Roland Barker and Rieflin to the line-up of Ministry, playing a major part in the transformation of Ministry from a synth-driven dance band to one of the top exponents of industrial metal.[1] This started a long collaboration between Paul Barker and Jourgensen in Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Lard, and other projects. Rieflin released his first solo album in 1999, Birth of a Giant,[5] worked with KMFDM, Pigface, Ruby, Peter Murphy, Nine Inch Nails,[5] Swans, and King Crimson, and was the studio and touring drummer for R.E.M.[7] Erich Werner went on to join the Toiling Midgets.[8]
In 2004, Olympia's K Records released History in Reverse, compiling the band's studio recordings.[8][9]
References
External links
- The Blackouts discography at Discogs
- Felt, Hunter (October 31, 2004). "The Blackouts: History in Reverse". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
