The Casualties

History

The Casualties formed in 1990 with the goal of reviving what they saw as the "golden era" of street punk, as exemplified by bands like The Exploited and Charged GBH, which they felt had faded by 1985. The early lineup was unstable, with frequent changes. In early 1991, guitarist Hank left and was replaced by Fred Backus, who played on the recording of "Political Sin" for the Benefit for Beer compilation. Fred soon left for school, and Scott from C Squat filled in temporarily until Fred returned. During this period, Hank also filled in for a few shows, and Steve Distraught played second guitar briefly. The band stabilized enough to record their first demo in fall 1991 and the "40 Oz Casualty" EP in spring 1992, building a local fan base in New York City. At the end of 1992, Mark and Fred departed, replaced by bassist Mike Roberts and guitarist Jake Kolatis. In 1994, Yureesh and Colin left, with Shawn taking over drums and the band reducing to a single vocalist. That year they recorded the four-song EP "Drinking Is Our Way of Life", which was not released at the time; its songs later appeared on the 1999 compilation "The Early Years: 1990-1995". In 1995, the four-track EP "A Fuckin' Way of Life" was released on Eyeball Records. After that recording, Shawn left and Marc Eggers (nicknamed Meggers) of the Rivits became the regular drummer. The lineup of Jorge, Jake, Mike, and Meggers continued until 1997. In 1996, the Casualties became the first American band to perform at the "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London. Their debut album "For the Punx" was released in 1997 on Tribal War Records, and they embarked on their first American tour with The Varukers. That year they released their second LP, "Underground Army", and began a world tour. Jon left during the European leg and was temporarily replaced by Dave Punk Core.