The Faction
Skate punk pioneers from San Jose, California.
They were early pioneers of the skate punk era, with all members being accomplished skateboarders. The band's music and lifestyle centered on punk rock and skateboarding, as reflected in their early demo tape inscription: 'Music By Skaters For Skaters.'
Quick Facts
- Origin
- San Jose, California
- Genre
- Skate punk
- hardcore punk
- punk rock
- Years active
- 1982–1985, 1989, 2001–2005, 2014-2020
- Label
- IM Records (band label)
- Current members
- Gavin O'Brien
- Steve "Cab" Caballero
- Adam "Bomb" Segal
- Keith Rendon
- Ray Stevens, II
Facts from the source article.
Early history
Before settling on their name, an early lineup—Caballero, Gavin O’Brien, Craig Bosch, and Russ Wright—briefly called themselves The Tolerants. That version lasted only a couple of practices before Bosch left to join The Unaware. Adam Segal, known from Winchester Skate Park, replaced him. Another skater, Craig Ramsey, offered to manage the band through his production company, Faction Productions, and the group quickly adopted that name. On Halloween, they recorded a demo of “Spineless Majority” in Caballero’s basement. After that, Adam switched to guitar, and Keith Rendon took over drums. Russ Wright later left when his stepfather, “The Captain,” sent him to military school in Chico, California, leaving The Faction as a foursome. Early shows also happened at San Francisco clubs Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway. Practice eventually moved to Segal’s home in south San Jose, where the band’s career began to take off.
Music and career (1982–1985)
The Faction's music is punk centered with strong emphasis on guitars. Before any official release, the band recorded cassette tapes to give to friends and fans at gigs. The earliest practice tapes are the only recordings of the first lineup bearing the band name: Steve, Gavin, Russ, Adam, and Keith. Several tracks from those tapes appeared on the compilation cassette Growing Pains, which also featured Los Olvidados, Executioner, Ribzy, The Bruces, The Unaware, Grim Reality, and Whipping Boy. One thousand copies were pressed thanks to Adam's mother Rita, who provided the money. This generated some resentment in the local punk scene, with some attributing the band's popularity to Steve Caballero's status outside the band. However, after a small summer tour of California, the band found their album had reached a wider audience, receiving enthusiastic responses in Fresno and Los Angeles, which propelled plans for a full-length release and a nationwide US tour.
Breakup, reunions, and other releases
A few days later at a Halloween party, the band formally broke up, citing personality conflicts and clashes over songwriting and musical direction. Ray stated that the band had run its course with Adam 'Bomb' Segal on guitar and the direction he was trying to lead. O'Brien equated the breakup to the end of a relationship that had run out of passion and understanding. It includes the songs 'I Decide For Me' and a cover of 'California Dreamin'' with alternate lyrics. Controversy surrounds the master tapes: Thrash Records, a sub-label of Mystic, released the album, gave one copy to each band member, kept the masters, and never paid the band. It is unknown if the master tapes were ever recovered. The shows featured the final lineup minus Adam Segal, with pro skater Jeff Kendall taking his place. This reunion produced a four-song demo tape; two songs appeared in the Santa Cruz Skateboards video 'A Reason For Living.' The reunion did not last.
More in Skate Punk Groups
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced