10 Minute Warning
| 10 Minute Warning | |
|---|---|
left to right: Christopher Blue, Duff McKagan, Greg Gilmore, David Garrigues, Paul Solger
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ten Minute Warning |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, US |
| Genres | Punk rock, hardcore punk |
| Years active | 1982–1984, 1997–1998 |
| Labels | Sub Pop |
| Associated acts | The Fartz, Solger, Fastbacks, Mother Love Bone, Skin Yard, Guns N' Roses |
| Past members | Steve Verwolf Christopher Blue Paul Solger Duff McKagan Greg Gilmore David Garrigues Daniel House Jim Lightfoot |
10 Minute Warning (also known as Ten Minute Warning) was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. They became famous locally as one of the first bands to adapt the popular punk sound to something slower and heavier, paving the way for grunge bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone[1][2] before breaking up in 1984.[1]
Contents
History
Early years (1982–1983)
The group was formed in 1982, by The Fartz members Paul Solger and Duff McKagan, also of the Fastbacks, after original Fartz singer Blaine Cook quit due to musical differences. Filling out the band's line-up were vocalist Steve Verwolf, bassist David Garrigues, and future Mother Love Bone drummer, Greg Gilmore. David left the band in 83 due to personality clashes. Duff took over duties on bass for a single 8 track recording of Necropolitan Affair. Duff left the band in mid 84 due to - again - personality clashes. Jim Lightfoot, former partner in Modern Productions and member of Memory, joined as bass player, though stayed on only through a single performance. The final pre-Sub Pop line up was cemented by the addition of Daniel House on bass.
Despite gaining a lot of criticism from the punk rock purists of the area, the band's performances are generally regarded as legendary, with rumours of psychedelic elements which caused Black Flag's Henry Rollins to label them the "punk rock Hawkwind".[2] Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard has credited them as the band that inspired him to learn guitar.[2] It is perhaps not surprising then that the first of Gossard's bands to gain recognition - Green River - used the same grinding, slowed-down, punk rock riffage.
10 Minute Warning made numerous attempts at recording, most notably with Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label and in 1984 they recorded what was to be their first album, which included the songs "Last Dream", "Again", "Life", "Stooge", "Necropolitan Affair", "Echoes", "Disraeli", "Heaven", "Woke Up Dreaming" and "Memories Gather Dust". They also recorded a version of Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song",[3] but the album was never released. At the time the Seattle music industry was still young, and the indie labels which helped propel bands from that area into stardom in later years had yet to come into fruition. It is for this reason that Ten Minute Warning never released any recorded material before they split in 1984. Which left the likes of Green River and Soundgarden to become known as the founders of what later became known as "grunge".
Breakup (1984)
In 1984, following the farewell performance at the Lincoln Arts Center in Seattle, the band members went their separate ways.[1]
Paul left for New York with The Fags. He also later played in a band called Meddaphysical. Duff and Greg moved to Los Angeles, Steve went to San Francisco with Duff, hoping to secure a gig singing for The Black Athletes, but returned after two weeks and resumed an ongoing struggle with drug addiction, which eventually found him divorced entirely from the music scene, until 1991 when he teamed up briefly with Steve Weid (Tad) and Scott Wade (Sledge) in an early version of Foil. Greg quickly became disillusioned with the LA scene and returned to Seattle and eventually joined Mother Love Bone. Duff however remained in LA and joined rock band Guns N' Roses.[1]
Reunion (1997–1998)
Duff left Guns N' Roses in 1997 and moved back to Seattle,[1] where he met with many of his old friends, including Stone Gossard. It was him telling them how great they used to be, that encouraged the members of Ten Minute Warning to reunite that year, with new vocalist Christopher Blue[1] replacing Steve Verwolf, who was serving a term in Federal Prison. It was at this time that the band finally recorded a self-titled album on well known Seattle label Sub Pop[1] - nine tracks including two new versions of songs originally recorded by The Fartz ("Is This The Way?" and "Buried"), and also the original version of "Mezz", which was later re-recorded for Duff's unreleased solo album, Beautiful Disease.
The album was eventually released in 1998.[1] However, by this time Paul Solger had quit due to "musical differences". Ten Minute Warning played its last show on August 22, 1998, at the Roseland theater in Portland, Oregon.[4] Since then, Duff has reunited with his former Guns N' Roses band mates Slash and Matt Sorum to form Velvet Revolver, and Paul Solger was diagnosed with and successfully treated for cancer in 2004. As of 2008, he resides in Eastern Washington with his parents. Steve Verwolf died of a heroin overdose in August 2008. Only a month before Steve died, he made a deal with Jason Potbelly of Northwest hardcore punk icons Potbelly to do a split 7" titled "Then and Now", showcasing an unreleased track recorded in 1983 on the 10 Minute Warning side and a classic Potbelly track on the other. The limited pressing 7" was released the day of Steve's funeral. Jason went to Steve's funeral and gave his family his copies of the record.
Members
- Steve Verwolf – vocals (1982–1984)
- Christopher Blue – vocals (1997–1998)
- Paul Solger – lead guitar (1982–1984, 1997–1998)
- Duff McKagan – guitar (1982–1984, 1997–1998)
- David Garrigues – bass (1982–1983, 1997–1998)
- Jim Lightfoot – bass (1983)
- Daniel House – bass (1983–1984)
- Greg Gilmore – drums, percussion (1982–1984, 1997–1998)
- Blaine cook - vocals 1982
Discography
- 10 Minute Warning (1998)
"Then and now" split 7" with Potbelly.
References
- [1]
- Raw Power (Duff McKagan’s Official Fan Club) Magazine Issue 4 (August 1998)
