Lock Up (U.S. band)

Lock Up is a rock band that featured Tom Morello on guitar before Rage Against the Machine was formed.

The band was founded by the original guitar player Mike Livingston (formerly of The Mau-Mau's) and Kevin Wood on bass. They had previously played together in the band Ella and the Blacks, which also included Brian Grillo and Brendan Mullen (founder of The Masque, the first L.A. punk rock club). Grillo became Lock Up's lead singer.

The original drummer was Michael Lee, (later drummer with Sylvia Junkosa and The Homebillies ), who quit and was replaced briefly by D. H. Peligro, formerly of The Dead Kennedys and later in The Red Hot Chili Peppers. After Peligro left, he was replaced by Vince Ostertag.

After a falling out during the signing process, Livingston was replaced by Morello. Chris Beebe on bass completed the lineup that released Lock Up's sole album on Geffen Records, "Something Bitchin' This Way Comes", which came out in 1989. The title of the album was based on Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

Most of Morello's guitar with Lock Up is unlike his work with Rage Against the Machine. His solos, in contrast to Livingston's rootsy blues oriented style mainly consist of arpeggios, tapping and overall fast fretwork. Evidence of his experimenting with the toggle switch can be heard in a few tracks ("Can't Stop the Bleeding", "Nothing New", "Punch Drunk").

Brad Wilk, the drummer for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, met Morello for the first time when Wilk unsuccessfully auditioned for Lock Up.