Void (band)

Void was a Washington D.C.-based hardcore punk/crossover thrash band. They were one of the first hardcore outfits to fuse hardcore and some heavy metal in a way most hardcore and metal fans could accept, paving the way for bands such as The Melvins, who created a more commercially successful hybrid of the two genres. They were one of the first local bands popular in the D.C. scene that was from outside the Beltway, hailing from Columbia, Maryland, a suburb located between D.C. and Baltimore.

History

The band formed in 1979 with manic lead singer John Weiffenbach, guitarist Bubba Dupree, bassist Chris Stover, and drummer Sean Finnegan. Many keys to their cult following included Bubba Dupree's Greg Ginn-like guitar style and wild performances, and John Weiffenbach's frenzied behavior. In November of 1980 they cut a demo tape at Inner Ear Studios produced by Alec MacKaye , and were picked up by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson's label Dischord Records. In February of 1982 they made their vinyl debut on Dischord with three songs on the "Flex Your Head" compilation. That spring they went into the studio to cut twelve songs that were released in September 1982 as half of the Faith/Void split album released by Dischord Records.

By 1983, Void were incorporating more metal influences into their sound, drawing a crowd that became increasingly violent and their shows became even more chaotic. In the summer of 1983 they recorded an as yet unreleased album for (then) Detroit based Touch and Go Records. According to Touch and Go, they still periodically attempt to get permission to release the album, but to this day that permission is denied by Dupree. Void disbanded in the fall of 1983, with violence at their shows being a factor in the breakup. In 1992, Eye 95 Records released their November 1981 Inner Ear demo tape as the "Condensed Flesh" EP.

Drummer Sean Finnegan passed away of a massive heart attack on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, at age 43. He was working by himself at his beach house on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Sean played in Void while they were active from 1980-1984 and was recently working on the set of the HBO production, The Wire [ [http://www.dischord.com/news/215 Dischord Records /news/215 ] ] [ [http://www.legacy.com/baltimoresun/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=102431621 Obituaries in the news from the Baltimore Sun ] ] .

Discography

Albums and EPs

*Void/Faith split LP/CD (Dischord, 1982)
*"Potion For Bad Dreams" LP (recorded 1983; unreleased)
*"Condensed Flesh" 7" EP (Eye 95, 1992)

Compilations

*"Dehumanized", "Authority" and "My Rules" on "Flex Your Head" LP/CD (Dischord, 1982)
*"Get Out Of My Way" on "Bouncing Babies" LP (Fountain of Youth, 1984)
*"Get Out Of My Way" on "Lost & Found" 7" (Lost & Found, 1990)
*"Who Are You" on "Punk Anderson's Favourites" bootleg 2xCD (Starving Missile, 1994)
*"Dehumanized", "Black, Jewish and Poor" and "Authority (take 1 and 2)" on "20 Years of Dischord" 3xCD (Dischord, 2002)

Links

* [http://dischord.com/band/void Void at the Dischord Records official website]

References