State of Alert

Infobox Musical artist
Name = State of Alert


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Washington, D.C., USA
Years_active = 1980 - 1981
Label = Dischord Records
Associated_acts = Black Flag
The Faith
URL = [http://www.dischord.com/bands/stateofalert.shtml Official site]
Current_members = Henry Rollins
Michael Hampton
Wendel Blow
Simon Jacobsen
Ivor Hansen

State of Alert (or S.O.A.) was a hardcore punk group from Washington, D.C..

History

State of Alert were fronted by Henry Garfield, who would later rise to fame as Henry Rollins. They formed in October 1980 and disbanded in July 1981. They released a ten song 7" EP titled "No Policy" and contributed three songs to the compilation Flex Your Head, both on Dischord Records. The EP was financed by Henry since Dischord wanted to afford releasing the first Minor Threat 7" as well.

S.O.A. played a total of 12 gigs in and around the eastern US, their first on December 6, 1980, in Washington, D.C., and their last on July 10, 1981, in Philadelphia. Henry Rollins later described their performances: "All of them were eleven to fourteen minutes in duration because the songs were all like forty seconds... and the rest of the time we were going, 'Are you ready? Are you ready?' Those gigs were poorly played songs in between 'Are you readys?" [Azerrad, Michael. "". Little Brown and Company, 2001. ISBN 0-316-78753-1]

Breakup and legacy

Today, S.O.A. is remembered primarily as Rollins' first band - before he joined Black Flag and then founded Rollins Band - but also as an example of early "DC Hardcore" and an influence to other bands such as Detroit's Negative Approach and New York City's Agnostic Front.

Out of what was left of the band guitarist Michael Hampton went on to form The Faith in 1981 with Alec MacKaye (brother of Ian MacKaye, later in Ignition) who joined on vocals and Ivor Hansen, S.O.A.'s final drummer. Later Hampton went on to Embrace with Ian MacKaye in 1985, and One Last Wish with Guy Picciotto (Fugazi, Rites of Spring) and Brendan Canty (Deadline, Fugazi, Rites of Spring).

Bass player Wendel Blow went on to play in Iron Cross and Lethal Intent.

State of Alert's recorded material has been re-released by Dischord on the "20 Years of Dischord" compilation and the "Dischord 1981: The Year in 7"s" compilation which includes the entire 'No Policy' EP.

Members

*Henry Rollins − vocals (October 1980 — July 1981)
*Michael Hampton − guitar (October 1980 — July 1981)
*Wendel Blow − bass (October 1980 — July 1981)
*Simon Jacobsen − drums (October 1980 — March 1981)
*Ivor Hanson − drums (March 1981 — July 1981)

Discography

*"No Policy" (1981)
*"Flex Your Head" (1982)

References

External links

* [http://www.dischord.com/bands/stateofalert.shtml State of Alert at Dischord Records]