Big Drill Car

Infobox musical artist
Name = Big Drill Car
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Costa Mesa, California, USA
Genre = Pop punk
Melodic hardcore
Years_active = 1987 - 1995, 2008
Label = Varient Records!
Cruz Records
Cargo/Headhunter Records
URL = [http://www.bigdrillcar.com/ Official website]
Associated Acts = All Systems Go!
Past_members =

Big Drill Car is a pop punk/melodic hardcore group from Huntington Beach, California, who were active from the late 1980s to mid-1990s. The group never gained any mainstream audience, but were an influence on their contemporaries – most notably ALL, Chemical People and Dag Nasty – alongside whom they are considered the early pioneers of the sound that would later be called melodic hardcore.

Big Drill Car released an EP, "Small Block", in 1988 before being signed to Cruz Records (owned by former Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn) and releasing two studio albums. The band eventually parted ways with that label and signed to Headhunter Records, who released "No Worse for the Wear", the band's last album to date.

Big Drill Car broke up in 1995, but reunited for a one-off series of shows in 2008, with the now-classic original lineup.

History

"Classic" original lineup-era (1987-1991)

Big Drill Car was formed in 1987 while Frank Daly and Mark Arnold were still in the seminal OC punk band M.I.A.. Frank and Mark had written some songs that were not M.I.A.-style songs so they got together with some friends (Bob and Danny) and started playing around. Their first shows were a fun mix of covers (like the Descendents' "I'm Not A Loser and Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck') and these new originals songs. After M.I.A. broke up, Big Drill Car entered the studio in 1988 to record the EP "Small Block". They were a hard working hard touring band who were rough on their tour vans.

While touring with M.I.A., Frank and Mark met and played with The Descendents. After M.I.A. broke up and the Descendents became ALL the bands started playing locally and touring together. After "signing" with Greg Ginn's newly formed Cruz Records, Stephen Egerton (guitar ALL/Descendents) and Bill Stephenson drums ALL/Descendents/Black Flag) started up working with Big Drill Car in the studio to record their debut album, "Album/Tape/CD Type Thing", which was released in 1989.

Final years (1992-1995)

After the release of their third album, "Batch", Big Drill Car parted ways with the now-"classic" original line-up. Bob had announced that he was leaving the band to play in another band who was on the verge of a major label deal. The show was at the PALACE in Los Angeles. It was the biggest of the "VIVA CRUZ" shows (annual shows, show casing the Cruz bands ALL, Big Drill Car and Chemical People). Bob was more active and animated on stage that night than ever before. Bob was replaced by Darrin Morris. Darin fit in perfectly - he was a big fan, a super nice guy and he knew all the songs already. Not long after Darrin joined the band, Danny left. Danny was replaced by a few drummers including Jamie Reidling (Cadillac Tramps/US Bombs) and Keith Fallis (Carnival Art). They went on to release 2 records with Keith on Cargo Records, "Toured (A Live Album)" and "No Worse for the Wear", then broke up in 1995.

Post-breakup (1996-2007)

After breaking up, Frank Daly (vocalist) and Mark Arnold (guitarist) joined forces with John Kastner (Doughboys/Asexuals)to form the band All Systems Go!.

Mark is currently working as a soundman, recently working for Lemonheads/Jesus and Mary Chain/Breeders/Rocket From The Crypt.

Frank was guitar teching for Rocket From The Crypt for a while them went on to tour manage Reel Big Fish before settling down, getting married and having a family.

Reunion (2008-present)

On May 23, 2008, it was reported on Punknews.org that Big Drill Car (with the classic "Small Block" lineup) was reuniting for a series of reunion shows in August, taking place at Huntington Beach's Fitzgerald's Pub [cite web | date=May 23, 2008 | title=Big Drill Car announce reunion show | publisher=Punknews.org | url=http://www.punknews.org/article/29003 | accessdate=2008-05-23] and two Southern California dates on the 2008 Warped Tour. [cite web | date=June 23, 2008 | title=Big Drill Car on Warped Tour 2008 | publisher = warpedtour.com | url=http://www.warpedtour.com/warpedtour/boards.asp?xid=16522&forum=0&topic=1447752 | accessdate=2008-06-24] [cite web | date=June 25, 2008 | title=Big Drill Car plan two Warped dates | publisher = Punknews.org | url=http://www.punknews.org/article/29415 | accessdate=2008-06-25] Big Drill Car has also been confirmed to headline Riot Fest 2008, which is set to take place on October 10-12 in Chicago, Illinois. [cite web | date=July 15, 2008 | title=Riot Fest with Bosstones, ALL, Leftover Crack, TSOL, Ergs, Reagan Youth, Paint It Black | publisher = Punknews.org | url=http://www.punknews.org/article/29690 | accessdate=2008-07-15] Despite the band's current activity, there has been no word on whether they will do a full scale tour and Big Drill Car is currently not under contract with any label, meaning that they may or may not be planning new material.

Line-ups

Discography

tudio Albums and EPs

*"Small Block" EP (1988, Varient Records! (re-issued on Cruz Records in 1990)
*"CD Type Thing" (1989, Cruz Records)
*"Batch" (1991, Cruz Records)
*"Toured (A Live Album)" (1993, Cargo/Headhunter Records)
*"No Worse for the Wear" (1994, Cargo/Headhunter Records)

7" Singles

*"Surrender/Getaway" (split w/ Chemical People) (1991, Cruz Records)
*"The Snapperhead E.P." (split w/ Thud! (1992, Blackbox Records)
*"No Worse for the Wear/Black Country Rock" (1994, Stab You in the Back/Truk Records)
*"Nothin' At All/Trash the House" (1994, Goldenrod Records)

Compilation Appearances

*"Cruz Sampler 7" (1991) - "Restless Habs"
*"The Big One: City of L.A. Power" (1991) - "A Take Away"
*"Something's Gone Wrong Again: The Buzzcocks Covers Compilation" (1992) - "I Don't Mind"
*"13 Back-Ordered Hits" (1993) - "16 Lines"
*"Blackbox Sampler" (1993) - "Big Shot (live)"
*"Case Closed? An International Compilation of Husker Du Cover Songs" (1993) - "Celebrated Summer"
*"By The Banks of the Mighty Santa Ana, Vol. II" (1994) - "Song No. 40"
*"Super Mixer" (1996) - "Nothin' At All"
*"Keep the Beat" (1996) - "Celebrated Summer"
*"O.C.'s 5400 Day Revolution" (1999) - "Big Shot (studio version)"

Known Associates

*Darin Oosthuizen - road manager/roadie
*Greg Jacobs - Manager
*Stormy Shepherd - Booking Agent

References

External links

* [http://www.bigdrillcar.com/ The Official Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/bigdrillcar The Unofficial MySpace Page]