Idiot Flesh

Idiot Flesh was a band formed in Barrington Hall^[1], a student co-op at the University of California at Berkeley. They formed in 1985 under the name Acid Rain, and their demo album "We Were All Very Worried" was released as a cassette-only edition in 1987. They changed their name to Idiot Flesh prior to the release of their first album.

Known to tour the US in a converted city bus with Rathbun as the driver/mechanic, with the windshield destination banner of "HELL." Besides their "rock against rock" attitude, they were also known to defy classification with marching band routines, performing puppet shows, and playing household items as instruments (in tune).

Idiot Flesh disbanded in 1998. Work is currently being done on their final album, which is as yet unnamed. There is also a rumor that a more professional DVD video is the works. A semi official DVD called View The Body was temporary available. It was a combination of multiple shows with incomplete or spliced together songs of variable quality. The rumor was that when the band was offered a record contract from a label, that it would disband before selling out. The final show was aptly on a Friday the 13th.

Members

Core Members

• Captain Dragon (Gene Jun; Guitar, Percussion, Violin, Vocals, Arranger)
• Hyena Boy (Wes Anderson; 1993-1998: Percussion, Drums, Marimba, Multi Instruments, Talking, Vocals, Bassoon, Trash Cans)
• The Improver (Dan Rathbun; Bass, Multi Instruments, Saw, "Talking", Horn, Vocals, Trombone, Cello, Megaphone; Engineer)
• Pin (Nils Frykdahl; Flute, Saxophone, Percussion, Castanets, Vocals, Guitar; Cover Design/Graphics)
• Chuck Squier (1985? through 1994: Drums, Cover art)
• David Shamrock (Drums, late 1980's - drummer in Acid Rain)

Notes on Core Members

• Frykdahl, Rathbun, and Anderson were all members of the "Charming Hostess Big Band".

• Frykdahl and Rathbun went on to form Sleepytime Gorilla Museum with Carla Kihlstedt (with whom they had worked in Charming Hostess), Moe! Staiano, and David Shamrock.

• Frykdahl is also a core member of the duet (recently quartet) Faun Fables with Dawn McCarthy.

• Jun later formed the jam band BARGOOMA!!. As of Spring 2006 he is performing with Sun and Moon Ensemble

• Anderson went on to work with Les Claypool, Cirque du Soleil, The Fuxedos, Casino Royale and Kehoe Nation. He was also in Schloss with Michael Thorn, and Michael Mellender (currently in Sleepytime Gorilla Museum).

• Frykdahl and Jun both studied with composer Andrew Imbrie at The University of California, Berkeley ^[2].

Filthy Rotten Excuse Chickens

Filthy Rotten Excuse Chickens was a name given to additional stage performers at live Idiot Flesh performances:^[2] "a motley bunch that enhances the Idiot Flesh experience with a variety of acrobatics, dancing and pantomime"^[2], who went by the names:

• The Minotaurs of Baal
• Beefra The Cook
• Helpy The Hamburger Bee
• Mr. Punch
• Hatcha & Datcha The Siamese Twins
• Ming Tsao: Professor of Black Math
• Uro Butoh
• El Evil
• Ward C. Picnic
• The Queen of Oakland
• Mumble

Other Players & Contributors

• Penny Allman (Fancy: Photography; The Nothing Show: Voices)
• Mantra Ben Y'akova (Fancy: Vocals; The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Erik Carter (Fancy: Guitar)
• Angela B. Coon (Fancy: Vocals)
• Katherine Copenhaver (Teen Devil Worshipper: Photography. Also: Band Photo at top of page.)
• Paul Dal Porto (Fancy: Horn, Assistant Engineer, Sitar)
• Jindra Dolansky (Fancy: Saxophone)
• Jewlia Eisenberg (The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Matt Embrie (Fancy: Synthesizer, Piano)
• Per Frykdahl (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death, Teen Devil Worshipper, Fancy& The Nothing Show: Cover Art)
• Jab (Fancy: Trumpet)
• Peter Josheff (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Clarinet)
• Kris Langan (The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Rance Mannion (The Nothing Show: Percussion; Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Engineer)
• Lorrieann Murray (Fancy: Design, Photography)
• Daniel Roth (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Piano, Saxophone, Drums, Metal Percussion)
• Mark Stichman (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Producer, Engineer; Fancy: Assistant Engineer)
• Danny Tunick (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Chimes, Glockenspiel)
• William Winant (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Glockenspiel, Marimba)
• Tom Yoder (The Nothing Show: Tin Whistle)

Discography

• (1986) Drip Demo (4 songs) (as Acid Rain)
• (1987) We Were All Very Worried demo (as Acid Rain)
• (1988) Rite of Spring/Gelatinous Goats demo (as Acid Rain)
• (1990) Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death (LP only)
• (1994) The Nothing Show (CD)
• (1995) Teen Devil/Twitch also known as Teen Devil Worshipper (7" EP)
• (1997) Fancy (CD)

The Nothing Show is available from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's website store (as is an Idiot Flesh T-Shirt). Other recordings are out of print. Especially rare is the metal jewel case sold with the album "Fancy."

External links

• Idiot Flesh at Allmusic
• "Idiot Song" music video - short film from 1997.
• Idiot Flesh Videos at YouTube

References

1. ^ Meister, Todd (December 26, 2001). "Voodoo Muck: From the mixed-up files of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum". East Bay Express. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/music/voodoo_muck/Content?oid=283046. Retrieved 16 February 2009. ""...it helps to know that two of its members are from the now-defunct "art rock" band Idiot Flesh, a highly theatrical band that developed at Berkeley's infamous Barrington Hall in the mid-'80s."" 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Andrew Lentz (1998-01-29). "Carnival of Flesh" (HTML). Metroactive Music. Metro Publishing Co.. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/01.29.98/idiotflesh-9804.html. Retrieved 2006-06-30.