Tesco Vee,
Mark Glass,
Mark "Gooly" Kermanj,
Eric Zelzdor,
Mike Achtenbourg,
Mr. X,
Jim Forsey,
Greg Ramsey,
Rich Ramsey,
Rob San Pietro,
Norman Voss,
Mark Davis,
Todd Swalla,
James Cooper,
Stuart Casson,
Lyle Preslar,
Graham McCulloch,
Brian Baker
Representative Albums: "Stud Powercock: The Touch and Go Years 1981-1984," "Cover the Earth," "We're the Meatmen...and You Suck!!"
Representative Songs: "Meatmen Stomp," "War of the Superbikes," "Crippled Children Suck"
Biography
Punk pranksters the Meatmen had one of the nastiest, most offensive senses of humor in all of hardcore -- and that's saying something. Politically incorrect before the term existed, frontman Tesco Vee -- the one constant in the band's lineup -- kept things as gleefully stupid and tasteless as possible, cracking graphic jokes about various bodily functions while baiting women, minorities, homosexuals, rival punk bands, and handicapped children. The Meatmen's music was generally standard-issue hardcore punk, with nods to heavy metal in their latter years; much more important, however, was their sheer outrageousness, which was the real basis for their following.
Meatmen founder Tesco Vee was born Robert Vermuellen, and grew up mostly in Lansing, MI, where he discovered the music of Detroit proto-punkers like the MC5 and the Stooges. Starting in his teenage years, he published several punk fanzines, chronicling the Midwestern scene in one called Touch & Go. In 1980, he adopted the stage name Tesco Vee (the first part after his favorite record store) and teamed with brothers Rich and Greg Ramsey (bass and guitar, respectively) to form the Meatmen. Initial drummer Jim Forsey quickly gave way to Eliot Rachtman, and the Meatmen soon built a following for on-stage antics that had little to do with Vee's day job as a fourth-grade teacher.
Later in 1980, Vee teamed with Necros bassist Corey Rusk to found Touch & Go Records, which released the Meatmen's 1982 debut EP, Blood Sausage. It was followed in short order by another EP, Crippled Children Suck; it was later reissued as part of an LP that also included demos and outtakes. By this time, Rachtman had been replaced first by Mr. X and then by ex-Necros drummer Todd Swalla; meanwhile, Greg Ramsey had also quit to have brother Rich take over his guitar slot, at which point Mike Achtenbourg joined on bass. Vee, uninterested in the business aspects of running a record label, also ceded control of Touch & Go to Rusk, who would build it into one of the most influential indie labels of the '80s. The Meatmen's -- and Touch & Go's -- first full-length LP, We're the Meatmen...and You Suck!!, appeared in 1983, and contained both Blood Sausage tracks and live versions of Crippled Children material. Following its release, the first version of the Meatmen disbanded, and Vee relocated to Washington, D.C.
With help from ex-Minor Threat guitarists Lyle Preslar and Brian Baker, Vee recorded the solo EP Dutch Hercules in 1984. Preslar and Baker subsequently formed the backbone of a musically potent new version of the Meatmen, which featured bassist Graham McCulloch and drummer Eric Zelzdor. Leaving Touch & Go for Homestead, this lineup released War of the Superbikes in 1985. Baker subsequently left the group to start the early emo band Dag Nasty, and was replaced by Stuart Casson. Casson, in turn, left halfway through the recording of 1986's Rock & Roll Juggernaut (now on Caroline), and was replaced by James Cooper; when Cooper left in 1987, Casson came right back. Also in 1987, Zelzdor departed and gave way to Mark "Gooly" Kermanj. This lineup embarked on a farewell tour in 1988, which produced the live album We're the Meatmen...and You Still Suck!!!
Two years after the Meatmen's breakup, Tesco Vee emerged from retirement to form the Hate Police, which recorded several singles and an album over 1990-1993. Meanwhile, Touch & Go compiled the entirety of the Meatmen's recordings for the label on 1991's evocatively titled Stud Powercock: The Touch and Go Years. In 1993, after the Hate Police disbanded, Vee teamed with a Meatmen-influenced band called True Grit to form a third version of the Meatmen, this time featuring guitarist Norman Voss, bassist Mark Davis, and drummer Mark Glass. Vee formed his own Meatking label to issue the new lineup's first effort, the limited-edition Toilet Slave, in 1994. The follow-up, 1995's Pope on a Rope, featured new drummer Rob San Pietro and landed the group support slots with the likes of Gwar and Butt Trumpet. War of the Superbikes, Vol. 2, released by Go Kart in 1996, featured the entirety of the original album plus a selection of new songs to fill out the CD. A final EP, Evil in a League with Satan, appeared in 1997 before the group broke up once again. A decade later, the Meatmen returned to the studio to begin work on Cover the Earth, which was released in 2009 and followed by a mammoth U.S. tour. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
The Meatmen are a Michigan, United Statespunk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring, and are working on a new album.
The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time. The band was known for their stage antics, and for songs with colorful song titles such as "I Sin For A Living", "1 Down, 3 To Go" (a reference to the murder of former Beatles member John Lennon), and the Suck Trilogy of "Crippled Children Suck," "French People Suck," and "Camel Jockeys Suck." They also covered "What's This Shit Called Love?" by The Pagans, as well as The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" for the compilation The World Still Won't Listen: A Tribute to The Smiths.
The original band that existed for two years was formed by Rich and Gregg Ramsey, David Howse and Tesco Vee. After making their name, the Meatmen later had a revolving door cast when Tesco moved to D.C. Other members of the band after Tesco's move to D.C. included Brian Baker and Lyle Preslar of Minor Threat, Todd Swalla of Necros, Jim Forgey, Eliot Rachman, Mike Achtenbourg, Graham McCulloch, Eric Zelzdorf, Stuart Casson, James Cooper, Mark "Gooly" Kermanj, Norman Voss, Mark Davis, Mark Glass, and Rob San Pietro.[1]
Reunion
According to his myspace account and TescoVee.com, Tesco along with a new lineup of musicians will be touring in the Spring of 2008.
New touring members are Ian "The Pit Viper" Sugierski on drums (of Superchrist, Wastelander, and Wolfbait), Dave Malosh on guitar (of The Sirens, The Paybacks, Bill Parker & His Motherscratchers, Wolfbait), and Andy "Lord Vapid" Lucas on bass.
This new lineup has confirmed that they will tour in 2009. See TescoVee.com for dates and locations and details about their new album.
