San Diego Reader

Markus Wolff: Percussion | JXL: Keyboards, Vocals | Simon Cheffins: Percussion | Jeff Mattson: Guitar (electric) | Jack "Fat" Torino: Keyboards, Vocals | Dreiky Caprice: Percussion | Ryan Jencks: Guitar (electric), Keyboards

Genre: Electro | DJ, Metal | Hardcore, Noise | Xprmntl

Sound description: Industrial performance art.

RIYL: Swans, NON, Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Mayhem, Einstürzende Neubauten, the Birthday Party, Led Zeppelin, the Stooges

Upcoming Local Shows

Related Links:

• http://www.crashworship.net

• MySpace page

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 1986

Background:

Crash Worship was a San Diego percussive, industrial, and performance art group. The band is most renowned for its live shows, in which audience members are often showered in various substances such as blood, water, and honey, while band members ignited fires within the performance area. Crash Worship has also released several albums and singles of both live and studio-recorded music, most of which is improvised. The band rarely played any of their studio material at shows.

The band formed in 1986 as Crash Worship - ADRV (Adoración de la Rotura Violenta), initially as a studio project, but soon learned the power of performing in front of a live audience. The disorder of the band's live shows often invited attention from police, who would forcibly stop the band's shows. The band's often-paganist and heathen imagery also caused outcries.

After much successful touring in the United States for many years, Crash Worship followed suit with two full European tours in the '90s. It was also at this time the band was deemed "unmanageable" by many labels, booking agencies, or clubs, which proved difficult to tour much afterward.

The group disbanded in the early 2000, with the members moving to various other cities in the United States and forming their own solo and side projects.

-- Wikipedia