About Guttermouth
Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1989 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour. They are infamous for their outrageous lyrics and behavior which are deliberately explicit, offensive and intended to shock, though usually in a humorous and sarcastic manner. This behavior has sometimes resulted in high-profile problems for the band, such as being banned from performing in Canada for eighteen months and leaving the 2004 Warped Tour amidst controversy over their political views and attitudes towards other performers.
The members of Guttermouth began playing music in various parts of Orange County, California in the early 1980s. Singer Mark Adkins performed in the La Habra punk rock band Republic in 1982 with guitarist and classmate Scott Sheldon. Adkins has remained the sole permanent member of Guttermouth over all its iterations; some of the songs written by Sheldon and Adkins at this time would later be used in Guttermouth and would remain in their live set throughout their career. Republic broke up in 1984 and the two moved on to other projects: Sheldon played in a band with drummer James Nunn while Adkins tried various other musical projects, including one with Nunn. Adkins joined guitarists Eric "Derek" Davis and Barry Burnham, bassist Paul "Fang" Denis, and drummer Tim Baulch in their band Critical Noise. Baulch suggested the name Guttermouth for the new lineup, and this early incarnation of the band played shows, parties and skateboard demo's during 1988 until Davis relocated to nearby Huntington Beach in 1989, effectively dissolving the group. About a year later Adkins and Nunn also moved there. Adkins approached Burnham and Baulch about starting the band back up but the two declined. Adkins and Davis recruited Sheldon to replace Burnham and Nunn to replace Baulch. They also recruited an early fan of the band, bassist Clint Weinrich to join them. This solidified the "original" lineup of the band with Mark Adkins on vocals, Scott Sheldon and Eric Davis on guitars, Clint Weinrich on bass and James Nunn on drums, a lineup which would remain consistent over the next six years and two albums.
By the summer of 1989, Guttermouth began performing in Huntington Beach and Orange County, building a small but enthusiastic local following. Their music was heavily influenced by the Los Angeles and Orange County punk rock scenes of the 1980s which included bands like the Adolescents, The Vandals, Social Distortion, Fear, the Descendents, Angry Samoans, Bad Religion and Black Flag. From these influences Guttermouth developed their own style of fast punk tempos with humorously sarcastic and offensive lyrics coupled with equally outrageous and offensive behavior, developing a reputation for chaotic live shows. In 1991, they were approached by local record label Dr. Strange about putting out an album, and entered Westbeach Recorders to record and release their first 7-inch record, Puke. Later that year they released another 7-inch, Balls, and finally their first LP, aptly titled Full Length LP.
Full Length proved to be a success for the band, expanding their fan base and giving them opportunities to perform throughout southern California alongside other popular punk rock bands. The album was soon re-released in CD format by Dr. Strange and an animated music video was made for the song "1, 2, 3…Slam!" to be played on local punk rock and skateboarding video programs. The band continued to play locally, developing friendships with fellow Orange County punk bands such as The Offspring and the Vandals. They played a show opening for the Vandals at the Ice House in Fullerton which was filmed for the Vandals live album Sweatin’ to the Oldies. Guttermouth continued to promote Full Length over the next few years and also released 7-inch vinyl singles for the new songs "Veggicide" and "P.C." In 1993, they recorded the 7-inch EP 11oz. as the first release put out by newly formed label Hopeless Records.
By 1994, Full Length had been available for almost four years and the members of Guttermouth were preparing to write a second album. They originally considered releasing the album themselves, but were soon approached with an offer from Offspring singer Dexter Holland, who in the wake of his own band's success was starting an independent record label and wanted to put out Guttermouth's next album as his first release. They agreed and recorded the album Friendly People as the first release on Holland's new label Nitro Records, and filmed an independent music video for the song "End on 9." Guttermouth would remain with Nitro over the next five years, releasing an album each year on the label.
1994 also found the band playing to a much larger audience. The success that year of The Offspring's album Smash and Green Day's Dookie had brought the southern California punk rock scene into the national spotlight. Thanks to their friendship with The Offspring and their new record deal with Nitro, Guttermouth found themselves embarking on their first national and world tours opening for larger punk bands. However, their typically outrageous behavior would often find them at odds with the other bands, audiences, and venues at which they played. After about six months of touring with this reputation the band found themselves banned from performing in numerous cities and clubs and blacklisted by many of the bands with whom they had hoped to tour. To the band, however, this behavior was typical and in keeping with the anarchic ideals that were at the core of the punk movement.
At one point, the band found themselves ejected from a tour while in South Carolina, where they booked themselves at a club and recorded a performance which would later be released as Live From the Pharmacy. Adkins was arrested and briefly jailed in 1995 on charges of inciting a riot during a Guttermouth show at the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino, but evidence was insufficient to file charges.
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