F - You Are An E.P.

I discovered F on the Flipside Vinyl Fanzine. I found this 12" and it blew me away. But, like most bands, I knew nothing about them. I was just happy to crank the tunes! It was also quite difficult to find info (you try doing a search for the letter 'F'!) So I'll credit the great and informative Kill From The Heart website for the following reviews and band profile:

The Tiresome and Typical Story of F
(from the liner notes in the "You Are An E.P." reissue)


The band F - no one seems to have a credible justification for the name - was formed in 1982 and released their first 12-inch record You Are An E.P. a year later. Prior to its release, the band broke up into two bands - one punk rock and the other '70s-style heavy metal - with the same name and performing the same songs in their respective styles.


This miniscule controversy - as well as a number of childish and unfriendly pranks - brought the band to the attention of the South Florida scene. For an effect probably not half as comical as they thought at the time, the band adopted the newly minted straight edge pose, complete with Xs etc., while drinking heavily and behaving like spoiled, self-destructive, carnivorous swine.


Upon the pressing of 1,500 copies of this record in 1983, no less than 200 of the records were smashed with hammers and against walls by the band and attendees at the practice/show. Such was their idea of a punk rock record release party. Calling the police on their own shows was another party favorite, and they delighted in their last show in Fort Lauderdale where the police actually made arrests instead of the usual simple harrassment.


The band toured twice outside of Florida, both times with White Flag - althought their t-shirts and interviews indicated they had toured with the Ramones.


The band consisted of U.S. Ken "The Duke" Decter, John "John Galt" Golf Jr., Eddie Nothing and alternating drummers Ravenous "Mike Hasson" Gangrene and Pete Moss. Tim Swingle also played bass early on.


The Duke moved to California and played solo under that moniker and as guitar-man for the Ex-Idols. John is a financial planner in South Florida and Eddie (who also played for the Gay Cowboys in Bondage) is now a bill collecter in Tampa. Rav has not been heard of in some time, and Pete won't ever be again, as he died in mid-1997 while abusing some straight-edge heroin. (Rest in peace, Pete.)


[Note: Someone wrote to the website to say that this is incorrect; Pete Moss committed suicide in 1997]


In the early 1990s, the F-Boys appeared in South Florida, having no other connection with the band than their name. And then, following their example, F, The Band Formerly Known as the John Birch Society were born in Gainesville in 1994 and released a fine e.p. "Die You Stupid Hippies."


by Phil Blumel
 
Review:
Wow! A patriotic, homosexual punk band. Sounds like something for everyone to hate, right? Wrong! If you miss this one for those reasons, you're a total idiot. Just get this EP> Growling vocals and real tight mid-tempo music with loud yelling backup vocals that compliment the whole thing. A bunch of patriotic sayings and a poem about Ian MacKaye are included. I would enjoy this band much more if they left out their nationalistic political views (and their version of "My Country Tis of Thee"). Saying like "James Watt and Joe McCarthy were right" makes me wonder if all this is just a joke.
-Ron Philips (from Task #1, March 1985)

Such Men Are Dangerous(fixed)