Mike Pelino/vocals & guitar
Jason Willer/drums
Rick Jacobus/bass guitar
2000-2003:
Mike Pelino/vocals & guitar
Jason Willer/drums
Dave Edwardson/bass guitar
2004:
Mike Pelino/vocals & guitar
Jason Willer/drums
Danny Kain/bass guitar
Influences
Usually tea, bottles of beer, good food and travel. Women.
Sounds Like
East Bay Punk Rock With More Obvious Melodies Throbbing In The Music. Intense, driven and varied music not unlike their cultural, regional and musical identifiers.
Back in "The 90s" Best Friends Mike and Jason were in TFM, and one day they used the old-skool "Three-Way" dialing system to quit the band by telling the singer. As soon as the exchange was done, the former called the latter and asked him to join Second Hand Spit. There`s many ways: at a burger joint, by FAX...Pink Floyd simply one day just "forgot" to pick up Syd Barrett.
The Enemies released a `split` seven-inch record on El Sobrante`s SPAM Records, which also featured songs by Second Hand Spit on the flipside. The Enemies demo cassette was reviewed in the pages of Absolutely Zippo zine, and started playing more gigs around the SF/East Bay, ranging from 924 Gilman Street, Geek Fests and other DIY shows. If you look carefully in the tape racks on The Avenue, you can still buy the original demos for a buck.
Their debut album recording soon followed, with Kevin Army behind the soundboard and local label New Disorder Records agreeing to release the band`s full-length. 63rd and San Pablo Avenue is easily accessible on the AC Transit Bus Line ..72, and there`s still a few bands who have studios and practices spaces down there, but that`s where your friends started becoming true Enemies.
The band worked furiously to promote the record, including an ill-fated US tour that ended across the land, in New York, and had to come home.
Following period included the departure of founding bassist Rick Jacobus, who had a kid and family commitments. Enemies were on temporary hiatus, but Mike and Nipple continued to write songs and practice.
Enter Dave Ed, who saw the six-foot four Nipple in a sea of Pantera fans, when Dave`s band Neurosis opened up for them. With the band on limited touring status, Enemies now had a new bass player! Jason still doubled up with part-time work, touring as a member of the UK Subs, and helping out local bands by filling in for gigs, etc.
This led to the recording and release of the Enemies/Pitch Black split CD, a turning point that vitalized the band into tighter songwriting, more frequent shows and motivation for the next LP. The record release party was at Gilman (of course) and this release on Lookout! Records prompted the label to sign the band and get them to record their album...
The trio spent most of Spring 2002 recording with Chris Dugan at Nu-Tone Studios, in Pittsburgh, California, and the record was released in the summer. Aside from the fact that the band were musically on fire, it was strictly business, save for someone dropping a shattered copy of the Split through the mail slot.
`Seize The Day` was given Lookout! catalogue number 278, and released with rave reviews, from a multi-page feature in American Music Press (AMP) magazine and `Pick Of The Month` by Destroy All Monthly. Regional jaunts in the West Coast soon followed, and pockets of fans were beginning to pick up on the album. The band ended the year by playing Thrasher Magazine`s `Skater Of The Year` party at San Francisco`s Great American Music Hall
A European tour followed, staring in Germany, and followed by a full U.S. support slot with Subhumans--adding more dates along the way. Regional tours with Lagwagon and dates with Alkaline Trio were sprinkled with some well-deserved pockets of breaks in-between. And in September, the band returned home to GAMH for Lookout! Records` 15th Anniversary weekend, plus promotional shows for local radio station Live 105`s `Hella Cool Road Show`. The band ended Y2K3 by hanging out with Thrasher again, and their new DVD featured tracks from `Seize The Day` on the soundtrack.
The new year, 2004, saw the release of the 924 Gilman documentary, by Jack Curran, who compiled hours of film on the band`s tour, but otherwise the band stayed local to recover from a year of hard touring. Nipple drummed on the Deadly Weapons record, while by this time Dave Ed had decided to stay at local and go back to recording and band duties with Neurosis--which ushered in ex-Divit bassist Danny Kain. As it happens, he has previously been in a band with Mike and Jason, in their teens, so that worked out perfectly.
Then, suddenly hearing a fat lady sing, decided the day before a show, that it was going to be their last: March 2nd, 2004 at San Francisco Bottom Of The Hill, Enemies shared a bill with Subhumans & The Frisk.
Jason is now back, this time on the mean streets of North Berkeley after living in Bremen, Germany for almost two years and is still touring with the UK Subs. Mike is now working in Shanghai, China, recently playing extra guitar with some alternative rock band that`s played endlessly on Live 105. Danny plays locally with Arno Corps & Dynamite 8 and that`s the story, at this moment. Dave will probably be hanging out again, because, Nipple`s moving in! Believe it or not, they`ve all changed a bit--and from the short period I`ve known them, there aren`t too many groups who fit as well as this band.
Hi there THE ENEMiES first of all we'd like to say thanks for being our myspace pal. We wanted to make sure you knew the reason incase we suddenly vanish off of your friends list. The movement we've started for indie artists has grown significantly and consumes all of our time these days. We seldom sign into our myspace account and this is making several people believe that we are ignoring them. We are not ignoring anyone, we wanted everyone to know that. What we're doing has become so busy we just don't have the time for myspace any longer, so in all honesty we are probably going to just close our myspace account.
Many people wanted to use us in the future so if you were one of those people make sure you bookmark the link below so that in the event that we do close our myspace account you won't lose contact with us. I wish you the best of luck in your music career. Thanks again for being our myspace pal.
THE ENEMiES
Thanks for all of your support and for being a friend. This was our picture taken after we performed on the Playboy morning Show. Dont be a stranger! from the best girl rock group in the world.....Dragstrip Kitty
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Hey whats up?
thought I'd let you know you can pick up our CD at Interpunk now
(click on the logo to check it out) support local punk rock
help us out if you can
-Jaryn
Dude you guys need to put "Last Rights" up for one of your songs. That is like the sickest song ive ever heard and i need that shit on my profile. Im out.
Kyle
SK84LIFE
