The Thing - USA

Bio:

THE THING:

Heavy crazy acid rock combined with progressive rock, with a side of Gothic Rock.

Formed in the mid 1980s continuing into the early 1990s, one of the first original founders of the early east coast Stoner Rock scene, along with Monster Magnet, Bench, Hed, The Blood Farmers, and others.

Back in the mid and late 1980s, The Thing were known for the totally original sounding music and intense wild live shows in NYC and UK with strobe lights, smoke, nude vampire go-go girls, split-screen films, fireworks, buckets of pigs blood, live worms, horror film sound samples, and more! Their shows later inspired White Zombie, fellow friends, to go into this visual direction for their live shows.

The band grew hugely popular in NYC and Europe and toured the UK, where they recorded a John Peel Session for the BBC.

The Thing is mentioned in the book 'Space Daze' (about Hawkwind) and also in the book about the John Peel Sessions. While when they first formed in the mid 1980s, they were part of the thriving NYC Noise Rock art scene (Live Skull, Unsane, Sonic Youth, etc.), later morphing into a more progressive acid rock sounding band over the years.

The Thing are written about in various rock books as being one of the very first bands from the 1980s to emerge out of the Noise Rock scene to develop the style later known as Stoner Rock. Originally the band called their music "Psychedelic Punk" and later "Acid Core".
Back in the mid to late 80's, The Thing was doing a different type of post-punk music, while most bands at the time were still doing either Cro-mags / Agnostic Front styled hardcore punk or Sonic Youth influenced experimental/weird music. The Thing mixed no wave noise, acid rock, metal, 70s rock, psychedelic, progressive rock, and Gothic Rock. (Members of The Thing were friends with the original Christian Death featuring Rozz, The Super Heroines, The Shadow Project, and Fields of the Nephilim, amongst other Gothic Rock bands.) Back then it was just called weird music. But in the last decade or so, it has become known as STONER ROCK. A year or two after they started playing live, fellow NJ artists Monster Magnet (and NY bands: Bench, Blood Farmers, Hed, and others) also began playing a similar style of music, which later influenced Kyuss (leading to Fu Manchu and Queens of the Stone Age). Groups such as White Zombie and Tool also later became very popular as they went on to further develop a sound that The Thing has helped develop. Even one of My Bloody Valentine 's guitarists cited The Thing's "texture guitar" as a major influence, after meeting up, the day before his successful audtion,with The Thing guitarist, Sal Canzonieri.

The Thing played live shows in NYC at CBGBs and the Continental with White Zombie, Angel Rot, The Blood Farmers, The Unsane, Von Lmo, Royal Trux, Honeymoon Killers, Railroad Jerk, Nice Strong Arm, Cop Shoot Cop, Core, Daisycutter, Bench, and many others.

The Thing is most known for their amazing John Peel session, produced by Dale Griffin (drummer from Mott the Hoople), which was released on vinyl by Dutch East India Records - Peel Sessions series. John Peel said this was one of his favorite sessions and one of the very few that he has attended. One of only 2-3 bands that have had their Peel Session played more than twice on his radio show.

Their live shows were attended by many well known bands, such as The Pixies (who wrote a song about hearing their music called "The Thing", which they released on the album Complete 'B' Sides), Lemmy from Motorhead, Milk, Th' Faith Healers, Silverfish, and Von Lmo (The Thing guitarist Sal Canzonieri later played with Von Lmo in an updated version of Red Transistor), and others. The Thing opened for Happy Mondays at CBGB and outdrew them!

Contact information:
THE THING c/o BGT Ent - PO Box 294, Whippany NJ 07005
Email: thethingusa@optonline.net

DISCOGRAPHY:
1. "Six Sick Songs" 1987 6 song cassette release: Bo Bo 46, My Fun, Dissolve, Crawl, Grace Makes Magic, Shade of Truth.
2. "Blu 4 U" - 3 song 7" vinyl EP (Blu 4 U // Stinkhole / The Man With The Barbed Wire Soul), 1990 Noiseville Records (14), produced by Tommy Victor from Prong.
3. "Weirdo Riding // Ode to Billie Joe (cover)" 7" single, 1990 Noiseville Records (26), produced by Kramer.
4. "From Another World" vinyl LP, 1990, Contempo Records. Tracks: Side 1: sturm und drang, don't, the hitcher, creepytown, crawl, unclean. Side 2: my fun, dissolve, salt, mystery x, how i rose from the dead in my spare time and so can you, from another.
5. "The Thing - John Peel Session", vinyl 12" EP; features: Blu 4 U, Kiss the Sun, All Will be Revealed, and cover of "It's So Easy" Hawkwind song."

The Thing recorded more albums worth of material that is currently unreleased.

Stay tuned for the complete discography of The Thing to be finally released on Cd (and vinyl?).

..You should create your own MySpace Layouts like me by using nUCLEArcENTURy.COM's MySpace Profile Editor!..

Member Since:

December 20, 2008

Members:

Salvatore Canzonieri: Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Andrew Nelson: Drums
Sean Bolivar: Bass, vocals (after 1991)
Bill Paquet: Bass (before 1991)
Jesse Obstbaum: Lead Vocals (before 1991)
Doug Principato: Lead Guitar, vocals (after 1991).

Influences:

Hawkwind, King Crimson, Nektar, Amon Duul 2, Can, Gentle Giant, Eno, Captain Beyond, The Misunderstood, Sir Lord Baltimore, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Velvet Underground, Ornette Coleman,
Black Flag, St. Vitus, Obsessed, No Trend, Slayer, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, God, Godflesh, KMFDM, Mission of Burma, Sonic Youth, Live Skull, Swans, Diamanda Galas, Christian Death, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard, The Cows, Swans, Contortions, Mars, DNA, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, Lydia Lunch, J.G. Thirwell / Foetus, Birthday Party, Bauhaus, The Pop Group, The Fall, Swell Maps, Sex Gang Children, Siouxie & The Banshees, Gang of Four, WIRE, Throbbing Gristle, Killing Joke,
Contemporary and played with: White Zombie, Royal Trux, Pussy Galore, STP, Helmet, Honeymoon Killers, Railroad Jerk, Monster Magnet, Action Swingers, Daisy Cutter, Happy Mondays, and more.

Sounds Like:

White Zombie, Hawkwind, Unsane, Monster Magnet, Nebula, Fu Manchu, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastadon, Sonic Youth, Angel Rot, Atomic Bitchwax, Cathedral, Entombed, Electric Wizard, Orange Goblin, sHeavy,

Record Label:

unsigned