A Global Threat
was an American street punk band,formed in Bangor, ME in 1997. [1] They played in the musical style of street punk, and released four full-length LPs as well as many 7" EPs and have toured extensively throughout the United States.
|
A GLOBAL THREAT TICKETS
|
History 1997-2000
Originally formed in
Maine in 1997, the band relocated to
Boston,
Massachusetts in 1998, where it was based until their break up. The original band members were Bryan Lothian, Brett Threat, Westie, and Tubby Tim. In 1998, the band recorded and self-released their first EP,
The Kids Will Revolt Against All Authority
, on . Soon after, Mike Graves and Petrov Curtis joined the band (on drums and guitar respectively) and AGT began playing live shows in
Boston and
New York. During this period, the band met Mark Civitarese (a member of Boston punk group
The Unseen), who would become a major supporter of the band before later joining it himself. Mark re-released
The Kids will revolt
EP on his
ADD Records label in late 1998. Subsequently, Mark became a member of AGT in 1999, when, during a weekend of gigs in New York, the band's van broke down and Mark offered them transportation on the condition that he be allowed to join the band. The group accepted and Mark took up dual vocal duties, with both he and founding member Bryan singing during live shows.
In 1999, they released the
What the Fuck Will Change?
EP as well as a split 7" EP with Broken. Both these releases saw the band progressing towards the more frantic and relentless streetpunk style for which they would later become well-known.
What the Fuck Will Change?
was later re-released as the band's first full length LP on Step-1 Music, including new material as well as re-recorded songs from
The Kids
EP. During this time Johnny joined the band on rhythm guitar and AGT embarked on a tour of the U.S. East Coast and South. Unfortunately, the band was involved in a three-car accident in
Austin, Texas, in which their van was rumored to have been driven into a lake, forcing them to cancel the remaining dates of the tour. 1999 also saw the release of the
Who's to Blame?
split 7" EP with now defunct
Rochester, New York band The End on Anarchist Records/ADD records.
Shortly thereafter, AGT secured a record deal with GMM records. That winter, after a weekend of shows, original member Brett Threat was fired from the band and would subsequently move back to Maine and form the punk band USA Waste. The band then played a few shows with Johnny on bass, before he too was released from the band and went on to form with Brett. AGT then recruited long-time friend and previous musical collaborator
Gabe Crate (a.k.a Gabe Asturd) to join the group on bass. Having now secured a more musically solid lineup they hit the studio to record theyre second full length "Until We Die". In November, Mark Civitarese played his last show with AGT, having decided that being in two bands was too taxing.
History 2000-2007
In 2000, the band set out on an East Coast tour with the short-lived
Boston-based hardcore band
The Statistics. However, The Statistics left the tour after only two shows due to theyre lack of testicular fortitude, leaving AGT to finish the remaining dates on their own. The band also recorded the
In The Red
EP this year, and
Until We Die
was released on GMM Records. The band also set out on its first national tour with
Awkward Thought. This tour was also joined, at points, by The Krays, Truents,
Toxic Narcotic, and
The Flatliners.
Shortly after the tour, Gabe was fired from the band. In 2001, AGT carried on as a three-piece with Pete on bass, Mike on drums, and Bryan on guitar and vocals, playing a hand full of shows in Massachusetts and New York City. The band also recorded a split 7" with
Toxic Narcotic before touring with
The Casualties. For this tour, John Curran joined the band as the new bassist and Pete returned to guitar. In December, AGT recorded their 3rd full-length LP
Here We Are,
which was released on
Punkcore Records. During this time, Bryan began playing guitar as Pete Curtis prepared to leave the band and move to L.A. Around this time, Pete Curtis and former member
Gabe Crate, coincidentally also about to leave the Boston area, became involved in a violent altercation with one another at a party, during which Gabe called into question Pete's
punk rock credibility, allegedly inspiring the lyrics for a future bonus track entitled "D.F." written by Pete about Gabe's own shortcomings.
In 2001, Pete played his last show as a full time member with the band before leaving for L.A., apparently becoming emotionally overwhelmed during the show and openly weeping. Pete, however, would rejoin the band several times in the future, rendering his tears on this occasion entirely superfluous.
What the Fuck Will Change?
was also re-released this year on
Punkcore Records. 2002 also saw the band embark on another U.S. tour with
The Casualties, as well as a U.S. tour with
Defiance, for which Pete rejoined the band.
In winter and spring of 2003, the band toured the west coast and north east with Clit 45. Also that spring the "Earache/Pass the time" EP was released. For the the summer AGT would tour the U.S. with F-minus.
In 2004-2005 AGT continued to play shows, toured the US with Casualties and then the Unseen and Career Soldiers, began work on new musical material and also searched for a new record label. They eventually landed with BYO records.
In 2006, the band recorded what would become their final record,
Where the Sun Never Sets
on BYO Records.
[2] Many consider this album to be the band's most musically complex and innovative achievement, while also maintaining the original political and musical aggressiveness for which the band has always been known and respected.
[3]
In support of the release A Global Threat would tour southern california, then the east coast with Strike Anywhere, with Subhumans across the midwest US followed by their first full canadien tour joined in part by the Wednesday Night Heroes. They would then tour the US again with Strike Anywhere, Bane, This is Hell, Ignite and Modern Life is War for the remainder of the summer and then returned back to Canada for another tour with the Wednesday Night Heroes.
In winter 2007 they would tour so. california and arizona with LCB, Monster Squad and Career Soldiers. Then A Global Threat completed a U.S. tour with
The Casualties before headlining another US tour with
Wednesday Night Heroes and Monster Squad. Mike O'Brien of
Clit 45 played guitar on the first tour of the summer, while another replacement, Ben, took over the guitar on the second tour.
That summer tour, however would be thier last, taking the stage for the final time at Welfare records in Haverhill MA. On November 19, 2007, the band officially folded and announced their break-up.
[4] In an interview with punkplanet.com conducted shortly after the band's dissolution Bryan stated that, among other things, creative differences,
car theft, and crippling
Arthritis were the main factors leading to the break up of the band.
Band members
A Global Threat
was somewhat notorious for its constantly changing line-up and numerous incarnations, with singer Bryan Lothian being the only founding member to remain in the band for its duration. The following is a partial list of its members since inception:
- Bryan Lothian: vocals, guitar (Founding Member, 1997-2007)
- Tubby Tim Webber : drums (Founding Member, 1997-1998)
- Scott "Westie" Webber: guitar, drums (Founding Member, 1997-1998)
- Brett Threat: bass (Founding Member, 1997-1999)
- Mike Graves: drums (1998-2007)
- Pete Curtis: guitar, sometimes bass (1998-2001)
- Mark Civitarese: vocals (1998-1999)
- Gabe Crate: bass (1999-2000)
- John Curran: bass (2001-2007)
---------------------------------------------------
- Johnny Thayer : rhythm guitar, briefly bass (1999)
- Rufio: guitar (various US tours 2002-2006)
- Cody: guitar (US tours 2003-2004)
- Josiah Steinbrick: guitar (West Coast Tour, 2003)
- Mike O'Brien: guitar (Spring US Tour, 2007)
- Ben: guitar (Summer US Tour, 2007)
Discography
EPs
- The Kids Will Revolt
(1997)
- What The Fuck Will Change
(1998) ADD Records
- In The Red
(2000)
- Earache / Pass the Time
(2003)
Studio Albums
- What The Fuck Will Change
(1999) Step 1 records(1999)
- Until We Die
(2000) GMM Records
- Here We Are
(2002)
- Where The Sun Never Sets
(2006)
Split Albums
- A Global Threat / Broken
(1999)
- A Global Threat / The End
(1999)
- A Global Threat / Toxic Narcotic
(2001)
- A Global Threat / General Strike
(2007) CRR the Early Years CD: Contains both bands 1st 7"s
References
- http://punkmusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/WhereTheSun.htm
- http://media.www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/2006/03/09/EZone/A.Global.Threat.where
- http://www.punknews.org/review/5354 Punk News
- http://www.metalunderground.com/bands/details.cfm?bandid=4306