Progression is something that happens over time mostly for the better. You start something, find out what works and move forward with that idea and turn it into bigger and better things. However, when I say Sub Pop Records they are the exception to the whole progression statement. Nowadays their too busy signing boring indie bands like Iron & Wine and Flight of The Conchords when they had a great thing going in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Featuring bands like Cat Butt, Swallow and Chemistry Set on their Sub Pop 200 Compilation, or signing the obscure band called Nirvana from Aberdeen. But Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were onto something when they signed the band Blood Circus.
The band consisted of Michael Anderson on vocals and guitar (who ironically played briefly with Swallow in the 80’s for a little bit), Geoff Robinson on second guitar, Tracey Simmons (aka T-Man) on the bass, and Doug Day on the skins. Taking their name from some low budget sci-fi flick, Blood Circus releases their first single off of Sub Pop records “Two Way Street/Six Feet Under”, which to me was a remarkable single that stayed on my record player for months. I spinned that record so much, I was afraid I would wear it out. It had everything you wanted in a song and in a band. FINALLY Sub Pop was onto something and I wanted to continue with them on the ride!
They played their first show opening for The Obituaries and later played alongside the likes of TAD, Nirvana, Girl Trouble, and Mudhoney very frequently, and even played with other acts like White Zombie, Butthole Surfers and SNFU. As the months wore on, they toured the U.S. with Les Thugs and almost went to Europe to drop some jaws, but called it quits shortly after. Instead TAD went, played in Berlin the same night the Berlin Wall was torn down…Weird turn of events.
The band was also featured on the very popular Sub Pop 200 Compilation contributing the song “The Outback” alongside other Grunge icons like the Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, TAD and Nirvana. In a whirlwind of events thus far, in 1988 Blood Circus releases their E.P. “Primal Rock Therapy”, but failed to get much recognition due Mudhoney’s “Superfuzz Big Muff” and Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” vinyl releases that same year. Like all of their records, and like most of Seattle bands in general it was recorded at Reciprocal Studios with Jack Endino at the helm. I always find myself comparing Blood Circus, Swallow and Cat Butt together, but do you blame me? Listen to those three bands and tell me they don’t sound somewhat alike.
The “Primal Rock Therapy” release was an interesting album, with very interesting songs. For instance the song “Sea Chanty” is the only grunge song about pirates and exploring the high seas, and “Gnarly” is the only grunge song about surfing. In their heyday they wrote about politics but by the time “Primal Rock Therapy” was released Anderson says “I see things from a twisted point of view. I’m probably reading too much Jim Thompson and Charles Bukowski”. Just based off those two facts, the band already broke some boundaries and had some pretty damn great tracks to go with it. It’s a damn shame it didn’t get the recognition it deserved, and a damn disgrace it was considered one of the poorest selling records ever in Sub Pop history.
To add to their string of bad luck by this time, the band called it quits in 1990, just before the whole grunge thing was becoming popular. Michael Anderson went off to play in Hard Belly Lloyd with former Swallow members, but to my knowledge never released anything. T-Man went to play with Brother James’ post-Cat Butt band Yummy who released a record or two, played a show or two than called it quits. Doug also played sporadically in other lesser known Seattle bands, whereas Geoff did something completely different…He worked in a hardware store.
In 1992, Sub Pop reissued “Primal Rock Therapy”, included the single “Two Way Street” and “6 Foot Under”, but also included tracks from a 1989 record that never saw the light of day as bonus tracks. From my conversation with the band they do have an entire compilation of unreleased tracks laying around, I’m still working on wooing my way into getting my hands on it though.
Since that reissue, they band has reunited and played a handful of shows, they were featured in the movie Hype! Since, the most recent Blood Circus encounter was in 2007 when they tore the Crocodile Café up in a one-time reunion show. I think Jon Poneman put it best when he went on record saying “There are a bunch of you who have scored your Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Nirvana records and think you have the grunge cred covered. No chance. ‘Primal Rock Therapy’ is the acid test” and how true he was.
Not many people realize how much of an integral part Blood Circus played on the whole grunge explosion. They were one of the first bands Sub Pop signed and released a record for, and as soon as you open up the “Primal Rock Therapy” record you can see the gig poster and see how real they were. The strikingly raw sound, the mesmerizing and sometimes eerie vocals, followed by the gritty and crunchy guitars and almost haunting drum chimes in the background, how can you not love a band like this? This band, has inspired me to listen to more of the underground bands, and to dig deeper in the Seattle Scene because you never know when you will hit a goldmine. I still remember the day when I cracked open the E.P. and laid my ears on their sound. My jaw was left dropped, my eyes wide, and my toes tapping against the ground. I spinned that album for months, and never once left my CD player. Sub Pop finally had everything going for them, bands that could kick some ass, that sound good, and that what people actually wanted to listen too! Yet they push all of that away, the label deviated from signing local acts that were symbols of the scene to signing pure boring garbage. But that is a discussion for another day. If you don’t already own these releases, I urge you to get them now. If you think you know grunge, or think you have that “grunge cred” you haven’t heard nothing until you laid your ears on these guys.
If you’re looking for the single “Two Way Street/ Six Feet Under” I seen it online for over $100! I’m telling you, save your money. It’s worth every penny, for sure, but no record is worth that much. I asked Geoff once how he felt about it and he said, “Shit – shoulda been 500 bucks – I’m pissed!.....No but seriously it’s an honor, I see the it in used stores now and again…It’s kinda cool”….With that said, go buy everything they released.
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