Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies — Concert Photography by Wayne Dennon

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Suicidal Tendencies concert photo by Wayne Dennon

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About Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies formed in Venice, California in 1980 (some sources cite 1981 or 1982), founded by vocalist Mike Muir, who has remained the band's sole constant member ever since. The band was formed in 1980 in Venice, Los Angeles, California, by vocalist Mike Muir. The original lineup consisted of Mike Muir on vocals, Mike Ball on guitar, Carlos "Egie" Egert on drums, and Mike Dunnigan on bass. Muir, at the time a student at Santa Monica College, originally only intended Suicidal Tendencies as a "party band", but as they grew in notoriety he soon found the band at the center of his life. The group's early years were chaotic and controversial, tied to the raw hardcore punk scene of the Los Angeles beach communities, and the band had a rough start including being voted "Worst Band/Biggest Assholes" in Flipside in 1982 but the following year were voted "Best New Band". The band's breakthrough came with its self-titled debut album, released through Frontier Records in 1983. Regarded as one of the best-selling and most successful hardcore punk albums, Suicidal Tendencies was well-received by fans and critics alike, and the airplay of its only single "Institutionalized" brought the band considerable popularity. "Institutionalized" was one of the first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV, and was eventually used in the cult classic Emilio Estevez movie Repo Man, as well as in an episode of Miami Vice. The album's success established Suicidal Tendencies as pioneers of a new sound, and they are considered to be the fathers of the "crossover" genre, along with Anthrax, Corrosion of Conformity, D.R.I., and Faith No More. Notable members who passed through the ranks over the years included guitarists Rocky George and Mike Clark, bassist Robert Trujillo (later of Metallica), and bassist Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, among many others.

Following their debut, the band's career arc saw them evolve stylistically while building commercial momentum. With their second studio album Join the Army (1987), their first to enter the Billboard 200 chart, the band was beginning to experiment with a heavy sound that helped create, develop and popularize the crossover thrash genre. Signing to Epic Records, their first three albums on the major label, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988), Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...DÃ©jÃ Vu (1989) and Lights...Camera...Revolution! (1990), were well-received in the thrash metal and heavy metal communities, with the latter two earning Suicidal Tendencies gold certifications by the RIAA. The band's sixth studio album, The Art of Rebellion (1992), became their greatest chart success, peaking at number 52 on the Billboard 200, and included three of their biggest hits "Asleep at the Wheel", "Nobody Hears" and "I'll Hate You Better". They also broadened their audience through major touring, including opening a string of arena shows for prog-metallers QueensrÃ¿che during the summer of 1991. Suicidal Tendencies has continued to record and perform well into the modern era, with Mike Muir still leading the band. Their most recent releases are the EP Get Your Fight On! and an album featuring unreleased and re-recorded material, Still Cyco Punk After All These Years, both released in 2018, and the band has continued working on new material for further studio albums. The current lineup includes guitarists Dean Pleasants (since 1996) and Ben Weinman (since 2018), bassist Tye Trujillo (since 2021), and Xavier Ware. Decades after their formation, the band's legacy as originators of crossover thrash endures, having shaped the sound of countless hardcore and metal acts that followed and remaining a fixture of the live music circuit that helped define West Coast punk and metal culture.

That enduring live legacy is part of what makes Suicidal Tendencies a meaningful piece of this archive. Wayne Dennon photographed the band once, capturing a single show in 2003 that remains preserved here as a snapshot of the group mid career, years removed from their Venice beach origins but still delivering the same raw intensity that built their reputation. That single night of documentation grew into a small but cherished corner of Wayne's collection, with 77 photos from the performance now held in the archive, viewed by visitors 54,854 times over the years. Long after Wayne's passing, those images continue to stand as a testament both to Suicidal Tendencies' lasting power as performers and to Wayne's dedication in capturing the bands that shaped a generation of concertgoers.

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