To someone not familiar with the LA punk scene, it may seem that the attempt to start a classic LA hardcore band would be a simple thing to do. But in 2002, the country was in the midst of the streetpunk craze, and LA was torn between the streetpunk, rock 'n roll, and crust sides of punk rock. At the time, there wasn't that much interest in starting a new version of the hardcore style that originated in the LA area twenty years earlier. A recent transplant from Brooklyn, Bad Reaction singer Kash might not have fully understood the odds against him when he started attempting to put together a band based on the older sounds of California hardcore. Sounds that had drawn him all the way across the country. Despite the general lack of interest at the time, Kash was lucky enough to find a few people who still loved the music he wanted to play, and luckier still that they already knew how to play their instruments. After a few false starts, the core of what would become Bad Reaction came together. Kash on vocals, Jesse A. on bass, and Ben Edge on guitar. With Charles Hamma on Drums, the band soon played their first show as "The Problem," opening up for the final show of the band Ben was leaving as vocalist, Fields of Fire. For better or for worse, that would be Charles' last show with the band, as there was a meltdown on stage, ending with a crazy rant on the mic and drums flying towards the audience. It looked like that would be the end of the band until Kash ran into Justin Laughlin, an Oklahoma native who turned out to be an amazingly technical drummer. With Justin on board, the band managed to find a level of stability, and after changing their name to Bad Reaction, recorded their first demo, "Six Songs." Although in retrospect the band would rather that no one heard that recording, it did manage to get them amazingly far for a demo recording. Over the next couple of years, Bad Reaction managed to work themselves into the position of being a consistent opening act for many of the bands that inspired them to play punk music in the first place. Playing with legendary bands such as The Adolescents, the Angry Samoans, Battalion of Saints, Youth Brigade, Circle One, TSOL, DI, DR. Know and many others the band vacillated between playing the large all-ages reunion shows of older bands, and boring bar shows with local acts that had little to do with what Bad Reaction was all about. This was due in part to the lack of other new eighties-style hardcore bands in the LA area and in part to the fact that Justin had little interest in playing underground punk shows. As the band progressed, it became an increasing problem that Justin was uninvolved in the punk scene. Although he was a great drummer, and helped the band establish themselves in a town where it can be extremely hard to develop a local following, after Bad Reaction's first LP, "Symptoms of Youth," was released, it became apparent that the band and Justin were going in opposite directions. Although the band managed a West Coast Tour, it was obvious a change was coming. Luckily for Bad Reaction, Nic Rips was finishing up a stint as drummer for the legendary hardcore band DR. Know. At a show in Sacramento the band approached Brandon Cruz, who suggested Nic might work out as the new Bad Reaction drummer. Needless to say, Nic fit in perfectly. Within a few weeks the band was playing the kind of shows they had always wanted to play, connecting with the burgeoning hardcore scene that had grown up beneath Bad Reaction's feet during Justin's stint as drummer, and writing newer, faster material. Since Nic has joined Bad Reaction the band has finally hit it’s stride. With all members on the same page musically and philosophically, Bad Reaction has finally been able to write exactly the kind of music they have always wanted to play, ramp up the energy at their shows, and connect with an all ages audience, ruling out playing any shows with age limits. A second tour of the West Coast with Nic along for the ride was way off of the fun scale, especially since it was shared with OC Hardcore heart-throbs Tipper's Gore. With the release of new material, including the seven inches "Plastic World" and "Dare to Be Dull," (combining for the overseas CD entitled "Had it Coming,") an upcoming split twelve inch EP with Bay Area Hardcore staples Deadfall, a June East Coast tour with brother band Tipper's Gore, and plans to record a new LP in the next year, Bad Reaction is looking forward to bringing their high energy live show to new people and places, and helping to define LA's place in this decade's take on the sound of Hardcore.
BAD REACTION DISCOGRAPHY
SIX SONGS CD
Personal Space
Sublimation
F Train Blues
Hatefuck
My Summer Vacation
Vice
SYMPTOMS OF YOUTH LP / CD
Alienate
You Ain't Foolin' No One
Look Both ways (Before You Cross Me)
Good Ol' Daze
Symptoms Of Youth
I Live In Hollywood
Murder In Jamaica
Bad Reaction
End of Civilization
Inebriated
Caught In A Corner
Tigerbeat T.V.
Rumors
Gatorade
PLASTIC WORLD 7"
Plastic World
Hate My Job
Take Your God Out Of My Peanut Butter
The Truth
DARE TO BE DULL 7"
300 on Black vinyl/100 on yellow vinyl
Dare To Be Dull
You
Shitting On Your Subculture
I. Cheatin' at Solitaire
II. Wigger Please
Street Cred
HAD IT COMING
Plastic World
Dare To Be Dull
The Truth
Street Cred
You
Hate My Job
Shitting On Your Subculture
Take Your God Out Of My Peanut Butter
Pay To Cum (Bad Brains)
