DISCLAIMER:
This is the official Really Red myspace page. The band no longer exists and this page is run by an old fan with U-Ron's consent. This is the official source of information on myspace for all things RR, so if you have any questions, info, or just want to pass a message on to the band (I will be selective about that, by the way), you're in the right place.
HISTORY:
Really Red was one of Houston's first Punk bands in the late 70's, along with others like Legionaire's Disease, Plastic Idols, and the Hates. Their roots can be traced as far back as the 60's when Ronnie and Kelly had a high school band called The Lords, who played original songs. A few years later they met up with John Paul and established themselves as shit-disturbers in the oppressive pre-punk days of the early-to-mid-70's. As a band, they had existed for years under various names, doing mainly covers, until they were stunned by their first Legionaire's Disease gig. They evolved into Houston's most prominent Punk band of that era. Their sound developed into something unique and distinctive, while never straying too far from it's loud, fast, aggressive roots. Back in those days punk only had one rule, and that was "make your own rules". It was an amazing time to be alive. The formulas and cliches that have been plagueing punk for years now at that time had yet to taint it's original vision, and the ground was fertile for new sounds, new attitudes, and new ideas. Really Red delivered in spades on all three of those angles. As a band they built on the new sounds. They brought all kinds of influences to bear on the example from England. Just like Austin's Big Boys and The Dicks, they made something specifically Texan out of punk rock. Their left-wing politics embraced their lone star legacy. The result was inventive, multi-faceted, and powerful. They left behind memories of countless awesome, passionate, high-energy shows, and a legacy of classic recordings. Along with a few other groundbreaking local bands, they helped kick-start the early punk scene in Houston and spread their message further by taking to the road and playing with other such pioneering acts as DOA, the Avengers, and Dead Kennedys to name but a few. In Houston, they helped make the local scene explode and created a sense of community like no other local band has done previously or since. They worked as hard as they played, and they thrived on the DIY ethic, starting their own C.I.A. label. As well as fronting Really Red, lead singer U-Ron hosted the "Funhouse" radio show on Pacifica's KPFT, cracking open many a young suburban Houston mind to punk and other new underground music. Their contributions to the early Houston and Texas underground scene cannot be overstated yet due to historical inaccuracies has been overlooked for some reason.
Really Red broke up in 1985 after releasing 2 albums, 2 singles, 2 EP's, and tracks on various compilations. Their classic '81 LP "Teaching You The Fear" has recently been re-issued on Empty Records.
Go here: Strange Reaction if you like Really Red.
SOME PERSPECTIVE FROM FORMER BAND MEMBERS:
Kelly (guitar):
"I was (am) a printer, and I was trying to think of something non-sensical that people could extrapolate a bunch of non-related meanings to. For some reason, Red (magenta) crossed my mind, and Really Red came to be. Our political leanings meant we could be considered reds, communists. That was bullshit, but if it got people to think, that was O.K. with us. I would request that you run this by the others, in case there is an alternate explanation."
John Paul (bass):
"The name Really Red came from a situation where we were trying to come up with something interesting and profound, of course! We looked at other band names like King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Sex Pistols, and all of the other ridiculous names that bands have had in the past. Through a deeply religious experience (drinking booze, playing hard, staying up late doing naughty things), it turned out that we had practice the next day and someone mentioned that someone else's eyes were 'really red'. Voila! A most mystical occurrence! An incredible quark of nature! A true quantum experience! This went beyond all reasoning. Something so profound from such a meager beginning."
I can only imagine the band history is remembered even more differently by individual band members, but John Paul said it best when he wrote:
"Really Red was a band committed to freedom of expression, political statement, some misguided opinions, and a lot of volatility. We were a group of people who were all individuals, and none of us liked to give an inch. That is what made us good. I used to think of the one thing, that day, that ticked me off more than anything just before I got on stage. Then I spat (not on people) venom and took my anger out on my machine. I found that by being as tight as hell musically, then it didn't even matter what you were saying because people rarely understood it anyway unless you had a lyric sheet. I can remember times when we were so fast and so tight that the feeling was unreal. Kelly and I wrote all the music. Ronnie didn't want to 'sing' anybody else's lyrics so we went along with that as long as we agreed on the content. After all, Ronnie sang, and we played.
"Really Red as a group worked hard. We practiced every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday afternoon without fail. If you were hung over, pissed off, not feeling good or whatever, there were no good excuses. You showed up, and you played. We were a band that jammed for hours on end. We played stuff we didn't even know what it was. We just jammed. Through the jam we came up with interesting riffs. Through the interesting riffs (where were usually very simple in the beginning), we would develop a bridge (from another interesting riff), and come up with a beginning and end. Sometimes we would come with the beginning, sometimes the end was first. The pieces changed constantly, sometimes in concert. There were no rules except participation by all. We were a band. We all worked hard. I always tell young people who want to 'play' that you have to commit, you don't let everyone else down just because you don't feel like it today. We are a poorly motivated society these days, and I have very little patience for assholes who think being a punk or a hippie means doing nothing and staying stoned. 'I Refuse To Sing' is an example of our feelings toward idiots who wreak havoc on their own because they think the music gives them permission. One thing is for sure: Really Red had integrity and a lot of faults and through that friction came fire."
And, finally, from the man who wrote all the words, U-Ron Bondage wrote:
"Being involved in the explosion and turbulence of the Texas and American punk movements of the late 70s and early 80s was a truly exciting and gratifying experience. The bands, audiences, publishers, artists, and DJs were cutting their way through uncharted areas, breaking lots of rules as they invented a new counter-culture. Being a small part of the lives of the wild, inspiring, and often crazy people that we met along the way was well worth the time, money, and energy spent. Not to mention the often frustrating experiences with rip-off promoters, cheap motels, lousy sound systems, unresponsive DJs, and abusive police. There are many ways to measure success. REALLY RED never had any dream of becoming stars nor was our intention ever to "get signed" by a major label (a goal that seems all too common with so-called alternative bands of the 90s). Our aim was to be somewhat of a catalyst (however small) for thought, outrage, fun, action, and ultimately CHANGE and to have a great time provoking it. I don't know if we succeeded or failed in that area. But I do feel that we turned out some good music, for our limited abilities and the somewhat restrictive musical genre we chose. It is most gratifying to know that we are still remembered by a few. Thank you to those who were there then and those of you who are listening now. Never give up."
Aside from being a band, Really Red also had their own label (CIA) and U-Ron ran a record store, Real Records.
