Member Since: 5/29/2006
Band Website: AlternativeTentacles.com
Band Members: Jello Biafra
Real name Eric Boucher, rose to notoriety through the punk band the Dead Kennedys which emerged in the San Francisco area in the late 1970s. They gained a reputation as one of the more hardcore punk acts to come out of the US punk scene in that era, and for that matter, of all time. Classics like Holiday In Cambodia, California Ãœber Alles and Too Drunk To Fuck consolidated a cult following for the Dead Kennedys and distanced them from poppy sugar-coated 'punk' bands then and now.
Al Jourgensen
was born in Cuba and emigrated to the United States after Castro's revolution. After several minor bands such as Special Affect, he formed what is today a very evolved and polished band, Ministry, in 1981. The first album for Ministry was With Sympathy in 1982. Ministry developed throughout the 1980's, gaining an excellent reputation on the world industrial scene, credited as being industrial pioneers along with Skinny Puppy and Front 242. In 1992, Ministry released Psalm 69, which exploded Ministry onto a mainstream scale. The album included collaborations with Gibby Haynes from the Butthole Surfers and William S. Burroughs. Their latest release is Dark of Side of the Spoon, yet another direction for Ministry. Al Jourgensen has had many side projects, including of course Lard. Others include the Revolting Cocks, PTP and 1000 Homo DJ's. PTP, short for Programming The Psychodrill, had the A-side of their sole single Rubber Glove Seduction included on the Robocop soundtrack. A send-up of house music, Al commented: 'I wonder if Hollywood was in on the joke'. 1000 Homo DJs, another one release side project, included Trent Reznor and Jello (aka Count Ringworm) on thier release Supernaut, a Black Sabbath cover.
Paul Barker
met Al Jourgensen in Boston, 1981. After playing for PTP, Paul joined Ministry in 1988. Later that year, The Land of Rape and Honey was released. Since then, Paul Barker has been the second and lesser-known member of Ministry. Since 1988, Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker have comprised Ministry. Paul Barker has also been a member of the Revolting Cocks as well as nearly many other of Al Jourgensen's side projects.
Jeff Ward
played drums for the first Nine Inch Nails Lollapalooza tour in 1991. His other bands have included Low Pop Suicide. He met Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker through the Revolting Cocks. He subsequently provided backing vocals and drums for Ministry on their 1991 release, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. Shortly after the release of the first Lard LP The Last Temptation of Reid in 1990, he committed suicide.
Additional personel who have featured on Lard albums include:
William Rieflin
Ex-Ministry drummer, now with KMFDM, on Pure Chewing Satisfaction (All tracks except I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog) and on The Last Temptation of Reid (Forkboy and Mate Spawn & Die).
Mike Scaccia
Guitarist for Ministry, on Pure Chewing Satisfaction (All tracks except War Pimp Renaissance and Sidewinder).
Rey Washam
Another part time Ministry member, on drums for Mangoat on Pure Chewing Satisfaction. He was also member of the Didjits and Scratch Acid, an early incarnation of the Jesus Lizard.
Influences: Drugs
Censorship
Reality
And Anything Random
Sounds Like: NIN
Ministry
Dead Kennedy's
Revolting Cocks
Jello Biafra
Record Label: Alternative Tentacles
Type of Label: Major