The Fugazi team was formed in 1987 in Washington (America). Its creator was Ian McKay, the owner of the dischord record company. He has previously been involved with bands such as The Teen Idles, Egg Hunt, Embrace and Skewbald.
Ian founded and developed the Minor Threat band, which was distinguished by brutality and hardcore. These were not his first attempts at creating a classic band with a post-hardcore sound. And finally, in the face of the Fugazi team, the creator succeeded. Fugazi has become a benchmark for bands that fully reflect the underground society with their irreconcilable perception of intellectuals and majors.
At the very beginning, this team consisted of three members. Ian McKay had great vocals and played the guitar. Joe Lolli accompanied on bass and Brendan Canty was the drummer. It was with this line-up that the guys recorded their first disc with live concerts “13 Songs”.
A little later they were joined by Guy Pizziotto, who performs virtuoso compositions on the guitar. Prior to that, he was in the Rites Of Spring with Brendan Canty, played with Insurrection and One Last Wish. So the new group included experienced musicians with a good store of knowledge and skills.
Despite the fact that hardcore music was incredibly popular at the time, Fugazi played experimental and unconventional art punk. He looked rather strange against the background of the musical culture in which the team created their singles. Art-punk did not fit into any of the existing styles. This was strongly influenced by the work of such musical groups as Hüsker Dü and NoMeansNo.
Development and success of the Fugazi team
After a series of successful performances at concerts in 1988, the band prepares and releases their debut album "Fugazi EP". It was well received by listeners and featured in the media. The most successful compositions were "Waiting Room" and "Suggestion". These compositions are referred to as visiting cards of the group itself.
In 1989, the team recorded the next disc under the name "Margin Walker". After a while, the track of the same name will become legendary and revered among the many works of the band. It will be included in the "13 Songs" collection, where each song was carefully chosen.
In 1990, the record "Repeater" was released, which was well received by listeners and the media, but there was still some doubt in this young group. However, with the release of the next album "Steady Diet Of Nothing" a year later, it became clear that the group is very promising, interesting and unusual. The unusual sound captivated many and attracted the attention of producers. This disc later became legendary among the fans of this band.
90s for Fugazi
During this period, a wave begins that popularizes the culture of the underground. The Nirvana team releases their bright disc "Nevermind". He acted as a flagship for fans of such music, and then the Fugazi group falls into that same trend. They are beginning to offer interesting and lucrative contracts with recording studios.
However, the musicians remain true to their convictions and contempt for majors and pathos. They continue to work and record at their Dischord studio. Then Ian McKay was offered not only a contract with the group, but also to buy the entire label "Dischord". But the owner, of course, refuses.
The new album is released in 1993 with the name "In On The Kill Taker" in a more aggressive sound and pressure. The texts are distinguished by openness and immodest statements, which attracts many. This disc enters the British music parade immediately at 24th place without any advertising or production activities.
Fugazi is becoming a very popular and in demand group precisely because of their expressive performances and contempt for the upper strata of society. Guy Pizziotto was the most impulsive at the performances. He went into some kind of violent trance on stage, energizing the entire hall.
The group insisted that tickets to their concerts should always be available to ordinary people and cost no more than $5, and the price of CDs should not exceed $10. Also, the guys did not have an age limit for attending performances. During the concerts it was forbidden to sell alcohol and cigarettes. If someone in the hall began to go beyond, then he was asked to leave the hall with a refund of the cost of the ticket. If riots began in the crowd, then the group stopped playing until order came.
Group experiments
Recorded in 1995, Red Medicine is more melodic, with slight stylistic fluctuations. There were tracks with notes of noise rock and traditional and beloved hardcore by listeners.
The musicians successfully experimented with styles, combining several elements from different directions in one composition. In the same vein, the next album, End Hits, was recorded in 1998. Such a gap between album releases is explained by the increased interest of groups in the studio "Dischord", which simultaneously worked with Ian McKay.
After this disc, the team again begins to give concerts. In 1999, the musicians create a documentary called "Instrument". It captures concerts, various recordings of interviews, rehearsals and, in general, the life of the group behind the scenes. At the same time, in addition, a CD with a soundtrack in this film was released.
The end of the Fugazi group
The last studio album was released in 2001 with the title "The Argument" and a separate EP "Furniture". The latter contained three tracks that differed in style from the main disc. It had more familiar singles for listeners.
"The Argument" was the best work of the team for all their activities. And after graduation, the team decides to disperse in order to engage in their own creativity. Ian is fully committed to other projects on behalf of Dischord, and participates in the band Evens, playing the guitar.
They write two releases called "The Evens" in 2005 and "Get Evens" in 2006. McKay and Pizziotto became producers of other bands. Joe Lolli became the founder of his label "Tolotta", which is gradually acquiring new promising bands, for example "Spirit Caravan". In parallel, he is recording his solo disc "There to Here". Canty is involved in other bands and also writes her album "Decahedron".
