The Unband

Bassist Mike Ruffino, guitarist/vocalist Matt Pierce, and drummer Eugene Ferrari formed the Unband in 1988, combining the hard guitar edge of bands like AC/DC and Motorhead with the old-school garage punk attitude of the Dead Boys and the Stooges. In the years following, the band gained a reputation for their debaucherous live shows, as they were often kicked out of Boston-area clubs for vomiting, lighting things on fire, and stripping naked. The Northampton, MA, trio's songs celebrated the same sorts of hedonism, hyping an abundance of drinking, drugs, and girls. In 1996, the band released their debut album, Chung Wayne Lo Mein, on Chunk records. TVT released the Unband's major-label follow-up, Retarder, in 2000. ~ Jennifer Maerz