The Used Primer
Please note that this is a massive post. You might want to open it in a tab and get some coffee/tea and let it load before looking at it. It was originally divided into two posts, but since I don't like spamming comms I crammed it all into one post. Originally posted here.
Let's get some visuals first:
The Used V.1 (ca. 2001- august 2006)
Left to Right: Jeph Howard (bass), Bert McCracken (vocals), Quinn Allman (guitar), Branden Steineckert (drums)
The Used V.2 (ca. september 2006-present)
Left to Right: Bert McCracken (vocals), Jeph Howard (bass), Quinn Allman (guitar), Dan Whitesides (drums)
Now, some history! Don't worry, there'll be more pictures later.
BEFORE THE USED
Before forming The Used (TU), all members were involved in local bands, none of which were going anywhere or were any good. That is, until the guys ended up in the same band.
The way Jepha tells the story is: he was walking around in a mall one day, bored, when a guy named Joel walked up to him and asked if he ever thought of singing in a band. At this point Jepha had been playing bass for a few years and hadn't really considered singing. The only reason he gave it a shot was because he didn't have anything better to do. The band he joined was called Strange Itch, and their drummer was Branden Steineckert. This is when Jepha and Branden first played together.
This band later morphed into Dumb Luck when Quinn joined them on guitar (please note: at the time of joining Quinn was only fifteen). Dumb Luck is the most notable pre-TU band as three of the original TU members were in it, and lead to the formation of TU.
Left to Right: Ashton Johnson (bass), Quinn Allman (guitar), Branden Steineckert (drums), Jepha Howard (vocals).
Formed in 1999, Dumb Luck can be said to be the band that transformed into The Used. They independently released an EP entitled "The Naked Truth" in 2000. During all of this Branden kept sending songs to John Feldmann (of Goldfinger), and he kept telling them that they needed to improve, be more serious, get a new singer etc. etc. Not long after the EP was released the line-up of the band changed. Jeph, who'd always been uncomfortable doing the vocals, switched to bass, and the band decided to look for a new singer and be more serious about their music.
They auditioned about 50 singers before "finding" Bert, and they knew right away that he was right for them. What happened is that Quinn remembered Bert from school and Branden called him up, asking if he was interested in singing for their band. Bert had heard that they were looking for a singer and was planning to call them when Branden got in touch with him. At the time, Bert was having a lot of drug and abuse problems, and he thought the band would "save him". They gave him a cd with the instrumental parts of "Maybe Memories" recorded, and asked him to write some lyrics for it. The lyrics/vocals Bert had come up with for the song were far superior to everything else, and they made him the new singer. This is when the four of them became The Used.
They tried playing gigs and putting themselves out there, but the town wasn't very receptive of their type of music. They played where they could but they kept getting kicked out of places, and after a while they decided to just write the best songs they could and play in their living rooms. Their days revolved around recording and writing music as most of them had shitty jobs and lived out of cars/on the street/etc.
[...] I started working right when I was 16. I had the most godawful jobs, like I worked at Arby's for a year, at Subway for like a year and a half, and I worked at printing places. By the end of it, by the time we were rolling with the band, I just refused to work--I was hungry, I was eating Top Ramen for lunch and dinner. This is what I want to do, this is what I was born to do, and this is what I'm going to do, so I refused to work a day job by the end. I know the other guys stuck to their day jobs--Brandon was working packing boxes and Jeff was cooking at restaurant and Quinn was working at a golf course. I was the only one that refused to work and stayed hungry with no money. I guess it was worth it now. We were walking to band practice every day, and it was good times--times I'll never forget. -- Bert McCracken
Branden started sending songs to John Feldmann again, and he remained indifferent to the music until they sent him "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects". He had them come out to his house and helped them record demos, titled "Demos From the Basement". He took them out on tour with Goldfinger, and recorded a demo ("Demos From The Basement") for them and shopped them around at labels. The interest level was low until the demo got around, and eventually TU signed to Reprise records in 2001.
They wrote/recorded their debut album in about six weeks in California and London. The self-titled album was released in June of 2002 and and the "Maybe Memories" DVD was released a month later. The DVD It's one of the best sources for information on the band in its early days, so you should check that out if you want to know more--it's up on youtube, and I've got the links to all the parts in the video section of the post.
The time between and during writing/recording their sophomore record was very troubled. Branden broke his foot. Bert's ex-girlfriend overdosed while pregnant with his kid and his chihuahua was run over by a car. Quinn's family's house burned down and he was forced to support them. "In Love and Death" was released in 2004, and if you want to know more about the making of that and their third CD "Lies For The Liar", you should check out the Berth DVD. I can't find it online anywhere, but it picks up where the Maybe Memories DVD ends.
The line up changed (officially) in September of 2006, when it was announced that Branden Steineckert had been kicked out of the band. Later, it surfaced that his departure was mostly due to his crumbling relationship with Quinn and his straight-edge lifestyle. Quinn is quoted as saying:
[Branden] had no part in my life anymore. It was about him, his life, his endeavors and his things. It's been two years, and I don't have a car. So for me to borrow a car without a license, drive to his house and for him to be too busy to jam with me is not cool. I think that's God manifesting himself into saying, "You should probably go with what works'. And we realized his heart isn't where it was at one time. It was a hard thing but creatively it wasn't coming together anymore. He did a good job and had his place the first two records but actually going the distance it wasn't going to work out. It's always shitty when the chemical reaction of the bands changes it's composure.
According to John Feldmann the issue was simpler, "They're stoners, dude, and Branden is definitely not a stoner." Branden hasn't said anything in the press, but if you read through his myspace blogs you can find out how he feels about it all--there's no plain facts, but there's a definite vibe of legitimate discontent that can be read in what he says. Since being kicked out of TU, Branden has joined Rancid and is their official drummer. In the past he often cited Rancid as being his favorite band, so I think it's fair to say things worked out pretty well for him.
In October of 2006 it was announced that Dan Whitesides was the new drummer for the band. The guys knew him as a drummer for New Transit Direction, and according to an interview in AP their decision to let him play on the record was based on convenience & him always being around (Bert), and him not being afraid of having ideas shot down as well as working fast (Quinn).
Now, you may be wondering why I haven't talked about My Chemical Romance yet. TU's (former) friendship with MCR is one of the first things I ever found out about them, so chances are so have you. The truth is I just can't find enough information on what went down to give you any clear facts.
We know that Brian Schecter tour managed TU early in their career, and that he introduced the two bands. He's also the one who suggested that they tour together, which they ended up doing many times between 2003-2005.
Brian Schecter + The Used!
Bert and Gerard got along famously well, doing many things together such as: getting drunk, singing/performing and doing interviews.
The other members hung out too, though, so it wasn't just Bert&Gerard running the show.
You might also know that MCR met Bob Bryar through TU when he did sound for them--you could say they stole him from TU ;) (Sidenote: Jepha and Bob are/were really good friends. Jepha even went so far as calling Bob the fifth member of the band in his thank you notes in the "In Love And Death" jacket.)
A lot of people think that Bert and Gerard stopped hanging out after Gerard sobered up in 2004. This is not true. In fact, they were both on Taste Of Chaos in 2005 and performed together on some of the dates. They also recorded "Under Pressure" early in 2005.
The falling out happened sometime in the spring of 2005, more than six months after Gerard got sober. They went from recording "Under Pressure" and performing together on Taste Of Chaos in the winter, to Bert telling people not to watch MCR performing during Warped. (Sidenote: TU weren't actually on Warped 05, but Bert performed with Street Drum Corps on their dates. So he wasn't around being bitter the entire tour.)
One theory is that Gerard/MCR got pissed off when TU decided to put the "Under Pressure" cover on the re-release of "In Love And Death" as both bands had previously agreed that neither of them would use the recording for profit. No one knows what happened except them.
Currently, the fight/feud seems to be over. In a recent interview Bert was asked about Gerard and the 'feud' and his response was that he doesn't care anymore and hasn't spoken to him in three years. "We used to be friends, and now we're not. It happens all the time.... I'm not being a dick, dude. I'm just so over it." Additionally, a banner that said "We hate MCR" was thrown on stage at a recent TU concert, and Bert and Quinn tore it up, saying the banner had not been their idea. Bert has also sung some of "Teenagers" at a show, and has wished Gerard the best in an interview, stating that the entire "feud" was blown way out of proportion by the press. Gerard has remained quiet on the matter.
Bob and Jeph supposedly still talk, and from what I've heard Quinn is the only one that's still bitter about MCR (however, I can't find any actual sources on this so it can't be confirmed/denied).
I'm pretty sure someone else knows more about this than me, and regardless, like with many things I don't think the truth will ever be known.
And now, on to the members!
ROBERT (BERT) EDWARD MCCRACKEN, 26 (dob: 25/2/82), VOCALS
Bert was raised mormon. He has 3 little sisters (Katie, Melanie, Rachel) and a younger brother (J.T.) he thinks growing up in Utah was pretty chill. His parents overheard him talking to his girlfriend about sex and they confronted him. He went from being a good mormon kid to rebelling in his teens, doing drugs and drinking.
When Bert joined the band he tried to get clean, but he was having a lot of problems with his parents so Quinn suggested that Bert move into his house for a while.
[Bert] was in some stuff with his parents, he just needed some space away from his parents, 'cause he was trying to go clean but he was at his parents' house and it was kind of dragging him down. So I was like,"Why don't you come stay in my bedroom?" And we had great times just staying up every single night, like just underneath the stars, going to get quarter sodas, walking around town, talking, just getting to know one another--we just hit it off like that." -- Quinn Allman
Bert and Quinn are best friends, but that doesn't mean they haven't been through a lot of stuff. There was a lot of tension between them while recording the debut album which resulted in the song "Blue & Yellow" about his friendship with Quinn.
- He can play the piano and the trumpet.
- Dropped out of High School Junior year.
- Has been Mormon, Hare Krishna, straight-edge & a crystal meth addict.
- Suffers from insomnia.
- Was a gymnast (and competed) for at least 7 years.
- Bert was in a straight edge and/or death metal band (sources differ) with Donny Osmond's son at one point.
- Dated Kelly Osbourne from 2001-2003. He broke up with her over the phone on Valentine's day.
- Dated Zui Suicide ca 2004-05.
- He has a chihuaha named Gordon.
- He's been arrested more than once.
- In 2003 he collapsed on stage and was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. He was hospitalized for a week. Since then he supposedly takes it easier on the drinking, but that's not really something we can prove one way or the other. "I'd have 10 beers before a show, and we'd finish a bottle of Jack after the show and then another bottle of Jack before I passed out. Then I'd wake up and have four or five beers. And I'd just do that every day."
- In 2007 he was forced to have vocal chord surgery to remove a node that had been growing there for a while.
- He met his fiancée, Allison, in Australia in May of 2005.
QUINN ALLMAN, 26, (dob: 18/1/82), GUITAR
Quinn grew up in a non-LDS/mormon family, surrounded by LDS families. He didn't get to spend time with other children when he was younger because everyone around them were LDS. He had to find friends that weren't "weird", and he spent a lot of time out in nature. He has two brothers (Ian and Riley) and a sister (Rondee). He hates the people in Utah and resents how fake they all are--this isn't surprising as the importance of honesty is something almost always mentioned in TU interviews.
His house resembled a halway-house when he grew up: his parents would take in kids and house them. This is probably why Bert moving in with them was okay. Quinn moved out at one point while Bert was still living in his room.
- He has worked at a golf course.
- Started out playing drums, and then switched to guitar. According to Jeph he can pick up things really easily.
- Was arrested for trespassing in 2003. Supposedly, he was trying to defend a fan.
- His first job was at Arby's.
- His first band was called Hey Santos!
- He has worked with Evaline and produced some of their stuff.
- He is the only (original) member of TU who finished High School.
- He gets naked on stage a lot--or at least he used to. Image link NSFW, obviously.
- He used to be a pretty hardcore vegetarian. That makes his PETA interview/ad somewhat embarrassing to watch, but still. It's fun if only for caveman!Quinn.
JEPHAREE (JEPHA) MICHAEL HOWARD, 29 (dob: 4/1/79), BASS
Jepha is an only child, and grew up on video games. He was also a boyscout at one point. He started playing bass when his childhood friend Korby picked up the guitar--because if Korby played the guitar he had to play bass. He's a self proclaimed geek and a vegetarian. Portrayal of him in interviews vary: early in the band's career he was described as quiet and withdrawn, but now most articles depict him as enthusiastic and energetic.
- His first band was a black metal band calleD Karrigorathorg.
- Before TU got signed to any major label, many songs were recorded in his bedroom.
- Has worked as a cook and a baker.
- Shaves his legs.
- He used to date Kate Cupcake, former Suicide Girl and current God's Girl.
- Has been trying to learn Japanese for 10+ years, and is generally fascinated with Japan.
- Started getting tattoos at age 17--first tattoo is the lightning bolt on his middle finger.
- He has many, many piercings, among them a Prince Albert (NSFW link).
- He has a daughter; she was 7 in 2004, so I estimate about 10-11 now. As her age indicates, he had her while he was still in highschool. It also seems like he doesn't get to spend much time with her; or at least, this was the case in 2004.
- He used to own a vegan tea/coffee shop called The Bridge in Salt Lake City.
- He has a dachshund named Zelda, and she is, in my opinion, the cutest bandom pet. She's named after his favorite video game (The Legend of Zelda.)
Not only is Zelda super cute, she's also Jeph's secretary.
BRANDEN STEINECKERT, 29 (dob: 21/4/78), FORMER DRUMMER
Branden was born in Idaho and raised in a Mormon family. He moved around a lot during his youth--some sources state numbers as high as 20-21. His parents had a rocky marriage, and got divorced when he was 11; his mom remarried and his dad killed himself. Branden started skateboarding as a way to let off some steam, and he picked up drumming at age 12 in a way of honoring his dad who was a drummer.
He was fired from TU over the phone in August of '06. He claims that he hasn't been in touch with any of the members since. The only member said to have an issue with Branden is Quinn, and he's supposedly the one who wanted him to get kicked out. The other members say they have no beef with Branden.
Aside from drumming for Rancid now he also keeps running Unknown Studios and producing records.
- He is straight-edge and has never had alcohol or done drugs or smoked.
- Broke his ankle in two places during the recording of IL&D. The first time he went surfing.
- Doesn't believe in modern day medicines. "I'm more into Eastern herbs and vitamins and natural remedies."
- Roomed with Jepha for years before getting places down the street from each others. Said to be almost as close to Jepha as Bert & Quinn are.
- His first job was at Wendy's.
- He got married to his longterm girlfriend, Spike, in May of 06.
- He founded twenty twenty skateboards in 2005.
DAN WHITESIDES, 27 (dob: 7/7/80), DRUMS
Before playing for The Used, he drummed for New Transit Direction. Dan and Quinn knew each other for years; they'd jam when Quinn was home from tour, and Quinn has been a big fan of New Transit Direction for many years. Dan was seriously considering quitting music two weeks before TU called him. Dan has said that, "At one point, I was in four different bands, none of which were side projects--they were full, serious bands that I'd practice a total of eight hours with each day"
- He started drumming at age 14.
- Before playing for TU and NTD he also drummed for: Mich!gan, Sandkicker, Fale, Adherence, Fahrenheit 451, The Federation, Sprinklerhead, The Kill, The Wolfs, Form of Rocket and Young Blood.
- He has two dogs: Frankie and George. They are both female.
- He has moonlighted as a bricklayer.
MOAR INFORMATION?
I could only include so much information in the information portion of the primer, so here are some good articles if you want to know more and/or want a feel for how the guys express themselves.
The Aquarian interviews Jepha
Blender article--very good info on all the members; depicts them all really well as well.
Screamo article--has a good interview with Quinn.
Bert's interview with playboy.
SLUG interview. The group dynamics in this are hilarious.
Bombshellzine Interview with Branden -- You get a lot of almost shocking stories and letters from kids that reflect some of the most horrible times in my own life.
Absolute Punk Interview with Quinn
Most of the time it'd be me going "Do that again, let's do that again. I need that again."
AP Interview from June 2007. Very good reflection of the new band dynamics. It's a great contrast with how things used to be.
Kerrang! asks the boys questions. one | two
I pissed into a friend's Heineken bottle on her birthday and I told her to drink it.
FUN STUFF AKA THE GOODIES
And now for the goodies portion of the post. If anything expires/disappears let me know, and I'll re-upload it.
Stuff to listen to:
Songs! Because it really is all about the music. I doubt anyone would be willing to blindly download all their albums, so here are my favorite songs of theirs. Hopefully it'll whet your appetite for more!
Blue And Yellow
By the way, your hands were shaking; I'd rather waste some time with you
Paralyzed
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Taste Of Ink
So here I am, it's in my hands, and I'll savour every moment of this
Dark Days
As in the way that the rain spits in your face, just falling apart your lips to taste
Earthquake
I made this mess, I built this fire, are you still mine?
Bulimic
I'm about to do all of the things I dreamed of, and I don't even miss you at all
I'm A Fake
Love is not like anything. Especially a fucking knife.
Take It Away
I'm a worm with no more chances and I've lost all doubt in a chemical romance
Sick Hearts
There's so much left to see, but I'd rather shut my eyes.
Pretty Handsome Awkward
Your dream vacation is my hostage refuge
Sun Comes Up
The world collapses; you hold it in.
Noises and Kisses
It's worth my time, whatever that means.
Buried Myself Alive
You almost always pick the best time to drop the worst lines
I Caught Fire
You can stay and watch me fall, and of course I'll ask for help
TU's Loveline visits are pretty much my favorites, and sort of won me over completely, so have those too! (I highly recommend the 2008 version for Bert's helpfulness and expertise. He's really not (well, not always) an asshole, you guys!)
Loveline Appearance 2002 | Loveline Appearance 2003 | Loveline Appearance 2008
Some other things you may want to check out!
TheUsed.net -- Official website. Friend theusednet to see the site updates on your friends page.
theusedchannel -- their official youtube channel, regularly updated with new videos! I highly recommend watching everything there. I'd embed everything if I could, but I had to be picky. It's all hilarous and an awesome way of figuring out how the guys behave though.
WeAreTheUsed -- The Used's Twitter account! Friend the LJ feed wearetheused1 to get all their posts on your friends page.
The Used on Kyte -- Sort of like Youtube but with camera phone videos. They've got some incredibly dorky and candid stuff up there.
The Used myspace -- It's frequently updated with fun pictures, and sometimes Dan will reply to your comments!
Unknown Studios -- Branden's producing studio; also home to Branden's blogs.
Dumb Luck's Myspace.
Bert/Quinn picspam
Girlfriends Picspam
How Can A Fistfight Be Romantic - A quick and Dirty Primer on The Used
Bert Is Not Evil: An Essay -- Because he isn't.
Stuff to watch:
Maybe Memories Documentary, which is an awesome way of finding out more stuff on all the members and see how they act around each other. It's long, so I'm linking instead of embedding.
on youtube:
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4
Jepha and Quinn want to talk to you about Myspace~ (with bonus singing Quinn!)
Quinn + coffee = ADORABLENESS.
The making of "Take It Away"
Quinn being a dork and rambly and probably high.
Quinn gets fired ;(
Dan has many things, and Jepha likes buttsex.
Jepha and Quinn answer your Questulations.
TasteitTV conversation with Bert and Dan. Their interviews are always great, and this is no exception.
Part 1
Part 2
PETA interview with Jepha -- this can't be embedded, but it's a great watch so check it out.
Extreme sports with Jepha!
I don't want to like, roll down there and have my brain fall out, or something sketchy like that.
Base Jumping
Street Luge
Rollerblading
Skateboarding
Dan Whitesides MINDFREAK!
Unofficial video for "Paralyzed" made entirely from still photographs. I love this video (and song) so, so much.
Jepha getting a tattoo of a severed unicorn head. I'm not joking.
The one where Dan talks about the "Lies For The Liar" album and wears his girlfriend's underwear.
TOC interview with Bert & Jepha. Features naked Jepha + pineapple and uncomfortable My-Chemical-Steven Smith.
The Used go golfing!
Jepha almost dies :O
Taste Of Chaos with Jepha and Bert! Includes a small tour of the bus.
- Somebody we know had sex up here. I don't know who.
- But his initials are Quinn Allman.
An ADD video bio on The Used.
Because this is the greatest thing ever: Quinn and Jepha are Wiz(t)ards.
PICTORIAL EVIDENCE
Lets start with a refresher course. This is The Used v1:
Quinn, Branden, Bert, Jepha.
They worked at a used car dealership, apparently?
Craaaazy rebels.
This is the Used v2
Quinn, Bert, Dan, Jepha.
Sometimes they look creepy, I know.
But mostly it's amusing.
They too, were jailbait babies once!
(Yep, that IS Bert on the far right.)
Baaaaaabiiiiies.
And boyscouts.
So, perhaps you've read the info, watched the videos and listened to the music. But you still don't know why you should want to write/read about the guys. Well.
1. First, naturally, is the groping and public lovin' they provide each other with.
I didn't really have the opportunity to stress how much the guys like each other in the information portion of the primer, well. I can do that now.
Cause they really, really do like each other.
Bert and Quinn especially.
Bert proposed to Quinn on stage once, did ya know?
Of course, the others like each other too.
(confession: Quinn/Jepha are my faaavorite.)
Dan and Jepha seem to have a soft spot for each other.
They can't take their hands off each other!
And tongues :P
The Used GSF: DO WANT.
The Used GSF: PLAUSIBLE.
2. There is canon crossdressing!
Kerrang!: Have you ever woken up in a dress?
Bert: Never mind waking up wearing a dress, one time I went to bed wearing one and woke up without it. It's always fun to climb in a dress when you're having a party right? So we were having a party and I did just that, I poured myself into a dress. When I woke up--and I woke between the kitchen cabinets--I wasn't wearing the dress any longer. No idea where it went. It was a nice dress as well, a little black number. Do I look good in a dress? Always.
Jepha likes to join in, too, sometimes.
3. They do strange things on stage.
Bert likes to fellate eat the mic.
He climbs on things.
And jumps into the audience.
4. The AUs practically write themselves!
Superpowers fic! Breathing fire!
Super strength!
Flying!
Or maybe wing!fic? Fallen angels?
Golf experts AU!
Or perhaps they all just work at a golf course, like Quinn did (CANONICALLY, EVEN.)
Mental hospital AU...
Is he a doctor or a mental patient? Does it matter?
Trucker!AU? (Oh, I don't know, but he's darned cute here.)
Street kids AU Y/Y?
Cooks/bakers in Steven Smith's kitchen? (He looks so terrified, poor Steven.)
Or perhaps they're on some sort of undercover gig.
Do I actually have to say anything?
Yeah, no words.
Gangster AU!
5. The crossover possibilities are endless. They were on Warped with Brand New and they toured with Taking Back Sunday. And lets not forget the longstanding relationship with MCR.
Like I mentioned in the info portion of the primer, Bert and Gerard were not the only MCR/TU combo that got chummy.
Quinn's actually the one who looks scared in this. And yet people write him as the evil one! TSK, TSK.
If Ray likes him everyone should!
Peek-a-boo is apparently not Gerard's strong suit.
Even Frank liked them.
They spent time with Steven Smith.
Or perhaps that should be, they annoy Steven Smith.
Poor Steven.
At least Brian Schecter put up with them for a while.
It's true that they've spent time with people of questionable character.
I don't even know how this happened? It's like seven degrees of separation, without any separation.
6. They, too, love the furries.
Even if they're bloody, crazy, murdering furries.
And inanimate things...
7. They don't just play music and grope each other.
Quinn draws.
Bert commits acts of vampirism.
Don't try this at home.
Plays prince(ss).
And he plays with toys as big as him.
Jepha reads.
And plays dress up.
And this, whatever...this is. Yoga or some sort of martial art?
They go camping.
Sometimes Bert's left outside of the tent :(
Take pictures and act touristy!
8. There is bad hair and bad tattoos.
In every band, there is someone who used to have dreads. In The Used? That someone is Jepha.
He had blond dreads.
And also, please note: sideburns.
Of course, there have been many other bad hair choices in the band.
Most of those bad hairstyles are documented on Jepha.
I actually like most though.
Bert has changed his hair a lot too.
It seems even he didn't like the blond.
Quinn has also had his share of bad hair.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for bad bleach jobs on guys. But I still know when they're bad.
The combover works for no one, Quinn. Embrace the baldness.
There are also many tattoos.
Many of which are bad.
Really bad.
And ironic.
Jepha is the one in the band that has most tattoos. (Click for full size.)
It's likely that he has some of the most tattoos in all of bandom.
Yeah, I don't even want to know.
Seriously, what the hell Jeph?
9. Animals like them and vice versa.
10. They are goofs that don't take themselves too seriously.
Sometimes Bert doesn't fear for his life when he should.
And sometime Jepha impersonates dinosaurs.
They're not always crazy though.
11. And lets not forget that they're still just guys in a band.
And that's all from me! If you managed to read through the entire thing, good job & thanks for giving the guys a shot! If you still don't like them, well, I hope at least you feel a little bit more positive in your disposition towards them.
Let's get some visuals first:
The Used V.1 (ca. 2001- august 2006)
Left to Right: Jeph Howard (bass), Bert McCracken (vocals), Quinn Allman (guitar), Branden Steineckert (drums)
The Used V.2 (ca. september 2006-present)
Left to Right: Bert McCracken (vocals), Jeph Howard (bass), Quinn Allman (guitar), Dan Whitesides (drums)
Now, some history! Don't worry, there'll be more pictures later.
BEFORE THE USED
Before forming The Used (TU), all members were involved in local bands, none of which were going anywhere or were any good. That is, until the guys ended up in the same band.
The way Jepha tells the story is: he was walking around in a mall one day, bored, when a guy named Joel walked up to him and asked if he ever thought of singing in a band. At this point Jepha had been playing bass for a few years and hadn't really considered singing. The only reason he gave it a shot was because he didn't have anything better to do. The band he joined was called Strange Itch, and their drummer was Branden Steineckert. This is when Jepha and Branden first played together.
This band later morphed into Dumb Luck when Quinn joined them on guitar (please note: at the time of joining Quinn was only fifteen). Dumb Luck is the most notable pre-TU band as three of the original TU members were in it, and lead to the formation of TU.
Left to Right: Ashton Johnson (bass), Quinn Allman (guitar), Branden Steineckert (drums), Jepha Howard (vocals).
Formed in 1999, Dumb Luck can be said to be the band that transformed into The Used. They independently released an EP entitled "The Naked Truth" in 2000. During all of this Branden kept sending songs to John Feldmann (of Goldfinger), and he kept telling them that they needed to improve, be more serious, get a new singer etc. etc. Not long after the EP was released the line-up of the band changed. Jeph, who'd always been uncomfortable doing the vocals, switched to bass, and the band decided to look for a new singer and be more serious about their music.
They auditioned about 50 singers before "finding" Bert, and they knew right away that he was right for them. What happened is that Quinn remembered Bert from school and Branden called him up, asking if he was interested in singing for their band. Bert had heard that they were looking for a singer and was planning to call them when Branden got in touch with him. At the time, Bert was having a lot of drug and abuse problems, and he thought the band would "save him". They gave him a cd with the instrumental parts of "Maybe Memories" recorded, and asked him to write some lyrics for it. The lyrics/vocals Bert had come up with for the song were far superior to everything else, and they made him the new singer. This is when the four of them became The Used.
They tried playing gigs and putting themselves out there, but the town wasn't very receptive of their type of music. They played where they could but they kept getting kicked out of places, and after a while they decided to just write the best songs they could and play in their living rooms. Their days revolved around recording and writing music as most of them had shitty jobs and lived out of cars/on the street/etc.
[...] I started working right when I was 16. I had the most godawful jobs, like I worked at Arby's for a year, at Subway for like a year and a half, and I worked at printing places. By the end of it, by the time we were rolling with the band, I just refused to work--I was hungry, I was eating Top Ramen for lunch and dinner. This is what I want to do, this is what I was born to do, and this is what I'm going to do, so I refused to work a day job by the end. I know the other guys stuck to their day jobs--Brandon was working packing boxes and Jeff was cooking at restaurant and Quinn was working at a golf course. I was the only one that refused to work and stayed hungry with no money. I guess it was worth it now. We were walking to band practice every day, and it was good times--times I'll never forget. -- Bert McCracken
Branden started sending songs to John Feldmann again, and he remained indifferent to the music until they sent him "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects". He had them come out to his house and helped them record demos, titled "Demos From the Basement". He took them out on tour with Goldfinger, and recorded a demo ("Demos From The Basement") for them and shopped them around at labels. The interest level was low until the demo got around, and eventually TU signed to Reprise records in 2001.
They wrote/recorded their debut album in about six weeks in California and London. The self-titled album was released in June of 2002 and and the "Maybe Memories" DVD was released a month later. The DVD It's one of the best sources for information on the band in its early days, so you should check that out if you want to know more--it's up on youtube, and I've got the links to all the parts in the video section of the post.
The time between and during writing/recording their sophomore record was very troubled. Branden broke his foot. Bert's ex-girlfriend overdosed while pregnant with his kid and his chihuahua was run over by a car. Quinn's family's house burned down and he was forced to support them. "In Love and Death" was released in 2004, and if you want to know more about the making of that and their third CD "Lies For The Liar", you should check out the Berth DVD. I can't find it online anywhere, but it picks up where the Maybe Memories DVD ends.
The line up changed (officially) in September of 2006, when it was announced that Branden Steineckert had been kicked out of the band. Later, it surfaced that his departure was mostly due to his crumbling relationship with Quinn and his straight-edge lifestyle. Quinn is quoted as saying:
[Branden] had no part in my life anymore. It was about him, his life, his endeavors and his things. It's been two years, and I don't have a car. So for me to borrow a car without a license, drive to his house and for him to be too busy to jam with me is not cool. I think that's God manifesting himself into saying, "You should probably go with what works'. And we realized his heart isn't where it was at one time. It was a hard thing but creatively it wasn't coming together anymore. He did a good job and had his place the first two records but actually going the distance it wasn't going to work out. It's always shitty when the chemical reaction of the bands changes it's composure.
According to John Feldmann the issue was simpler, "They're stoners, dude, and Branden is definitely not a stoner." Branden hasn't said anything in the press, but if you read through his myspace blogs you can find out how he feels about it all--there's no plain facts, but there's a definite vibe of legitimate discontent that can be read in what he says. Since being kicked out of TU, Branden has joined Rancid and is their official drummer. In the past he often cited Rancid as being his favorite band, so I think it's fair to say things worked out pretty well for him.
In October of 2006 it was announced that Dan Whitesides was the new drummer for the band. The guys knew him as a drummer for New Transit Direction, and according to an interview in AP their decision to let him play on the record was based on convenience & him always being around (Bert), and him not being afraid of having ideas shot down as well as working fast (Quinn).
Now, you may be wondering why I haven't talked about My Chemical Romance yet. TU's (former) friendship with MCR is one of the first things I ever found out about them, so chances are so have you. The truth is I just can't find enough information on what went down to give you any clear facts.
We know that Brian Schecter tour managed TU early in their career, and that he introduced the two bands. He's also the one who suggested that they tour together, which they ended up doing many times between 2003-2005.
Brian Schecter + The Used!
Bert and Gerard got along famously well, doing many things together such as: getting drunk, singing/performing and doing interviews.
Click to viewThe other members hung out too, though, so it wasn't just Bert&Gerard running the show.
You might also know that MCR met Bob Bryar through TU when he did sound for them--you could say they stole him from TU ;) (Sidenote: Jepha and Bob are/were really good friends. Jepha even went so far as calling Bob the fifth member of the band in his thank you notes in the "In Love And Death" jacket.)
A lot of people think that Bert and Gerard stopped hanging out after Gerard sobered up in 2004. This is not true. In fact, they were both on Taste Of Chaos in 2005 and performed together on some of the dates. They also recorded "Under Pressure" early in 2005.
The falling out happened sometime in the spring of 2005, more than six months after Gerard got sober. They went from recording "Under Pressure" and performing together on Taste Of Chaos in the winter, to Bert telling people not to watch MCR performing during Warped. (Sidenote: TU weren't actually on Warped 05, but Bert performed with Street Drum Corps on their dates. So he wasn't around being bitter the entire tour.)
One theory is that Gerard/MCR got pissed off when TU decided to put the "Under Pressure" cover on the re-release of "In Love And Death" as both bands had previously agreed that neither of them would use the recording for profit. No one knows what happened except them.
Currently, the fight/feud seems to be over. In a recent interview Bert was asked about Gerard and the 'feud' and his response was that he doesn't care anymore and hasn't spoken to him in three years. "We used to be friends, and now we're not. It happens all the time.... I'm not being a dick, dude. I'm just so over it." Additionally, a banner that said "We hate MCR" was thrown on stage at a recent TU concert, and Bert and Quinn tore it up, saying the banner had not been their idea. Bert has also sung some of "Teenagers" at a show, and has wished Gerard the best in an interview, stating that the entire "feud" was blown way out of proportion by the press. Gerard has remained quiet on the matter.
Bob and Jeph supposedly still talk, and from what I've heard Quinn is the only one that's still bitter about MCR (however, I can't find any actual sources on this so it can't be confirmed/denied).
I'm pretty sure someone else knows more about this than me, and regardless, like with many things I don't think the truth will ever be known.
And now, on to the members!
ROBERT (BERT) EDWARD MCCRACKEN, 26 (dob: 25/2/82), VOCALS
Bert was raised mormon. He has 3 little sisters (Katie, Melanie, Rachel) and a younger brother (J.T.) he thinks growing up in Utah was pretty chill. His parents overheard him talking to his girlfriend about sex and they confronted him. He went from being a good mormon kid to rebelling in his teens, doing drugs and drinking.
When Bert joined the band he tried to get clean, but he was having a lot of problems with his parents so Quinn suggested that Bert move into his house for a while.
[Bert] was in some stuff with his parents, he just needed some space away from his parents, 'cause he was trying to go clean but he was at his parents' house and it was kind of dragging him down. So I was like,"Why don't you come stay in my bedroom?" And we had great times just staying up every single night, like just underneath the stars, going to get quarter sodas, walking around town, talking, just getting to know one another--we just hit it off like that." -- Quinn Allman
Bert and Quinn are best friends, but that doesn't mean they haven't been through a lot of stuff. There was a lot of tension between them while recording the debut album which resulted in the song "Blue & Yellow" about his friendship with Quinn.
- He can play the piano and the trumpet.
- Dropped out of High School Junior year.
- Has been Mormon, Hare Krishna, straight-edge & a crystal meth addict.
- Suffers from insomnia.
- Was a gymnast (and competed) for at least 7 years.
- Bert was in a straight edge and/or death metal band (sources differ) with Donny Osmond's son at one point.
- Dated Kelly Osbourne from 2001-2003. He broke up with her over the phone on Valentine's day.
- Dated Zui Suicide ca 2004-05.
- He has a chihuaha named Gordon.
- He's been arrested more than once.
- In 2003 he collapsed on stage and was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. He was hospitalized for a week. Since then he supposedly takes it easier on the drinking, but that's not really something we can prove one way or the other. "I'd have 10 beers before a show, and we'd finish a bottle of Jack after the show and then another bottle of Jack before I passed out. Then I'd wake up and have four or five beers. And I'd just do that every day."
- In 2007 he was forced to have vocal chord surgery to remove a node that had been growing there for a while.
- He met his fiancée, Allison, in Australia in May of 2005.
QUINN ALLMAN, 26, (dob: 18/1/82), GUITAR
Quinn grew up in a non-LDS/mormon family, surrounded by LDS families. He didn't get to spend time with other children when he was younger because everyone around them were LDS. He had to find friends that weren't "weird", and he spent a lot of time out in nature. He has two brothers (Ian and Riley) and a sister (Rondee). He hates the people in Utah and resents how fake they all are--this isn't surprising as the importance of honesty is something almost always mentioned in TU interviews.
His house resembled a halway-house when he grew up: his parents would take in kids and house them. This is probably why Bert moving in with them was okay. Quinn moved out at one point while Bert was still living in his room.
- He has worked at a golf course.
- Started out playing drums, and then switched to guitar. According to Jeph he can pick up things really easily.
- Was arrested for trespassing in 2003. Supposedly, he was trying to defend a fan.
- His first job was at Arby's.
- His first band was called Hey Santos!
- He has worked with Evaline and produced some of their stuff.
- He is the only (original) member of TU who finished High School.
- He gets naked on stage a lot--or at least he used to. Image link NSFW, obviously.
- He used to be a pretty hardcore vegetarian. That makes his PETA interview/ad somewhat embarrassing to watch, but still. It's fun if only for caveman!Quinn.
JEPHAREE (JEPHA) MICHAEL HOWARD, 29 (dob: 4/1/79), BASS
Jepha is an only child, and grew up on video games. He was also a boyscout at one point. He started playing bass when his childhood friend Korby picked up the guitar--because if Korby played the guitar he had to play bass. He's a self proclaimed geek and a vegetarian. Portrayal of him in interviews vary: early in the band's career he was described as quiet and withdrawn, but now most articles depict him as enthusiastic and energetic.
- His first band was a black metal band calleD Karrigorathorg.
- Before TU got signed to any major label, many songs were recorded in his bedroom.
- Has worked as a cook and a baker.
- Shaves his legs.
- He used to date Kate Cupcake, former Suicide Girl and current God's Girl.
- Has been trying to learn Japanese for 10+ years, and is generally fascinated with Japan.
- Started getting tattoos at age 17--first tattoo is the lightning bolt on his middle finger.
- He has many, many piercings, among them a Prince Albert (NSFW link).
- He has a daughter; she was 7 in 2004, so I estimate about 10-11 now. As her age indicates, he had her while he was still in highschool. It also seems like he doesn't get to spend much time with her; or at least, this was the case in 2004.
- He used to own a vegan tea/coffee shop called The Bridge in Salt Lake City.
- He has a dachshund named Zelda, and she is, in my opinion, the cutest bandom pet. She's named after his favorite video game (The Legend of Zelda.)
Not only is Zelda super cute, she's also Jeph's secretary.
BRANDEN STEINECKERT, 29 (dob: 21/4/78), FORMER DRUMMER
Branden was born in Idaho and raised in a Mormon family. He moved around a lot during his youth--some sources state numbers as high as 20-21. His parents had a rocky marriage, and got divorced when he was 11; his mom remarried and his dad killed himself. Branden started skateboarding as a way to let off some steam, and he picked up drumming at age 12 in a way of honoring his dad who was a drummer.
He was fired from TU over the phone in August of '06. He claims that he hasn't been in touch with any of the members since. The only member said to have an issue with Branden is Quinn, and he's supposedly the one who wanted him to get kicked out. The other members say they have no beef with Branden.
Aside from drumming for Rancid now he also keeps running Unknown Studios and producing records.
- He is straight-edge and has never had alcohol or done drugs or smoked.
- Broke his ankle in two places during the recording of IL&D. The first time he went surfing.
- Doesn't believe in modern day medicines. "I'm more into Eastern herbs and vitamins and natural remedies."
- Roomed with Jepha for years before getting places down the street from each others. Said to be almost as close to Jepha as Bert & Quinn are.
- His first job was at Wendy's.
- He got married to his longterm girlfriend, Spike, in May of 06.
- He founded twenty twenty skateboards in 2005.
DAN WHITESIDES, 27 (dob: 7/7/80), DRUMS
Before playing for The Used, he drummed for New Transit Direction. Dan and Quinn knew each other for years; they'd jam when Quinn was home from tour, and Quinn has been a big fan of New Transit Direction for many years. Dan was seriously considering quitting music two weeks before TU called him. Dan has said that, "At one point, I was in four different bands, none of which were side projects--they were full, serious bands that I'd practice a total of eight hours with each day"
- He started drumming at age 14.
- Before playing for TU and NTD he also drummed for: Mich!gan, Sandkicker, Fale, Adherence, Fahrenheit 451, The Federation, Sprinklerhead, The Kill, The Wolfs, Form of Rocket and Young Blood.
- He has two dogs: Frankie and George. They are both female.
- He has moonlighted as a bricklayer.
MOAR INFORMATION?
I could only include so much information in the information portion of the primer, so here are some good articles if you want to know more and/or want a feel for how the guys express themselves.
The Aquarian interviews Jepha
Blender article--very good info on all the members; depicts them all really well as well.
Screamo article--has a good interview with Quinn.
Bert's interview with playboy.
SLUG interview. The group dynamics in this are hilarious.
Bombshellzine Interview with Branden -- You get a lot of almost shocking stories and letters from kids that reflect some of the most horrible times in my own life.
Absolute Punk Interview with Quinn
Most of the time it'd be me going "Do that again, let's do that again. I need that again."
AP Interview from June 2007. Very good reflection of the new band dynamics. It's a great contrast with how things used to be.
Kerrang! asks the boys questions. one | two
I pissed into a friend's Heineken bottle on her birthday and I told her to drink it.
FUN STUFF AKA THE GOODIES
And now for the goodies portion of the post. If anything expires/disappears let me know, and I'll re-upload it.
Stuff to listen to:
Songs! Because it really is all about the music. I doubt anyone would be willing to blindly download all their albums, so here are my favorite songs of theirs. Hopefully it'll whet your appetite for more!
Blue And Yellow
By the way, your hands were shaking; I'd rather waste some time with you
Paralyzed
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Taste Of Ink
So here I am, it's in my hands, and I'll savour every moment of this
Dark Days
As in the way that the rain spits in your face, just falling apart your lips to taste
Earthquake
I made this mess, I built this fire, are you still mine?
Bulimic
I'm about to do all of the things I dreamed of, and I don't even miss you at all
I'm A Fake
Love is not like anything. Especially a fucking knife.
Take It Away
I'm a worm with no more chances and I've lost all doubt in a chemical romance
Sick Hearts
There's so much left to see, but I'd rather shut my eyes.
Pretty Handsome Awkward
Your dream vacation is my hostage refuge
Sun Comes Up
The world collapses; you hold it in.
Noises and Kisses
It's worth my time, whatever that means.
Buried Myself Alive
You almost always pick the best time to drop the worst lines
I Caught Fire
You can stay and watch me fall, and of course I'll ask for help
TU's Loveline visits are pretty much my favorites, and sort of won me over completely, so have those too! (I highly recommend the 2008 version for Bert's helpfulness and expertise. He's really not (well, not always) an asshole, you guys!)
Loveline Appearance 2002 | Loveline Appearance 2003 | Loveline Appearance 2008
Some other things you may want to check out!
TheUsed.net -- Official website. Friend theusednet to see the site updates on your friends page.
theusedchannel -- their official youtube channel, regularly updated with new videos! I highly recommend watching everything there. I'd embed everything if I could, but I had to be picky. It's all hilarous and an awesome way of figuring out how the guys behave though.
WeAreTheUsed -- The Used's Twitter account! Friend the LJ feed wearetheused1 to get all their posts on your friends page.
The Used on Kyte -- Sort of like Youtube but with camera phone videos. They've got some incredibly dorky and candid stuff up there.
The Used myspace -- It's frequently updated with fun pictures, and sometimes Dan will reply to your comments!
Unknown Studios -- Branden's producing studio; also home to Branden's blogs.
Dumb Luck's Myspace.
Bert/Quinn picspam
Girlfriends Picspam
How Can A Fistfight Be Romantic - A quick and Dirty Primer on The Used
Bert Is Not Evil: An Essay -- Because he isn't.
Stuff to watch:
Maybe Memories Documentary, which is an awesome way of finding out more stuff on all the members and see how they act around each other. It's long, so I'm linking instead of embedding.
on youtube:
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4
Jepha and Quinn want to talk to you about Myspace~ (with bonus singing Quinn!)
Quinn + coffee = ADORABLENESS.
The making of "Take It Away"
Quinn being a dork and rambly and probably high.
Quinn gets fired ;(
Dan has many things, and Jepha likes buttsex.
Jepha and Quinn answer your Questulations.
TasteitTV conversation with Bert and Dan. Their interviews are always great, and this is no exception.
Part 1
Part 2
PETA interview with Jepha -- this can't be embedded, but it's a great watch so check it out.
Extreme sports with Jepha!
I don't want to like, roll down there and have my brain fall out, or something sketchy like that.
Base Jumping
Street Luge
Rollerblading
Skateboarding
Dan Whitesides MINDFREAK!
Unofficial video for "Paralyzed" made entirely from still photographs. I love this video (and song) so, so much.
Jepha getting a tattoo of a severed unicorn head. I'm not joking.
The one where Dan talks about the "Lies For The Liar" album and wears his girlfriend's underwear.
TOC interview with Bert & Jepha. Features naked Jepha + pineapple and uncomfortable My-Chemical-Steven Smith.
The Used go golfing!
Jepha almost dies :O
Taste Of Chaos with Jepha and Bert! Includes a small tour of the bus.
- Somebody we know had sex up here. I don't know who.
- But his initials are Quinn Allman.
An ADD video bio on The Used.
Because this is the greatest thing ever: Quinn and Jepha are Wiz(t)ards.
PICTORIAL EVIDENCE
Lets start with a refresher course. This is The Used v1:
Quinn, Branden, Bert, Jepha.
They worked at a used car dealership, apparently?
Craaaazy rebels.
This is the Used v2
Quinn, Bert, Dan, Jepha.
Sometimes they look creepy, I know.
But mostly it's amusing.
They too, were jailbait babies once!
(Yep, that IS Bert on the far right.)
Baaaaaabiiiiies.
And boyscouts.
So, perhaps you've read the info, watched the videos and listened to the music. But you still don't know why you should want to write/read about the guys. Well.
1. First, naturally, is the groping and public lovin' they provide each other with.
I didn't really have the opportunity to stress how much the guys like each other in the information portion of the primer, well. I can do that now.
Cause they really, really do like each other.
Bert and Quinn especially.
Bert proposed to Quinn on stage once, did ya know?
Of course, the others like each other too.
(confession: Quinn/Jepha are my faaavorite.)
Dan and Jepha seem to have a soft spot for each other.
They can't take their hands off each other!
And tongues :P
The Used GSF: DO WANT.
The Used GSF: PLAUSIBLE.
2. There is canon crossdressing!
Kerrang!: Have you ever woken up in a dress?
Bert: Never mind waking up wearing a dress, one time I went to bed wearing one and woke up without it. It's always fun to climb in a dress when you're having a party right? So we were having a party and I did just that, I poured myself into a dress. When I woke up--and I woke between the kitchen cabinets--I wasn't wearing the dress any longer. No idea where it went. It was a nice dress as well, a little black number. Do I look good in a dress? Always.
Jepha likes to join in, too, sometimes.
3. They do strange things on stage.
Bert likes to fellate eat the mic.
He climbs on things.
And jumps into the audience.
4. The AUs practically write themselves!
Superpowers fic! Breathing fire!
Super strength!
Flying!
Or maybe wing!fic? Fallen angels?
Golf experts AU!
Or perhaps they all just work at a golf course, like Quinn did (CANONICALLY, EVEN.)
Mental hospital AU...
Is he a doctor or a mental patient? Does it matter?
Trucker!AU? (Oh, I don't know, but he's darned cute here.)
Street kids AU Y/Y?
Cooks/bakers in Steven Smith's kitchen? (He looks so terrified, poor Steven.)
Or perhaps they're on some sort of undercover gig.
Do I actually have to say anything?
Yeah, no words.
Gangster AU!
5. The crossover possibilities are endless. They were on Warped with Brand New and they toured with Taking Back Sunday. And lets not forget the longstanding relationship with MCR.
Like I mentioned in the info portion of the primer, Bert and Gerard were not the only MCR/TU combo that got chummy.
Quinn's actually the one who looks scared in this. And yet people write him as the evil one! TSK, TSK.
If Ray likes him everyone should!
Peek-a-boo is apparently not Gerard's strong suit.
Even Frank liked them.
They spent time with Steven Smith.
Or perhaps that should be, they annoy Steven Smith.
Poor Steven.
At least Brian Schecter put up with them for a while.
It's true that they've spent time with people of questionable character.
I don't even know how this happened? It's like seven degrees of separation, without any separation.
6. They, too, love the furries.
Even if they're bloody, crazy, murdering furries.
And inanimate things...
7. They don't just play music and grope each other.
Quinn draws.
Bert commits acts of vampirism.
Don't try this at home.
Plays prince(ss).
And he plays with toys as big as him.
Jepha reads.
And plays dress up.
And this, whatever...this is. Yoga or some sort of martial art?
They go camping.
Sometimes Bert's left outside of the tent :(
Take pictures and act touristy!
8. There is bad hair and bad tattoos.
In every band, there is someone who used to have dreads. In The Used? That someone is Jepha.
He had blond dreads.
And also, please note: sideburns.
Of course, there have been many other bad hair choices in the band.
Most of those bad hairstyles are documented on Jepha.
I actually like most though.
Bert has changed his hair a lot too.
It seems even he didn't like the blond.
Quinn has also had his share of bad hair.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for bad bleach jobs on guys. But I still know when they're bad.
The combover works for no one, Quinn. Embrace the baldness.
There are also many tattoos.
Many of which are bad.
Really bad.
And ironic.
Jepha is the one in the band that has most tattoos. (Click for full size.)
It's likely that he has some of the most tattoos in all of bandom.
Yeah, I don't even want to know.
Seriously, what the hell Jeph?
9. Animals like them and vice versa.
10. They are goofs that don't take themselves too seriously.
Sometimes Bert doesn't fear for his life when he should.
And sometime Jepha impersonates dinosaurs.
They're not always crazy though.
11. And lets not forget that they're still just guys in a band.
And that's all from me! If you managed to read through the entire thing, good job & thanks for giving the guys a shot! If you still don't like them, well, I hope at least you feel a little bit more positive in your disposition towards them.