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Papa RoachIn the small Northern California town of Vacaville, four high school friends, Jacoby Shaddix, Jerry Horton, Dave Buckner, and Will James, decided to start a band. In 1993, they became Papa Roach, a band whose influences included prominent Bay Area acts such as Faith No More and Primus . Papa Roach quickly rose to the top of the Vacaville music scene with their blending of hip-hop, |
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groove-funk, and hardcore. After a couple of years of playing coffeehouses, pizza joints, and keg-parties, they were headlining such places as the Cactus Club in San Jose, the Cattle Club in Sacramento, and the Berkeley Square in Berkeley. Due to the antics of unpredictable Shaddix, and the raw power supplied by the band in live performances, Papa Roach captured the attention of younger audiences. In these early years, Papa Roach was able to support the Deftones on two shows, and have bands such as Incubus, Snot, Far, Human Waste Project, Downset and Fu Manchu open for them.In the summer of 1996, while realizing that they had something special, Papa Roach decided to make changes necessary to reach the next level. First, the band replaced bass player Will James because his other commitments prevented the band from practicing and playing any shows over the summer. Papa Roach did not have to go far to find their new bass player. Tobin Esperance, a 16 year old roadie for Papa Roach since age 13, quickly became the new bass player. Second, the band hired a manager, Bret Bair, to help them with bookings, promotions, and merchandising. With a new bass player and management in place, Papa Roach decided to enter the studio to record a full-length CD. Old Friends From Young Years was recorded for $700 at E.S.P. Studios in Pittsburg, California, and was subsequently released in February of 1997. The CD contains 13 tracks, including the songs “Orange Drive Palms,” and “Liquid Diet,” which many independent and college radio stations throughout California added to their playlists. To the bands' surprise, Papa Roach charted number one as Cal-State Sacramento's most requested band for five consecutive weeks. Papa Roach celebrated the release of their first album with several CD release shows. The band's regional success led to more prominent gigs, including dates with Suicidal Tendencies, Sevendust, and Powerman 5000, and, eventually, a deal with Dreamworks Records. Released on Dreamworks in 2000, Papa Roach's second album, Infest went triple-platinum thanks to the success of the single “Last Resort.” A third album (second major
record release), LoveHateTragedy, appeared in June 2002. That same
summer the band joined a number of rap acts including Ludacris and Xzibit
on Eminem's Anger Management Tour. Working on a musical evolution,
Papa Roach released their new album, Getting Away With Murder in
2004. The band began writing new material while on the road in 2003. They
recorded over 30 songs, and with the help of producer Howard Benson, they
chose 12 to put out. The album is still as loud and abrasive as the prior
ones, but demonstrates what the band has previously downplayed –melody
and vulnerability. Their lyrics reflect that they want people to think
about the world around them, question it and make actions towards change.
Shaddix says, "We just put up our middle finger to critics and said,
'We're gonna do what we're gonna do.' We stand up for ourselves as a band,
and our message to our fans is to shut yourself off from anyone who wants
to run the show, and run it yourself." |
