Listen For Yourself…

Bands:

The Big Boys (1979-1984), Poison 13 (1983-1986), Junkyard (1987-1993, 200-present), 99 pounds (1996-2001), Chris Gates & Gatesville (2003-2013), The Resurrectionist (2015-present), The Liar’s Club (2022-present)

Chris Gates has been at this for a while...

His career began at the tender age of 18 as a founding member of legendary Texas punk band The Big Boys, one of the first bands to temper punk’s harder edges with the rhythms and grooves of funk.

Groundbreaking post-punk group Gang of Four took a punk sound and attitude and coupled it with funky bass licks and groove-driven tunes. However, the first punk band to create a true funk fusion was the seminal Austin, Texas band, The Big Boys, who could be seen as the first truly funkcore band. The Big Boys, which lasted from 1979 to 1984, became known for explosive and funky live shows. They slowed down punk tempos to allow for syncopated rhythms and played with non-punk bands such as the Washington, D.C., go-go act Trouble Funk as well as seminal punk bands such as Minor Threat and Black Flag. The Big Boys can be seen as a direct precursor to funky rock acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone. The entire Big Boys catalogue is still available through Touch and Go Records.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Boys http://www.soundonsound.org

Next came Poison 13 (1983-86), a garage punk/blues explosion that served as the “shot heard round the world of grunge…” (Chunklet Magazine), heavily influencing both the Seattle/Tacoma scene of the late 80’s and early 90’s and the underground “lo-fi” garage scene of the mid-90’s. Mixing originals with classics like “Spoonful” and “Ain’t Superstitious” and B-side rarities like the Troggs “Strange Movies”, Poison 13 created a sound that was at once too bluesy for punk and too punk for the blues. The band solidified a ragged, powerful and passionate style that would pave the way to future generations of garage-punkers. The Poison 13 catalogue has been rereleased by Sup Pop Records.

Poison 13 on Subpop Records

Following Poison 13, Chris relocated to Los Angeles and formed Junkyard, a bluesy, hard rock outfit that was equal parts AC/DC, ZZ Top, Skynyrd and Motorhead. Signed to Geffen Records in 1987, the band released its self-titled debut in 1989 and scored a hit with the video for “Hollywood”, an ode to the joys of low living. One of the first "street rock" bands, Junkyard offered up an honest, no holds barred alternative to the pretty boy glam bands of the day. Their live shows brought the ferocity of hardcore punk to the hard rock world, and they managed to build a loyal following on the road. After a solid 18 months of touring, their self-titles debut record had sold nearly a half million units. In the fall of 1990, the band recorded its sophomore effort, “Sixes, Sevens and Nines”, which went on to sell around 350,000 units as well.

The release of "Nevermind" by Nirvana and the explosion of the grunge movement in 1992 pretty much killed the rock scene of the late '80's, and Junkyard was not spared. The band members went their separate ways and began to work on other projects. The Internet sparked a renewed interest in the band in 2001, and the band got back together. Since regrouping in 2001, Junkyard has released four CD's and done multiple tours of the UA, Europe and Japan.

http://www.junkyardblooze.com/ Junkyard on Facebook

In 1995 Chris returned to Texas. He released two CD's as half of a trip hop duo called 99 pounds and one solo record of electronic music under the name kingink.

In 1996 Chris formed Choreboy with members of the Skatenigs, Ministry and the Butthole surfers, among others. They released the album “Good Clean Fun” in 1996 and toured Europe in 1997.

In 2001 Junkyard reformed and began to do weekend dates around the US as well as tours of Europe and Japan. They released a live album in 2001, and EP of new music in 2003, as well as unofficially releasing the 26 songs they recorded in 1991 for their third Geffen record that was never released. Chris stepped away from Junkyard in 2011 to focus on other things, and eventually rejoined the band for shows and a new record in 2023.

In 2003 Chris formed the Charter Bulldogs, a punk and roll band that played around Central Texas and released 2 records – the 4 song EP “Four Barrels of Love” and “Live in Austin.”

In 2005, at the urging of friends like Ray Wylie Hubbard and Jo Dee Graham Chris began to get serious about growing as a songwriter. Eventually that led to the formation of Chris Gates & Gatesville - a potent blend of Americana and Southern Rock. The band played all over Texas and released 2 albums, 2007’s “Ain’t It Grand?” and 2011’s “Welcome to Gatesville.”  Chris also released a live solo acoustic album and DVD.

Chris started a recording project in 2015 that became called The Resurrectionist. He has recorded over a dozen songs, and is working to put a band together to play the material in 2024. He also started a punk rock cover band called the Liars Club with members of the Riverboat Gamblers and Fastball. It’s a ton of fun…

In addition to his work as a songwriter and performer, Chris has also done scoring work on several small independent films, including scoring and  composing original music for the film Levelland (2003 - directed by Clark Walker. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323050/ 

Chris continues to live, work and record in Austin Texas.