Beefeater

Beefeater were a D.C. punk rock band formed in Autumn 1984 by Tomas Squip, Fred Smith, Dug E. Bird, and Bruce Taylor. Drummers Mark Shellhaas and Kenny Craun replaced Taylor on later albums. The band released two albums on Dischord Records

Beefeater were a D.C. punk rock band formed in Autumn 1984 by Tomas Squip, Fred Smith, Dug E. Bird, and Bruce Taylor. Drummers Mark Shellhaas and Kenny Craun replaced Taylor on later albums. The band released two albums on Dischord Records and a six song EP on Olive Tree Records. Beefeater disbanded in Autumn 1986, and Squip and Bird went on to form Fidelity Jones, while Craun was to join the Rhythm Pigs.

While Beefeater's songs had all the angry energy of their hardcore labelmates the energy was channelled as much through funk and jazz as rock and roll. Dug E. Bird's fast-paced bass slap drives a rhythm section over which Fred "Not Sonic" Smith's guitar rides in a way reminiscent of the Minutemen. "House burning down" saw the incorporation of even more non-punk influences, most notably world music and included musical cameos many of the Dischord Records regulars (Ian MacKaye provides a priceless intro to the album, in addition to some saxophone). Their EP on the Olive Tree label, was more straight-ahead, sounding a bit more like a caribbean flavoured Gang of Four meets The Fall.