Table Of ContentGREG PRATO PRIMUS
BY IN AFFILIATION WITH
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher.
©2014 Primus and Greg Prato
ISBN-13: 978-1-61775-322-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014938698
All rights reserved
First printing
Akashic Books
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The germ of the idea for this book can be traced to an exact date—
Thursday, June 9, 2011, at roughly 5:30 p.m. That was when Greg Prato
wrapped up an interview with Les Claypool over the phone for Roll-
ing Stone and presented the question, “Thanks for the interview . . .
and by the way, did you ever think of doing a book about the history of
Primus?” A brief backstage meeting took place after a Primus show at
Roseland (RIP) in New York City on Friday, September 30, 2011, shortly
before midnight, and the book idea was officially given the thumbs-up
(with an agreement that it would be best to set it up in an “oral his-
tory” format). The first interview for the book took place (with Les) on
Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., and the final interview for
the book (again with Les) took place on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, at
1:30 p.m. The first draft of the book was submitted via e-mail on Thurs-
day, November 8, 2012, at 7:56 p.m., and the book’s contract was signed/
submitted on Thursday, February 20, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. This paragraph
was completed/submitted for inclusion in the book on Tuesday, April 29,
2014, at 10:12 p.m. [Please note: all times listed above are according to
Eastern Standard Time.]
CAST OF CHARACTERS
TIM “HERB” ALEXANDER: Primus drummer 1989–1996, 2003–2010,
2013–present
TREY ANASTASIO: Phish singer and guitarist, Oysterhead singer and
guitarist
MATTHEW BELLAMY: Muse singer, guitarist, and pianist
CHARLIE BENANTE: Anthrax drummer
TOM BLANKENSHIP: My Morning Jacket bassist
LES CLAYPOOL: Primus singer and bassist 1984–present, Sausage
singer and bassist, Oysterhead singer and bassist, Frog Brigade
singer and bassist, Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains singer
and bassist
STEWART COPELAND: The Police drummer, Oysterhead drummer,
producer of the Primus song “Dirty Drowning Man”
CHRIS “TROUZ” CUEVAS: Primus tour manager 1989–1996
CHUCK D: Public Enemy rapper
MIKE DILLON: Frog Brigade marimba player and percussionist
MILES DOUGHTY: Slightly Stoopid singer and guitarist
NORWOOD FISHER: Fishbone bassist
P. FLUID [a.k.a. Forrest Thinner]: Original 24-7 Spyz singer, blkVampires
singer
MICHAEL FRANTI: The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy rapper, solo
artist
ADAM GATES: Friend of band, the chap who plays “Bob C. Cock,”
Electric Apricot actor
KIRK HAMMETT: Metallica guitarist, high school classmate of Les
WARREN HAYNES: Allman Brothers guitarist, Gov’t Mule singer and
guitarist
TODD HUTH: Primus guitarist 1984–1989, Sausage guitarist, Frog Bri-
gade guitarist
EUGENE HÜTZ: Gogol Bordello singer and guitarist
JOSH KLINGHOFFER: Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist
LEANNE LAJOIE: Current Primus management
LARRY LALONDE: Primus guitarist 1989–present
JAY LANE: Primus drummer 1988–1989 and 2010–2013, Sausage drum-
mer, Frog Brigade drummer
GEDDY LEE: Rush singer and bassist
DAVID LEFKOWITZ: Former Primus manager
BRYAN “BRAIN” MANTIA: Primus drummer 1996–2001, Colonel Clay-
pool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains drummer
JASON MCHUGH: Electric Apricot producer and actor
MICKEY “DEAN WEEN” MELCHIONDO: Ween singer and guitarist
TOM MORELLO: Rage Against the Machine guitarist, Audioslave gui-
tarist, producer of the Primus songs “Electric Uncle Sam,” “Mama
Didn’t Raise No Fool,” and “Power Mad”
ANGELO MOORE: Fishbone singer and saxophonist
BUZZ OSBORNE: The Melvins singer and guitarist
LINDA PERRY: 4 Non Blondes singer and guitarist, songwriter/producer
VERNON REID: Living Colour guitarist
CLAUDIO SANCHEZ: Coheed and Cambria singer and guitarist
BRAD SANDS: Current Primus manager, Oysterhead tour manager
SKERIK: Frog Brigade saxophonist
CHAD SMITH: Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chickenfoot drum-
mer, Bombastic Meatbats drummer
MATT STONE: South Park cocreator, producer of the Primus song
“Natural Joe”
KIM THAYIL: Soundgarden guitarist
ROBERT TRUJILLO: Suicidal Tendencies bassist, Infectious Grooves
bassist, Ozzy Osbourne bassist, Metallica bassist
TOM WAITS: Solo artist, singer on “Tommy the Cat” and singer, pro-
ducer on “Coattails of a Dead Man”
MIKE WATT: The Minutemen bassist, fIREHOSE bassist, Stooges
bassist, solo artist
BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH: Korn guitarist, Love and Death guitarist
TOM WHALLEY: Interscope Records cofounder
HANK WILLIAMS III: Solo artist
MATT WINEGAR: Suck on This and Frizzle Fry coproducer
CONTENTS
Foreword by Matthew Bellamy (Muse) 11
Chapter 1 Welcome to This World 15
Chapter 2 Dad, What’s a Primate? 28
Chapter 3 The Gig That Should Not Be 36
Chapter 4 How to Make Sausage 42
Chapter 5 Then Along Came Ler 56
Chapter 6 Herb the Ginseng Drummer 63
Chapter 7 Suck on This 75
Chapter 8 They Call Me the Frizzle Fry 86
Chapter 9 “C” Is for Cock 106
Chapter 10 The Magical Mr. Whalley 110
Chapter 11 Sailing the Seas of Cheese 117
Chapter 12 Spreading the Cheese 135
Chapter 13 Grab Yourself a Can of Pork Soda 161
Chapter 14 The Prawn Remains the Same 177
Chapter 15 Tales from the Punchbowl 188
Chapter 16 Tim Has Left the Building 200
Chapter 17 Mackerel and the Brain 206
Chapter 18 Lunatics Run the Asylum 215
Chapter 19 Rhinoplasty 228
Chapter 20 I Am the Antipop 236
Chapter 21 The Wheels Fall Off 255
Chapter 22 Oysterhead 258
Chapter 23 Colonel Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade 275
Chapter 24 Return of the Bastards 284
Chapter 25 The Onion, the Pumpkin, and Other Adventures 292
Chapter 26 From Pumphouse to Festeroo 308
Chapter 27 Green Naugahyde 317
Chapter 28 Los Bastardos 330
Chapter 29 In Glorious Hindsight 346
Chapter 30 The Roller Coaster Continues 366
