Crash Worship?

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Can someone tell me about this band? All I know is San Diego, late 80's.

They sound like they might have influenced some of the current multi-percusioned noise/hardcore bands. I also hear their influence in Melt Banana and Black Dice.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 7 November 2002 15:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Saw them in SF 1993 or therabouts. They turned all the lights out and then crawled all over the floor grabbing ppl's legs, and everything was covered in flour or talc or something. I think it was good but then I was on acid at the time.

― dave q, Thursday, 7 November 2002 15:28 (twenty-three years ago)

I have a friend from San Diego who swears Crash Worship played some of the best shows he ever saw. He makes them sound incredible. Their sets would sometimes last six hours, but he says it always felt like time was compressed--six hours felt like 45 minutes. He'd walk out of the club after the show and the sun would be rising. Shows would involve fire, wine and paint and other stuff being thrown about, orgies. Sensory overload. Apparently, part of their aim was to simulate what it felt like to be in a war.

― ^Diego^ (dhadis), Thursday, 7 November 2002 15:57 (twenty-three years ago)

At the college radio station where I worked in the Bay Area in 1995-96, there was a handful of staffers who swore by their live shows. I never made it to one though.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 7 November 2002 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, heard about all the legends, never saw them. Donut Bitch once tried to set up a mailing list for them and was roundly abused by fans for doing so. Weird.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 November 2002 16:13 (twenty-three years ago)

everyone i've known who has seen them live has drooled on and on about how great it was, but essentially it's just kind of an embarassing industrial drum circle, isn't it? i just get this whole "burning man" vibe from their music and 'image.'

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 7 November 2002 16:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I got to see them well after the legendary shows, and it just wasn't all that... then again, this was at Spaceland in L.A./Silverlake, so I guess they couldn't get away with much. Also Melt Banana were listed on the bill, and they never showed up... Crash Worship were a late addition to the bill, and uncoincidentally the ticket price went up another six bucks! So my feelings for Ca$h Worship were less than positive before they even played a note.

It was.. funny. Primal loud ungabungaungabunga... oooh, jugs of water being spilled all over the prissy little wooden floor in front of the stage. Oooh, boobies on the stage. *STOP STOP STOP*... apparently that was too intense for the Spaceland club owner and had to stop the show because of the boobies.

I take it the earlier shows back in the day were a world apart.

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 7 November 2002 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

banned from the world beat center due to excessive fire damage and a resultant lawsuit due to smoke inhalation during one "incendiary" performance that I attended in 1992(?).

very intensely tribal, but not in the haight street subruban rasta/hippy vibe that I'd imagine is a turn-off to most. rhythmical in the future-primitive sense... atmospheric if your idea of atmosphere is lying down on the tarmac. no whammies and... STOP!

― gygax!, Thursday, 7 November 2002 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Although they did have albums out, I don't recommend ever bothering to listen to one. CW were a live-show band, and you went for the show more so than for the music. I've heard one of their cds, it is supremely boring.

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 7 November 2002 23:13 (twenty-three years ago)

their shows, that I saw at least, were pretty great. there were always rumors floating around that pickpockets travelled with them, but I never heard anything first hand.

the first show i saw was in 1992, with about 20 other people. I liked percussion music, so I figured it'd be a fun show. i was, to put it mildly, unprepared for what happened. it's still one of my favorite shows of all time. and, yes, a lot of fire was involved. although i was never aware of any orgies.

subsequent shows were sometimes annoying because of the "scene" that developed around them - for instance, whereas the first show people would dance around the fire off and on, at the second show people were fighting to get close to the fire.

― doug (doug), Friday, 8 November 2002 06:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I think they are banned every palce I've seen them play at in PA and MA. But they were quit the events,pagansexmagicritualfeastorgy for sure...

― brg30 (brg30), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:17 (twenty-three years ago)

fifteen years pass...

this is the most 90s shit ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Of39IyjBg&t=225s

― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 10 May 2018 15:55 (seven years ago)

enjoying the comments on that video

― two cool rock chicks pounding la croix (circa1916), Thursday, 10 May 2018 16:36 (seven years ago)

Crash Worship was the first show I went to where I saw people in the crowd having sex during the show

― com rad erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:15 (seven years ago)

a girlfriend in senior year of HS dumped me for the younger brother of one of the members. he was older than 21, in community college, and majoring in color theory. i didn’t stand a chance.

they were great live and along with clickitat and the vinyl communication label really rearranged my teenage understanding of what music could be

― the late great, Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:21 (seven years ago)

i think i have told that gettung dumped story before on ilx

― the late great, Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:21 (seven years ago)

majoring in color theory!

― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:32 (seven years ago)

nine months pass...

good friend turned me onto them today... wow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjitAr7cNL4

― flappy bird, Friday, 8 March 2019 07:33 (seven years ago)

I was friends with an early member of Absu, and this was his favorite band. There's some live stuff on YouTube and it's interesting but this take

seems otm

― calumy (rip van wanko), Friday, 8 March 2019 13:58 (seven years ago)

i just get this whole "burning man" vibe from their music and 'image.'

there were a significant number of early burning man people that were part of that scene, so they actually kinda created the vibe that later came to be associated with "burning man"

― sarahell, Friday, 8 March 2019 14:04 (seven years ago)

they totally ruled live, only saw them once (at the X-Ray Cafe in Portland), and it was an easy top ten alltime show

― Emperor Tonetta Ketchup (sleeve), Friday, 8 March 2019 15:05 (seven years ago)

also I think the CD flappy linked to there is quite good and not boring at all, but I can;t vouch for the other studio recordings

― Emperor Tonetta Ketchup (sleeve), Friday, 8 March 2019 15:06 (seven years ago)

it's just kind of an embarassing industrial drum circle, isn't it?

industrial drum circles were not embarrassing or passé at the time - had to be there, maaaaaaaaam

― the late great, Friday, 8 March 2019 18:05 (seven years ago)

my friend gave me a brief rundown on their story... lots of LSD, crazy shows, collective w/ no stable members... interesting but secondary to the music obv, which just blew me away

― flappy bird, Friday, 8 March 2019 18:08 (seven years ago)

Saw them TWENTY SEVEN years ago, jesus christ. Great show, can still hear (and smell) it. It's probably on YouTube now... lemme check.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 8 March 2019 18:13 (seven years ago)

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