It's normal to have deeply rooted hopes that some of our favourite, long-ago-broken-up punk bands will somehow reunite and bring us rushing back to that perfect time when we first heard them. Well, unless you are one of those few diehards who claim reunions would only tarnish the original music, to which we say, "Pffffft!"
A long-awaited reunion happened with Pixies, it happened with Misfits (although with Glenn Danzig's name firmly attached), it even kind of happened with Nirvana (minus Kurt, of course). But there are some bands that, for a variety of hair-pulling reasons, will probably never reunite, despite having the benefit of members who are A) breathing and B) physically able to make it happen. Egos, lawsuits, decades-old hurt feelings and flame wars will always get in the way of music, so here are some punk bands who we won't see back onstage anytime in the foreseeable future.
Top Punk Bands That Will Never Reunite:
5. Crass
Although one of this infamous anarchist punk collective's singers, Steve Ignorant, took Crass songs on the road in 2011, and was even joined for select shows by co-vocalists Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine, the chances of a full-fledged band reunion were quelled by Ignorant's proclamation at the end of that tour that it would be the last time he ever sang those songs. Being an anarchist collective means there could always be another ex-member crawling out of an Essex squat to relaunch the Crass revolution, but without Ignorant involved, it just wouldn't be the same. Chumbawamba though? Now there's a much more likely anarchist collective band reunion scenario.
4. Operation Ivy/Jawbreaker/Bikini Kill
Co-listed at number four, there's only a remote glimmer of hope that any of these three reunions could ever come to fruition. The main barrier for Operation Ivy, Jawbreaker or Bikini Kill redux appears to be other projects. Both camps in the OpIvy case (singer Jesse Michaels and the Rancid guys) have been busy since the band's breakup in 1989, although Michaels has been known to join Rancid during live shows. But even a collaboration last year between Michaels and guitarist Tim Armstrong for the Tim Timebomb 7-inch series didn't seem to ignite the "Unity" fires. Meanwhile, Jawbreaker's Blake Schwarzenbach has steadfastly denied constant rumours of the band getting back together since their breakup in 1996 while he continues to pursue a modest solo career after being in a string of Jawbreaker-esque bands. As for Bikini Kill, with singer Kathleen Hanna's recent health problems, and the newfound prominence of her solo-project-turned-band the Julie Ruin (including BK bassist Kathi Wilcox), some reunion naysayers believe the band that helped turn riot grrrl into an international movement were just one of those "time and a place" groups. Again, we say, "Pffffft!"
3. Hüsker Dü
The vitriol between the ex-members of seminal Midwestern pop punk band Hüsker Dü is legendary. And although band members Bob Mould and Grant Hart have been known to briefly share a stage, like in 2004 when they played two songs together during a benefit concert for ailing Soul Asylum bass player Karl Mueller, Mould is always quick to remind us that we shouldn't have any "false hope" for any kind of full-fledged reunion. As Mould happily plays Dü songs during his rejuvenated solo career, and with no imminent reconciliation between the three band members for whatever happened on those dark, lonely punk rock roads during the '80s (rumours swirl about drug abuse and caustic infighting), this one just ain't happenin', folks.
2. Black Flag (with Henry Rollins or Keith Morris)
Yes, we're all well aware of the lawsuits between Greg Ginn and his two most infamous Black Flag singers. And despite a recent out-of-court settlement that the Black Flag guitarist made with Keith Morris' FLAG incarnation of the band (why Henry Rollins got dragged into this mess is anyone's guess?), the chances of Ginn getting back onstage with either of his former singers are beyond zilch. There's nothing that douses the flames of a punk band reunion faster than a copyright infringement lawsuit… except egos the size of current Black Flag singer Mike Vallely's biceps. See also: Dead Kennedys with Jello Biafra.
1. Minor Threat
Ian MacKaye is known for digging his heels in, and digging them deep. So when the ex-Minor Threat vocalist decided way back in 1983 that he was breaking up the seminal hardcore band and moving onto more melodic bands like Embrace and Fugazi (hardcore had "checked out," he claimed at the time), anyone who really knew MacKaye and his utter determination understood that the chances of a Minor Threat reunion were slim to none from the get-go. Now over 30 years later, getting the four original band members back together is a veritable impossibility. Then again, if someone could get the other three guys onboard, they could bypass MacKaye altogether, recruit Sir Ben Kingsley and just call it THREAT. Wait, bad idea.
A long-awaited reunion happened with Pixies, it happened with Misfits (although with Glenn Danzig's name firmly attached), it even kind of happened with Nirvana (minus Kurt, of course). But there are some bands that, for a variety of hair-pulling reasons, will probably never reunite, despite having the benefit of members who are A) breathing and B) physically able to make it happen. Egos, lawsuits, decades-old hurt feelings and flame wars will always get in the way of music, so here are some punk bands who we won't see back onstage anytime in the foreseeable future.
Top Punk Bands That Will Never Reunite:
5. Crass
Although one of this infamous anarchist punk collective's singers, Steve Ignorant, took Crass songs on the road in 2011, and was even joined for select shows by co-vocalists Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine, the chances of a full-fledged band reunion were quelled by Ignorant's proclamation at the end of that tour that it would be the last time he ever sang those songs. Being an anarchist collective means there could always be another ex-member crawling out of an Essex squat to relaunch the Crass revolution, but without Ignorant involved, it just wouldn't be the same. Chumbawamba though? Now there's a much more likely anarchist collective band reunion scenario.
4. Operation Ivy/Jawbreaker/Bikini Kill
Co-listed at number four, there's only a remote glimmer of hope that any of these three reunions could ever come to fruition. The main barrier for Operation Ivy, Jawbreaker or Bikini Kill redux appears to be other projects. Both camps in the OpIvy case (singer Jesse Michaels and the Rancid guys) have been busy since the band's breakup in 1989, although Michaels has been known to join Rancid during live shows. But even a collaboration last year between Michaels and guitarist Tim Armstrong for the Tim Timebomb 7-inch series didn't seem to ignite the "Unity" fires. Meanwhile, Jawbreaker's Blake Schwarzenbach has steadfastly denied constant rumours of the band getting back together since their breakup in 1996 while he continues to pursue a modest solo career after being in a string of Jawbreaker-esque bands. As for Bikini Kill, with singer Kathleen Hanna's recent health problems, and the newfound prominence of her solo-project-turned-band the Julie Ruin (including BK bassist Kathi Wilcox), some reunion naysayers believe the band that helped turn riot grrrl into an international movement were just one of those "time and a place" groups. Again, we say, "Pffffft!"
3. Hüsker Dü
The vitriol between the ex-members of seminal Midwestern pop punk band Hüsker Dü is legendary. And although band members Bob Mould and Grant Hart have been known to briefly share a stage, like in 2004 when they played two songs together during a benefit concert for ailing Soul Asylum bass player Karl Mueller, Mould is always quick to remind us that we shouldn't have any "false hope" for any kind of full-fledged reunion. As Mould happily plays Dü songs during his rejuvenated solo career, and with no imminent reconciliation between the three band members for whatever happened on those dark, lonely punk rock roads during the '80s (rumours swirl about drug abuse and caustic infighting), this one just ain't happenin', folks.
2. Black Flag (with Henry Rollins or Keith Morris)
Yes, we're all well aware of the lawsuits between Greg Ginn and his two most infamous Black Flag singers. And despite a recent out-of-court settlement that the Black Flag guitarist made with Keith Morris' FLAG incarnation of the band (why Henry Rollins got dragged into this mess is anyone's guess?), the chances of Ginn getting back onstage with either of his former singers are beyond zilch. There's nothing that douses the flames of a punk band reunion faster than a copyright infringement lawsuit… except egos the size of current Black Flag singer Mike Vallely's biceps. See also: Dead Kennedys with Jello Biafra.
1. Minor Threat
Ian MacKaye is known for digging his heels in, and digging them deep. So when the ex-Minor Threat vocalist decided way back in 1983 that he was breaking up the seminal hardcore band and moving onto more melodic bands like Embrace and Fugazi (hardcore had "checked out," he claimed at the time), anyone who really knew MacKaye and his utter determination understood that the chances of a Minor Threat reunion were slim to none from the get-go. Now over 30 years later, getting the four original band members back together is a veritable impossibility. Then again, if someone could get the other three guys onboard, they could bypass MacKaye altogether, recruit Sir Ben Kingsley and just call it THREAT. Wait, bad idea.