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Primus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two departed the band at the beginning of 1989, and were replaced by LaLonde and Alexander respectively. The "classic" lineup of Claypool, LaLonde and Alexander debuted with the live album ''
Suck on This ''Suck on This'' is a live album by the band Primus, released in 1989. At the time of recording, the featured lineup of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander had only been playing together for "about two ...
'', which was self-released in 1989 on Claypool's label
Prawn Song Prawn Song Records is an independent record label owned by Les Claypool of Primus. The name and logo are a parody of Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records. Prawn Song is based in San Francisco, California, and distribution is handled by RED Dis ...
and reissued a year later by Caroline Records. Caroline also released Primus' debut studio album '' Frizzle Fry'' (1990), which was critically well received and its underground success led to interest from major record labels. Their second studio album and major-label debut '' Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' (1991), released through
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
, launched the band into mainstream exposure, supported by their first charting single " Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and receiving
platinum certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
within a decade after its release. Primus repeated its success with their next two albums, '' Pork Soda'' (1993) and ''
Tales from the Punchbowl ''Tales from the Punchbowl'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on June 6, 1995. It was the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined Primus seven years later, and again in September 2013. It was c ...
'' (1995), both charting in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, and being certified platinum and gold respectively by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
; the former album featured the band's top ten hit on the ''Billboard'' rock chart, "
My Name Is Mud "My Name Is Mud" is a song by the American rock band Primus, released in 1993 as the first single from their third album ''Pork Soda''. In 2010, Primus released a new version of the track sung entirely in Spanish under the title "Me Llamo Mud". ...
", while the latter's lead single " Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" has the distinction of being their only song to chart anywhere outside of North America. Alexander left the band in 1996, and was replaced by
Brain A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
, with whom Primus recorded two more studio albums – ''
Brown Album ''Brown Album'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Primus. It was released on July 8, 1997, by Prawn Song and Interscope Records. It was the band's first album with new drummer Brain, who replaced former drummer Tim Alexander. The ...
'' (1997) and '' Antipop'' (1999) – as well as the covers EP '' Rhinoplasty'' (1998) and the original theme song for the TV show ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...
''. The band went on hiatus in 2000 but resumed activity in 2003, reuniting with Alexander for the EP/DVD ''
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People ''Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People'' is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by American band Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son ...
'' and touring sporadically throughout the 2000s before Alexander once again left in 2010. Lane rejoined the band and appeared on their seventh studio album – and first in twelve years – ''
Green Naugahyde ''Green Naugahyde'' is the seventh studio album by rock group Primus, released by ATO Records and Prawn Song on September 12, 2011 in Europe, and on September 13, 2011 in the United States. It is the band's first album since 1999's ''Antipop'', ...
'' (2011). Following Lane's departure in 2013, Alexander returned to the band once again and Primus have since recorded three more albums with him – '' Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble'' (2014) and '' The Desaturating Seven'' (2017) – and recently, the EP '' Conspiranoid'' (2022). Primus is characterized by its irreverent, quirky approach to music distinguished by Claypool's bass-first songwriting style and eccentric lyrical themes. In 1993,
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
remarked: " rimus isquite possibly the strangest top-10 band ever, and good for them."


Band history


The early years and ''Frizzle Fry'' (1984–1990)

Primus began in El Sobrante, California, in 1984 under the name Primate with singer and bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Todd Huth, and a LinnDrum drum machine. The duo initially had trouble finding a drummer, until Claypool's friend Vince "Perm" Parker returned home from a stint in the army, and together the three of them recorded their first demo, financed by Claypool selling his car. Primate changed their name to Primus after "about a month" when they were approached by a group called the Primates threatening legal action over the similarity of their names. Parker was soon replaced by the band's second drummer, Peter Libby, who played on their first demo as Primus. After 2–3 years with the band he was himself replaced by Robbie Bean, Tim "Curveball" Wright had the drum chair for 6 months in 1988. After rising to fame in the local music scene with their brand of funk metal fusion, reaching the point where they were "selling out Berkeley Square", Wright was fired from Primus in the summer of 1988 to be replaced by Jay Lane, drummer with the Freaky Executives, who were "getting dicked around by their record company", as Claypool later described it. At the end of 1988, after recording another demo, titled ''Sausage'', Lane left Primus when "something good happened" with the Freaky Executives' record deal. Huth also soon left the band, expressing a desire to dedicate more time to his family. In 1987, Primus was put on hold briefly and Claypool rejoined his former band, Blind Illusion, who at the time also featured one-time
Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". '' AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...
student and ex- Possessed guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde. Claypool recruited LaLonde to reform Primus together with Tim "Herb" Alexander, drummer with the
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
-based group Major Lingo, and a month later, the trio recorded their first album: ''
Suck on This ''Suck on This'' is a live album by the band Primus, released in 1989. At the time of recording, the featured lineup of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander had only been playing together for "about two ...
'' (1989), a live recording culled from two of their Berkeley concerts, funded by a loan from Claypool's father.Illustrated Discography, ''
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People ''Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People'' is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by American band Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son ...
'' DVD, 2003.
Brain A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
(who later joined the band in 1996) was briefly a member of the band during this time period, before a broken foot forced him to leave the group. In 1990, the band released their first studio album, '' Frizzle Fry'', and released singles for " John the Fisherman" and " Too Many Puppies". With a music video featuring Kirk Hammett, a studio album and a tour with
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands fr ...
, Primus' popularity grew to the point where they attracted attention from
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
, who signed them in 1990.


''Seas of Cheese'', ''Pork Soda'', and ''Tales from the Punchbowl'' (1991–1996)

Primus's major label debut was the album '' Sailing the Seas of Cheese''. The album was supported by the singles " Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and "
Tommy the Cat "Tommy the Cat" is a song by the American funk metal band Primus, released on their second album, ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese''. Recording The song contains spoken word portions (as the voice of Tommy the Cat) interspersed with the singing of ...
", both of which appeared on MTV. A third single, " Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers", was also released but did not feature a video. The band appeared as contestants for the Battle of the Bands in ''
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' is a 1991 American science fiction comedy film, and the feature directorial debut of Pete Hewitt. It is the second film in the ''Bill & Ted'' franchise, and a sequel to '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989 ...
'' and made music for a
Beavis and Butt-Head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, an ...
tribute album with a song entitled "Poetry and Prose". With a major label behind them, ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' went gold. The band then toured in support of Rush, U2,
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...
, Public Enemy, and Fishbone. After the release of ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese'', in 1992, Primus released a
cover song In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
EP '' Miscellaneous Debris'', with their version of
XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing i ...
's "Making Plans for Nigel" receiving enough airplay to reach No. 30 on
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
's Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 1993, Primus released '' Pork Soda'', which managed to debut at No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was darker than previous Primus efforts, dealing with murder, suicide, and alienation. The band has commented that prior to recording, they had been touring for nearly two solid years and were thus in a sombre mood. "
My Name Is Mud "My Name Is Mud" is a song by the American rock band Primus, released in 1993 as the first single from their third album ''Pork Soda''. In 2010, Primus released a new version of the track sung entirely in Spanish under the title "Me Llamo Mud". ...
" was the first single, reaching No. 9 on the U.S.
Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
chart. " DMV" and " Mr. Krinkle" followed, the latter made into a video featuring Claypool in a pig suit and tuxedo playing upright bass in an abandoned warehouse as a carnival of oddities parades behind him, including Claypool's wife and her twin sister. Claypool said he put his "heart and soul" into the video, but it received next to no airtime on MTV. In an interview with ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'' magazine, Claypool disparaged the channel's unwillingness to air the video, saying "it got played like six times." ''Pork Soda'' was recorded at the band's rehearsal space in San Rafael. The band would subsequently record all of their albums at Claypool's home studio called Rancho Relaxo (a
Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...
TV show reference). In 1993, Primus headlined the
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
festival
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
. They also made an appearance at the
Woodstock '94 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was r ...
Music Festival. They were pelted with mud while they performed "My Name Is Mud". About a minute into the song the band stopped playing, and Claypool said, "Well I opened a big-ass can of worms with that one, didn't I? The song is called 'My Name Is Mud', but keep the mud to yourselves you son-of-a-bitch." During a lull in 1994, the early Primus lineup of Claypool, Huth, and Lane reunited to record '' Riddles Are Abound Tonight'' under the band name
Sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...
, named after the demo they had recorded together in 1988. Among the songs they recorded is an early version of "The Toys Go Winding Down", retitled "Toyz 1988". The video for the title track "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" featured the band in blue leotards performing on stationary bicycles. In 1995, Primus released their fourth album, ''
Tales from the Punchbowl ''Tales from the Punchbowl'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on June 6, 1995. It was the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined Primus seven years later, and again in September 2013. It was c ...
''. It contained Primus's most successful single to date, which is the Grammy-nominated " Wynona's Big Brown Beaver". The song was accompanied by a video with the band members dressed up in cartoonish plastic cowboy costumes (similar to the suits worn in the then-current Duracell battery commercials). The band was invited to perform on the
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. On the David Letterman show, Primus appeared dressed in penguin tuxedos. Two other less successful singles, " Mrs. Blaileen" and " Southbound Pachyderm" (the latter of which featured a claymation video that received only minimal airplay on MTV) were also released. In 1996, Claypool self-produced his first solo album entitled ''Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel Presents Highball with the Devil''. On this album many of the songs are done solely by Claypool himself. Claypool also employs the help of a number of other musicians. Experimental Bay Area guitarist
M.I.R.V. M.I.R.V. was a band based in the San Francisco, California, Bay Area. The band was founded in 1993. Its musical style includes elements of hard rock, heavy metal, funk, country, opera, experimental, electronica, and polka. History Founded in ...
joined Claypool and others. Performances include a spoken word piece from
Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rol ...
on the song "Delicate Tendrils". This album was recorded at Rancho Relaxo.


''Brown Album'', ''Antipop'', and hiatus (1997–2002)

Alexander left the band and was replaced by
Brain A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
of Limbomaniacs and
Praxis Praxis may refer to: Philosophy and religion * Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised * Praxis model, a way of doing theology * Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...
. Claypool stated "Herb's departure was like a marriage that just slowly decayed to an end." With Mantia aboard, Primus were asked in 1996 to compose the theme song to ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...
''. Primus also later contributed to the ''
Chef Aid "Chef Aid" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 27th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 7, 1998. The episod ...
'' album with the song "Mephisto and Kevin". ''
Brown Album ''Brown Album'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Primus. It was released on July 8, 1997, by Prawn Song and Interscope Records. It was the band's first album with new drummer Brain, who replaced former drummer Tim Alexander. The ...
'' was released in 1997 and supported by the singles "Shake Hands with Beef" and "Over the Falls". In 1998, the band headlined the inaugural
Sno-Core The SnoCore Tour, occasionally typeset as Sno-Core, was an annual festival tour of the United States. It features performances by some of the most popular groups largely of the alternative rock and metal spectrum. Other than 2008 and 2016, the eve ...
tour with the Aquabats, Long Beach Dub Allstars and
Blink-182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...
. In late 1998, Primus released the '' Rhinoplasty'' EP, which has covers of acts like
XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing i ...
,
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
and
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
. The EP also includes two live recordings of Primus, as well as bonus content accessed through a
CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both com ...
portion of the CD. It was shortly followed by the video release '' Videoplasty''. '' Antipop'' was released in 1999, and featured production and guest appearances from
James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder and a main songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionall ...
of
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...
of Rage Against the Machine, Matt Stone, one of the creators of ''South Park'', Stewart Copeland of The Police, Jim Martin of
Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist ...
, and Fred Durst of
Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
. While producing the song " Lacquer Head", Durst encouraged Primus to return to the more aggressive sound of their earlier albums for ''Antipop''. Some critics compared the album's murky downtuned guitars to
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
, which was popular during the time. The band toured in support of ''Antipop'' at Ozzfest and on the Family Values Tour. The band released a music video for the album's only single, "Lacquer Head", which was banned from MTV because of references to and depictions of drug use, despite the song's anti-drug message. Tensions among the band rose considerably during this period, Claypool stated "there was some doubt at the label as to whether we knew what the hell we were doing anymore." In 2000, Primus performed a cover of
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...
s song " N.I.B." featuring vocals by
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
. The track originally appeared on the album '' Nativity in Black II: A Tribute to Black Sabbath''. The track was also released as part of Osbourne's 2005 ''Prince of Darkness'' box set. The band went on hiatus from 2000 to 2003, with Claypool later stating:
"The end of the Nineties was an unhappy Primus camp. I hit a creative stagnation that wasn't helping us forward, and the personal elements, it just was time to stop. And I had been asked for many years, "How long can Primus go on?" And I always said, "I'll do it until it's not fun anymore." And it just wasn't fun anymore on many different levels."
During this hiatus, Alexander released two albums with the band Laundry and performed with
Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...
,
A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three during the early 2000s ...
, and Born Naked, among others. Claypool explored the jam band scene with Oysterhead (featuring friend Trey Anastasio of
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...
and Stewart Copeland of
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
) and his own Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (featuring both Huth and Lane). He also collaborated with Brain, Buckethead and Bernie Worrell in the group Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.


Reformation (2003–2009)

Primus in 2008. In late 2003, Primus reunited with Alexander on drums to record a five track EP. Released alongside a DVD containing the band's music videos and clips from live performances, the resulting package was titled ''
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People ''Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People'' is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by American band Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son ...
''. The band staged a two-month tour performing two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release '' Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' in its entirety. 2004 saw them continue touring, this time performing their 1990 release ''Frizzle Fry'' in its entirety. For these two tours, the band sold recordings directly recorded from the sound-board online. The performance in Chicago was videotaped and released as a DVD titled '' Hallucino-Genetics: Live 2004''. They also performed a set at Bonnarroo in 2004, a late night set featuring a cover of "YYZ" by Rush and a guest appearance by Adrian Belew on "Thela Hun Ginjeet" a King Crimson cover. In 2005, the band performed at
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
and Vegoose. Between Primus shows, Claypool created a new solo project called
Les Claypool's Fancy Band Les Claypool's Fancy Band was a lineup of musicians on tour with Les Claypool from 2005 to 2007. The band consisted of Claypool on bass, Skerik on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba, tabla, cuíca and percussion, ...
which, like other projects, occasionally used Primus songs. A May 10, 2006 article on IGN revealed that Primus had signed on with RedOctane to allow the master recording of John the Fisherman to be used in
Guitar Hero II ''Guitar Hero II'' is a music rhythm video game developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 and Activision for the Xbox 360. It is the second main installment in the ''Guitar Hero'' series and is the sequel to 2005 ...
, a game for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
and . Primus performed on July 29, 2006, at the first annual Hedgpeth Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. On October 17, 2006, Primus released both their first greatest hits CD '' They Can't All Be Zingers'', as well as their third DVD '' Blame It on the Fish: an Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour de Fromage''. Containing live footage from the band's 2003 Tour de Fromage, interview segments and behind the scenes footage, the DVD includes a 70-minute feature film and 90 minutes of bonus material, including a 30-minute mockumentary about the band in the year 2065. ''Blame it on the Fish'' was directed by Matthew J. Powers. ''They Can't All Be Zingers: The Best of Primus'' includes 16 digitally remastered songs that span the band's career. In November 2006, Primus commenced another tour which concluded the following month. They played at a few festivals in 2008, including the
Rothbury Festival Electric Forest is a multi-genre music festival produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events with a focus on electronic music and jam band genres. Original named Rothbury Festival in 2008, it is held in Rothbury, Michigan at the ...
(in Michigan), the Ottawa Blues Fest, the
Quebec City Summer Festival Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
, and the Outside Lands Festival (in San Francisco). On November 24, 2009, Prawn Song re-released the band's first studio album, ''Frizzle Fry'', on
vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts ne ...
, along with some of Claypool's solo albums. It was revealed in 2011 that Alexander lacked interest in continuing Primus, despite enthusiasm from LaLonde and Claypool. Claypool hinted that the band could have recorded with Alexander, but that "when we did readdress Primus in '03 and '06, it was more of a nostalgic thing. It was great at the time, but it just didn't have that creative spark as far as moving forward", and thus the reformation instead focused on touring.


''Green Naugahyde'' (2010–2013)

On March 18, 2010, it was announced by
Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of ...
on his official message board that former Primus drummer Lane would be leaving his previous band Furthur to rejoin Primus. On May 3, 2010, Primus announced a new tour with Gogol Bordello, Wolfmother, and the Dead Kenny G's. The press release for the tour revealed that the band were looking to "refine their chops before heading into the studio to record their first album of brand new music since 1999's ''Antipop''." Correlating with this announcement, the Primus website was updated with an animation of an elevator with its twelfth floor featuring a stylized question mark, and a sign reading "Primus will be with you shortly", alluding to future plans. In 2011, Claypool elaborated on the band's decision to record an album, stating that "(Lane) coming back has just breathed life back into the project. We did some touring, and we decided, "Let's go make a record," because we were creating things on the road." On August 5, 2010, Primus released '' June 2010 Rehearsal'', a free four-track rehearsal EP available for download on their official website. The EP consists of new recordings of previously released Primus songs featuring Lane on drums. Primus began their second annual Oddity Faire tour on September 14, 2010, with opening acts Portugal. The Man, Split Lip Rayfield,
Mariachi El Bronx Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, ...
,
the New Orleans Bingo! Show The New Orleans Bingo! Show is an interactive theatrical cabaret and musical band from New Orleans, Louisiana.Mucca Pazza and Gogol Bordello. The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow performers also entertained the crowd between bands on select dates. To promote this tour, Primus appeared on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's ...
'' in September. The Oddity Faire tour did not include dates in Primus's hometown, the San Francisco Bay Area, because for promotional purposes it was too near to the planned New Year's dates December 30 and 31 in Oakland. Their song " Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is included in the video game '' Rock Band 3'', which was released on October 26, 2010. In interviews conducted backstage at the Soundwave Festival in March 2011, Claypool said of the new Primus album "we've recorded it, we just need to polish it", and that the release date "should be around May or so". He also described the new material as being "very reminiscent of ''Frizzle Fry''". In May, it was revealed that the album was complete and had been named ''
Green Naugahyde ''Green Naugahyde'' is the seventh studio album by rock group Primus, released by ATO Records and Prawn Song on September 12, 2011 in Europe, and on September 13, 2011 in the United States. It is the band's first album since 1999's ''Antipop'', ...
'', though the release date was pushed back to July to avoid the holidays. On June 6, a press release was issued announcing that the album would be released by ATO Records and
Prawn Song Prawn Song Records is an independent record label owned by Les Claypool of Primus. The name and logo are a parody of Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records. Prawn Song is based in San Francisco, California, and distribution is handled by RED Dis ...
on September 13, 2011. A second press release was later issued announcing that the album would be released in Europe on September 12. On August 17, the track " Tragedy's a' Comin'" was made available to stream via the ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' magazine website, followed by "HOINFODAMAN" on September 1 via the ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' site. On September 8, the TV show ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...
'' made the entire album available for streaming to anybody who " likes" their
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
page, including " Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers" as a bonus track. Primus continued to tour throughout 2011, playing a number of dates in North America in May and June, including the
Bonnaroo Music Festival The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in ...
, followed by a tour of Europe from late June to mid July. They then returned to America to play a few more music festivals leading into early August, including a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in
Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
with
the Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (k ...
, before embarking on a "major fall tour" in support of the new album. In the fall of 2012, the band went on tour with the "first ever" 3D-enhanced live musical performance. Each show featured Quad Surround Sound and 3D visuals. During March 2013, the band played for the very first time in Mexico City.


''Electric Grapevine'' and ''the Chocolate Factory'' (2013–2017)

In September 2013, Claypool revealed that Lane had departed Primus to focus on RatDog with
Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...
. Previous drummer Alexander rejoined the band in his place. Claypool also revealed that the band were "talking about going into the studio in November. But it's all a little premature - we'll see what happens". In December, Alexander revealed that the band had been "in Les's studio working on stuff for the new year's show but I don't know if there are any plans for releasing that." When asked about performing new material during the 2014 Australia tour, he said "looking at he band's touring schedule it doesn't look like there's going to be any time to write anything new." The first official Primus show with Alexander back on drums was New Year's Eve 2013 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. The band performed their first set in front of the iconic ''Suck On This'' backdrop seen in the " Too Many Puppies" music video. For their second set, Primus were joined by "the Frog Brigade Ensemble", consisting of saxophonist
Skerik Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critter ...
and percussionist Mike Dillon, as they performed the soundtrack from the 1971 film '' Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' in its entirety. The band later announced that a studio recording of the soundtrack, titled '' Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble'', would be released on October 21, 2014. On September 16, 2014, a biography of the band was released via Akashic Books titled ''Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool'', written by music journalist and author Greg Prato in affiliation with Primus. The book chronicles the band's career alongside Claypool's other projects and features interviews with band members past and present, as well as Geddy Lee,
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
,
Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...
, Kirk Hammett, Stewart Copeland, Trey Anastasio, and Matt Stone, among others. In late October 2015, the band released the first music video from their ''Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble'' album, for the track "Candyman". In mid-October 2016, the band performed at the fifth annual Desert Daze music festival in Joshua Tree, California.


''The Desaturating Seven'' and new music (2017–present)

On July 31, 2017, Primus announced their ninth studio album '' The Desaturating Seven'' and a US tour. On that same day, the album's first single "The Seven" was also released. The album is inspired by the children's book ''The Rainbow Goblins'', written by Italian author Ul de Rico, which lead singer and bassist Claypool used to read to his children. It was released on September 29, 2017. During their co-headling tour with
Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...
in 2018, the band played the album in its entirety. Primus – alongside Ministry and Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – also opened for
Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical styl ...
on the final North American leg of their farewell tour in November 2019. At the beginning of 2020, the band announced that they would be doing a tour in which every night they would cover Rush's 1977 album '' A Farewell to Kings'' in its entirety. The tour was postponed twice. Once due to the fact that Primus joined Slayer on their retirement tour and again due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. In November 2020, they announced a livestream entitled "Alive From Pachyderm Station" that would air on December 11 at Primuslive.com if audience bought a ticket. The concert was filmed at Claypool's winery, "Claypool Cellars". The event marked the first time in 20 years that songs from ''Antipop'' were performed live, including the first official performance of the song (other than being played at soundcheck in Milwaukee in 1999) "Eclectic Electric". The "Tribute to Kings" tour commenced in August 2021 and originally wrapped up in October, followed by an encore extension beginning April 2022. In an August 2021 interview with ''
The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base i ...
'', Claypool confirmed that a new Primus album is in the works: "Some ideas are being thrown around, but we're not there yet. We will have a new album at some point. We're focusing on this tour and ''Farewell to Kings''. That's enough for us for now." In March 2022, Claypool revealed that the band was planning to release a new twelve-inch single featuring a 13-minute track called "Conspiranoia" and two songs as its b-sides. The '' Conspiranoid'' EP was released on April 22, 2022. On August 9 and 10, 2022, Primus played the
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand ...
25th Anniversary Concert alongside
Ween Ween is an American Rock music, rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Gene Ween, Aaron Freeman and Dean Ween, Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an al ...
and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. It was broadcast on Comedy Central on August 13 and on Paramount+ on August 14.


Musical style, legacy, and influences

Unlike other bands associated with the 1990s alternative music movement, Primus emerged from a mostly metal background, with Claypool and LaLonde previously a part of the 1980s Californian
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
underground. Kirk Hammett, guitarist of Bay Area thrash metal band
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, remarked in a 1991 interview that Primus are "unique, they're a square peg in a round hole". The music of Primus has been described as "
thrash Thrash may refer to: *Thrashing (computer science), where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work *Thrash (surname) * Thrash, mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers *'' Thrash Rally'', a top-down perspective rally racing video gam ...
-
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
meets
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on '' The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...
, Jr." and "the Freak Brothers set to music". Also, Primus has been categorized as
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
,
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
, experimental rock,
funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...
,
funk metal Funk metal (also known as thrash-funk or punk-funk) is a subgenre of funk rock and alternative metal that infuses heavy metal music (often thrash metal) with elements of funk and punk rock. Funk metal was part of the alternative metal movement, ...
, Appeared earlier in the book ''All Music Guide'' o
page 290
in 2001 and o
page 888
in 2002.
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
, and "thrash-funk". Regarding the band's genre, Claypool stated in 1991 "We've been lumped in with the funk metal thing just about everywhere. I guess people just have to categorize you". ''MTV'' suggests that Primus is "a
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
Rush spiked with the sensibility and humor of
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...
". Les Claypool himself once described their music as "
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...
polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The te ...
." ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' have labelled Primus as "pranksters" and, in 1995, as an "unlikely gold-selling white trash purveyor of hard-ass pinballing funk metal". Primus is the only band with its own ID3 genre tag, 'Primus', as introduced by
Winamp Winamp is a media player for Microsoft Windows originally developed by Justin Frankel and Dmitry Boldyrev by their company Nullsoft, which they later sold to AOL in 1999 for $80 million. It was then acquired by Radionomy in 2014. Since ve ...
. Primus' primary influence is
the Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vi ...
, an avant-garde band that are well known for their anonymity and surreal music. Claypool has said he is often accused of being a member of the Residents due to their similar musical style. Other influences include King Crimson, Rush,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
and Hillel Slovak-era Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band have been credited as an influence to the
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
genre, with bands such as
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first f ...
,
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...
,
Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
, Pressure 4-5 and
Pleymo Pleymo is a French nu metal band formed by Mark Maggiori, Benoît Julliard, Fred Ceraudo, and Mathias Borronquet in Paris in 1997. Pleymo has sold over 100,000 albums to date. The band's name apparently originates from the lead singer once havi ...
all having been inspired by Primus. Limp Bizkit's frontman Fred Durst, who produced a song on the Primus album ''Antipop'', stated in 1999 "I fucking love Primus. Spawned by pure rhythms, Primus has and always will be the most innovative and original source of groove to influence me in this decade. If you listen you will learn."'' Lacquer Head'' liner notes.
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
(2000)
Incubus vocalist Brandon Boyd has mentioned them as an influence, and said, "Primus was one of those bands that myself,
José José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernac ...
from our band, Mikey from our band, the three of us fully bonded over them. We would just crank their music in the car, outdoors." Primus is also known for their unique live performances that feature extended solos and improvisation. Many of their songs have been upgraded significantly with changed lyrics, added solos, and general alterations in musical composition. Claypool often plays the
whamola The Whamola is a bass instrument used in funk-jazz styles of music. The name is a portmanteau of whammy bar and viola. The Whamola is a direct descendant of the washtub bass, an American folk instrument popular with skiffle and jug bands, and fe ...
during drum solos.


Band members

* Les Claypool –
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
,
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
,
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
(1984–2000, 2003–present) * Larry "Ler" LaLonde –
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
s,
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
(1989–2000, 2003–present) * Tim "Herb" Alexander –
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
, backing vocals (1989–1996, 2003–2008, 2013-present) Former members * Todd Huth – guitars, backing vocals (1984–1989) *Vince "Perm" Parker – drums (1984) *Peter Libby – drums (1984–1987) *Robbie Bean – drums (1987–1988) *Tim "Curveball" Wright – drums (1988) * Jay Lane – drums, backing vocals (1988–1989, 2010–2013) *
Brain A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
 – drums (1989, 1996–2000) Former touring members * Buckethead – guitars (1999) * Danny Carey – drums (2014) * DJ Disk – turntables (1998-1999)


Timeline


Discography

*'' Frizzle Fry'' (1990) *'' Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' (1991) *'' Pork Soda'' (1993) *''
Tales from the Punchbowl ''Tales from the Punchbowl'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on June 6, 1995. It was the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined Primus seven years later, and again in September 2013. It was c ...
'' (1995) *''
Brown Album ''Brown Album'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Primus. It was released on July 8, 1997, by Prawn Song and Interscope Records. It was the band's first album with new drummer Brain, who replaced former drummer Tim Alexander. The ...
'' (1997) *'' Antipop'' (1999) *''
Green Naugahyde ''Green Naugahyde'' is the seventh studio album by rock group Primus, released by ATO Records and Prawn Song on September 12, 2011 in Europe, and on September 13, 2011 in the United States. It is the band's first album since 1999's ''Antipop'', ...
'' (2011) *'' Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble'' (2014) *'' The Desaturating Seven'' (2017)


Tours

* Bring the Noise Tour (1991) *
Roll the Bones Tour The Roll the Bones Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush in support of their fourteenth studio album '' Roll the Bones''. Background The tour kicked off October 25, 1991 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario and culminated on June ...
(1992) * Zoo TV Tour (1992) *
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
(1993) * Liquid Pig Tour (1993) * Counterparts Tour (1994) * Punchbowl Tour (1995) * Southbound Pachyderm Tour (1996) * Brown Tour (1997) *
H.O.R.D.E. Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere or H.O.R.D.E. Festival was a touring summer rock music festival originated by the musical group Blues Traveler in 1992. In addition to travelling headliners, the festival gave exposure to bands, charities, a ...
Tour (1997) *
SnoCore Tour The SnoCore Tour, occasionally typeset as Sno-Core, was an annual festival tour of the United States. It features performances by some of the most popular groups largely of the alternative rock and metal spectrum. Other than 2008 and 2016, the eve ...
(1998) * Ozzfest (1999) * Family Values Tour (1999) * Antipop Tour (1999–2000) * Tour de Fromage (2003–2004) * Hallucino-Genetics Tour (2004) * The Beat a Dead Horse Tour (2006) * Summer Tour (2010) * The Oddity Faire Tour (2010) * Primus World Tour (2011) * Guinea Pig Tour (2011) * Green Naugahyde Tour (2011) * Spring Tour (2012) * Summer Camp Music Festival (2012) * 3D Tour (2012) * 3D Tour 2013 (2013)
Spring Tour 2014
(2014) * Primus and the Chocolate Factory (2014) * Primus and the Chocolate Factory (2015) * Primus & Tool Tour (2016) * An Evening with Primus and Clutch (2017) * Ambushing the Storm Tour (2017) * Primus and Mastodon Summer Tour (2018) * US Fall Tour (2018) * Slayer's The Final Campaign Tour (2019) * A Tribute To Kings Tour (Originally 2020) (2021-2022) (Dates are subject to change due to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
)


Awards


See also

*
List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area This is a list of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area, music groups founded in the San Francisco Bay Area or closely associated with the region. Individual musicians who formed bands under their own name there are included, but not if they are ...
* List of alternative metal artists *
List of funk metal and funk rock bands The following is a list of funk rock bands. This list includes bands which have directly played within the funk rock genre, as well as bands which have played within its subgenre, funk metal. It also includes bands described as metal funk, thrash f ...
* List of progressive rock artists


References


External links


Primus
official website *

*
"No Respect, Goddamnit!: On the trail of Primus"
by Michael Goldberg for
Addicted to Noise ''Addicted to Noise'' (ATN) was an online music magazine in the early days of the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 by ex-''Rolling Stone'' associate editor and senior writer Michael Goldberg and online music pioneer Jon Luini, it published its fir ...
, May 1995. Archived from the original.
Primus and Side Project Live Performances
{{DEFAULTSORT:Primus American alternative metal musical groups American comedy musical groups American experimental rock groups American funk metal musical groups American musical trios Alternative rock groups from California Funk rock musical groups Les Claypool Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups from San Francisco Progressive rock musical groups from California Interscope Records artists Caroline Records artists ATO Records artists