Bickley is an American

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band from

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States, originally active from 1995 until 2001. The band's name is a word derived from

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

's character in ''

Taxi Driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a morally decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and ...

'',

Travis Bickle Travis Bickle is the antihero protagonist of the 1976 film ''Taxi Driver'' directed by Martin Scorsese. The character was created by the film's screenwriter Paul Schrader. He is portrayed by Robert De Niro, who received an Oscar nomination for h ...

. Influenced primarily by the likes of

The Vindictives The Vindictives are an American, Chicago-based punk rock group, founded by singer and songwriter Joey Vindictive in 1991, releasing 12 EPs and albums by July 1996. History They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7-inch record later ...

The Queers The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With the ...

and

Screeching Weasel Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums) founded in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Pierson (music ...

, Bickley delivered a simple yet powerful sound. Bickley's first full-length studio recording was ''

Pogo Au Go-Go ''Pogo Au Go Go'' is the first album by Houston punk rock band Bickley, released in 1996 by PaperDoll Records. After Bickley signed on to Fearless Records, the album was re-released in 1998. The album led to Bickley gaining wide local exposure. ...

'' (PaperDoll), a full-length CD issued in

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

. They quickly developed a loyal following in the

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

area. By 1998, Bickley had been picked up by

Fearless Records Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the ''Fearless Flush Sampler'' and ''Punk Bites'' releas ...

, and the ''Pogo Au Go-Go'' CD was re-released under that label. In late 1998, Bickley released their second CD, '' Kiss The Bunny'', also on Fearless records. By this time their fan base extended across the US, and they often toured the Southwest US region, with short stints across the West Coast, East Coast, and the Deep South. Bickley's final release, ''Fat, Drunk and Stupid'', captured their raucous live show at their favorite venue, Fitzgerald's, in Houston Texas. ''Fat, Drunk and Stupid'' was released in August 2001 through PaperDoll Records. Bickley were also noted by the music press for the adult content of their songs, and the unique character of lead singer Ben Fondled's voice. Bickley's core lineup (singer Ben Fondled, guitarist Uncle Dig, and drummer Dave Wreckoning) did not change from the time of their 1998 re-release under Fearless Records. Bickley switched between two bass players in the 1998-2001 period, driven by the availability of the players: Rubio Coconut (from the successful Houston punk rock band,

30 Foot Fall 30 Foot Fall (stylized as 30footFALL) is an American punk rock band that began in Houston, Texas.30 Foot FallMyspace.com/ref> History The band played their first show on Mother's Day in 1993Fitzgeralds, "Fitzgerald's Christmas Show W/30 Foot F ...

) and Bill Fool. Rubio began touring the country with 30footFALL and Bill was brought in to replace him in late 1997. Matte Finish was the original drummer for the band, and is the drummer on the Down the Hatch 7", on Pogo Au Go-Go, and on some songs that appeared on Kiss the Bunny. In 2001, at the peak of their popularity, Bickley split up citing the need for more personal time with their respective families. The band has reunited at various times since August 2001 for special benefit and reunion shows. Bickley (including both Rubio Coconut on bass and Bill Fool on rhythm guitar) recently reunited for one night on July 20, 2013 at Fitzgerald's in Houston, TX for 30footFALL's 20th anniversary show. They re-released Down The Hatch on vinyl and released a greatest hits album entitled, "Good To See You Again, Asshole!", which includes 20 tracks of fan favorites from the band's two studio albums. They reunited twice in 2015 for their 20th Anniversary Show as well as the 30footFALL Christmas Show, as well as two appearances in 2018 as a memorial for Chris LaForge and the final 30footFALL Christmas Show at Fitzgerald's. Bickley played their first show in three years in January 2023 at The Black Magic Social Club in Houston for the You Ain't Punk show, playing a set as The Vindictives. This show saw the revamped lineup of Bickley, with Uncle Dig replacing Ben Fondled as lead vocalist, and Greg Urgitate from Monster Soup joining as second guitarist.

Band members

Current * Uncle Dig – guitars (1995–2001; reunions; 2023-present); lead vocals (2023–present) * Greg Urgitate – guitars, backing vocals (2023–present) * Rubio Coconut – bass, backing vocals (1995–1997; reunions; 2023-present) * Dave Wreckoning – drums, backing vocals (1998–2001; reunions; 2023-present) Former * Ben Fondled - lead vocals (1995-2001; reunions) * Bill Fool - bass, backing vocals (1997-2001; guitars, backing vocals (reunions) * Matte Finish- drums, backing vocals (1995-1998)

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (1996) (PaperDoll) *''

'' (1998) (Fearless) (re-release) *'' Kiss The Bunny'' (1998) (Fearless) *''Fat, Drunk and Stupid'' (2001) (PaperDoll)

7" and Tapes

*''Down The Hatch'' (1995) (7" on PaperDoll) *''Texas Tag Team Up'' (1998) (7" on Chicken Ranch Records) split w/ The Put-Downs

Compilations

*'' Punk Bites 2'' (1999) (Fearless) *''Punk til ya Poop'' (1999) (Bad Stain Records) *''Good To See You Again, Asshole!'' (2013) (Little T&A Records)

References