ZIPGUN (stylized in all-caps) are an American punk rock band from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States, primarily active from 1991 to 1994. The original founding members were: guitarist Neil Rogers (The Derelicts, Glazed), singer Robb Clarke (Trids, RC5, The Burnz), bassist Mark Wooten (The Zanny Guys, Noble Firs) and drummer Dan Cunneen ( Final Warning, The Obituaries, Seattle's Nightcaps,).

History

ZIPGUN was formed and led by Neil Rogers, who had previously played guitar for

Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...

recording artists The Derelicts. In 1993, Mark Wooten quit the band and was replaced by bassist Andy Sheen. In late 1993 Sheen quit the band and was replaced by former Derelicts bassist Ian Dunsmore. ZIPGUN broke up in 1994 and then reunited in 1996 for a single show at The Breakroom in Seattle with original bassist, Mark Wooten.

Background

While ZIPGUN hailed from

in the early 1990s, their music is not considered

Grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

. ZIPGUN was one of a number of Seattle bands that avoided the prevailing musical trend, instead choosing to play

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 ...

. Other Seattle bands sharing the same philosophy during the era include:

Gas Huffer Gas Huffer was an American garage rock band from Washington. They were known for their informal and comical lyrics and their antic-laden stage presence. History Gas Huffer classified themselves loosely in the garage punk genre. The band crea ...

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, and

Coffin Break Coffin Break was a hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington. History Coffin Break was formed in Seattle in the late-1980s, at the start of the grunge era. The group released its first two full-length albums and a compilation on C/Z Records. ...

. The band was known for their "punk and roll" sound, which is characterized by its raw energy and power; delivered at slower tempos than typical American hardcore. ZIPGUN mined punk rock influences like

The Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...

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, The Damned, and

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. The ...

. They also added elements of then-current bands like

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and

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into their sound. ZIPGUN was also known for their unpredictable stage performances and sometimes volatile interaction between singer Robb Clarke and guitarist Neil Rogers. (For instance, at their alcohol fueled debut show at Seattle's

Crocodile Cafe The Crocodile (formerly the Crocodile Cafe, and sometimes called The Croc) is a music club at 2505 1st Avenue at Wall Street in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened by Stephanie Dorgan as the "Crocodile Ca ...

, Rogers famously broke his Gibson SG guitar over Clarke's back.)

Legacy

ZIPGUN released three singles and two full-length albums on Pacific Northwest

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

, Empty Records and several other singles on various labels. The band toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada and appeared in the

Doug Pray Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, producer, editor, and cinematographer who often explores subcultures in his films. In January, 2024, Turner Classic Movies , Turner Classic Movies (TCM) released a 6-part series, ''“The Power ...

film

Hype! ''Hype!'' (1996) is a documentary directed by Doug Pray about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid-1990s United States. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the development of the grunge scene from its early b ...

, a documentary chronicling the 1990s Seattle

music scene. Currently, Rogers plays in Communist Eyes and The Derelicts (reformed in 2017). Clarke continues to play and record with the Seattle punk band The Burnz. Cunneen plays drums for Roxbury Saints and the Perkins Coie Band.

Discography

* 1991 ''Together Dumb/Cool in the Cell'' (single) Empty Records * 1991 ''Ten'' (one sided promo single) Empty Records * 1992 ''8 Track Player'' (CD/LP) Empty Records * 1992 ''The End/Nothing Cures'' (single) Musical Tragedies * 1993 ''Put Me Away'' (split single w/ Derelicts) Rekkids * 1993 ''Baltimore'' (CD/LP) Empty Records * 1994 ''I Can't Wait/Tight Black Pants'' (single) Thrill Jockey Records

External links

Official website''Trouser Press'' review of ''8 Track Player'' and ''Baltimore''
{{Authority control Punk rock groups from Washington (state) Musical groups from Seattle