After U.P.S.’s first show in November of 1983, the band went through some radical changes. Sludge left the band to join ‘Conflict’ (another Tucson band), Paul Shitbird joined the band in December of 1983 on lead guitar (also in Civil Death with Larvae), and U.P.S. was evicted from their practice house leaving the band without rehearsal space.
After a couple of months of inactiveness the band started again with Duck Sticks (Dr. Blood) moved from drums to bass and Tommy Mosh (ex-Savage Circle of New York) joining the band to fill in on drums. After a month Mosh was forced to quit the band for medical reasons and Dog Shit (ex- ‘Free Cheese’ of Michigan) stepped in to fill the vacancy at the drums.
With Dog Shit on drums and Dr. Blood on bass the band was for the time solidified. Now the band went into intense practicing for the next several months playing out occasionally and going into the studio to record a five song demo tape. In August of 1984 U.P.S. brought their refined set out to the public with a big show with two leading European punk bands. Shortly after this Paul Shitbird left the band for personal reasons.
U.P.S. went on their first U.S. Tour, ‘Ugly in Public’, in the Summer of 1985. The band was well received throughout the East Coast, Southeast, & Midwest. Their unique fast, ferocious, and innovative hard-core manic thrash punk rock was well loved and was described as sounding like a wall of sonic mayhem with a dervish obstinate stage presence.
Upon return, the band went through more musical and personnel changes with Larvae and Dog Shit leaving the band and Sleepy Pieces (FT13 from El Paso, TX) taking over on vocals, Slug Useless on guitar, Dr. Blood on bass, and Rat Shit as the new drummer. (Rat had auditioned for the band when Tommy Mosh left but didn’t get the job because he was only 14 years old at the time.)
With this new lineup in place U.P.S. began to prepare for another tour in the fall of 1986. The ‘STUPID PUNK U.S. TOUR’, took the band through the Midwest, Northeast, down the East Coast, and back west through the South. The band produced several items to sell such as T-shirts, tapes, stickers, a comic book/lyric book, among other things. Dr. Blood also brought his tattoo machine so all the gnarly punk rockers went under the gun and got a Stupid Punk Tour Tattoo!!!
After the tour the band was forced to again make a change at lead singer. Sleepy moved back to Texas to get married and Dumpy Pieces (not his brother) was added to replace him. This new lineup was the best U.P.S. yet. U.P.S. went into the studio to record their first vinyl record. In the fall of 1987 ‘Fuck Shit Up’ a seven inch vinyl record was released. The band even performed a live music video of ‘Fuck Shit Up’ on local T.V. in Tucson. The record sold out quickly so the band went back into the studio to record a second seven inch vinyl record to be called, ‘It Is Written’.
Over the next few months the band was busy playing out in the Tucson & Phoenix areas. They did a surprise acoustic set at a trendy coffee house dressed like beatniks, several big shows in full clown makeup, and even performed a rock opera entitled, ‘Politico Voice’. Sadly though after this the band just slowly fell apart and in June of 1989 Slug moved to Seattle and Useless Pieces of Shit were officially declared dead.
Slug Useless still lives in Seattle and runs Disillusion Music which he revived from U.P.S.’s old label, Disillusion Records. Dumpy Pieces also lives in Seattle with his wife and son. Rat Shit and Dr. Blood are in Tucson, Arizona. Dog Shit lives in Southern California, Sleepy Pieces in Dallas, TX, Larvae lives in Tucson and sad to say both Paul Shitbird and Tommy Mosh are no longer with us.
U.P.S. would like to thank everyone who helped and supported us over the years with special thanks going to our roadies: John Mincks, Mike Kelly, Matt Schacht, & The Geek. Also Tattoo Bruce who gave us the raddist tattoos and some great art.
Peace, Love, & Uselessness to all
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