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AFI (band)

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AFI
File:AFIPromo2006.jpg
Left to right: Jade, Davey, Adam, Hunter.
Background information
OriginUkiah, California
Years active1991–
MembersDavey Havok
Jade Puget
Hunter Burgan
Adam Carson
Past membersMark Stopholese
Geoff Kresge
Vic Chalker
Websitewww.afireinside.net

AFI (A Fire Inside) is an American Punk rock/Hardcore band. AFI was formed in 1991 by Davey Havok (vocals), Mark Blackwelder (guitar), Vic Chalker (bass) and Adam Carson (drums) in Ukiah, California. Bassist Vic lost interest and was replaced by Geoff Kresge. Kresge left AFI to be part of the band Tiger Army (now plays for The Horrorpops) and the spot was filled by Hunter Burgan. Eventually, guitarist Mark Blackwelder was replaced by Jade Puget, who at the time was in the band Loose Change.

Biography

AFI formed when the members got bored in between skate sessions. Adam and Davey played school soccer together, and Adam used his brother's drum kit. Havok was in the school's choir. After doing a few live shows in parks and such, AFI broke up while its members moved away to different colleges, including University of California, Berkeley (where Havok began a double major of English and Psychology) and University of California, Santa Barbara. Geoff Kresge moved to New York where he played with Blanks 77. After reuniting to perform a very successful live show, the members decided to drop out of college and play in the band full-time. They released a few independently made vinyl EP's, and eventually released their debut full-length album Answer That and Stay Fashionable in 1995 on Wingnut Records, later re-released in 1997 on Nitro Records. Their second album, Very Proud of Ya, was released in 1996 by the Nitro Label, after which their bassist Geoff Kresge decided to leave the group for personal reasons. Their current bassist, Hunter Burgan, formerly of The Force (and currently, also doing the side projects of The Frisk and Hunter Revenge) filled in for Kresge for the tour in support of Very Proud of Ya. Hunter prefers to go by the single name Hunter. He helped AFI record Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes. Shortly after, he became their full-time bassist.

After the recording of the A Fire Inside EP in 1998, Mark left the band to be replaced by guitarist Jade Puget, formerly of Redemption 87 and Loose Change, who was critical in forming the band's new sound over the following albums. The song 'Lower It' is rumoured to have been written about Mark. It is also said Mark went back to college after his departure from AFI. Following on from the new approach they had taken on the aforementioned A Fire Inside EP (released on Adeline records) the band recorded their Black Sails in the Sunset (Nitro 1999) a musical turning point. On this album, and the following All Hallow's EP (Nitro 1999), other EPs and the seminal The Art of Drowning album (Nitro 2000) their original hardcore roots were still quite apparent in their musical approach, but more 80s horror punk seemed to appear in the lyrics. However, many fans feel their latest album Sing the Sorrow which was released on the much larger DreamWorks label on March 11, 2003 displays a different musical approach which has lost some of the punk aggression and connected more with its lyrical (and angsty) subject matter.

AFI was nominated in the MTV Video Music Awards 2003 in the MTV2 award category for the video Girl's Not Grey, which came to be the first VMA they won.

A special edition box set of Sing the Sorrow includes a bonus DVD with the short film Clandestine.

They are followed by a devoted fan base called the Despair Faction. Consisting of fans old and young, the Despair Faction attends every AFI show in its areas.

The meaning of the initials "AFI" means A Fire Inside. Some claim differently but, Davey Havok claims that the meaning of AFI has always been "A Fire Inside." However, earlier AFI records like Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes list contact information addressed to "Asking For It." They have also used the moniker "Anthems For Insubordinates".

2004 saw AFI record two cover songs: The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" for the MTV Icon television show and Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole" for the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack: this song appears only as the bonus track in the 2-disc set, and is not present in the game.

On October 7th, 2005, AFI went on KROQ for an interview on the radio. They released an unreleased song from the Sing the Sorrow sessions, entitled "Rabbits are Roadkill on Route 37". This can somewhat explain the picture of a rabbit on the second to last page of the Sing the Sorrow lyric booklet.

The seventh AFI album is due out in Early Summer 2006, as stated in several magazines such as Revolver, Kerrang!, Fuse and by the band themselves. Guests on the album include Nick 13, members of Throwdown, Day Of Contempt, Eighteen Visions and Bleeding Through, as well as some electronic programming from Ronan of VNV Nation. There is no set album title at this moment; however, it has been confirmed by members of the band that one song will be entitled "Endlessly, She Said." Another site, FQMB.com which states what songs will be added to Mainstream and Active Rock radio has stated that the apparent first single will be called "Miss Murder" which will go to radio in late April.

Discography

Full Length Albums/EPs/Vinyls/Box Sets

  • Dork EP released in 1993 on 7" vinyl
  • Behind The Times EP released in 1993 on 7" vinyl
  • Eddie Picnic's All Wet live EP released in 1994 on 7" vinyl
  • This is Berkeley, Not West Bay EP released in 1994 on 7" vinyl
  • Bombing the Bay split with Swingin' Utters released in 1995 on 7" featuring AFI's cover of "Values Here," by Dag Nasty.
  • Fly In The Ointment EP released in 1995 on 7" vinyl
  • Answer That and Stay Fashionable album released in 1995 by Wingnut Records
  • AFI/Heckle Split split with Heckle released in late 1995 by Wingnut Records
  • Very Proud of Ya album released in 1996 on CD, 12" and cassette.
  • Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes album released in 1997 on CD, 12" and cassette.
  • A Fire Inside EP released in 1998 on CD and 7"
  • Black Sails EP released in 1999 on CD.
  • Black Sails in the Sunset album released in 1999 on CD, 12" and cassette.
  • All Hallow's EP released in 1999 on CD and 12"
  • The Art of Drowning album released in 2000 on CD, 12" and cassette.
  • The Days Of The Phoenix EP released in 2001 on CD.
  • 336 (a.k.a. "now the world picture disc") EP released in 2002 on 10" vinyl
  • The Nitro Years Box Set vinyl box set released by Nitro in 2003. Contents:
    • Answer That and Stay Fashionable Clear Vinyl
    • Very Proud of Ya Clear Vinyl
    • Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes Clear Vinyl
    • Black Sails in the Sunset Clear Vinyl
    • The Art of Drowning Clear Vinyl
  • Sing the Sorrow album released in 2003 on CD. 12" and cassette. Also available in the special edition "Sing the Sorrow Special Edition" (Book, CD, and DVD- Clandestine)
  • AFI retrospective released on November 2, 2004

Singles

Promotional releases

  • Totalimmortal Promo Single 1999
  • Totalimmortal 1999
  • Wester Promo Single 2000
  • The Art of Drowning Promo mid 2000
  • The Art of Drowning Promo Cassette July 14 2000
  • The Days Of The Phoenix Radio Promo 2000
  • AFI: A History early 2003
  • Sing the Sorrow Advance CD early 2003
  • Girl's Not Grey Radio Promo January 2003
  • Sing the Sorrow 4-Track Sampler early 2003
  • Sing the Sorrow 6-Track Sampler early 2003
  • Sing the Sorrow Sampler (Australia) early 2003
  • Sing the Sorrow Test Pressing early 2003
  • Girl's Not Grey Advance Promotional Single January 6 2003
  • Girl's Not Grey March 2003
  • Girl's Not Grey March 2003
  • Girl's Not Grey Single Promo mid April 2003
  • Rockline Promotional Radio Interview CD Set April 21 2003
  • The Leaving Song Pt. II Radio Promo mid 2003
  • The Leaving Song Pt. II Australian Promo mid 2003
  • The Leaving Song Pt. II July 2003
  • Silver and Cold Promotional Single late November 2003
  • Live at the Hard Rock Cafe Promotional CD late November 2003
  • Head Like a Hole Radio Promo 2004
  • Head Like a Hole Australian Promo September 2004

Compilations

Videos

  • He Who Laughs Last... 1996 Video-Single (only)
  • Third Season 1997 Video-Single (only)
  • Totalimmortal 1999 Video-Single (only)
  • The Days of the Phoenix 2000 Video-Single (only)
  • Girl's Not Grey 2003 CD/Video Single
  • The Leaving Song Pt. 2 2003 CD/Video Single
  • Silver and Cold 2003 Video-Single (only)
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