Symbol Six

Artist Information

Biography

SYMBOL SIX

SYMBOL SIX was born in 1980 out of the ashes of hardcore punk bands, Der Stab; Ohio's Necros; and garage punk band, Gaudy Trash. They represented the change that the Los Angeles punk scene was going through as the old Hollywood-Masque scene was fading away and a new sound was coming from the beaches, the Inland Empire, and from Orange County. SYMBOL SIX took their classic 2-guitar assault sound with big hooks to audiences all over So Cal.

SYMBOL SIX began playing with future legends: Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Red Cross, Adolescents, T.S.O.L., CH3, Detours, 45 Grave and Agent Orange, just to name a few. The Los Angeles music scene was extreme, dangerous and like no other. SYMBOL SIX was there square in the middle of it all, kickin' ass and taking names. By late 1981 the band recorded their legendary debut 5 song EP "SYMBOL SIX" on Posh Boy records. Along with worldwide record distribution and radio play, SYMBOL SIX was given heavy rotation on L.A.’s KROQ by the legendary Rodney Bingenhiemer. SYMBOL SIX had arrived at upper tier status and were now fast becoming one of the best bands on the scene, and all by the age of 15.

Today, SYMBOL SIX is back and they bring to you the highly anticipated, all new, full-strength album, “Monsters 11”.
Symbol Six has toured and played over 150 shows in 2011 and looks forward to 2012 !

Symbol Six will be entering the studio again this October to record a new album due out early next year on Suicide Records.
Symbol Six will be included on 4 Compilations released in 2011/2012

Instrumentation

Eric Leach - Lead Vocals
Taz Rudd - Lead Guitar
Phil George - Drums
Evan Shanks - Bass
Tony Fate - Lead Guitar

Discography

1982 “SYMBOL SIX” DEBUT EP Posh Boy Records
1987 “THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHTER” COMPILATION
1988 “LIVING IN DARKNESS” CD SYMBOL SIX BONUS TRACKS
1991 “EGO/TAXATION” 7” SINGLE
1995 “THE POSH BOY STORY” (U.K. RELEASE)
2003 “THE SLOG MOVIE” FEATURING SYMBOL SIX
2010 “MONSTERS 11” NEW ALBUM
2011 Pacific North/west tour 16 shows/15 days
2011 Scare America Records- Compilation
2011 Suicide Kings Records- Compilation
2012 Dr. Strange Records re-release of Symbol Six/Posh Boy 12" vinyl
2012 New albulm "Generation Damnation" to be released

Official Website

http://symbolsix.com/

Links

• Last.fm
• Twitter
• Facebook
• MySpace
• reverbnation
• flashrock

Audio

• Beverlywood
  Listen  
• Go
  Listen  
• Long Way Home
  Listen  
• Ego
  Listen  
• Concrete Garden
  Listen  
• Dog Days
  Listen  
• Shadows
  Listen  
• No Shelter
  Listen  
• Napalm Love 01
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Go
• Long Way Home
• Concrete Garden
• Dog Days
• Shadows
• No Shelter
• Napalm Love

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Band Reviews: LA Weekly Nov. 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  One of the best and most underrated of the early West L.A. punk bands, Symbol Six, who started in...
  One of the best and most underrated of the early West L.A. punk bands, Symbol Six, who started in 1980, were soon signed by Posh Boy and got airplay on Rodney on the Roq before crashing and burning just two years later. Symbol Six were similar in style to Orange County bands like T.S.O.L., the Adolescents and Agent Orange, with leader Eric Leach shouting out such sarcastic, contrarian rants as “Taxation” and “Beverlywood” while incendiary lead guitarist Taz Rudd, rhythm guitarist Mark Conway, drummer Phil George and the fluid ex-Necros bassist Donny Brook carved out an aggressively sinister yet melodic attack. All four original members recently reunited for the first time in 27 years (!) and have already recorded stomping new tracks like “Go” and “Concrete Garden.” (Falling James)
  

• "Top Picks" [+ Show ]
  

  “Full of sound and fury is SYMBOL SIX, a new five-man band from Southern California. They play the f...“Full of sound and fury is SYMBOL SIX, a new five-man band from Southern California. They play the four songs here with punk exuberance, keeping everything simple but with high excitement quotient”.
  
  Billboard Magazine- Top Album Picks,
  

• Music Review [+ Show ]
  

  SYMBOL SIX--- “Blistering, big-sounding, metal punk from a virtually unheralded L.A. band. In bits ...SYMBOL SIX--- “Blistering, big-sounding, metal punk from a virtually unheralded L.A. band. In bits and stabs, the local underclassmen get sharper and more tuneful with every passing week. Some day- trust us- they’ll get smarter, more significant, too”.
  
  L.A. Weekly April 1982
  

• SYMBOL SIX at Rhino Records [+ Show ]
  

  From June 5th, 2011 – Rhino Records who has had a long standing with the music scene and thanks to t...From June 5th, 2011 – Rhino Records who has had a long standing with the music scene and thanks to them in many respects, brought us releases from bands that the establishment labels would not have released. As part of their tradition of keeping the fun going, they opened up the Rhino Records Pop Up Store on Santa Monica Blvd in West Los Angeles complete with a temporary chalked in RHINO sign.
  
  For a couple short weeks some 30 bands would play free shows at the pop up store in the back section of the store and the closing night that is coming up on June 12th will feature Wayne Kramer! The store itself is chock full of music goodies of vinyl, CDs, DVD’s and more all at prices that were just way to hard to pass up.
  
  The Sunday, June 5th show was an homage to Posh Boy Records (www.poshboy.com) with bands that graced the label in it’s formidable years. Performing live sets were Symbol Six, The Crowd, Channel 3 and there is no denying that the fact that these bands are still together today and playing to large audiences all over is a testament to the genius that Posh Boy had for picking bands. The pop up show performances were to benefit MusiCares to which Posh Boy did make a generous donation to.
  
  Opening up the show was The Ingrates who for the most part performed cover songs of other Posh Boy bands to help kick things off. Some of the songs included. Life of Crime, Black and Red, Sex Beat and I Love Bugs (Drugs), Corpus Christi and I Got Power by The Avengers, I Got a Right and TV Love to name a few. Next up was Cerritos, California’s own, Channel 3 followed by The Crowd and closing out the night was Symbol Six.
  
  See full article here on Bigwheel Online Magazine.

• SYMBOL SIX "MONSTERS 11" [+ Show ]
  

  There are bands that have their “day”, fade away and are never to be heard from again. Then there ar...There are bands that have their “day”, fade away and are never to be heard from again. Then there are some bands that find a way to regroup with questionable old timey members and try to rehash some sort of spirit or sound that they clearly lost a decade or more ago. Thankfully for the force known as Symbol Six they can boast not falling into the aforementioned categories.
  
  Symbol Six’s’ “Monsters 11” record showcases old schoolers playing dangerous Punk rock with attitude that’d you’d expect from LA Punk veterans, but also a sense of maturity in writing and sound that can only come with having been around since the hey day of the first wave of LA hardcore. Having been featured on Rodney on the Roq’s program back in 1981, Symbol Six have cred nearly 30 years in the making. This new record does nothing to diminish the cred or integrity of this band.
  
  This album rocks you from opening track “Napalm Love” all the way till album closer “Long Way Home”, where themes of self empowerment and ill fated death are present. Though instead of non stop break neck paced blasts on every track there are well crafted verses and choruses that usually only come from writers who have been around the block a few times musically.
  
  Vocalist Eric Leachs’ powerful presence is felt throughout all of the album often sounding youthful yet mature, in a way that’s raspy and almost southern like, reminiscent of the Dogs D’Amour. Guitarist Tazz Rudd’s leads are well fitted for the vocal stylings of Eric’s and often compliment the gritty melodies provided throughout each track. The two seem perfect together as the songs take off whenever there are leads following Eric’s barking vocals.
  
  It’s a shame Symbol Six hadn’t stayed together through the years, for they could have been a really great band up there headlining with the likes of Social Distortion or Bad Religion. “Monsters 11” though is a sure sign of a band that never lost passion for a music style that was deemed unfashionable by the mid to late 80’s. In the year 2010 its more than just alive, it’s once again relevant. Pick this up if you’re into hearing a modern twist on a vintage LA sound, you will be pleased.

• SYMBOL SIX "MONSTERS 11" [+ Show ]
  

  Symbol Six Monster 11 Released: June 2010 Produced by Jimmy Sloan Symbol Six Music Eric Leach...Symbol Six
  Monster 11
  Released: June 2010
  Produced by Jimmy Sloan
  Symbol Six Music
  
  Eric Leach – Vocals
  Donny Brook – Bass
  Phil George – Drums
  Taz Rudd – Lead Guitar
  Mark Conway – Rhythm Guitar
  
  1. Napalm Love
  2. Go
  3. Cannonball Birthday Boy
  4. Dog Days
  5. Death Seed
  6. Shadows
  7. Concrete Garden
  8. Sticks N’ Stones
  9. No Shelter
  10. Slave
  11. Long Way Home
  
  What do you get when you take five guys from L.A.’s original hardcore scene, and rip them out of the clubs (Godzilla’s, Cuckoo’s Nest, etc.), and let them simmer in a crock-pot of music for the next thirty years. Take them out (all original members) give them their instruments, and throw them right back into the L.A. clubs to finish what they started.
  
  You get an incredible cross of original Symbol Six, a pinch of Nirvana, and maybe a table spoon of Guns ‘N Roses, and all this stirred together gives you some of the purest street rock since . . . shit, I don’t know when.
  
  It’s great to see these guys back, guys that have absolutely nothing to prove, a band that was around when the music was still dangerous. They were fifteen years old, and playing at places like the Cuckoo’s Nest, where on any given night who knows who would end beat up by cowboys, police, or any numbers of bouncers or lunk-heads inside.
  
  The music on this album is strong, on one track you can feel the intensity of the original hardcore music, on others you can feel the dirty vibe that was there on the original Guns ‘N Roses album. Not a rip-off since these guys were around before Guns were a band.
  
  An old high school friend of the guys from Symbol Six, Jimmy Sloan, produced the album. Some of Sloan’s credits include albums produced for: Fishbone, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Phranc, Rhino Bucket, The Slumlords, and The Hangmen. Sloan also engineered albums for the likes of: The Offspring, weezer, and Busta Rhymes.
  
  Symbol Six was born in 1980 out of the ashes of hardcore punk bands, Der Stab; Ohio’s Necros; and garage punk band, Gaudy Trash. They represented the change that the Los Angeles punk scene was going through as the old Hollywood-Masque scene was fading away and a new sound was coming from the beaches, the Inland Empire, and from Orange County. Symbol Six took their classic 2-guitar assault sound with big hooks to audiences all over Southern CA.
  

• Symbol Six in New York Waste Music [+ Show ]
  

  Symbol Six in “New York Waste Music” From New York Waste Music: SYMBOL SIX bring it home – Monst...Symbol Six in “New York Waste Music”
  From New York Waste Music:
  
  SYMBOL SIX bring it home – Monsters 11 is hard as nails, So Cal straight up and down rock’n’roll highjacking you off the bar-stool and shoving it into your bleeding little ears. You’re gonna love this. Dunno where the rest of LA La land has been up to, but gone is the usual crap of long haired ol’ farts sticking tongues out with fuckin’ devil fingers at ya and the usual boring old guitar licks and tricks like it’s no ones’ ever heard it before… What you get is the feeling that Symbol Six just robbed a bank before hitting the studio for this cut.
  

• Symbol Six Live [+ Show ]
  

  The sixth band of the night was the five-headed beast known as . . . Symbol Six! As I’ve stated in t...The sixth band of the night was the five-headed beast known as . . . Symbol Six! As I’ve stated in the past (I’ve never seen a band more times than I have these guys), when you see Symbol Six there is always the feeling that this is the show. And Symbol Six has always upped their game a few notches. Not to say the other bands aren’t good, I’m saying if the other band is playing a good set, Symbol Six will play a great set, and Eric Leach will howl the vocals while the pit erupts leveling the club. Side note: guitarist Mark Conway (also of Neighborhood Watch) was especially good on guitar and backing vocals.
  
  There were a few guys from the start of the set that were bowing down to guitarists Taz Rudd, Mark Conway and bassist Evan Shanks, and it was odd. Then there was this hippie Jesus-looking guy that was doing this odd flower dance in the pit that was somehow pissing people off. Every time he passed by more and more of his clothes were gone or torn. The vocalist from The Defects leveled him once or twice. Finally, security took out of the pit.
  
  Symbol Six played classic tracks from the Posh Boy EP, Ego, Symbol Six, Taxation, and Beverlywood. The only downside to these tracks is that one of the vocalists that performed earlier grabbed a mike and tried to sing-along, he was about 20 seconds ahead and subsequently threw the band off a bit.
  
  Symbol Six also played Generation Damnation, a new song that they had recorded the night before. Another all-star performance.

• Symbol Six kicks off tour in SF [+ Show ]
  

  Symbol Six | February 15, 2011 by Alan on Feb.17, 2011, under Photos, Reviews, Thee Parkside S...Symbol Six | February 15, 2011
  
  by Alan on Feb.17, 2011, under Photos, Reviews, Thee Parkside
  
  Symbol Six kicked off their Liquor Store Tour with Soul Trash at San Francisco’s Thee Parkside on a miserable, rainy Tuesday night. Originally making their name in the early 80’s with a critically acclaimed (and now collectible) EP released on Posh Boy Records, Symbol Six recently returned from the abyss. Proving that they’re no nostalgia act, the band released Monsters 11 last year and have since been gigging up a storm throughout California.
  
  While the inclement weather may have kept some people away, it didn’t slow Symbol Six as they blasted through a set of the old and not so old. Their brand of punk rock tinged with metal riffage may have made them ahead of their time back in 1980, but songs like Taxation, Napalm Love and (my favorite) Dog Days stand up equally well today. Be sure to check them out if they’re passing through your town. Liquor Store Tour dates:
  
  Feb 15th – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside
  Feb 16th – Portland, OR – Kelly’s Olympian
  Feb 17th – Bremerton, WA – The Charleston
  Feb 18th – Marysville, WA – JR Phinickey’s
  Feb 19th – Kamloops, BC, Canada – Pogue Mahone’s
  Feb 20th – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Funky Winkerbean’s
  Feb 21st – Seattle, WA – 2 Bit Saloon
  Feb 22nd or Feb 23rd – Citrus Heights, CA – The Fire Escape
  Feb 24th – San Jose, CA – The Willow Den
  Feb 25th – San Luis Obispo, CA – The 2 Club
  Feb 26th – Los Angeles, CA – The Steel Pit
  Feb 27th – Orange County, CA – The Doll Hut
  Feb 28th – Riverside, CA – The Vibe
  Mar 3rd – San Diego, CA – The Shakedown

• "Show of the year" [+ Show ]
  

  Next up my favorite band on the scene: Symbol Six. They opened up with a song I had never heard befo...Next up my favorite band on the scene: Symbol Six. They opened up with a song I had never heard before, and it was a definite soon-to-be hit (what the hell was the title again?). They played the best of their EP and Monsters 11 album, then peppered in a handful of new tracks like Viva.
  
  One of the cool things about the Cobalt is the huge floor space, the pit gets moving like a massive whirlpool, it looks enticing, but once in – you might not get out. During Symbol Six’s set the crowd was nuts. Mark Conway’s mike stand was knocked over six times, the bandana was snatched from Eric Leach’s head, the photographer at the front of the stage was doubled over three or four times. Pure mayhem. I saw for the first time in over thirty years a backwards stage dive. A kid got up on the stage jumped, turned in mid-air and landed on his back into the sea of people. Pretty fuckin’ cool

Setlist

Basic Requirements

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