INTERVIEW: CHRIS THOMSON PT IV
No Idols: Could you provide some background on the formation of Fury? Was it meant to be a band that played shows or just a studio project?
Chris Thomson: I was friends with Jason Farrell and Shawn Brown before they were in Swiz and had been hanging out with them on a more regular basis as Ignition was winding down. I don’t really remember the details, but we were all fans of chaotic fast hardcore. Collectively, we felt that DC music, in general, was mellowing out and longed for that old-style music. It was Jason that drove the project. I think this was about the time that Nathan was exiting Swiz and Jason, Alex, and Shawn felt like they had time to do a side project. I had always wanted to front a band and stylistically was on board with the hardcore blueprint, so that’s how I ended up a singer. I don’t remember the exact goal beyond, “Let’s try and make some music and see what happens”. I do remember that it was a low-commitment situation. Swiz was going to rev up again and I was going to head off to college, so let’s see what we can accomplish with this little window of time. Soon after the initial practices, we were offered a spot on a Hardcore matinee at (DC nightclub) the Safari Club, so that became the impetus to tighten up the few songs we had. Jason banged out the songs, which were all mostly lifted from Minor Threat.
What was the intention behind Fury?
Again we wanted to make super chaotic hardcore music. DC and other scenes were moving away from it as emo and melodic punk were the flavor of the day. Sure east coast Straight Edge was going strong but to me, it felt formulaic and had this tinge of metal, also, too much sports gear. I was coming from a place of Germs and Adolescents worship and where you were never quite sure what was going to happen when a band played. Was the singer going to hit you with the mic stand? Was some stage diver going to land on your head? Lyrically I was just ad-libbing and some of the lyrics were about my immediate peer group and others were about the rift between the newcomers and the old-timers.
Fury at the Safari Club. Photo courtesy of Jade Tree
How did it come about that the Fury song "Ressurection" was slipped into the middle of the final Swiz LP, Hell Yes I Cheated?
As with most things with Fury, it was all pretty organic. We only played two shows and I’m not sure if the recording came in between those gigs or after. What I remember was Swiz recording Hell Yes I Cheated and it was going pretty fast. Jason had figured there would be like fifteen minutes of unused tape and saw an opportunity to document Fury. So after Swiz recorded basic tracks and Alex’s drums were still set up and mic’ed as well as the rest of their amps, I stopped by for a quick sesh. In the interest of being as efficient as possible, we recorded live as a full band. I feel like Eli Janney pressed record and we just churned through it without stopping. We might have flubbed the first song and started over. There was no time to worry about getting it perfect which was freeing in a way.
The consensus was that “Resurrection” was the best track, and I really don’t know how it ended up on the record. We recorded and I walked away with a cassette and there was talk that we should find someone to put it out, but that was about it. Soon thereafter I think Jason had decided to sneak it onto the Swiz record. I don’t really remember the details but I think Jason, Shawn, and Alex liked the idea of confusing people. Was this a mistake? What’s going on? I liken it to having the TV channel switched without you realizing it. I wish I knew more, but I had gone off to school and it was Jason who planned a future for the material. I should add that we actually ran out of tape when recording. We were halfway through “Shotgun” and things came to a halt. During mixing, Jason and Eli figured out a way to extend the song, cloning what had been recorded in an old-school analog fashion. That’s why it sounds like the song sputters out and then comes back to life.
When the Swiz record came out, I don’t remember a lot of people talking about the Fury track. I think people legitimately thought it was a mistake and a few wondered what this crappy song was messing up their Swiz record.
Fury perform at the Safari Club. Photo courtesy of Shawna Kinney and Rich Dolinger
How many live shows did Fury play?
Fury played two shows. I’m not sure what came first: coming up with the songs and getting a show or getting a show to make us get our shit together to avoid embarrassment. As for shows, it was the path of least resistance. We didn’t have a demo to land a show at DC Space or Positive Force and because of our short life, trying to get a show a month or two down the road didn’t make sense. We knew the folks putting on shows at Safari and that’s how we got on those bills.
When did you find out there was an interest in Fury outside of DC?
I went off to college, Ignition and Fury had wrapped up and I didn’t really think much about either band. I’m not sure exactly when the Fury seven-inch came out but remember running into Jason on a visit home and he handed me my share of the records. I remember there was a positive review in Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll but that was about it. It would be a few years later when I heard the record had a profound impact on kids in San Diego and a few other places. Then in 2002, I remember Jason had worked with Jade Tree to release it on a CD. And that seemed to regenerate some interest. In 2013 Sam James Velde who I knew from his band Bluebird, asked to me sing the Fury song “Shotgun” with his band Obliterations at a San Francisco show. So randomly, I’m reminded of the lasting impact of the band.
Shawn Brown plays bass for Fury. Photo courtesy of Shawna Kinney and Rich Dolinger
Was there any inkling for Fury to be a real band or was it strictly a studio project?
To me, it always felt like a side project. We came up with songs, played a couple of shows, recorded and that was it. I don’t remember there being any desire to do more than that. Besides, Swiz came back to life and Dave Stern took over for Nathan on bass and I think Jason, Alex, and Shawn wanted to see where that would lead. Swiz reformed to play a Soulside reunion in 2014 and there was talk of sneaking in a Fury song but it didn’t work out.
Did Fury and Circus Lupus overlap?
When Fury and Ignition wrapped up, I went off to Madison thinking I would take a long break from music and focus on school. After about three or four months, I fell in with the Circus Lupus folks and that started going. So not exactly an overlap.