article

AFI (A Fire Inside) is an alternative rock band from Ukiah, California, United States. AFI was formed in 1991 by Davey Havok (vocals), Mark Stopholese (guitar), Vic Chalker (bass) and Adam Carson (drums) in Ukiah, California as a four-piece hardcore punk outfit. Bassist Vic lost interest and was replaced by Geoff Kresge. Kresge left AFI eventually becoming part of the band Tiger Army (now plays for The Horrorpops) and the spot was filled by Hunter Burgan. Eventually, guitarist Mark Stopholese was replaced by Jade Puget, who at the time was in the band Loose Change.

Biography

AFI formed in 1991 while the members were attending high school in Ukiah, California. Adam Carson and Davey Havok became friends through mutual friends. Adam used his father's drum kit, Davey (a member of the school choir) exhibited talent as a singer, and they were joined by guitarist Mark Stopholese. A Fire Inside made their first foray in recording with the EP Dork (1993) with the band Loose Change, which included future AFI guitarist Jade Puget.

AFI disbanded when its members attended different colleges, including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The original bassist Geoff Kresge moved to New York where he played with the band Blanks 77. After reuniting to perform a live show, the members decided to drop out of college and play in the band full-time. Between 1993 and 1995 they released many vinyl EPs (Behind the Times; Eddie's Picnic All Wet; This is Berkeley, Not West Bay; AFI/Heckle, and Fly in the Ointment) independently. They released their debut full-length album Answer That and Stay Fashionable in 1995 with Wingnut Records; it was re-released in 1997 by Nitro Records. Their second album, Very Proud of Ya, was released in 1996 on the Nitro label, after which bassist Geoff Kresge decided to leave the group. Bassist Hunter Burgan (formerly of The Force) filled in for Kresge for the Very Proud of Ya tour. He went on to help AFI record Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and was invited to become the new bassist.

After recording the A Fire Inside EP for Adeline Records in 1998, Mark left the band and was replaced by Jade Puget. Following the new approach they had taken on the A Fire Inside EP, the band recorded Black Sails in the Sunset (Nitro 1999), a musical turning point. On this album as well as All Hallow's (Nitro 1999), other EPs, and The Art of Drowning (Nitro 2000), their original hardcore roots are still apparent, but more gothic influences were apparent. The Offspring covered AFI's Totalimmortal (All Hallow's EP) for the soundtrack of Me, Myself & Irene (2000). It got a fair amount of radio play, and helped in exposing AFI to larger audiences. The lead singer of The Offspring, Dexter Holland, at the time owned the label AFI was signed to (Nitro Records), and was featured as a backing vocalist on a number of Black Sails in the Sunset tracks.

Their next album, Sing the Sorrow, was released on the DreamWorks label on March 11, 2003. This album displays a different musical approach and has lost some of the aggressive punk sound of previous albums. AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground, was released on May 29, 2006 in the UK and June 6, 2006 (06/06/06) in the U.S. The album displays an even larger change in sound for AFI, featuring many more electronic, pop and New Wave Allmusic.com elements and (on some tracks) even emo elements. The release reflects the continually changing and growing fan base of the band, and the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.

Other Notes

  • They are followed by a devoted fan base called the Despair Faction. Consisting of many fans, the Despair Faction are privy to many added band bonuses which include contacting the band on their website.

  • Some claim that the bands initials have not always stood for A Fire Inside. Although the band claims that the meaning has always been A Fire Inside, Answer That and Stay Fashionable is copyrighted to "Anthems For Insubordinates," and Very Proud of Ya lists contact information addressed to "Asking For It." Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes was the first AFI album to use the phrase "A Fire Inside" which is hidden on the inside of the CD case.

  • 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.

Discography

Full Length Albums

The Nitro Records and DreamWorks Records releases were all released in Cassette, 12" vinyl and CD formats.

EPs

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

Footnotes

}}}

External links

Punk rock groups | later punk groups | American musical groups | 1990s music groups | Alternative musical groups | A Fire Inside | Hardcore punk groups | California musical groups

AFI (Band) | A Fire Inside | A Fire Inside | AFI | A Fire Inside | AFI (gruppo musicale) | AFI | AFI | AFI (musikgrupp)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "AFI (band)".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world