The Haterz
Chicago's one and only all-Black punk rock band.
(on hiatus)
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
(note: we're still on hiatus)
The Haterz technically first started in early 2002 when Freddy Dredd and calvinchaos met through calvin’s girlfriend Minty Mshushio. Over the phone they exchanged ideas a few times, decided on the name Ghetto Hoedown (inspired by mixing hardcore punk with the feel of fast black gospel music), and finally met in person on the day of their first practice. The first jam session was at Columbia College music building, where both Freddy and Minty had attended college. The then drummer was a young B-boy, Reagan. Freddy Dredd was in a reggae band called Soularize, and calvinchaos was doing his modern new wave solo project X-Patriot, while jamming in the noise punk duo,The Fuckfarts.
The first jam sessions went ok and progressed all around a wide gamut from funk to sludgey stoner metal. However job schedules and commitments to their other bands soon began to get in the way of Ghetto Hoedown practice, and the band went on unofficial hiatus.
In late 2003 things finally solidified a little schedule-wise. Freddy and Calvin decided to try again, but Reagan didn't have time due to committments to his other band and work.
Calvin put ads in newspapers, message boards, on flyers, and anywhere else he could thing of, advertising for “a fast drummer for an all-black hardcore punk rock band”. Months went by. The two remaining members of Ghetto Hoedown were determined to finish the lineup to make a Black punk rock band for Chicago. Even in a metropolis full of musicians, things were looking bleak.
One day calvinchaos was partying with some friends from the old Afropunk online community, and in a drunken stupor, watching tapes of the Dave Chappelle Show, a friend (JC) suggested that Ghetto Hoedown change their name to The Haterz, after watching The Haters’ Ball skit on the Chappelle Show. After staggering home drunk and 2 hours of sleep, calvinchaos called up Freddy, they laughed and renamed Ghetto Hoedown as The Haterz.
More recruiting ads went out to message boards, bulletin boards, newspapers, flyers, etclooking for “a drummer of African descent” to play in the band. After a few months of this, the ads began to draw a few replies, many from non-black drummers who wanted to join the band. These were mostly turned down, as Calvin told them “I want to make a statement with the black lineup, to show that we can do an all black punk band, and inspire other young black rock fans to do the same”.
One day an e-mail response from a certain Ian Fidel, (an avid supporter of the local Chicago punk scene) caught Calvin’s eye, and he set up a jam session at a local studio/practice space named FabSound. Soon after, an associate of the band, Todd Swopefrom the up and coming hiphop group Small Change, also decided to join the lineup.
Fredd was unable to make the first jam session of the newly rechristened Haterz. They blew through 3 originals from past members’ projects and one or 2 cover songs. The session was raw and full of energy. An attempt was made to record a portion of the jam session, but only one song came out well enough to hear. Well this was punk rock and The Haterz were officially ready to start writing material, and hit the stage.
After the one jam session Todd decided to devote his time to his up and coming hip-hop band Small Change.
A few months later, calvin and Freddy decided to start to audition drummers (being that IanFidel was only a temp drummer and amazingly an even worse drummer than calvinchaos! None of the people who said they wanted to try out for the band came through so out of a combination of frustration and inspiration came the concept to carry on as a duo.
Finally, Brian Altimer (also found on the old Afropunk community boards) volunteered to play guitar, starting around the end of June. After playing a series of sporadic and action packed shows in Chicago and elsewhere, the band went on hiatus again in early 2007, but all members plan to try again when they can get thier shit together.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
Right now we're AWOL
Your musical influences
Bad Brains, Pure Hell, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Jimi Hendrix, Fishbone, Bill "The Buddah" Dickens, Stone Vengeance, Hirax, Operation IVY, King Tubby, Suicidal Tendencies, Sun Ra, FEAR, Bob Marley, Greg Ginn, In Our Defense, Twisted Cross, X-Patriot, GBH, Holy Whores, The Misfits, Kuro, Soularize, Small Change, Deadboys, The Plasmatics, Ramones, Nirvana, Vice Squad, Suicide, Catholic Discipline, Daryl Jennifer, Geezer Butler, Dead Kennedys, Crass, The Stooges, Motorhead
Anything else?
Kemet played drums on the demo!
