Prior to the earliest incarnation of The Get Up Kids, members Ryan Pope, Rob Pope and Jim Septic had been in a band entitled Kingpin, and Matt Pryor had been frontman in the band the Secret Decoder Ring. After the disbandment of both, The Get Up Kids were formed with Pryor on guitar and lead vocals, Septic on guitar, Rob Pope on bass, and Ryan Pope on drums. The band’s debut release was a 7-inch entitled “Shortly/The Breathing Method”, and before long The Get Up Kids became staples in the underground Midwestern music scene alongside Rocket Fuel Is The Key and Braid.
The Get Up Kids subsequently released the single “A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts”, and the EP “Woodson”. With the success of the releases, the label Doghouse signed the band for a two-album contract, the result of which was “Four Minute Mile” released in 1997. The release and subsequent tour sent ripples across the U.S. and The Get Up Kids signed a new record deal with Los Angeles-based Vagrant Records. In a collaboration with the band Coalesce’s drummer James Dewees, Matt Pryor and Rob Pope released the album “Greatest Hits 1984-1987” under the moniker Reggie and the Full Effect, before returning to the studio as The Get Up Kids.
“Red Letter Day”, a five-track EP arrived in 1998, followed by the band’s genre-defining sophomore album “Something to Write Home About”. Released on Vagrant records, the album propelled the emo genre into the mainstream, and influenced countless bands that would succeed them – with its carefully crafted melodic and introspective energy.
After releasing the album “Endora” featuring previously released material, and touring alongside the likes of Green Day, Hot Rod Circuit and Weezer, The Get Up Kids, released their third full length “On a Wire”. The album was far more minimalist than its predecessor and took the emo genre in a new and sombre direction. Followed by “Guilt Show” in 2004, and a live album “Live @ Granada Theatre” in 2005, the band decided to call it a day and played their last show at their hometown’s Uptown Theatre in July 2005. The Get Up Kids returned in 2009 to marked the 10 year anniversary of “Something to Write Home About”, and subsequently released the EP “Simple Science” and the full-length “There Are Rules”.
Consisting of brothers Toby Morse (lead vocals) and Todd Morse, alongside rusty pistachio (guitars,vocals), Todd Friend (drums, percussion) and Adam Blake, (bass), H2O began after Toby, a Sick Of It All roadie, decided to form his own band, desiring a taste of the spotlight. The band toured relentlessly up and down the East Coast, supporting the likes of Rancid, No Doubt and Social Distortion. Released independently, "H2O" (1996), "Thicker Than Water" (1997) and "F.T.T.W." (1999) helped to raise the band's profile and in 2000, Five years of hard work paid off, and the band signed to major label, MCA Records.
Major debut, "Go" arrived in 2001, followed by appearances on Warped Tour. H2O travelled to Europe in 2005, for a wide scale tour, before returning to the US for shows with The Used, Pennywise and Dropkick Murphys. A fifth record, "Nothing to Prove," was released in 2008, with the release supported by worldwide tours, performing at major UK festival, Reading and Leeds.
In 2011, H2O decided to pay respect to their influences, recording a 15-track cover album, "Don't Forget Your Roots." It was not until 2013 that an album of new material began to surface, with recording for "Was Here" put on hold due to touring commitments alongside New Found Glory and Alkaline Trio.
The Get Up Kids were one of the first bands to ascend to the mainstream on the back of the burgeoning Emo scene and despite temporarily splitting up in 2005, since 2008 they’ve been back together and making new music unlike the majority of their contemporaries. While to the layman Emo music might seem best fitted to long dark nights of the soul in one’s bedroom, Matt Prior’s mob were always at their best when heard live. With his signature howl and their mix of lacerating guitar riffs with New-Wave indebted keyboard s, this is music that’s well and truly alive. It’s infused with enough soul and passion to power a train and it only gets more vital when it’s performed live. Not many artists play music that has truly inspired people and made them the best that they can be, and the band in turn is pushed to greater heights than they could ever get without them with every live show. Emo rock began here, and it evolved and mutated to the extent where every major rock movement of the past 15 years has an element of it within its very DNA. With that in mind, I urge you to see one of the most quietly influential bands of the 21st century the next chance you can get, you will not regret it.
william-howard-2
With two decades worth of experience under their belt, Toby Morse and co really know exactly how to conduct their live show so the fans really have the best time imaginable. A H2O show puts them very much at the centre of the operation, the setlist has been designed with them in mind and is meant to be a heady, raucous show that attacks all the senses at once.
Playing a large amount of material from the acclaimed 2008 release 'Nothing to Prove' this is a big pleaser for the crowds and a clear favourite for the band who perform this music with a huge amount of bravado. The flashing lights and crunching guitars may seem abrasive at times however it really does lock you into the moment and you begin to forget everything else outside the gig venue. By the time the band is ready to wrap up with 'What Happened' the opening instrumentals are barely coherent over the crowd's roars and by the finale the cheers are deafening as Toby has launched himself into the front row and is jumping along with the fans.
sean-ward
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