The mere sound of Fear lead singer/guitarist Lee Ving’s howl makes us long for the days when Darby Crash puking on the floor at a basement show would be called groundbreaking. The beer-tastic Fear was founded in 1977 by Ving, who had already been a rock veteran for over a decade. Fear’s music was menacing and hella nihilistic, but an overt sense of fun was always afoot. During those pre-PC days, Ving and company could get away with satirical songs like “New York’s Alright If You Like Saxophones” and “I Am a Doctor,” which kids didn’t take too seriously but parents sure did. Fear was the subject of a hilarious short alarmist documentary called We Destroy the Family, which took its name from one Ving-penned track. Ving remains the only founding member who tours under the Fear moniker, as the rest of the original personnel have a far-left political stance that stands in stark contrast to Ving’s overtly right-wing views.
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2009.