Early years
The Casualties were formed in 1990, with original members Jorge Herrera (vocals) Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums). The members aimed to return to what they viewed as the "golden era" of street punk, embodied by bands such as The Exploited and Charged GBH which they believed had disappeared by 1985.[3] During the early years, the lineup was fluid, with several changes. That first year, Colin stepped out for several months to finish his education while Rachel, TheRivits' singer, took his place.[3]
In 1991, Hank left the band, to be replaced by Fred (last name unknown) on guitar. Colin, Jorge, Yureesh, Hank and Mark put together a demo, titled Political Sin, for the Benefit for Beer compilation.[4] After making this recording, Fred left to go to school and Steve, from Distraught, fills in for a short time, until Fred returns to the band full-time. The 4 song EP, 40 Oz. Casualty was recorded at the end of 1991 and self-released.[3] 1992 saw the band touring and building up a fan base in NYC. In 1993, Mark and Fred left the band and were replaced by Mike (last name unknown) on bass and Jake Kolatis on the guitar, followed by the departure of Yureesh and Colin in 1994, to be replaced on drums by Shawn, while the band went down to a single vocalist.[3][4] 1994 sees the recording of the 4 song EP, Drinking Is Our Way Of Life, however it would not be released. The songs would later appear on the Casualties "early years 1990-1995" CD in 1999.[4] In 1995, the band's second release, the 4 track A Fuckin' Way Of Life E.P. was released on Eyeball Records. After recording A Fuckin' Way of Life, Shawn left the band, and Marc Eggers (nicknamed Meggers) of the Rivits became the regular drummer. The line-up of Jorge, Jake, Mike and Meggers continued until 1997.
In 1996 the Casualties became the first American band to appear at the "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London. 1997 saw the release of the band's debut album, For the Pun is released on Tribal War Records, and the band embarks on its first American tour with The Varukers. Mike (the bassist) left the band in 1998, to be replaced with Johnny Rosado, from The Krays.[4][5] They released their second LP that year, Underground Army, and begin a world tour. Jon leaves the band during the European leg of the tour, to be temporarily replaced by Dave Punk Core.
Present lineup
After the world tour, Dave would be replaced by Rick Lopez from the band, Manix. The line-up was now solidified for the band and would continue to the present day.[6] The end of the millennium, 1999, saw the band produce a compilation album, Early Years 1990-1995, which included tracks which appeared on earlier ED's, as well as never before released songs, such as the four songs they had recorded on the never released EP Drinking is Our Way of Life back in 1994.
The 2000s have seen the band continue to tour[3][6] and produce albums (an album list can be seen below). They have toured with several other bands, such as The Exploited, GBH, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter & the Dogs,[4] and the English Dogs.[6] In December 2009, The Casualties toured alongside Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Crowbar, and Thy Will Be Done as part of the Stillborn Fest.[3] In the summer of 2012, The Casualties co-headlined the Tonight We Unite tour along with Nekromantix, where they played For The Punx in its entirety, the first time they had played the album through since its release in 1997.[3] Later that year, The Casualties released their new album titled Resistance through Season of Mist.[7][8] In 2013, The Casualties played at the largest Punk Rock festival in the world,[9] the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England, where they shared the stage with The Exploited, Special Duties, Chron Gen and Anti-Establishment, and others
Punx Unite
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
they will never, be divided
x8
fast and loud our sound is strong
young and old singing along
all around this fucking world
underground punk will be strong
Chorus-
together we survive- punx unite
divided we will die- punx unite
Together we survive- Punx Unite
Divided We will die- Unite unite
no divisions or tribal wars
no more fighting at the shows
drinking together singing songs
underground punk will be strong
Chorus
writing zines, getting involved
forming bands, setting up shows
no more posers at the shows
underground punk will be strong
Chorus
Repeat 1st Verse
Chorus
The lyrics to The Casualties's song "Punx Unite" advocate for unity and solidarity within the punk rock community. The repeating phrase "if the punx are united, they will never be divided" emphasizes the importance of coming together and supporting each other, instead of engaging in infighting and division. The song celebrates the power of punk rock music to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together, with the strong, loud sound that creates a shared sense of rebellion and defiance. The lyrics urge punks to collaborate and work together to build a strong and supportive underground scene, with no divisions, tribal wars, or fighting at shows.
The repeated chorus, "together we survive, divided we will die" reinforces the idea that unity is essential for the survival and growth of the punk rock community. The song also highlights the importance of participation and activism in the punk scene, with lyrics that encourage creating zines, forming bands, and setting up shows. The message of the song is clear: in order to keep punk rock music alive and thriving, it's essential to come together and support each other.
Line by Line Meaning
if the punx, are united
When the punk community is united
they will never, be divided
There won't be any divisions among them
fast and loud our sound is strong
The punk music is energetic and powerful
young and old singing along
People of all ages are united in enjoying the music
all around this fucking world
Punk culture is present in many countries
underground punk will be strong
Punk music will maintain its strength and integrity as an alternative music scene
Together we survive- punx unite
The punk community can survive and thrive together
Divided we will die- punx unite
Divisions in the punk community could lead to its demise
no divisions or tribal wars
There should not be any divisions or conflicts within the punk community
no more fighting at the shows
People should avoid fighting and causing disruptions at punk shows
drinking together singing songs
People can enjoy each other's company and the music together
writing zines, getting involved
People should participate and support their local punk community through zine production and activism
forming bands, setting up shows
People should create their own music and venues to support the punk scene
no more posers at the shows
People pretending to be part of the punk scene should be discouraged
Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.