Larry LaLonde
Background information
Also known as	Ler
Born	(1968-09-12) September 12, 1968 (age 43) Richmond, California, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock, Fusion, Technical thrash metal, Death metal, Experimental
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, banjo
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Prawn Song, Interscope, Relativity, Combat, Stray
Associated acts	Primus, No Forcefield, Possessed, Blind Illusion, Serj Tankian and The F.C.C., Corrupted Morals

Larry "Ler" LaLonde (born Reid Lawrence LaLonde on September 12, 1968 in Oakland, California) is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane. He has also played with Possessed, Blind Illusion, No Forcefield, and the Frank Zappa tribute band "Caca".

Biography[link]

Early career[link]

Originally inspired by guitarists such as Frank Zappa, Snakefinger, East Bay Ray, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, and his teacher Joe Satriani,^[1] LaLonde eventually became interested in early thrash metal bands such as Metallica and Slayer. LaLonde formed his first band in high school, a speed metal band called Blizzard. LaLonde left the band later on to join the first generation death metal band Possessed. Possessed's landmark first album, Seven Churches, was released in 1985 when LaLonde was just 17 years old.

Possessed released two less successful albums before breaking up in 1987. LaLonde then joined experimental thrash metal band Blind Illusion, appearing on the 1988 album The Sane Asylum, through which he became friends with bassist Les Claypool. At around the same time LaLonde was also a member of Corrupted Morals, with whom he recorded the album Cheese-It, released the following year.^[2] At the start of 1989, LaLonde left Blind Illusion and Corrupted Morals when Claypool invited him to reform the funk metal outfit Primus, which had been on hiatus since original guitarist Todd Huth left the previous year.

Primus[link]

With LaLonde on board, together with drummer Tim Alexander, Primus released their first album, the live Suck on This, in 1989, followed by the studio album Frizzle Fry in 1990. In 1991 came their major label debut Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The band's next studio album, Pork Soda, arrived in 1993 and landed in the Billboard Top 10. Tales from the Punchbowl followed in 1995, featuring one of Primus's most well-known songs, the single "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver," which was nominated for the 1996 Grammy for "Best Hard Rock Performance." Alexander left Primus in 1996 to be replaced by Bryan Mantia, and the group released two more albums, Brown Album in 1997 and Antipop in 1999, before going on hiatus in 2000.

In 2002 Primus returned from their hiatus with Claypool and LaLonde reuniting with Alexander, releasing the DVD/EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People in 2003 and the Hallucino-Genetics live DVD in 2004. On October 17, 2006, Primus released both their first greatest hits CD They Can't All Be Zingers and their third DVD Blame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour de Fromage.

In 2010, early Primus drummer Jay Lane rejoined the group, and they released the free June 2010 Rehearsal digital EP. A new album, titled Green Naugahyde, was released on September 13, 2011.^[3]

Other projects[link]

During the Primus hiatus, LaLonde formed the experimental alternative band No Forcefield with Bryan Mantia, releasing two albums between 2000 and 2002.

In 2007 and 2008, LaLonde toured with Serj Tankian and the F.C.C. in support of the album Elect the Dead. Two live tracks featuring LaLonde were later released on the digital EP Lie Lie Live.

Playing style[link]

Known for his technical proficiency as a guitar player, LaLonde uses many advanced guitar techniques such as pinch harmonics, sweep picking, chicken picking, pick tapping, volume swells and tapping, as well as other extended techniques in his music. His influences include funk, world music, heavy metal and film music.

Gear[link]

LaLonde's primary guitars are a Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster, but he used to play a PRS, Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG. In the early days of Primus, up until 1992, he played a vintage Fender Stratocaster, and a custom Ibanez, as seen in the "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" video (which he has since either lost or had stolen from him). LaLonde's Guitar Rig (1998)

LaLonde's rig was overhauled in 2011, and it now centers around several Fender American Deluxe and custom shop HSS Stratocasters, a Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, Fender Super Sonic 60 Watt heads, and Fender EVH 4x12 cabinets.

Personal life[link]

In addition to being Primus' guitar player LaLonde is also an avid skateboarder and was the boarder who knocked the nachos out of Bob Cock's hand in the music video for "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver."

Larry Lalonde is married to Shane Stirling, who was a model on the CBS television show "The Price is Right".

Discography[link]

Possessed[link]

• 1985: Seven Churches
• 1986: Beyond the Gates
• 1987: The Eyes of Horror

Blind Illusion[link]

• 1988: The Sane Asylum

Corrupted Morals[link]

• 1989: Cheese-It

Primus[link]

• 1989: Suck on This (live)
• 1990: Frizzle Fry
• 1991: Sailing the Seas of Cheese
• 1992: Miscellaneous Debris (EP)
• 1992: Cheesy Home Video (VHS)
• 1993: Pork Soda
• 1995: Tales from the Punchbowl
• 1997: Brown Album
• 1998: Rhinoplasty (EP)
• 1998: Videoplasty (VHS)
• 1999: Antipop
• 2003: Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People (DVD/EP)
• 2004: Hallucino-Genetics: Live 2004 (DVD)
• 2006: They Can't All Be Zingers (compilation)
• 2006: Blame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour de Fromage (DVD)
• 2010: June 2010 Rehearsal (EP)
• 2011: Green Naugahyde

with Tom Waits[link]

• 1999: Mule Variations
• 1999: Jack Kerouac Reads On the Road
• 2006: Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

No Forcefield[link]

• 2000: Lee's Oriental Message
• 2001: God is an Excuse

with Serj Tankian[link]

• 2008: Lie Lie Live (EP)

References[link]

Matt Stone
Stone at The Amazing Meeting in 2007
Born	Matthew Richard Stone (1971-05-26) May 26, 1971 (age 41) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, writer, television director, television producer
Years active	1992–present
Religion	None (Atheist)[1][2]

Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, screenwriter, producer, musician, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with his creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker.

Stone and Parker launched their largely collaborative careers in 1992, making a holiday short titled Jesus vs. Frosty. Their first success came from Alferd Packer: The Musical, subsequently distributed as Cannibal! The Musical. From there he made another short title Jesus vs. Santa, leading him and college friend Parker to create South Park, which has been airing for over fifteen years. He has four Emmy Awards for his role in South Park, winning for both "Outstanding Programming More Than One Hour" and "Outstanding Programming Less Than One Hour".

Early life[link]

Stone was born in Houston, Texas to Gerald Whitney Stone, Jr. (1941-2010), an economics professor and textbook author, and Sheila Lois Belasco (who share the first names of South Park character Kyle Broflovski's parents). Stone's mother is Jewish and his father was of Irish descent.^[3] Stone and his younger sister, Rachel were raised in Littleton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, Colorado, where both attended Heritage High School. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and was their first student to double major in film and mathematics.^[4]

Career[link]

Stone (right) with Trey Parker, January 20, 2007

South Park[link]

In 1992, Stone and Parker created Jesus vs. Frosty.^[5] It included four boys, two resembling Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovski, one called Kenny who looked like Cartman, and a fourth unnamed boy who looked like Kenny. Both Jesus and Cannibal! The Musical were made while they were students at the University of Colorado film school, studying under both Stan Brakhage and Jerry Aronson. After the duo released Cannibal! The Musical, they were asked to make another animated short.^[6][7] They came down to two ideas: one a sequel to Jesus vs. Frosty, and one about a character that would later be recurring in South Park, Mr. Hankey.^[8] They chose to write about the four boys, and their decision ultimately opened the door for them to present a show (South Park) to Comedy Central.^[9] Stone and Parker produced 13 episodes for season 1.^[10] In 1999, Stone and Parker made South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which gave the series prominence.^[11] The film's music was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan.^[12]

Other projects[link]

In 1997, they also released Orgazmo, a movie rated NC-17. In 1998, they starred in (but did not write or direct) BASEketball, another feature film, while being renewed for a second season of South Park. In 2001, the duo announced they would do 39 shorts between the lengths of 2 and 5 minutes.^[13] Although originally thought to be South Park-related, they decided they would do something different. The result was the shorts 'Princess'.^[14] The content was so extreme that it was cancelled after two shows aired.^[15] In 2001, they also created That's My Bush!, another television series. Despite great reviews, the show was cancelled after one season for its cost, reportedly $700,000 per episode.^[16]

In 2004, they made a film titled Team America: World Police^[17][18] which many critics reviewed positively.^[19] In August 2007, South Park was renewed for three more seasons, 13, 14 and 15, each of them containing 14 episodes.^[20]

Stone is also a member of the band DVDA with Parker, for which he plays bass and drums. DVDA's songs have appeared in many of the duo's productions, including Orgazmo, BASEketball, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and Team America: World Police.^{[21][22][23][24]}

On September 28, 2007, Parker and Stone acquired the US rights to the Canadian-made Kenny vs. Spenny, which premiered November 14, 2007 on Comedy Central with ten old and new episodes.^[25]

Stone and Parker collaborated with Avenue Q composer Robert Lopez on a musical about Mormons titled The Book of Mormon, which stars Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki M. James and Rory O'Malley. It opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011, and is being produced by Scott Rudin and Anne Garefino. It is directed by Parker and Casey Nicholaw, and choreographed by Nicholaw.^[26]

In April 2010, Stone and Parker received a "warning" for allegedly representing the Muslim prophet Muhammad in a bear costume: "We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Dutch director Theo van Gogh for airing this show."^[27] It was revealed in the next episode that the person in the bear costume was actually Santa Claus and not Muhammad; the "real" Muhammad was supposed to appear as well, but Comedy Central had him censored out against Stone and Parker's wishes.

Stone claimed that he and Parker were on acid at the time of the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000, where they wore dresses popularized by Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow at previous awards shows.^[28]

Personal life[link]

In 2008, Stone married Angela Howard. He has one son.^[29][30]

Regarding religion, Stone considers himself "ethnically Jewish", on account of his mother's descent, but grew up agnostic, and has no other adherence to the religion,^[3][30][31] identifying himself as an atheist.^[1][2]

Filmography[link]

[edit] Voices on South Park

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Matt Stone (category)

• Matt Stone and Trey Parker at the Official South Park Website
• Matt Stone at the Internet Movie Database
• Fresh Air Interview

Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland in Marseille in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Stewart Armstrong Copeland
Also known as	Klark Kent
Born	(1952-07-16) July 16, 1952 (age 59)
Origin	Alexandria, Virginia
Genres	Rock, reggae, pop, New Wave, jazz
Occupations	Musician, composer
Instruments	Drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active	1974–present
Labels	A&M, E1 Music
Associated acts	The Police, Animal Logic, Oysterhead, Gizmo, Curved Air, Manzarek-Krieger
Website	www.stewartcopeland.net

Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks. Copeland was ranked by a Rolling Stone magazine reader poll in 2010 as the fifth greatest drummer of all time.^[1]

Background[link]

Copeland was born in Alexandria, Virginia,^[2][3] the youngest of four children of CIA officer Miles Copeland, Jr. and Scottish archaeologist Lorraine Adie. The family moved to Cairo, Egypt a few months after his birth, and Copeland spent his formative years in the Middle East. In 1957, the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon and Copeland attended the American Community School there. He started drum lessons at age twelve and by age thirteen he was playing drums for school dances. Later he moved to England and attended Millfield from 1967 to 1969. Copeland went to college in California, attending United States International University and UC Berkeley. Returning to England, he worked as road manager for the progressive rock band Curved Air's 1974 reunion tour, and then assumed drumming duties for the band during 1975 and 1976.

The Police[link]

In 1977, Copeland founded The Police with singer-bassist Sting and guitarist Henry Padovani (who was soon replaced by Andy Summers), which became one of the top bands of the 1980s. The Police's early track list was mostly made of Copeland's compositions, including the band's first single "Fall Out" (Illegal Records, 1977). Though Copeland's songwriting contribution was reduced to a couple of songs per album as Sting started writing more material, he continued to co-arrange all The Police's songs with his two bandmates.

Klark Kent[link]

Copeland also recorded under the pseudonym Klark Kent, releasing several UK singles in 1978 with one ("Don't Care") entering the UK Singles Chart that year, along with an eponymously titled 10-inch album on green vinyl released in 1980. Recorded at Nigel Gray's Surrey Sound Studio, Copeland played all the instruments himself.

Later career[link]

In 1982 Copeland was involved in the production of a WOMAD benefit album called Music and Rhythm. In 1983, Copeland composed a musical score to earn a Golden Globe nomination for his scoring of Rumble Fish. The film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola from the S.E. Hinton novel also had a song released to radio on A & M Records "Don't Box Me In" (UK Singles Chart n. 91) — a collaboration between Copeland and singer/songwriter Stan Ridgway, leader of the band Wall of Voodoo, that received significant airplay upon release of the film that year. After The Police stopped touring in 1984, Copeland established a career composing soundtracks for movies Airborne, Talk Radio, Wall Street, Riff Raff, Raining Stones, Surviving the Game, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Highlander II: The Quickening, The Leopard Son, She's Having a Baby, Taking Care of Business, West Beirut, I am David, Good Burger), television (The Equalizer, Dead Like Me, Star Wars: Droids, the pilot for Babylon 5 (1993), Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee), and video games (Spyro the Dragon and The Agents), along with operas (Holy Blood and Crescent Moon, commissioned by Cleveland Opera) and ballets.

In 1985, Copeland released a solo album, The Rhythmatist. The record was the result of a pilgrimage to Africa and its people, and it features local drums and percussion, with more drums, percussion and other musical instruments added by Copeland. (Stewart is seen playing the drums in a cage with lions surrounding him). The album was the official soundtrack to the movie of the same name, which was co-written by Stewart. He also starred in the movie, which is "A musical odyssey through the heart of Africa in search of the roots of Rock & Roll." The movie is an almost psychedelic, psychological, anthropological, and mythological cosmic adventure drawing from sources like Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, similar to Peter Weir's "The Last Wave."

In 1988 Copeland followed up with The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers on I.R.S. No Speak, an album collecting some of his soundtrack efforts. In 1986, Copeland teamed with Adam Ant to record the title track and video for the Anthony Michael Hall movie Out of Bounds. In 1989, Copeland formed Animal Logic with jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and singer songwriter Deborah Holland. The trio had success with their first album and world tour but the followup recording sold poorly, and the band did not continue. Copeland has occasionally played drums for other artists including Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tom Waits. In 1993 he composed the music for Ch 4's Horse Opera and director Bob Baldwin. He was commissioned by Insomniac Games and Universal Interactive Studios (now Vivendi) in 1998 to make the musical scores for the hit PlayStation game Spyro the Dragon. He also created the musical scores for the sequels Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, and Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. In 1999, he provided the voice of an additional American soldier in the animated musical comedy war film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999).

In 2000, he combined with Les Claypool of Primus (with whom he produced a track on the Primus album Antipop) and Trey Anastasio of Phish to create the band Oysterhead. That same year, he was approached by director Adam Collis to assemble the score for the film Sunset Strip. In 2002, Copeland was hired by Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors to play with them for a new album and tour, but after an injury sidelined Copeland, the arrangement ended in mutual lawsuits. In 2005, Copeland released "Orchestralli", a live recording of chamber ensemble music which he had composed during a short tour of Italy in 2002. Also in 2005, Copeland started Gizmo, a new project with avant-garde guitarist David Fiuczynski. The band made their U.S debut on September 16, 2006 at the Modern Drummer Drum Festival. In January 2006, Copeland premiered his film about the Police called Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out at the Sundance Film Festival. In February and March, he appeared as one of the judges on the BBC television show Just the Two of Us (a role he later reprised for a second series in January 2007).

The Police Reunion (2007–2008)[link]

At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting performed the song "Roxanne" together again as The Police. This marked the band's first public performance since 1986 (they had previously reunited only for an improvised set at Sting's wedding party in 1992 and for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003). One day later, the band announced that in celebration of The Police's 30th anniversary, they would be embarking on what turned out to be a one-off reunion tour on May 28, 2007. Also at that time, Copeland released the compilation album The Stewart Copeland Anthology.

Recent Years[link]

In 2008, RIM commissioned Copeland to write a "soundtrack" for the BlackBerry Bold. Copeland created a highly percussive theme of one minute's length, from which he evolved six ringtones and a softer 'alarm tone' that are preloaded on the device.^[4]

In March 2008, Copeland premiered a new orchestral composition "Celeste" at "An Evening with Stewart Copeland", part of the Savannah Music Festival. The performance featured classical violinist Daniel Hope. Copeland's appearance at Savannah included a screening of Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out and a question and answer session. On August 21, 2009, at SummerFest '09, Copeland unveiled a recent composition, "Retail Therapy", which had been commissioned by the Music Society. Copeland then performed three more original works: "Kaya", "Celeste", and "Gene Pool", the last aided by San Diego-based percussion ensemble red fish blue fish.^[5] Copeland was also present for a composer's roundtable and a question and answer discussion in conjunction with the festival. Copeland wrote the score for an updated theatrical presentation of chariot-racing saga Ben-Hur, premiered September 17, 2009, at the London O2 Arena. Copeland provided English-language narration of the production, which is performed entirely in Latin and the Aramaic language.^[6] In September 2009, a memoir by Copeland entitled Strange Things Happen: A Life with The Police, Polo, and Pygmies was released by Harper Collins.^[7] According to an interview Copeland conducted with the Californian music store Amoeba Music, the book chronicles much of Copeland's life, from his childhood through the course of his work with The Police and to the present.^[8]

In 2008, Copeland was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to create a percussion piece involving primarily Indonesian instruments. "Gamelan D’Drum" was first performed (after two weather delays) in Dallas on February 5, 2011.

In October 2009 he was a guest on Private Passions, the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3.^[9]

On August 24, 2011, Copeland was a featured soloist on The Late Show With David Letterman, as part of their second "Drum Solo Week".

On January 10, 2012, he appeared on an episode of the A&E reality series Storage Wars to appraise a drum set.

Personal life[link]

Copeland was romantically involved with Curved Air vocalist Sonja Kristina beginning in 1974, and they were married from 1982 to 1991.^[10][11] Copeland adopted Kristina's son Sven from a prior relationship, and they had two more sons together, Jordan and Scott.^[11][12] In 1981, Copeland fathered a son, Patrick, with Marina Guinness, daughter of Irish author Desmond Guinness.^[11][13][14] Copeland currently lives in Los Angeles with his second wife, Fiona Dent, with whom he has three daughters (Eve, Grace and Celeste).^[11]

Copeland's oldest brother Miles Copeland III, founder of I.R.S. Records, was the manager of The Police and has overseen Stewart's interests in other music projects. Stewart's other brother, the late Ian Copeland, was a pioneering booking agent who represented the Police and many others. His father, Miles Copeland, Jr., was a founding member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to his 1989 biography^[15] and files released by the CIA in 2008.^[16]

Copeland's hobbies include rollerskating, cycling along the beach in Santa Monica, filmmaking and playing polo.^{[citation needed]}

Drumming[link]

Copeland is known for precise, energetic, and creative reggae-influenced drumming along with a Lebanese-influenced style.^[17] His distinctive sound centers on a hard, high-pitched crack on a snare or rimshot, and subtle hi-hat work with understated flourishes. During his years with The Police, he became known for engaging only the hi-hat with bass drum to keep the beat on many Police tracks. Copeland is a master of the syncopated beat, and his distinct approach consolidates his position as an important drummer on the world stage, subsequently influencing generations of drummers.

Copeland is also noted for his strong emphasis on the groove as a complement to the song, rather than as its core component. He once drove this point home at a drum clinic: Copeland announced that he would show the audience something "that very few modern drummers can do," and proceeded to play a simple rock beat for two minutes. Nonetheless, his playing often incorporates spectacular fills and subtle inflections which greatly augment the groove. Compared to most of his 1980s contemporaries, Copeland's snare sound was very bright and cutting. Another novelty was his use of splash cymbals. He is also one of the few rock drummers to use the traditional grip rather than the matched grip.

Equipment[link]

Stewart Copeland currently uses Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Remo drum heads and Vater drum sticks.

[edit] The Police Reunion (2007–2008) tour kit

• Tama Starclassic Maple Drums and Paiste Cymbals:
• Drums - Custom Police Blue Sparkle Maple Wood
  • 10x8" Tom
  • 13x9" Tom
  • 12x8" Tom (To the left of his snare drum)
  • 16x16" Floor Tom
  • 18x16" Floor Tom
  • 20x14" Tama Gong Drum
  • 22x18" Bass Drum
  • 14x5" Tama SC145 Stewart Copeland Signature Snare
  • Tama Custom Police Blue Sparkle Octobans (x4) (custom made for Copeland)
• Cymbals - Paiste
  • 12" Prototype Micro Hi-Hats
  • 16" Signature Full Crash
  • 17" Signature Fast Crash
  • 18" Signature Fast Crash
  • 18" Signature Full Crash
  • 18" 2002 Flat Ride (prototype)
  • 22" Signature Blue Bell Ride
  • 10" Signature Splash
  • 8" Signature Bell
  • 8" Signature Prototype Splash

• Stewart also uses his own Vater Stewart Copeland Standard Sticks.

Original live kit set-up (1984)[link]

• Tama Imperial Star Mahogany Drums (9-ply) and Paiste Cymbals:
• Drums - Midnight Blue
  • 10x8" Rack Tom
  • 12x8" Rack Tom
  • 13x9" Rack Tom
  • 16x16" Floor Tom
  • 14x5" Pearl Jupiter Snare
  • 22x14" Bass Drum
  • 20x16" Tama Gong Drum
  • Tama Octobans Low Pitch (x4)
  • Two Tama Tymp Toms
  • Wood Blocks
• Cymbals - Paiste
  • 13" Formula 602 Medium Hi-Hats
  • 16" 2002 Thin Crash
  • 8" 2002 Bell
  • 7.5 Ufip Ictus Bell
  • 8" 2002 Splash (x2)
  • 11" 2002 Splash
  • 14" Rude Crash Ride
  • 16" Rude Crash Ride
  • 24" Rude Ride Crash
  • 20" 2002 China
  • Stewart also used Calato Regal Tip Rock Wood Tipped Drumsticks

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Klark Kent: Music Madness from the Kinetic Kid - 1980 (as Klark Kent)
• Rumble Fish - 1984
• The Rhythmatist - 1985
• The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers - 1988
• Talk Radio/Wall Street - 1988
• Highlander II - 1991
• Rapa Nui - 1994
• Kollected Works - 1995 (as Klark Kent)
• Silent Fall - 1995
• The Leopard Son - 1996
• Simpatico - 1999
• Orchestralli - 2004
• La Notte della Taranta - 2004
• The Stewart Copeland Anthology - 2007
• Dead Like Me - 2010

Singles[link]

• "Don't Care" / "Thrills" / "Office Girls" - 1978 (as Klark Kent)
• "Too Kool To Kalypso" / "Kinetic Ritual" - 1978 (as Klark Kent)
• "Away From Home" / "Office Talk" - 1980 (as Klark Kent)
• "Rich In A Ditch" / "Grandelinquent" - 1980 (as Klark Kent)
• "Don't Box Me In" / "Tulsa Tango" - 1983 (with Stan Ridgway)
• "Koteya (Oh Bolilla!)" / "Gong Rock" - 1985 (with Ray Lema)
• "Out of Bounds" / "Out of Bounds" (instrumental) - 1986 (with Adam Ant)
• "Love Lessons" / "Love Lessons (remix)" - 1986 (with Derek Holt)
• "The Equalizer" / "The Equalizer Busy Equalizing" - 1988

References[link]

External links[link]

• Copeland's official site

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2008)

Les Claypool
Les Claypool at Bonnaroo 2002 with his main Carl Thompson bass guitar.
Background information
Birth name	Leslie Edward Claypool
Also known as	Colonel Claypool, Les, Snap, Snappy, Snapdad
Born	(1963-09-29) September 29, 1963 (age 48) Richmond, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer, author, director, actor
Instruments	Bass, vocals, upright bass, drums, guitar, whamola, bassjo, mandolin, banjo
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Prawn Song, Interscope
Associated acts	Primus, Blind Illusion, Sausage, Oysterhead, Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Tom Waits Various others, see discography
Website	lesclaypool.com

Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.

Claypool has also self produced and engineered his solo releases from his own studio "Rancho Relaxo". 2006 saw the release of a full-length feature film Electric Apricot written and directed by Claypool as well as a debut novel South of the Pumphouse.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Claypool was born September 29, 1963 ^[1] in Richmond, California, but was raised in El Sobrante, California in a working class family with a history of working as auto mechanics. A close family friend, Rhys Hickman, taught him the basics of the slap bass technique, which he mastered throughout his educational period. His early education included Collins Elementary School and De Anza High School, where he was a personal friend of Kirk Hammett.

In 1986, after the death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, school friend Kirk Hammett encouraged Claypool to audition for Metallica as Burton's successor. In Metallica's Behind the Music, Claypool said that he jokingly asked the others if they wanted to "jam on some Isley Brothers tunes" during the audition, a reference to his little experience of the thrash metal scene. James Hetfield remarked that Claypool was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and "should do his own thing." Claypool would later admit that he wouldn't have fit in with the band and "would've looked like a freak". The bass slot was instead given to Jason Newsted, who played with Metallica until his departure in 2001. For several years before forming Primus, Claypool worked as a carpenter in El Sobrante. Claypool has cited Larry Graham, Chris Squire, Tony Levin, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Geezer Butler, Bootsy Collins, Stanley Clarke, John Paul Jones, and Sting as his musical influences.^[2]

Primus[link]

Primus began as Primate with Les Claypool, guitarist Todd Huth and various drummers, most notably Jay Lane, in the mid-1980s, though Huth and Lane left shortly thereafter to pursue other projects. Claypool replaced them with guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander in 1989 (Tim "Herb" Alexander left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Brian "Brain" Mantia).

From 1989 to 2000, Primus steadily became one of the most bizarre bands to gain significant mainstream airplay, headlining Lollapalooza in 1993, appearing on Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1995, and even making an appearance at Woodstock '94 where they performed their Pork Soda hit "My Name Is Mud" and were pelted with mud (Claypool claims to still have mud in his speakers). In 1991, the band was featured in the cult classic movie Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, performing, "Tommy the Cat" live. Also, in 1997, they were asked to play, and record, the theme song for the animated television show South Park. Claypool and Tom Waits have recorded on each other's records since 1991 and have continued to do so. In 1999, he let Activision use the song "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" on the hit video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. In 2000, Primus went on indefinite hiatus.

In mid 2003, Claypool reunited with former Primus drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde to record a DVD/EP called Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. In October of that year, the band staged a two month tour in which they performed two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release Sailing the Seas of Cheese in its entirety. They continued touring into 2004, now performing their 1990 release Frizzle Fry as the second set, as documented on the DVD Hallucino-Genetics: Live 2004.

In Mid-August 2006, a DVD release entitled Blame It on the Fish was added to the listings of Amazon and other online shops. Shortly thereafter, the website The PRP reported that a rumor had surfaced implying that the band was quietly planning a North American tour for November/December 2006.^[3] On October 17, 2006, Primus released both their first greatest hits CD They Can't All Be Zingers and their third DVD Blame It on The Fish, subtitled An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour De Fromage.

Playing a Bayou 4 bass with Primus at the Open'er Festival 2011 in Gdynia, Poland.

They Can't All Be Zingers includes sixteen digitally remastered songs that span their entire career, including a previously unreleased and extended version of "Shake Hands with Beef", the Tom Waits collaboration "Coattails of a Deadman," and "Mary the Ice Cube" from the 2003 DVD and EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People. Blame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour De Fromage contains live footage from the band's 2003 reunion tour, interview segments and behind the scenes footage. The DVD includes a 70 minute feature film and 90 minutes of bonus material, including a 30 minute mockumentary about the band in 2065. Blame It on the Fish is directed by Matthew J. Powers, who directed Never Been Done, a documentary about Jon Comer.

Claypool has let the video game Guitar Hero 2 use the Primus song, "John the Fisherman," one of two songs in the game using the original recording instead of a cover.

Primus: The Beat a Dead Horse Tour 2006 began in November 2006 and was completed the following December.

In 2008 Primus played at a few festivals including; Rothbury (in Michigan), the Ottawa Bluesfest, Quebec City Summer Fest, and Outside Lands Festival (in San Francisco). In March 2009, Primus embarked on a tour named The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest, which included bizarre acts by others and unclassifiable bands that fit the genre in which Primus is categorized.^[4] In 2010, former Primus drummer Jay Lane rejoined the group, and they released the free June 2010 Rehearsal EP followed by the second annual Oddity Faire Tour. In early 2011, they played a few festival dates in Australia and announced the release of a new album, Green Naugahyde, due on September 13,^[5] followed by a number of North American festivals and a two-month tour of Europe to promote the announcement, before returning to America to embark on a "major fall tour" in support of the new album.^[5]

Solo work[link]

1994–2001[link]

Sausage[link]

In 1994, Claypool teamed up with guitarist Todd Huth and drummer Jay Lane to create an early Primus sound. Songs such as "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" and "Toyz 1988" (now known as "Toys Go Winding Down") gave way to a whole new breed of music.^{[citation needed]}

Holy Mackerel[link]

In 1996 Claypool produced, engineered and released a solo album, "Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel presents" Highball with the Devil. Claypool is credited with bass, drums and vocals on several tracks as well as guitar. Also on the album are Mark "Mirv" Haggard, Adam Gates, Jay Lane, Joe Gore, Charlie Hunter and Henry Rollins. The accompanying tour included Haggard and Gates on guitars with Bryan "Brain" Mantia on drums. It was announced during the Holy Mackerel tour that Mantia had been chosen to become the next Primus drummer.^{[citation needed]}

Oysterhead[link]

In April 2000, Claypool collaborated with Trey Anastasio (of Phish) and Stewart Copeland (of The Police) as Oysterhead. Claypool and Anastasio had been looking for an opportunity to collaborate. Each had a mutual interest in playing with Copeland who had been a rock idol of their teen years. Also, Claypool and Copeland had an established friendship. Oysterhead were originally intended as a one time performance during Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Though timid of the band's sudden and surprising popularity they eventually decided to record and tour.^[6] They released one studio album, The Grand Pecking Order, and toured before disbanding in 2001. They re-united in 2006, at the Bonnaroo Music Festival

The Frog Brigade[link]

In May 2000 Claypool formed Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, an experimental rock group. Claypool was asked to put together a band for the Mountain Aire Festival in Angels Camp, California. The band "of the most incredible guys (he) could possibly find" debuted that Memorial Day weekend and played a number of other festivals including moe.down.^[6] Originally he was going to call the band "Les Claypool's Thunder Brigade." Claypool states:

I originally was going to do the two drummer thing with Herb and Jack Irons, so I was gonna call it the Les Claypool Thunder Brigade. Michael Bailey from Bill Graham Presents said to me that it may sound a bit too heavy for the Mountain Aire crowd and to perhaps try something a little different that had to do with the event itself. Since it was home of the Calaveras County Frog Jump... hence the Frog Brigade and then it evolved into Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.^[6]

The Primus hiatus allowed him to return to his musical roots, playing songs by bands such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and The Beatles. Claypool has called the Frog Brigade his "mid-life crisis band." From a set of October shows recorded at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco Claypool released two Frog Brigade live albums, one being a cover of Pink Floyd's Animals. The line-up included Todd Huth, Eenor, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Skerik and Claypool.^{[citation needed]}

The Frog Brigade is also noted for Claypool's being accepted into the jam band scene.^[7] Live Frogs Set 1 won "Best Live Album" at the second annual Jammys. Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti are both members of Bob Weir's band Ratdog. Claypool performed with "The Rat Brigade" when opening for Ratdog once in 2000 and again in 2007. The Rat Brigade includes Claypool, drummer Lane and keyboardist Chimenti, with guest appearances by saxophonist Kenny Brooks and Bob Weir. Both years Claypool also guested on the Ratdog set.^{[citation needed]}

2002–2005[link]

In 2002 Claypool released a studio album of the Frog Brigade, Purple Onion. Musicians on multiple tracks for Purple Onion include Eenor, Mike Dillon, Skerik, Jay Lane, Ben Barnes and Sam Bass (Dillon and Skerik were both from Critters Buggin while Barnes and Sam Bass were from Deadweight). This album includes "Whamola" which later appeared as a remix for the theme of South Park Season 10.

C2B3[link]

Also in 2002 Claypool collaborated with guitarist Buckethead, Parliament-Funkadelic/Talking Heads keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and former Primus drummer Bryan Mantia under the name Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains ("C2B3" which is to be said "C Squared, B Cubed"). Their concerts pushed the improvisational envelope by preparing no material and not rehearsing beforehand. At one of their shows they prepared sandwiches onstage for the audience to eat.

C2B3 re-united in 2004 to record The Big Eyeball in the Sky, an album with equal parts instrumental and vocal songs. The band began an 18-state tour of the US on September 24, 2004. The album features only one guest, the child-like multi-instrumentalist Gabby La La (noted as Gabby Lang on Les Claypool's Frog Brigade's Purple Onion) on vocals and sitar. She also opened on every show (sometimes to scathingly negative reviews) during the 2004 tour as a solo act with sometimes members of C2B3.

Claypool also produced and performed on Gabby La La's first album, Be Careful What You Wish For.... Gabby La La is the first artist Les has signed to his label since Charlie Hunter in 1993. He has performed select shows with her (including the 2005 Bonnaroo Music Festival) and added her to his then new touring band, Les Claypool & His Fancy Band. The 2005 Fancy Band line-up also included Skerik, Dillon and Lane.

At the end of 2005, Claypool released 5 Gallons Of Diesel, a video retrospective of all of his work away from Primus.

2006[link]

[edit] Electric Apricot

Claypool's first attempt at a feature length film, Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo, was shown on various film festivals in the late spring of 2006. The movie is a spoof of the jam band scene centered on the fake band, Electric Apricot, in the mockumentary tradition of This Is Spinal Tap.^[8] The group performed low-key shows in the California area (most recently High Sierra Music Festival) for the filming of the movie. The members of the band are characterized as Steve Hampton "Aiwass" Trouzdale (Adam Gates) on bass and vocals, Steve "Gordo" Gordon (Brian Kehoe) on guitar and vocals, Herschal Tambor Brillstien (Jonathan Korty) on keyboards and vocals, and of course Lapland "Lapdog" Miclovik (Les Claypool) on drums and vocals. The film debuted on March 15. During a question and answer session at the Tiburon Film Festival where the film debuted Claypool said that the yet unreleased DVD would have an accompanying soundtrack CD. The film has won other awards as well including Best Feature (audience choice) at the Malibu Film Festival. Claypool also said that the band would possibly perform a few select shows, but a tour is unlikely as Adam Gates has a job at Pixar which makes touring difficult. Other cameos in the film include Arj Barker, Dian Bachar, Seth Green, Warren Haynes, Mike Gordon, Matt Stone and Sam Maccarone.

[edit] Of Whales and Woe and the Fancy Band

On May 30, 2006 Claypool released a solo album, Of Whales and Woe, with guest appearances by Skerik, Mike Dillon and Gabby La La. This album includes the song "Robot Chicken," which is the theme song of the popular Adult Swim show. His son Cage and his daughter Lena even make a special appearance on the song "Back Off Turkey." The release was followed by a tour of the U.S. with the following lineup: Les Claypool – bass, vocals; Skerik – sax; Mike Dillon – vibraphone, percussion; Gabby La La – sitar, theremin; Paulo Baldi – drums. This lineup is called Les Claypool's Fancy Band and did national tours in both 2006 and 2007. A live DVD, Fancy, recorded from the 2006 tour was released in 2007. The audio track includes a mix of both soundboard and taper recordings. A song from the album, "One Better", was used in National Lampoon's TV: The Movie in a fight scene between Preston Lacy and Lee Majors.

[edit] South of the Pumphouse

Claypool's first book, South of the Pumphouse, was released on July 1, 2006 by Akashic Books. Copies of the book were sold during Claypool's 2006 tour of U.S.A. following the release of Of Whales and Woe. The book is a dark, clever tale of brothers, murder, drugs, and fishing, and it has been likened to the work of Hunter S. Thompson. Claypool gave his first interview about the book to The Book Standard, on May 11, 2006. South of the Pumphouse is currently in its seventh printing.

2007–present[link]

Besides touring in the Summer of 2007 nationally with the Fancy Band, Claypool performed that October with a version of the band, dubbed the Fancy Trio. The trio consisted of Les, Skerik on saxophone, and Mike Dillon on drums, vibraphone and percussion. They played at The Echo Project, an inaugural ecologically minded 3-day festival in Fairburn, Georgia on The Boukeart family farm. The set was similar to that of The Fancy Band's tours, culling from Les' solo and Frog Brigade albums, as well containing a cover of "One Step Beyond" by Madness and teases of other songs, including several Primus tunes, throughout their improvisational jams.

For many years Claypool has done a New Year's Eve show at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California. More recently the New Year's Eve show has been an Annual New Year's Eve Hatter's Ball featuring a hat contest. December 31, 2007 was the 3rd such annual event.

In 2008 a United States tour spanned from February 29 to April 5. It kicked off at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina and ended at The Warfield in San Francisco, California. The 2008 tour was a quartet featuring Claypool, Dillon, Skerik and Baldi.

During the year Claypool also performed several shows with Primus at festivals across America and Canada.

Pig Hunt is a film directed by James Isaac released in 2008. Claypool contributes previously unreleased material and plays the role of "The Preacher".^[9][10]

Les composed several songs for the Wii game Mushroom Men, released in December 2008.

On December 31, 2008, Les rang in the New Year with his annual New Year's Eve show. It was at the San Francisco Opera House with Zappa Plays Zappa sharing the bill and playing first.

Les was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards. His contributions helped assist upcoming independent artists' careers.^[11]

Playing an upright bass at Ottawa Bluesfest, 2009

Les' second solo album, Of Fungi and Foe, was released on March 17, 2009. The album consists of expanded material of the music from the Mushroom Men game, as well as the Pig Hunt motion picture, and features a guest appearance by Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz.^[12]

In 2009, Les is toured with Matisyahu, performing as a 'double-feature' set, as well as appearing together on stage.

In March 2010 Les went to tour in Europe with English trio HOT HEAD SHOW for the first time in his solo career and played a few concerts in Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

On March 28, 2010, Les performed a rendition of Rush's "The Spirit of Radio" for their induction into the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Claypool is currently touring with Primus, alongside Larry LaLonde, and the return of former Primus drummer, Jay Lane.

Personal life[link]

He lives near the town of Occidental in Sonoma County, California with his wife, Chaney Claypool, his son, Cage Oliver Claypool, and his daughter Lena Tallulah Claypool. His home is called "Rancho Relaxo", after a Simpsons episode where Marge gets sent to a spa of the same name. He records most of his music at his home. He is famous for his wacky sense of humor and overall very eccentric personality. He has recently been very open about his liberal political views and his dissatisfaction with former president George W. Bush. He is also known for his cannabis use,^[13] and is quoted as saying "Please don’t throw your shit at me… unless that shit resembles a bag of marijuana."^[14]

Claypool is an avid fly fisher, and even appeared as a special guest on a 2004 taping of Fly Fishing the World filmed in Idaho and a 2005 taping in Quebec, Canada. Both episodes are available on the extras section of 5 Gallons Of Diesel. He stated in an interview that he loves the sea but hates surfing as he has heard stories from friends of many dangerous incidents that have happened to surfers.

Starting in 2007, Claypool began a wine-making project (for personal use) that turned into a boutique wine business. Claypool Cellars makes wines from grapes grown in the Russian River Valley. The wines have names based on his music like 'Purple Pachyderm' and 'Pink Platypus'.^[15]

Discography[link]

Guest appearances[link]

(Claypool on bass unless otherwise noted)

1992 – Tom Waits – Bone Machine (on the track "Earth Died Screaming")

1994 – Firehose – Big Bottom Pow Wow (in discussion on the various "spiel" tracks)

1994 – Rob Wasserman – Trios (on the tracks "Home is Where You Get Across" and "3 Guys Named Schmo")

1996 – Alex Lifeson – Victor (on the track "The Big Dance")

1998 – Jerry Cantrell – Boggy Depot (on the tracks "Between" and "Cold Piece")

1998 – Metallica – Garage Inc. (banjo on the Lynyrd Skynyrd cover "Tuesday's Gone")

1998 – Bloem de Ligny – Zink (vocals on the track "Capsule")

1999 – Tom Waits – Mule Variations (on the track "Big in Japan")

1999 – Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band – Live On (on the track "Oh Well")

1999 – Limp Bizkit – Significant Other (vocals on the hidden track "The Mind of Les", bass and vocals on the outtake "Hell of a Band")

1999 – Phonopsycograph Disk – Live @ Slim's / Turbulence Chest (additional bass on 8 of the 12 tracks)

2002 – Gov't Mule – The Deep End, Volume 2 (bass and vocals on the tracks "Greasy Granny's Gopher Gravy" and "Drivin' Rain")

2003 – Gov't Mule – The Deepest End, Live In Concert (bass and vocals on the tracks "Greasy Granny's Gopher Gravy" and "Drivin' Rain")

2004 – Tom Waits – Real Gone (on the tracks "Hoist That Rag", "Shake It" and "Baby Gonna Leave Me")

2004 – Jack Irons – Attention Dimension (on the Pink Floyd cover "Shine On You Crazy Diamond")

2005 – Adrian Belew – Side One (on the tracks "Ampersand", "Writing on the Wall" and "Matchless Man")

2005 – Gabby La La – Be Careful What You Wish For... (bass and percussion throughout)

2005 – Mat Callahan – A Wild Bouquet (on the track "I See the Light")

2006 – Adrian Belew – Side Three (on the tracks "Whatever" and "Men in Helicopters v4.0")

2006 – Tom Waits – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards (tracks not specified)

2008 – Zach Hill – Astrological Straits (on the track "Astrological Straits")

2009 – Vinyl – Fogshack Music Volume Two (on the tracks "Jelly James Jam", "Le Colonel", "Benthos" and "Le Colonel Part Deux")

2011 – Hank Williams III – Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town (on the tracks "Ghost to a Ghost" and "With the Ship")

2011 – Tom Waits – Bad as Me (on the track "Satisfied")

Soundtracks and compilations[link]

1991 – Guitars that Rule the World (promo for Guitar World magazine, featuring the original track "Filet of Soul" by Alex Skolnick with Claypool and Brain)

1993 – Radio 501 (promo for Levi's jeans, featuring the original track "Can't Live Without" by Claypool, Jay Lane & Rob Wasserman)

2002 – NASCAR: Crank It Up (promo for NASCAR on Fox, featuring a cover of the Commander Cody track "Hot Rod Lincoln" recorded by Claypool)

2002 – Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002 (live album, featuring the Les Claypool's Frog Brigade track "Locomotive Breath")

2002 – Bonnaroo Vol. 2 (live album, featuring the Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains track "Number Two")

2004 – Concrete Corner: October Sampler 2004 (featuring the Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains track "Junior")

2004 – Never Been Done (soundtrack, featuring the Les Claypool's Frog Brigade track "David Makalaster")

2004 – Not In Our Name (benefit compilation album, featuring the Les Claypool's Frog Brigade track "David Makalaster II")

2006 – Barnyard (soundtrack, featuring the original track "Hittin' the Hay" by North Mississippi Allstars with Claypool)

2008 – Pig Hunt (soundtrack, featuring the original tracks "Goblins in the Forest", "What You Lookin' At Boy?", "Boonville Stomp" and "Male Organ-Grinder")

Television show theme songs

2005-present – Robot Chicken: seasons 1–4 ("Robot Chicken", released on Of Whales and Woe, 2006)

2006-present – South Park: seasons 10–14 (mashup of "Whamola" by Les Claypool's Frog Brigade and "South Park Theme" by Primus)

Video game soundtracks

2008 – Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (original tracks)

Videography[link]

2002 – Rising Low (Documentary on Allen Woody, directed by Mike Gordon)

2002 – Various Artists – Live from Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002 (featuring Les Claypool's Frog Brigade and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains)

2003 – Gov't Mule – The Deepest End, Live In Concert

2005 – Les Claypool – 5 Gallons of Diesel

2007 – Les Claypool – Fancy

2008 – Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo (Rock- mockumentary feature film)

2011 – A Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story (Documentary on Mark Sandman)

Equipment used[link]

Basses[link]

• Seven Carl Thompson basses:
  • Main Walnut fretted 4-string
  • Multi-wood fretless 6-string Rainbow Bass
  • Maple fretted 4-string (backup for the walnut 4-string)
  • Ebony fretted 4-string
  • Fretless 4-string
  • Fretted 6-string
  • Walnut fretted 4-string (replica of the original)
• At least two Fender Jazz Basses (only used occasionally)
• Kramer bass
• Rickenbacker 4003 bass
• Semi-acoustic Eko bass
• Zeta electric upright bass
• Kay upright bass
• NS Design electric upright bass
• Tune fretless six-string bass (used primarily before he got the Carl Thompson Rainbow Bass)
• The Whamola bass
• A Goldtone Bass Banjo, a 4 stringed combination between a bass and a banjo
• Michael Kelly Bayou 4 Resonator Bass (Modified, with an EMG pickup installed)

Amplification[link]

• Ampeg bass heads and cabinets
• Mesa Boogie bass cabinets
• Gallien Krueger practice amps

Effects[link]

Claypool has used several different pre-amp distortion units during his career. His distorted tone is heard most notably on the Primus song "My Name is Mud". He also uses phaser, flanger and chorus effects and has also been seen to use an envelope filter during live bass solos.

See also[link]

• Buckethead
• Charlie Hunter Trio (1993)
• Primus
• Tom Waits
• Warren Haynes
• Oysterhead
• Avant-garde
• Secret Chiefs 3

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Les Claypool

• Official website
• Colonel Claypool's Bucket Of Bernie Brains
• Primus official website
• Oysterhead – The Grand Pecking Order
• Gabby La La official website
• Official live recordings from 2003+ of Primus
• Official live recordings of the 2004 Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains shows
• Les Claypool at the Internet Movie Database
• Claypool Cellars – Claypool's wine-making business
• Interview with Daniel Robert Epstein at suicidegirls.com
• Les Claypool interview at Prefixmag.com (March 2008)
• Podcast Interview with Jeff Barringer at club kingsnake
• National Lampoon picks up Electric Apricot: The Quest For Festeroo, Movie to see national release
• Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars featuring music by Les Claypool
• Cooking with Claypool (Interview with Les Clayppol from HonestTune.com)
• Beyond Typical (Interview with Les Claypool from SubMergeMag.com, June 2009)
• Upcoming Tour Dates
• Les Claypool Interview on TheWaster.com
• Steve Wang Interview about Kung Fu Rascals