Craig Bell

Craig Bell is a Clevelander residing in Indianapolis and a member of X__X, Rocket From The Tombs, The Down-fi, The Gizmos, Saucers (among others) and formerly Mirrors. Bell has written/co-written several bonafide punk classics including “Final Solution” and “Muckraker” and can be found on tour frequently, next with X__X promoting Albert Ayler’s Ghosts Live at the Yellow Ghetto to be unleashed on Smog Veil Records November 20, 2016. His motto is “Have bass, will travel.”

Bio

Formed in the early 70's by the monstrous Crocus Behemoth (aka David Thomas), Rocket from the Tombs represented Cleveland's dying factories and urban wasteland just as the Detroit pre-punks had done in regards to their decaying city. After sometime, the group caught the eye of guitarist Peter Laughner. Laughner joined RFTT and along with bassist Craig Bell, drummer John Madansky, and guitarist Gene O'Connor, the lineup was solidified. From the beginning, tensions ran heavily through the band as Behemoth's vocals were unlike anything heard before (save Captain Beefheart) and could only be tolerated by Laughner. What's more, RFTT had a thoroughly artistic approach to their music and Laughner and Behemoth, strongly influenced by Lou Reed and later Television, had an even more artistic direction they wanted the band to head in. This clashed with the other members' loud/fast ethos that fell more in the vein of the Electric Eels and the Stooges. In late 1975 the group would split into two radically different beings. Laughner and Behemoth (now Thomas again) would form the highly artistic punk/experimental band Pere Ubu. Meanwhile, Gene O'Connor and John Madansky would change their names to Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz respectively. They in turn recruited a young man named Stiv Bators (born Steve Bator) who had once auditioned for RFTT as lead singer. Along with bassist Jeff Magnum (born Jeff Halmagy) and second guitarist Jimmy Zero (born William Wilden), these five raucous, bratty kids from the streets of Cleveland would form a fast paced, Stooges-inflected band called Frankenstein, later renamed the Dead Boys. In 2003, The Day The Earth Met The Rocket From The Tombs, a combination of demos and radio recordings from 1975, was released. RFTT reunited in the new millenium and along with Richard Lloyd (Television) replacing the late Peter Laughner recorded a live album titled Rocket Redux. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Talks

Craig Bell (X__X, Rocket from the Tombs) Talks Protomartyr’s The Agent Intellect

By Craig Bell | October 19, 2015

Craig Bell (X__X, Rocket from the Tombs) Talks Protomartyr’s The Agent Intellect

Protomartyr brings you their report from a decaying world, but never gives up on the inhabitants, who search for comfort and joy amidst the debris.