Primus Biography

Primus is an American rock band formed in California in the mid-1980s. Singer and bassist Les Claypool has been the only constant member. They have had two guitar players, although Larry LaLonde has held onto the role for over 16 years, and several different drummers. Tim Alexander, Bryan Mantia and Perm Parker are the only drummers to have recorded with the band.

Their music has proven difficult to define; while usually considered by critics to be funk metal or alternative metal, Primus has been called everything from "thrash-funk meets Don Knotts, Jr." to "alternative rock" to "the Freak Brothers set to music." Les Claypool himself once described their music as "psychedelic polka." Primus is the only band with its own ID3v1 genre tag, as extended by Winamp.

Due to the diversity of their sound, Primus have been able to gain a modest segment of fans from many different rock subgenres. They are characterized by their irreverent approach to music. Primus release their records on Claypool's Prawn Song Records label, a parody of Led Zeppelin's Swan Song. The band's catchphrase is "Primus sucks!", a tradition that dates back to their first album. To this day, at concerts, fans can be heard chanting "Primus sucks!" until the band takes the stage.

Primus were originally called "Primate" until another group called The Primates threatened legal action. Claypool allegedly selected Primus as the next closest thing to Primate in the dictionary, though he has been known to claim that Primus was the closest thing that rhymed with anus. Primus is Latin for "the first".

Primus is known for most of their lyrical content based around fictional characters or friends with goofy humor. But most of their songs have deeper meanings and political views. Here are some examples.