Although they achieved commercial fortune in the mid-90s, the Offspring had been a staple of the southern Californian punk community since 1984. Bryan ‘Dexter’ Holland (b. 29 December 1966; vocals/guitar) and Greg Kriesel (b. 20 January 1965, Glendale, California, USA; bass) announced their intention to form a band at a party where they heard TSOL’s Change Today for the first time. Kriesel then joined Manic Subsidal, with former Clowns Of Death guitarist Holland, plus Doug Thompson (vocals) and Jim Benton (drums). When Thompson was forced out, Holland took over vocals, while Benton was replaced by Clowns Of Death drummer James Lilja. A third Clowns Of Death member, Kevin ‘Noodles’ Wasserman (b. 4 February 1963, Los Angeles, California, USA; guitar), joined later. Manic Subsidal was renamed the Offspring in 1985. Shows supporting artists such as Econo Christ and Isocraces followed, at an average of one performance every two months. Their debut single, ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, was released on their own Black Records. However, by 1987 Lilja was losing interest in the band, and was replaced for a Las Vegas show by Ron Welty (b. 1 February 1971, Long Beach, California, USA; ex-FQX - Fuck Quality X-Rays). He joined them permanently in July 1987, ironically during an Offspring show supported by FQX, whom he had now abandoned.
A demo was recorded in 1988 and touted around punk labels, but Offspring were initially forced to gain recognition by advertising in the classifieds of underground magazines Flipside and Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll. These songs were lifted and placed on compilation cassettes and albums, spreading the band’s name in the process. By March 1989 they were ready to record their debut studio album, recruiting Dead Kennedys, TSOL and Iggy Pop veteran Thom Wilson. Via a contract with Nemesis Records the world was at last able to hear the Offspring’s unique cross-matching of hardcore with Middle Eastern guitar from chief songwriter Holland. A six-week national tour followed, though Noodles was stabbed during their Hollywood anti-nuclear benefit.
The Baghdad EP bore witness to the band’s progression, with a less self-consciously punk musical dialogue, and the notable absence of some of the cluttered tempo changes of their debut. It was their last record for Nemesis, however, and by 1992 they were in Brett Gurewitz’s West Beach Studio working on a new project for Epitaph Records (Gurewitz had initially rejected the band, as had practically every other underground label in the USA, only to change his mind on hearing a new demo tape). Ignition’s more relaxed pace, dropped in favour of bigger, memorable choruses, opened up Holland’s lyrics to closer scrutiny. There was evident craftsmanship in songs such as ‘Take It Like A Man’ and ‘No Hero’, which concerned suicide. This reflected the sophistication of the music, with Holland’s Arabic guitar breaks contrasting with Noodles’ forceful blues licks. Its release coincided with individual academic success, with Kriesel finishing his finance degree, Welty his electronics degree and Holland taking his masters (he went on to complete his doctorate in molecular biology). In June, they toured Europe for the first time with labelmates No FX, preceding a two-week domestic stint with the Lunachicks on which Noodles was temporarily replaced by his friend, Rob Barton, who also helped out on the following tour with Pennywise.
The band’s third album, Smash, was completed in February 1994 with Thom Wilson again producing. Ever more adventurous, this time Offspring combined punk with ska and hard rock, with a cover version of the Didjits’ ‘Killboy Powerhead’ as a concession to their roots. ‘What Happened To You’ eloquently addressed the subject of hard drugs (to which so many of their So-Cal hardcore compatriots had fallen victim), while ‘Something To Believe In’ and ‘Self-Esteem’ were more detached and introspective than before. By the end of 1994 the album had achieved platinum status as the result of extensive touring with labelmates Rancid and Dutch hardcore band Guttermouth, and the crossover success of MTV favourite ‘Come Out And Play (Keep ’Em Separated)’. By 1995, Smash was accredited with quadruple platinum sales, and their recording of the Damned’s ‘Smash It Up’, for the soundtrack of Batman Forever, was another major success.
Much of 1995 was spent in dispute with their record company, with the band eventually signing to Columbia Records in 1996. Ixnay On The Hombre was well received in February 1997, but their big break came with the single ‘Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)’, which was a huge international hit (topping the UK charts in January 1999) that helped boost sales of the attendant Americana. Warming to their new-found success, the band debuted at UK number 2 with the follow-up single, ‘Why Don’t You Get A Job?’. Americana, meanwhile, narrowly failed to top their domestic album chart. The follow-up Conspiracy Of One did not deviate from the band’s tried and trusted formula, with highly catchy tracks such as ‘Original Prankster’, ‘Special Delivery’ and ‘Come Out Swinging’ tailor made for heavy radio rotation. Long-time drummer Welty left the band in early 2003, and was replaced by former Rocket From The Crypt member Atom Willard (b. Adam Willard, 15 August 1973, USA) for touring dates.
