Strongarm and the Bullies

History

The three founding members of the band met in Okinawa in 1998. Erick Barnes, the singer, was an active-duty US Marine stationed at Camp Hansen, while Rick Ashton and Tomlin were teenage children of Marines stationed on the island. Originally, they performed a mix of punk rock covers and original songs as The Brothels, often playing to both Japanese and military crowds in the Gate 2 District of Okinawa. In 2001, all three returned to the US and eventually regrouped in the Los Angeles area. In early 2002, they began to perform their brand of heavily blues-influenced street punk.

Strongarm and the Bullies regularly performed in Southern California from early 2002 to February 2007, with several regional tours through California, Arizona and Nevada. They recorded and distributed a self-released five-song EP CD in 2002, were featured on a compilation CD from the magazine Loud Fast Rules, and on the Backstreets of American Oi!, vol. 2 compilation. In 2005, the band signed with the Dutch record label Rebellion Records to release their debut full-length CD “You Had It Coming”, and also had the lead track on Rebellion’s punk rock tribute to Johnny Cash compilation, covering “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town”. Their most recent recording was completed in early 2007, just days before Barnes left for a 12-month tour in Iraq.

The band became a staple in the Southern California streetpunk scene, performing at venues like The Knitting Factory, Anarchy Library and The Glass House. They performed at the East Coast Oi! Fest in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in May 2008 after Barnes returned from Iraq. They appeared in the 2009 documentary film Punk's Not Dead, performing at the Drunk Tank in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California. Although the members now live in various parts of the US, the band continues to reunite and perform in Los Angeles annually.

Band members

Studio albums

Compilation albums