I love them so much that I almost didn't create this C/NC because I don't want anyone to shit on them, not that it would change my opinion but when. you love something you don't leave it on the ground. But they can take it, so here goes.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I am going to try to hold a short list of bands in my consciousness in hopes of taking that memory into the next life. The Fucking Champs are on that short list. Their tunes elicit a full spectrum of emotions within me. I only saw them twice live but have listened to III, IV and V countless times on repeat. I am Facebook Friends with Tims Green and Soete, and Mr. Green was kind enough to answer some questions for me. I am working up the courage to pester Soete next.

One song, let alone album, is like a rock riff clinic. They distill the best parts of 70s and 80s metal with 2000s guitar rock self-awareness. The few songs that have vocals leave you wanting an entire album of songs with vocals, but at the same time they are enough.

Extra Man, yo. Extra Man.

ROM will be played at my funeral.

Tiny waffle: I wasn't that into VI because Josh isn't on it, but if it was the first album by theirs that I heard then I might dig it more. That said, when I first heard them I didn't totally get it, but after a full listen I was hooked and cooked.

I liked IV and V well enough but not as much as other instrumental stuff at the time. I’m not a big “bands MUST have bass” person but some of their stuff does sound pretty hollow. Never bothered with the Trans Champs stuff for some reason despite liking both bands. A pretty unenthusiastic NC I guess!

Listened to several of their records kinda on repeat on a road trip home from Chicago a few years back after hearing Tim Green on Conan Neutron's podcast. Tim was a great interview, has interesting tastes and ideas and comes across as a super swell guy. I really liked those records a lot, and I keep meaning to go back to them.

Tim also gets portrayed as one of the very few decent men in Kathleen Hanna's Autobiography.

I love this band. When I first heard them in '97 or '98 I wanted to give up making heavy music completely. They did everything I wanted to do before I even knew that it was what I wanted to do and never would.

I befriended Tim Green at a Champs show at the Fireside in '99. A friend of mine from high school who I was in a band with was in a band with Tim in Olympia called Lice between NOU and TFC. So we bonded over that fact. Years later when our mutual friend unfortunately and unexpectedly passed away we messaged each other a few pictures of him and shared fond memories to help each other grieve. Our friend Scott was also in a band called Worst Case Scenario with Justin and Brandt from Unwound. He was a good guy, taken too soon. He was two years older than me and punk as fuck in high school and I really admired him. He was so cool. He played in my band with me. He turned me on to Maximumrockandroll.

Anyway, please enjoy this Fucking Champs set from the Empty Bottle in Chicago from 2002 that I shot on mini DV CAM.

https://youtu.be/tVkyMP_1fKI?si=ocTBIkLTemsS0nOB&t=1

THE FUCKING CHAMPS NOT CRAP

Cool I'll watch that tonight! I also remember Tim playing in the young ginns with Justin - was that also with Brandt or Vern?

Greg Anderson has also talked about Lice before, and Tim's Model T being one of the first times he saw one of those in action.

El Protoolio wrote: Sun Dec 14, 2025 2:28 pmAnyway, please enjoy this Fucking Champs set from the Empty Bottle in Chicago from 2002 that I shot on mini DV CAM.

https://youtu.be/tVkyMP_1fKI?si=ocTBIkLTemsS0nOB&t=1

THE FUCKING CHAMPS NOT CRAP

Hell yeah, thank you!

Does anyone know what happened that led to Josh leaving? I really was not feeling the Beach Boysish surfy rock band that he did after TFC, and then he just disappeared. I guess I could ask Tim Green but it feels like a rough question to be asked by a stranger.

I wish I wasn't so far from Cali. Escape Rope is planning on recording at God City but I would rather do it at Louder.

Frankie99 wrote: Sun Dec 14, 2025 4:13 pm Cool I'll watch that tonight! I also remember Tim playing in the young ginns with Justin - was that also with Brandt or Vern?

Greg Anderson has also talked about Lice before, and Tim's Model T being one of the first times he saw one of those in action.

And Greg eventually picked up that same Model T:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Clm3fXjpYPA/?img_index=1

Thanks for starting this thread! I love this band so much also, and it had been a while since I listened to them up until about a few months ago, at which point all I listened to was III, IV, and V for a month straight. When they were active there were some who dismissed them as ironic indies playing their interpretation of metal. Whatever, I got no time for that. The onslaught of riffage in every fucking song, multiple times per song, is undeniable. Absolute NOT CRAP.

I'll have to go back and listen, but I swear Tim said that it wasn't his amp Greg ended up with, so I wonder what I actually did hear?

Is this the record dork equivalent of celebrity gossip?

Absolutely love them. Total clinic of metal/rock riffs and tones, great drumming.

NC