Coby Dick - Vocals
Jerry Horton - Guitar
Dave Buckner - Drums
Tobin Esperance - Bass
In the small Northern Califoria town of Vacaville, four high school
friends, Coby Dick
(Jacoby Shaddix), Jerry Horton, Dave Buckner,
and Will James, decided to start a band. In 1993, they became
Papa Roach, a band whose influences included prominent Bay Area
acts such as Faith No More and Primus. Papa Roach quickly rose
to the top of the Vacaville music scene with their blending of
hip-hop, groove-funk, and hardcore. After a couple of years of
playing coffeehouses, pizza joints, and keg-parties, they were
headlining such places as the Cactus Club in San Jose, the
Cattle Club in Sacramento, and the Berkeley Square in Berkeley.
Due to the antics of unpredictable Shaddix, and the raw power
supplied by the band in live performances, Papa Roach captured
the attention of younger audiences. In turn, kids showed their
appreciation for the band by faithfully attending all the
band's shows. In these early years, Papa Roach was able to
support the Deftones on two shows, and have bands such as
Incubus, Snot, Far, Human Waste Project,and Fu Manchu open
for them. In the summer of 1996, while realizing athat they
had something special, Papa Roach decided to make changes
necessary to reach the next level. First, the band replaced
bass player Will James because his commitment to church summer
camp that would have prevented the band from practicing and
playing any shows over the summer. Papa Roach did not have to
go far to find their new bass player. Tobin Esperance, who was
only 16 years old and who had been a roadie for Papa Roach since
age 13, readily became the new bass player. Second, the band
hired a manager, Bret Bair, to help them with bookings,
promotions, and merchandising. With a new bass player and
management in place, Papa Roach decided to enter the studio
to record a full-length CD. Old Friends From Young Years
was recorded for $700 at E.S.P. Studios in Pittsburg,
California, and was subsequently released in February of
1997. The CD contains 13 tracks, including the songs Orange
Drive Palms , and Liquid Diet . Without any push from the band
or management, many smaller independent and college radio
stations in Chico, Davis, San Jose, Sacramento, and the Bay
Area added Papa Roach to their playlists. To the bands'
surprise, Papa Roach charted number one as Cal-State Sacramento's
most requested band for five consecutive weeks. Papa Roach
celebrated the release of their first album with several CD
release shows. The Vacaville CD release show was attended by
700 kids, while CD release shows in Berkeley and Sacramento
were attended by 400 and 300 kids, respectively. Papa Roach's
emerging popularity did not escape the eyes and ears of promoters,
who started booking the band as a support act on many larger
national shows. In March of 1997, Papa Roach played main support
to Suicidal Tendencies in front of 1,000 people in Sacramento.
They also either headlined or supported many of today's up and
coming acts in the aggressive rock genre, including Incubus, Snot,
Far, Soulfly, Everlast,
(hed) p.e., Sevendust, Fear Factory, Will
Haven and Powerman 5000. Papa Roach has also played Southern
California on a frequent basis, and is now becoming a regular at
such reknowned clubs as the Troubador in Hollywood, and Soma in San
Diego. In April 1998, Papa Roach released 5 Tracks Deep , and E.P.
containing five songs which sold 1,000 copies within the first
month after its release. This CD exemplifies the natural growth
in musicianship and song-writing ability within band since
Old Friends From Young Years was recorded 18 months earlier.
The songs Revenge in Japanese is a perfect example of the
Papa Roach trademark sound where hip-hop verses lead to a catchy
radio-friendly chorus. This results in a song with both energy
and emotion that will attract diverse crowds of people.
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