Hates

The Hates’ unlikely debut was at a black tie affair in downtown Houston on December 15, 1978 opening for Louisiana’s King of Zydeco,Clifton Chenier under the name of Guyana Boys Choir. Dropping the moniker but keeping the material, frontman Christian Arnheiter and bassist Robert Kainer recruited Glenn Sorvisto to play drums. This lineup recorded two EPs and ushered in the next decade performing “No Talk in the Eight- ies” at the stroke of midnight, December 31st, 1979 on the stage of the now-defunct Paradise Island. When the rhythm section graduated high school, Glenn moved to San Francisco and Robert went on to attend the University of Texas in Austin. Christian then filled out the lineup with 17-year old Lawrence Baker and San Antonio medical student Paul Minot. Together they recorded the Hates’ first eight-song 12” vinyl LP entitled, Panacea. But the Hates would see numerous personnel changes over the next few years due to the scarcity of venues that welcomed their kind of music. In 1990, Christian made a back-to-basics effort to redefine his vision of punk. The outcome was an uncompromising minimalist landscape that evolved into the band’s next offering to the masses. Paul Minot, now residing in Austin, offered the services of his home studio for the venture. Bassist Eric Andrews and drummer John Hawkins, along with producer Dale Brooks, provided the fire to temper Arnheiter’s 13-song manifesto, a cassette tape christened New World Oi. Long after this lineup’s demise, a German record label, Bullet, released this punk rock proclamation on CD. The next incarnation of the Hates, with Screech pounding on drums and Dave Deviant burning up the bass, finally invaded the mainstream by playing outdoor events and short-lived venues while shooting videos and recording the most material to date. Texas Insanity and Greatest Hates were the crowning achievements before it was all said and done. After slugging it out amongst the over-21 bar Neanderthals or the catering to the occasional kiddy-friendly events, Dave sided with Christian when he inducted Joel Juggernaut to take over the drums. Their efforts produced1999’s Forbidden Existence, which unleashed politically-charged lyrics in a music form that was now referred to as “old school” onto a Y2K-obsessed society. In 2004, the Hates toured Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and California, playing for longtime fans and wide-eyed newcomers alike, making an impression everywhere they went. Incorporating various experiences from his travels to Australia and the UK, Christian produced some tongue-in-cheek, slang-tinged ditties. Gonna Get Pissed Tonight quickly became a favourite sing-along amongst the crowds at Hates shows. And when Dave took to wielding a greased pompadour and a full-blown acoustic bass, it gave Arnheiter the impetus to write and perform some rockabilly stompers for their most recent outings, which have been well received by their audience whose ages span across Hates’ nearly 30-year adventure. 2007 will see the Hates back in the studio to offer their first self-produced release in more than six years.