A place where we bring together all the people who have helped shape LIVER. The musicians, the friends & fans. All the people who have helped out and enjoyed the ride. LIVER has never been about fame and glory - its always been about the laughter. Saying the most off the wall disturbingly funny shit. Originally LIVER was formed by Claudio and the Wolf, Jeff in Wildwood New Jersey in 1987 or so. They'd record on to a 4-track the music then record the vocals slowed down so when played back it sounded like a bastardized version of the Chipmunks. It was never really intended for anyone else to hear. Both Claudio & Jeff were in a serious band named "Metal Heart" but did LIVER stuff on the side. They actually went by the name "The Ghetto Bastards" and then "The Festering Cowboys." Max had always recorded his own brand of "stupid songs" and at the time was a last minute fill in singer for the band "Minx". Kind of thrown into the role it was apparent that Max was many things but vocalist wasn't one of them. Minx did have the great luck of meeting Tony Bongiovi, co owner of the biggest, baddest and best studio in New York City - the Powerstation. Max used the stage name Doug Strutz at the time. While good friends with everyone in the band, the timing wasn't good. Max's father has just passed away. After the studio recordings Tony ( who yes is related to Jon Bon Jovi ) lost interest, and with moral low - a lot of tension - and the fact that Max stinked Minx slowly became no more. It was resurrected several times but eventually faded away like a lot of 80's bands. Metal Heart also kind of fell apart as well.
Max had known Claudio in high school and was friends with Metal Hearts guitar player Ron Hickman. It was a chance meeting when Max met Jeff, Ron's brother when he dropped by to see Claudio. Claudio and Jeff were room mates at the time. They played some of the The Ghetto Bastards & The Festering Cowboys and Max was hooked. They started recording more and more stupid songs. Max was working at a record store in Stone Harbor NJ and played a taped called "Piping Hot LIVER" for a bunch of skater kids. More and more of the kids would come in and asked if Max would play "that LIVER tape." Max thought, "...what a great name. Nobody likes liver, we should call ourselves that!" The acronym Loud Irritating Vulgar & Extremely Rude came after LIVER had the name.
Jeff eventually moved in to the home Max's dad left him after his death, to help out with bills and keep a rather depressed Max company. The two began to record more and more LIVER. Way off the wall stuff. At one point their guitar had only 3 strings. And when those strings broke they invented a "gazippy" which was some wire strung up on a 2x4. They played it with a lighter & pick. Jeff had a huge boom-box and they would put the gazippy on top of it and just start spewing lyrics. For the first few years of LIVER there were never any lyrics written down. Everything was off the top of their heads. Claudio was out of the picture, he had taken a job in Jacksonville FL. He and his girlfriend also had a son, Shayne, while down there - things didn't work out and he eventually came back to Cape May County.
Max & Claudio worked at a gas station in Cape May Courthouse. New Jersey still has full service gas stations and the two pumped gas for a living. Both agreed it wasn't much of a living. Max had heard about this school in Winter Park FL and the two decided to fly down and check it out. They were hooked. Max sold his house, and with the help of his girlfriend at the time Karyn, he dad throw some additional funds in the till to help make it happen. And so Max, Claudio, Karyn and Max's dog Oz loaded up and moved down to Florida. The LIVER music didn't stop. Almost every evening they'd record something. Even shoot music videos. Slowly more and more people heard about LIVER and it was catching on. The music started to change somewhat, to resemble what most people call music. It still sucked, but it was funny and catchy.
Eventually LIVER caught the attention of Bill Smith, who would eventually join the group as Grill'r. Bill was the director of education for Full Sail's Audio program. Bill is credited with forcing LIVER to play in tune, with a steady beat, and helped mold and create the LIVER of today. And thank god he did. He brought us into the studio - a professional million dollar studio. Joined by friends and supporters Max & Claudio created the first official LIVER CD: Bring the Lotion. From there LIVER became a fixture in Central Florida, appearing on a local radio show and even re-wrote their song Race Car Joey for the show called "Monsters of the Mid-day". They played LIVER each time the show ended for two years. The internet was something kind of new and of course LIVER had a web page. They were befriended by a porn star who posed for the web page, and also became friends with a DJ from Norway, Curt, who understood LIVER was a farce but played them anyway, much to the dismay of the residents of Oslo.
Digital home recording was new technology at the time but Claudio was all over it. With the help of one of LIVER's biggest fans Kevin O'Brien who let them use his K-2000 keyboard & bass, Claudio taught himself ProTools and the second LIVER CD was made, "Brown Speak." The writing continues to this day. And as LIVER celebrates 25 years of nothing but FUN work is now beginning on a new release. Max is trying to get everyone involved. Friends, former band mates, fans, who ever - the idea is to create what could be the last LIVER CD, and make it something everyone who has been a part of LIVER be part of the music this time. That goes for the site as well. From the input on a serious note about gear or technology, to collaboration, to the lovely female fans who take their dirty pictures to help us drawn in new friends & fans. LIVER likes it loud and its eyecandy eye-popping!
So thats the story. We welcome you to the definitive LIVER site. A site that celebrates the filth, the fun, and the silliness that is and always shall be, LIVER!
