Viking Fuck is a synthpunk trio formed out of Iowa City. Made up of Matt Fenner, playing the keys, Walker Neudorff, hitting those drums, and Mickey Shaw, writhing around on the ground and screaming, the group takes influence from bands such as the Cramps, Suicide, the Stooges, and probably the most apparent and most important influence, the synthpunk pioneers known as the Screamers. Throw in a trip to a broken down, fucked up circus, and you've got Viking Fuck.
Viking Fuck was formed out of necessity. Because of the breakup of their previous band Bear Weather (with member Schuyler Peterson moving to Indiana, forcing the band to breakup), the boys were left high and dry when Shawn Reed of Wet Hair asked them to play a show. Rather than turn down the offer, they decided to form a new band. After meeting up at Mickey's house, their intention was to form a noise act, but after collectively deciding "fuck that noise", they picked up all the non-noisey instruments they could find at Mickey's house and started writing catchy, yet nasty, punk tunes.
With songs written, Viking Fuck was ready to go. Their first appearance would be on October 6th, 2008 at the Mill, a show benefiting Iowa City Free Radio, 87.9 (check it out). Soon after this, they started playing house shows at their home base then known as E-Space, now affectionately known as the Old Old Viking Fuck House (or the First Viking Fuck House), playing with bands such as Daughters of the Sun ("that show sucked" -Walker) and Caw! Caw!.
After getting themselves acclimated to the new tunes, Viking Fuck decided to put them to tape. The tracks that were to become the "Virgins" cassette were recorded at the Old Old Viking Fuck House by Mickey himself onto 4 track. It was self released in November of 2008 and first available at the Woods show at the Picador, even though Viking Fuck didn't actually play that show. The tape was eventually re-released on Solid Melts out of Kansas.
1. Right On, Handsome Young Men
2. Cold Sweatzzz
3. Iron Thorn
4. Keep On, Young Women
5. Lift It
6. So Bleed
7. 96 Tears
8. Pressher
Click to download.
Through much of 2009, Viking Fuck played locally, heading out for short weekend jaunts here and there around the Midwest. In August of 2009, Viking Fuck went on a week long Midwest tour with their pals in the Tanks. A tour lasting a week in January of 2010 saw the boys trekking solo across the harsh winter landscape of the Midwest.
By this time, Viking Fuck had almost perfected their live show, firstly involving the removal of all forms of shirt by all band members, and, secondly, fervidly going crazy to the haunting keyboard riffs that are pounded out. Luckily for us on March 7th of 2010, Ian Harris recorded a live Viking Fuck set for Nite Trotter, a "free format multimedia online music magazine":
Click here to stream.
Enough new material had been written by now that they were able to record a new tape. By this time Mickey and Matt had moved into a house together, originally called the lipliplipliplipliplip Palace, later changed to the New Viking Fuck House, now lovingly called the Old Viking Fuck House, and this is where most of the meat of what was to be called the "Sugar Crush" tape was recorded (with vocals being records at Mickey's mom's house AND his dad's house). It was released on Joe Heuermann's label Moist Tapes and was first available at the OUT//RIDER show during Summer 2010 at the White Lightning Warehouse... even though Viking Fuck never actually played that show.
1. Don't Die
2. Charred Garden
3. Wet Screamz
4. No Head
5. Blonde Spot
6. Skin,Skin,Skin,Skin,Skin
7. Get Up (I Feel Like A) Machine
8. Salty Crush
9. Heat Penis
10. Head Bag
11. Distance Burner
12. Dead Groove
Click to download.
One of Viking Fuck's collective favorite shows they have played was the show played with their homeboys Daughters of the Sun down in Kansas City at the Pistol, a warehouse art space that has since closed down. Or the time they, apparently, played with Slick Rick. My personal favorite show was the show that Mickey's father decided to attend at the Picador. Watching his son wriggle around on the beer-soaked-and-broken-glass-covered ground, he had a look on his face of "where did I go wrong?". Priceless.
Viking Fuck has future plans to release a split 7" with their Midwest brethren known as the Yuppies out of Omaha. When that will happen, who knows? Other than that, they'll probably play some shows, not as much as we'd like them to play, but which are definitely fun and worth checking out.
"Get head 'til I'm dead."
"Sups 2 yups."
Viking Fuck was formed out of necessity. Because of the breakup of their previous band Bear Weather (with member Schuyler Peterson moving to Indiana, forcing the band to breakup), the boys were left high and dry when Shawn Reed of Wet Hair asked them to play a show. Rather than turn down the offer, they decided to form a new band. After meeting up at Mickey's house, their intention was to form a noise act, but after collectively deciding "fuck that noise", they picked up all the non-noisey instruments they could find at Mickey's house and started writing catchy, yet nasty, punk tunes.
With songs written, Viking Fuck was ready to go. Their first appearance would be on October 6th, 2008 at the Mill, a show benefiting Iowa City Free Radio, 87.9 (check it out). Soon after this, they started playing house shows at their home base then known as E-Space, now affectionately known as the Old Old Viking Fuck House (or the First Viking Fuck House), playing with bands such as Daughters of the Sun ("that show sucked" -Walker) and Caw! Caw!.
After getting themselves acclimated to the new tunes, Viking Fuck decided to put them to tape. The tracks that were to become the "Virgins" cassette were recorded at the Old Old Viking Fuck House by Mickey himself onto 4 track. It was self released in November of 2008 and first available at the Woods show at the Picador, even though Viking Fuck didn't actually play that show. The tape was eventually re-released on Solid Melts out of Kansas.
1. Right On, Handsome Young Men
2. Cold Sweatzzz
3. Iron Thorn
4. Keep On, Young Women
5. Lift It
6. So Bleed
7. 96 Tears
8. Pressher
Click to download.
Through much of 2009, Viking Fuck played locally, heading out for short weekend jaunts here and there around the Midwest. In August of 2009, Viking Fuck went on a week long Midwest tour with their pals in the Tanks. A tour lasting a week in January of 2010 saw the boys trekking solo across the harsh winter landscape of the Midwest.
By this time, Viking Fuck had almost perfected their live show, firstly involving the removal of all forms of shirt by all band members, and, secondly, fervidly going crazy to the haunting keyboard riffs that are pounded out. Luckily for us on March 7th of 2010, Ian Harris recorded a live Viking Fuck set for Nite Trotter, a "free format multimedia online music magazine":
Click here to stream.
Enough new material had been written by now that they were able to record a new tape. By this time Mickey and Matt had moved into a house together, originally called the lipliplipliplipliplip Palace, later changed to the New Viking Fuck House, now lovingly called the Old Viking Fuck House, and this is where most of the meat of what was to be called the "Sugar Crush" tape was recorded (with vocals being records at Mickey's mom's house AND his dad's house). It was released on Joe Heuermann's label Moist Tapes and was first available at the OUT//RIDER show during Summer 2010 at the White Lightning Warehouse... even though Viking Fuck never actually played that show.
1. Don't Die
2. Charred Garden
3. Wet Screamz
4. No Head
5. Blonde Spot
6. Skin,Skin,Skin,Skin,Skin
7. Get Up (I Feel Like A) Machine
8. Salty Crush
9. Heat Penis
10. Head Bag
11. Distance Burner
12. Dead Groove
Click to download.
One of Viking Fuck's collective favorite shows they have played was the show played with their homeboys Daughters of the Sun down in Kansas City at the Pistol, a warehouse art space that has since closed down. Or the time they, apparently, played with Slick Rick. My personal favorite show was the show that Mickey's father decided to attend at the Picador. Watching his son wriggle around on the beer-soaked-and-broken-glass-covered ground, he had a look on his face of "where did I go wrong?". Priceless.
Viking Fuck has future plans to release a split 7" with their Midwest brethren known as the Yuppies out of Omaha. When that will happen, who knows? Other than that, they'll probably play some shows, not as much as we'd like them to play, but which are definitely fun and worth checking out.
"Get head 'til I'm dead."
"Sups 2 yups."
