Nihilistic Portland, OR, hardcore outfit
Poison Idea was formed in 1980 by frontman Jerry A., guitarist
Tom Roberts, bassist
Chris Tense, and drummer
Dean Johnson. The group debuted three years later with the EP
Pick Your King, cramming 13 songs into a 16-minute time frame; the Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes EP followed in 1985, fine-tuning the band's blistering sound and fatalistic worldview. Thanks to their notoriously insatiable diet of drugs, alcohol, and junk food, the members of
Poison Idea all ballooned past the 300-pound mark by the time of the 1986 full-length
Kings of Punk, with
Roberts -- who now tipped the scales at an impressive 450 pounds -- rechristening himself
Pig Champion in honor of the occasion. Tense and
Johnson were then dismissed from the lineup, although the former returned in time for 1987's
War All the Time, recorded with second guitarist Eric "Vegetable" Olsen and drummer Steve "Thee Slayer Hippy" Hanford; Tense was then replaced by bassist
Mondo for 1988's Filthkick EP. Both the Darby Crash Rides Again and Ian MacKaye EPs followed a year later, another period of roster tumult which made way for the addition of guitarist Kid Cocksman (soon replaced by Aldine Striknine) and bassist
Myrtle Tickner.
Poison Idea returned in 1990 with
Feel the Darkness, with a series of live releases (the Official Bootleg EP, the
Live in Vienna EP, and the
Dutch Courage LP) preceding 1992's Blank Blackout. A collaboration with
Jeff Dahl appeared a year later, concurrent with the covers album
Pajama Party; however, in the wake of
Pig Champion's subsequent departure
Poison Idea disbanded, releasing their June 6, 1993, farewell gig at Portland's La Luna as
Pig's Last Stand.
–
Jason Ankeny, Rovi