Primus Artistfacts

1984-
Les ClaypoolVocals, bass
Todd HuthGuitar1984-1989
Larry LaLondeGuitar1989-
Jay LaneDrums1988–1989, 2010–2013
Tim AlexanderDrums1989–1996, 2003–2010, 2013–2024
Bryan "Brain" MantiaDrums1996-2000
John HoffmanDrums2025-
Primus singer/bassist Les Claypool attended De Anza High School in Richmond, California, and befriended another musician in his algebra class - eventual Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who shows up in the "John The Fisherman" video.
Along with countless other renowned rock guitarists (Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick, Charlie Hunter, etc.), Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde took lessons from a then-unknown Joe Satriani early on.
Primus has often cited Tom Waits as one of their favorite artists, and the two have collaborated several times over the years, including on "Tommy the Cat" off Primus' Sailing the Seas of Cheese, "Earth Died Screaming" off Waits' Bone Machine, and "Coattails of a Dead Man" off Primus' Antipop.
From 1991 to 1992, Primus played with a wide variety of acts while touring in support of their breakthrough album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, including Tad, Fishbone, Public Enemy, Anthrax, Young Black Teenagers, Rush, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, and U2.
Primus headlined the 1993 Lollapalooza Festival, which also featured Alice in Chains, Fishbone, Arrested Development, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Dinosaur Jr., among others. As seen on the Alice in Chains home video, Music Bank: The Videos, Les Claypool once dressed as a rooster and appeared on stage during Alice's set... while they performed their hit, "Rooster."
Primus' set at Woodstock 1994 had to be momentarily halted when unruly fans began throwing mud at the stage, once the group started playing "My Name is Mud." The show eventually resumed, after Les Claypool explained to the crowd, "When you throw things on stage, it’s a sign of small and insignificant genitalia."
After leaving Primus in 2000, Bryan "Brain" Mantia handled drum duties for Guns N' Roses until 2006, and provided beats on thirteen of the fourteen tracks on their album Chinese Democracy. Additionally, Mantia earned a co-songwriting credit on two songs, "Shackler's Revenge" and "Sorry."
Primus drummer Jay Lane played on the early Primus demo, Sausage, before exiting prior to the group issuing any albums. Lane rejoined in 2010 and appears on Green Naugahyde. Before rejoining Primus, Lane played in two Bob Weir projects, RatDog and Furthur, as well as two Les Claypool projects, Sausage and Frog Brigade.
At just about every Primus show, members of the audience can be heard shouting "Primus sucks!" at the stage. This peculiar show of appreciation began back in the band's club days, and may have derived from the title of the group's first-ever demo, also titled 'Primus Sucks.'
Before joining Primus in 1989, Larry LaLonde was the guitarist of the thrash/death metal band Possessed. He performed on their first two albums (Seven Churches and Beyond the Gates) and their 1987 EP The Eyes of Horror, which was produced by his guitar teacher Joe Satriani. >>
Suggestion credit:
Lucas - Los Angeles, California