Chris Weber

For the basketball player, see Chris Webber.
Chris Weber
Born (1966-10-16) October 16, 1966
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Hard rock, heavy metal, post-grunge
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1983 (1983)–present
Labels Epic, DRT Entertainment, Cleopatra
Associated acts Hollywood Rose, U.P.O.

Chris Weber (born October 16, 1966) is an American musician best known as the guitarist and founder of the groups U.P.O. and Hollywood Rose (which featured future Guns N' Roses members Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Slash and Steven Adler). With U.P.O., he released two albums, No Pleasantries (2000) and The Heavy (2004), while the Hollywood Rose demos, recorded in 1984, were released in 2004 titled The Roots of Guns N' Roses.

Career

Hollywood Rose (1983–1984)

Main article: Hollywood Rose

Prior to forming, Chris Weber was introduced to Lafayette native Izzy Stradlin,[1] in the parking lot of the Rainbow Bar and Grill,[1][2] by friend Tracii Guns,[2] who was leading the first incarnation of L.A. Guns at this time, after Weber expressed an interest in forming a band.[1] Soon afterwards, Weber and Stradlin started writing material and, at the suggestion of Stradlin, recruited his childhood friend, former Rapidfire[3] and L.A. Guns[4] singer William Bailey. At the suggestion of Bailey,[2][5] the group called themselves AXL[1][5][6] They played their first gig at The Orphanage in North Hollywood and played a few more shows[5] before changing their name to Rose,[1][5] with Bailey changing his name to W. Axl Rose.[6][7][8] The group soon changed their name, for the final time, to Hollywood Rose[1][2][5][6][7][9] when Weber discovered that the name Rose was already being used by a New York band.[5]

After borrowing money from Weber's father, the group recorded a five-song demo in Hollywood[1][6] in 1984.[2][10] After playing a number of more shows, Rose fired Weber from the band[11] with former Road Crew guitarist Slash joining the group. They would disband soon after.

The group reunited, briefly, with Rose, Stradlin, Weber and Darrow returning along while L.A. Guns drummer Rob Gardner also joined the group. Weber, who left to move to New York City,[1][6] was soon replaced by Tracii Guns.[1][2][6]

U.P.O. (1997–2004)

Main article: U.P.O.

Played on British band "Stone" along with drummer Manolo Antonana. After meeting in the mid '90s, at the Reading Festival[12] in England, Weber and singer Shawn Albro began working on material that eventually gained some major label interest.[12] They recruited bassist Ben Shirley and drummer Tommy Holt,[12] forming U.P.O., and going on to sign a record deal with Epic Records.[12] They released their debut album, titled No Pleasantries, in 2000,[12] produced by Rick Parashar,[13] with the album peaking at number 19 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart[14] while the singles "Godless" and "Feel Alive" peaked at number 6[15] and 25[15] on the Mainstream Rock Chart respectively. "Feel Alive" appeared on the soundtrack to the film Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2[16] while the group toured with the likes of Slipknot, Slayer, Mudvayne and Sepultura as part of the Tattoo The Earth tour with the song "Dust" being included on the live album Tattoo The Earth: The First Crusade.[17] After further touring in support of the album, the group went on hiatus with Albro auditioning for "The Project" (later known as Velvet Revolver) during this time.[18]

The group returned in 2004, recording and releasing The Heavy,[12] working again with producer Rick Parashar,[19] the same year through DRT Entertainment/Nitrus Records. The group toured in support of the album, however, after an October concert later that year, however, Weber suffered a seizure before being rushed to a hospital.[20] It was soon revealed that he had a meningioma brain tumor[20] for which Weber underwent successful surgery on November 17, 2004.[21] The group seemed to go on hiatus soon afterwards with bassist Zoltan Bathory,[22][23] who had replaced Ben Shirley, going on to form Five Finger Death Punch.[23]

Discography

Title Release Label Band
No Pleasantries 2000 Epic U.P.O.
The Heavy 2004 DRT Entertainment/Nitrus
The Roots of Guns N' Roses Cleopatra Hollywood Rose

Guest credits

Title Release Label Band Credits
Dopesnake 2007 Deadline Hollywood Roses Guitars on "Come Down"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The Roots of Guns N' Roses (booklet). Hollywood Rose. Cleopatra Records. 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "HOLLYWOOD ROSE: 'The Roots Of Guns N' Roses' To Surface In June?". Blabbermouth.net. April 28, 2004.
  3. ↑ "Canadian Axl Rose: Pre-GN'R Record To Be Released". Ultimate Guitar Archive. February 3, 2006.
  4. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen; Andrew Leahey. "L.A. Guns Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 18, 2004.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ex-HOLLYWOOD ROSE Guitarist: AXL ROSE Was 'Very Ego Motivated'". Blabbermouth.net. November 19, 2004.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Hollywood Rose Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2004.
  7. 1 2 Prato, Greg. "Axl Rose Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2004.
  8. ↑ Danny Sugerman (1991). Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N' Roses. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-07634-7.
  9. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Izzy Stradlin Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2004.
  10. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "The Roots of Guns N' Roses Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2004.
  11. ↑ Slash; Bozza, Anthony (2007). Slash. HarperCollins. pp. 88, 89, 90, 92, 93. ISBN 978-0-00-725775-1.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Phares, Heather. "U.P.O. Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ No Pleasantries (booklet). U.P.O. Epic Records. 2000.
  14. ↑ "U.P.O. Album Charts". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  15. 1 2 "U.P.O. Singles Charts". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  16. ↑ Basham, David (October 6, 2000). "Manson Covers "Suicide Is Painless" For "Blair Witch 2"". MTV.
  17. ↑ Mancini, Robert (September 21, 2000). "Slipknot, Sevendust, Slayer Churn Out "Tattoo" Live CD". MTV.
  18. ↑ "Canadian Singer Confirms Audition With Ex-GUNS N' ROSES Members". Blabbermouth.net. January 4, 2003.
  19. ↑ The Heavy (album) (booklet). U.P.O. DRT Entertainment. 2004.
  20. 1 2 "U.P.O. Guitarist Diagnosed With Brain Tumor". Blabbermouth.net. November 16, 2004.
  21. ↑ "U.P.O./Ex-HOLLYWOOD ROSE Guitarist Undergoes Brain Surgery". Blabbermouth.net. November 20, 2004.
  22. ↑ "U.P.O. Bassist: DIMEBAG Was 'Somebody Who Inspired All Of Us'". Blabbermouth.net. December 10, 2004.
  23. 1 2 Christopher Monger, James. "Five Finger Death Punch Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
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