Guy Picciotto

Guy Picciotto
Background information
Born	September 17, 1965 (1965-09-17) , Washington D.C.
Genres	Punk rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Occupations	Songwriter, Musician, Producer
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drum machine, Clarinet, Thumb piano, Percussion
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Dischord
Associated acts	Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Happy Go Licky, One Last Wish

Guy Picciotto (pronounced [ˈɡi piˈtʃotto] or "Gee Pitch-oh-toe") is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and producer from Washington, DC.

He is most widely known for his role as one of the guitarists and vocalists of Fugazi, as well as Rites of Spring.

Career

Rites of Spring & Early Projects

Main article: Rites of Spring

Picciotto's musical career began in 1985, with the group Rites of Spring. A part of the D.C. post-hardcore scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with its compositional rules. Picciotto, as the band's lyricist, as well as singer & guitarist also shifted hardcore into intensely personal realms and, in doing so, is generally credited with creating emo.

Picciotto's early musical resume also includes the bands One Last Wish (1986), Happy Go Licky (1987–1988), Brief Weeds (EPs released circa 1991 - 1992), and The Black Light Panthers (ongoing sporadic project since 1982), the last two bands both being projects with Brendan Canty. He also created a record label called Peterbilt Records, which released limited-quantity vinyl record albums for the bands Rain, Happy Go Licky, and Deadline, then years later was involved in releasing the album 1986 by One Last Wish, along with Dischord Records.

Fugazi

Main article: Fugazi

Though not in the original line up of Fugazi, Picciotto joined very early in the group's career, singing with them by their second show and appearing on all the band's studio recordings.

From the Margin Walker EP on, he also took up 2nd guitar duties, playing characteristically trebly Rickenbacker guitars. After seven albums (13 Songs, Repeater, Steady Diet of Nothing, In on the Kill Taker, Red Medicine, End Hits, The Argument), and several tours, Fugazi went on "indefinite hiatus" in 2003.

Side Projects & Production Work

Picciotto has collaborated and performed with Mats Gustafsson, Vic Chesnutt, and members of the Ex among others. He co-produced Gossip's breakthrough record Standing in the Way of Control.

He also produced Blonde Redhead's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (2000) and Misery Is a Butterfly (2004) as well as The Blood Brothers final album, Young Machetes. Picciotto played on the Vic Chesnutt albums North Star Deserter (2007) and At the Cut (2009), and accompanied him on a 2009 Fall/Winter North American Tour. He co-produced the film Chain with Jem Cohen (who made the Fugazi film Instrument).

Equipment

Guitars

• Rickenbacker 330 - Picciotto's main guitars are a sunburst Rickenbacker 330 and 2 identical black Rickenbacker 330's all equipped with RIC HB1 humbuckers. He has also occasionally been seen playing a natural-finish 330. The characteristically trebly Rickenbackers allowed Piccotto to make use of sonic space not taken by Mackaye's chunkier, rhythmic guitar playing in Fugazi.
• Gibson Les Paul Jr. - During Picciotto's time with Rites of Spring and during the early days of Fugazi he could also be seen playing Les Paul Junior's.

Amplification

• Park 100 Watt heads
• Marshall JCM 800 2203 heads
• Red or Black Marshall JCM 800 4x12 cabinets fitted with 75-watt celestion speakers

Effects

• MXR Distortion+
• Vox 847 Wah or Buddah Budwah
• Echo Park Echoplex
• Diamond Memory Lane Delay (first edition)
• Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Plus
• Z.Vex Seek Tremolo
• Z.Vex Fuzz Factory
• Z.Vex Ringtone
• Frantone Cream Puff Fuzz
• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
• Boss TU-2 Tuner

Misc

• Guy uses Bullet Cables for all pedal and guitar/amplifier connections live and in-studio.

Personal

He holds a B.A. degree in English from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the elite Washington, DC private prep school, the Georgetown Day School.

Discography

Rites of Spring

• Rites of Spring (1985)
• All Through a Life [EP] (1987)
• End on End (complete discography) (1991)

One Last Wish

• 1986 (1999)

Happy Go Licky

• 12" (EP) (1988)
• Will Play (live Compilation) (1997)

Black Light Panthers

• Peterbilt 12" 82-97 (1997)

Brief Weeds

• A Very Generous Portrait 7" (1990)
• Songs of Innocence and Experience 7" (1992)

Fugazi

• 13 Songs (September, 1989)
• Repeater (March, 1990)
• Steady Diet of Nothing (August, 1991)
• In on the Kill Taker (May, 1993)
• Red Medicine (June, 1995)
• End Hits (April, 1998)
• Instrument Soundtrack (1999)
• The Argument (October, 2001)

External links

• January 1998 interview with Picciotto in Diskant
• Nude as the News interview with Guy Picciotto (October 2001)
• Pitchfork interview with Picciotto
• Picciotto interview on the Morphizm site
• Exclaim.ca September 2007 interview with Guy Picciotto
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