By The Grace Of God: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:59, 9 February 2024

By The Grace Of God Stats

Record Labels:

Three Little Girls, Victory, Initial Records

Started By:

Rob Pennington Duncan Barlow

Based In:

Louisville

Largest show:

2000+ people

First show:

3-4 originals + some Endpoint covers in between bands at Tewligans in 1995 when Shelter dropped off the show.

"Last show":

August 2000 in the small room of The Brycc House. Only announced the day before.

Reunion shows:

(Among others:) October 16, 2004 @ Headliners w/ Coliseum & Koala. Adele Collins benefit show/CD release show. At this point let's just say the band is sporadic and never really broke up.

Number of Members:

8

By the Grace of God was easily the most sincere, radical, and politically outspoken band of the straight-edge and hardcore revival scenes of the mid-'90s. Which are two scenes that the band would eventually distance itself from as they became increasingly political and more highly critical of the hardcore scene's turn toward "mainstream" thinking and mass marketing. By the Grace of God began as little more than an excuse for vocalist Rob Pennington and guitarist Duncan Barlow to play uplifting, politically charged, high-energy hardcore together again. The two had cut their teeth fronting the phenomenally emotional Louisville hardcore band Endpoint and had since drifted off into various post-hardcore, metal, and indie-oriented projects -- most notably Barlow with Guilt. By the Grace of God started out playing small shows, quickly amassing a following with their outspoken and passionate performances. The duo had assembled a veritable who's who of the local scene that included Thommy Browne (The Enkindels) on drums, Jay Palumbo (Empathy/Elliott) on guitar, and Jonathan Mobley (Elliott) on bass, all of whom would join in the sloganeering as By the Grace of God shouted their anti-corporate local-business-supporting message at audiences between songs. The five of them quickly inked a deal with Chicago's Victory label, issuing the For the Love Of Indie Rock EP shortly thereafter. The title of the record was a playful jab at some former friends of the band. The "friends" in question were members of an Indianapolis band called Split Lip, who had seemingly abandoned their own hardcore roots. Hardcore roots that By the Grace of God was wearing on their sleeves. Split Lip began to favor a more indie approach after the release of their For the Love of the Wounded LP on Endpoint's former label, Doghouse. By the Grace of God's first record included a cover of a Poison Idea song, in addition to the band's own sing-along ready anthems in waiting. Their next release was the much more polished Perspective LP, produced by Steve Evetts in his New Jersey (Trax East) studios. After playing a large handful of regional shows, Palumbo and Mobley left the band to focus full-time on Elliott. They were replaced by bassist Brian Roundtree and guitarist Robby Scott. The band then embarked upon a national tour supporting Avail, AFI, and Good Riddance before Barlow's increasing dissatisfaction with small but violent right-wing factions within the national hardcore community caused him to announce his "retiring" from the scene altogether, effectively ending By the Grace of God for a time. The band played a couple of "final" shows in Indiana and recorded songs intended for a final EP, though they had severed their connections with the Victory label. After a bit of a hiatus, By the Grace of God re-formed with an Ohio native named George Jesse replacing Browne. They performed with this lineup for a time as their final recordings saw release as the Three Easy Steps to a Better Democracy CD through Louisville-based label Three Little Girls. Barlow decided to move to Colorado so the band decided to disband again, playing another "final" show at Krazy Fest 3 in 2000 with onetime Endpoint drummer Lee Fetzer joining them for an Endpoint cover. A few months later By the Grace of God reunited one last time to see Pennington off to Colorado as well, this time with the lineup of Browne, Palumbo, Scott, and Roundtree. In 2001, Pennington returned to Louisville where he formed the band Black Widows with Browne and members of the National Acrobat. ~ Ryan J. Downey, All Music Guide

Members:

=Original Lineup:

Rob Pennington - vocals
Duncan Barlow - guitar
Jonathan Mobley - bass
Thommy Browne - drums
Jay Palumbo - guitar

Second Lineup:

Rob Pennington - vocals
Duncan Barlow - guitar
Thommy Browne - drums
Brian Rountree - bass
Robby Scott - guitar

Third Lineup:

Rob Pennington - vocals
Duncan Barlow - guitar
Brian Rountree - bass
Robby Scott - guitar
George Jesse - drums

Last Show Lineup:

Rob Pennington - vocals
Robby Scott - guitar
Brian Rountree - bass
Jay Palumbo - guitar
Thommy Browne - drums

Reunion '04 Lineup:

Rob Pennington - vocals
Duncan Barlow - guitar
Brian Rountree - bass
Jonathan Mobley - bass
Jay Palumbo - guitar
Thommy Browne - drums

Releases:

For The Love Of Indie Rock CD/7" (Victory)
Perspective CD/12" (Victory)
BTGOG/Brother's Keeper Split 7" (I Stand Alone)
3 Steps To A Better Democracy CD (Three Little Girls)
By The Grace Of God/The Cause split 7" (?)
3 Steps Anthology CD (Initial Records)
Above Fear CD/LP (2018 State of Mind Recordings, Simba Recordings)

Compilations:

Return Of The X-Men 7"
The Sunny Side Of Louisville 7" Goliath (Whitehouse Records)
For The Kids 7"
Victory Style III -cole - CD (Victory Records)
March 17, 2000 Noise Pollution Southend Show tape - Drinking & Driving (Black Flag) (Noise Pollution)

Misc:

Live set from Shocker's - March 2000. Recorded by Chris Owens.

Shirts/Merch:

Navy shirts w/ black/white design of a battlefield on the front with band name small and in red. on back the first pressing of the shirts had a flaming money sign small by the collar with the words for the love of indie rock, second pressing had no text. Front
Death Church - black shirts with a crude geometric church in a circle on the front with the text "BTGOG. i will not worship in your death church" Front
Perspective - Victory records licensed shirt with band name on front and pictures from the perspective CD cover on the back. victory records logo on sleeve.
indie rock - victory records licensed shirt with images from the For The Love Of indie rock CD on the front, image of thommy's hand singing a contract on the back. Victory records logo on the sleeve.
Patches/stickers: Circle image w/ dollar sign in center. | Image:Btgog logo.jpg
Greed - black shirts w/ a woodcut drawing on front. Text: BTGOG | GREED. Front
reunion - black shirts w/ red ink. Band name + a decapitated Uncle Sam on the front, 3 grave stones w/ the date 10.16.04 on the center one with the Louisville hardcore crest. Limited to 50. Front | Back

Interviews/Articles:

Photos:

Video:

November 1999 @ Headliners
Three songs from Detroit Fest 1997
January 21st, 1997 at Sparks
At Krazy Fest 2000
At Krazy Fest 2011

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |style="background:#cccccc;" align="center" colspan="2"|
 {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center;"
-| width="140px"| [[Image:btgog_logo.gif|BTGOG logo]]
+| width="140px"| [[Image:Btgog_logo.jpg|BTGOG logo]]
 | width="140px" rowspan="2" height="130px"|
 |-
 |}
 |-
-|Record Labels: || [[3 Little Girls]], Victory, [[Initial Records]]
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Record Labels: || [[Three Little Girls]], Victory, [[Initial Records]]
 |-
-|Started By: || [[Rob Pennington]] [[Duncan Barlow]]
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Started By: || [[Rob Pennington]] [[Duncan Barlow]]
 |-
-|Based In: || [[Kentucky:Louisville|Louisville]]
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Based In: || [[Kentucky:Louisville|Louisville]]
 |-
-|Largest show: || 2000+ people
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Largest show: || 2000+ people
 |-
-|Last show: || July (?) 2001
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|First show: || 3-4 originals + some Endpoint covers in between bands at [[Tewligans]] in 1995 when Shelter dropped off the show.
 |-
-|Reunion show: || N/A
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|"Last show": || August 2000 in the small room of [[The Brycc House]]. Only announced the day before.
 |-
-|Number of Members:
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Reunion shows: || (Among others:) October 16, 2004 @ [[Headliners]] w/ [[Coliseum]] & [[Koala]]. [[Adele Collins]] benefit show/CD release show. At this point let's just say the band is sporadic and never really broke up.
+|-
+|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Number of Members:
 |8
 |-
 |}
-From the Victory records website:
+By the Grace of God was easily the most sincere, radical, and politically outspoken band of the straight-edge and hardcore revival scenes of the mid-'90s. Which are two scenes that the band would eventually distance itself from as they became increasingly political and more highly critical of the hardcore scene's turn toward "mainstream" thinking and mass marketing. By the Grace of God began as little more than an excuse for vocalist [[Rob Pennington]] and guitarist [[Duncan Barlow]] to play uplifting, politically charged, high-energy hardcore together again. The two had cut their teeth fronting the phenomenally emotional Louisville hardcore band [[Endpoint]] and had since drifted off into various post-hardcore, metal, and indie-oriented projects -- most notably Barlow with Guilt. By the Grace of God started out playing small shows, quickly amassing a following with their outspoken and passionate performances. The duo had assembled a veritable who's who of the local scene that included [[Thommy Browne]] ([[The Enkindels]]) on drums, [[Jay Palumbo]] (Empathy/[[Elliott]]) on guitar, and [[Jonathan Mobley]] ([[Elliott]]) on bass, all of whom would join in the sloganeering as By the Grace of God shouted their anti-corporate local-business-supporting message at audiences between songs. The five of them quickly inked a deal with Chicago's Victory label, issuing the [[By The Grace Of God:For The Love Of Indie Rock|For the Love Of Indie Rock]] EP shortly thereafter. The title of the record was a playful jab at some former friends of the band. The "friends" in question were members of an Indianapolis band called Split Lip, who had seemingly abandoned their own hardcore roots. Hardcore roots that By the Grace of God was wearing on their sleeves. Split Lip began to favor a more indie approach after the release of their For the Love of the Wounded LP on Endpoint's former label, Doghouse. By the Grace of God's first record included a cover of a Poison Idea song, in addition to the band's own sing-along ready anthems in waiting. Their next release was the much more polished [[By The Grace Of god:Perspective|Perspective]] LP, produced by Steve Evetts in his New Jersey (Trax East) studios. After playing a large handful of regional shows, Palumbo and Mobley left the band to focus full-time on Elliott. They were replaced by bassist Brian Roundtree and guitarist Robby Scott. The band then embarked upon a national tour supporting Avail, AFI, and Good Riddance before Barlow's increasing dissatisfaction with small but violent right-wing factions within the national hardcore community caused him to announce his "retiring" from the scene altogether, effectively ending By the Grace of God for a time. The band played a couple of "final" shows in Indiana and recorded songs intended for a final EP, though they had severed their connections with the Victory label. After a bit of a hiatus, By the Grace of God re-formed with an Ohio native named [[George Jesse]] replacing Browne. They performed with this lineup for a time as their final recordings saw release as the [[By The Grace Of God:3 Steps|Three Easy Steps to a Better Democracy]] CD through Louisville-based label [[Three Little Girls]]. Barlow decided to move to Colorado so the band decided to disband again, playing another "final" show at Krazy Fest 3 in 2000 with onetime [[Endpoint]] drummer [[Lee Fetzer]] joining them for an Endpoint cover. A few months later By the Grace of God reunited one last time to see Pennington off to Colorado as well, this time with the lineup of Browne, Palumbo, Scott, and Roundtree. In 2001, Pennington returned to Louisville where he formed the band [[Black Widows]] with Browne and members of [[the National Acrobat]]. ~ Ryan J. Downey, All Music Guide
-''In a time when punk and hardcore bands seem to have forgotten about what really matters,the Louisville, KY band By The Grace Of God have chosen to do things differently. They remind people, with their tested and approved sound, that empowerment is the key to survival.''
-''Consisting of punk veterans [[Rob Pennington]] (vocals) from [[Endpoint]], [[Duncan Barlow]] (guitar) from [[Endpoint]] and [[Guilt]], [[Johnathan Mobley]] from [[Falling Forward]] and [[Elliot]], [[Jay Palumbo]] from Empathy and [[Elliot]] and [[Thommy Browne]] from [[Enkindel]] they have recently turned the tides on this "side project", developing it into a full-time band. With tours planned in Europe and the U.S., B.T.G.O.G. are bringing their message of positive hardcore to as many people as possible.''
-''Musically, the band crosses all lines between melodic and downright aggressive punk/hardcore. Their first EP., [[By The Grace Of God:For the Love of Indie Rock|For the Love of Indie Rock]] (VR37) was incredibly well-received. As RIP Magazine put it, "If you're into the hard stuff, yet like a little melody in the mix, check them out." With songs that ranged from political and emotional to the importance of fun in the punk scene, they conveyed an overwhelming positivity and a push for unity that the punk/hardcore scene hasn't been addressing for a long time.''
-''Their latest release, Perspective, is just that. Their perspective on our world and our scene today. Ready for any hi fi stereo equipment, Perspective is a fast, uplifting record with songs that directly address issues the band deems important. By The Grace Of God have taken average hardcore songs and transformed them into vehicles of political motivation, self empowerment and emotional release. Recorded at Trax East Studios in New Jersey (Snapcase, Deadguy), this record completely showcases the potential and power of the band.''
-''By The Grace Of God portray straightedge and other issues in a positive way that will help dissolve any negative connotations or preconceived notions. They give hope to the people who believe hardcore is about change and feeling good about yourself. As Rob says, "You should live your life by examples..." (From Stop Smiling #5) And that's exactly what they plan to do. ''
-'''Members:'''<br />
+==Members:==
-''Original Lineup:''
+<table width="100%" cellpadding="0">
+<tr><td align="left" valign="top">
+===Original Lineup:==
 *[[Rob Pennington]] - vocals
 *[[Duncan Barlow]] - guitar
@@ Line 43: / Line 38: @@
 *[[Thommy Browne]] - drums
 *[[Jay Palumbo]] - guitar
+</td><td align="left" valign="top">
-''Second Lineup:''
+===Second Lineup:===
 *[[Rob Pennington]] - vocals
 *[[Duncan Barlow]] - guitar
@@ Line 50: / Line 45: @@
 *[[Brian Rountree]] - bass
 *[[Robby Scott]] - guitar
+</td><td align="left" valign="top">
-''Third Lineup:''
+===Third Lineup:===
 *[[Rob Pennington]] - vocals
 *[[Duncan Barlow]] - guitar
@@ Line 57: / Line 52: @@
 *[[Robby Scott]] - guitar
 *[[George Jesse]] - drums
+</td><td align="left" valign="top">
-Reunion '04 Lineup:
+==Last Show Lineup:==
+*[[Rob Pennington]] - vocals
+*[[Robby Scott]] - guitar
+*[[Brian Rountree]] - bass
+*[[Jay Palumbo]] - guitar
+*[[Thommy Browne]] - drums
+</td><td align="left" valign="top">
+==Reunion '04 Lineup:==
 *[[Rob Pennington]] - vocals
 *[[Duncan Barlow]] - guitar
@@ Line 65: / Line 67: @@
 *[[Jay Palumbo]] - guitar
 *[[Thommy Browne]] - drums
+</td></tr></table>
-Releases:
+'''Releases:'''
 *[[By The Grace Of God:For The Love Of Indie Rock|For The Love Of Indie Rock]] CD/7" (Victory)
 *[[By The Grace Of God:Perspective|Perspective]] CD/12" (Victory)
-*[[By The Grace Of God:3 Steps|3 Steps To A Better Democracy]] CD ([[3 Little Girls]])
+*[[I Stand Alone:BTGOG/BK Split|BTGOG/Brother's Keeper Split]] 7" ([[I Stand Alone]])
+*[[By The Grace Of God:3 Steps|3 Steps To A Better Democracy]] CD ([[Three Little Girls]])
 *[[By The Grace Of God/The Cause]] split 7" (?)
 *[[By The Grace Of God:3 Steps Anthology|3 Steps Anthology]] CD ([[Initial Records]])
+*[[By The Grace Of God:Above Fear|Above Fear]] CD/LP (2018 State of Mind Recordings, Simba Recordings)
-Compilations:
+==Compilations:==
 *[[By The Grace Of God:Return Of The X-Men|Return Of The X-Men]] 7"
-*[[Whitehouse Records:The Sunny Side Of Louisville|The Sunny Side Of Louisville]] 7" ([[Whitehouse Records]])
+*[[Whitehouse:The Sunny Side Of Louisville|The Sunny Side Of Louisville]] 7" ''Goliath'' ([[Whitehouse Records]])
 *[[By The Grace Of God:For The Kids|For The Kids]] 7"
-*[[I Stand Alone:BTGOG/BK Split]] 7" ([[I Stand Alone]])
+*Victory Style III -''cole'' -  CD (Victory Records)
+*[[The Southend Show|March 17, 2000 Noise Pollution Southend Show tape]] - ''Drinking & Driving (Black Flag)'' ([[Noise Pollution]])
+==Misc:==
+*[http://music.louisvillehardcore.com/BTGOG/BTGOG_liveatShockers1999.zip Live set from Shocker's - March 2000. Recorded by Chris Owens].
-Shirts/Merch:
+==Shirts/Merch:==
-*Navy shirts w/ black/white design of a battlefield on the front with band name small and in red. on back the first pressing of the shirts had a flaming money sign small by the collar with the words for the love of indie rock, second pressing had no text.
+*Navy shirts w/ black/white design of a battlefield on the front with band name small and in red. on back the first pressing of the shirts had a flaming money sign small by the collar with the words for the love of indie rock, second pressing had no text. [[:Image:Btgog_ogshirt.jpg|Front]]
-*SE Christian - black shirts with a crude geometric church in a circle on the front with the text "BTGOG.  i will not worship in your death church"
+*Death Church - black shirts with a crude geometric church in a circle on the front with the text "BTGOG.  i will not worship in your death church" [[:Image:Death_church.jpg|Front]]
 *Perspective - Victory records licensed shirt with band name on front and pictures from the perspective CD cover on the back. victory records logo on sleeve.
 *indie rock - victory records licensed shirt with images from the For The Love Of indie rock CD on the front, image of thommy's hand singing a contract on the back. Victory records logo on the sleeve.
+*Patches/stickers:  Circle image w/ dollar sign in center. | [[:Image:Btgog logo.jpg]]
+*Greed - black shirts w/ a woodcut drawing on front. Text: BTGOG |  GREED. [[:Image:Btgog_greed.JPG|Front]]
+*reunion - black shirts w/ red ink. Band name + a decapitated Uncle Sam on the front, 3 grave stones w/ the date 10.16.04 on the center one with the Louisville hardcore crest. Limited to 50. [[:Image:Btgog_reunion1.jpg|Front]] | [[:Image:Btgog_reunion2.jpg|Back]]
+==Interviews/Articles:==
+*[[I Stand Alone]]
+*[[By The Grace Of God:Hardcore Benefit|2004 Reunion show article]]
+*[[By The Grace Of God:Velocity|Velocity Article]]
+==Photos:==
+* http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/shynsobryt2/btgog.html
+* https://www.flickr.com/photos/flexyournoggin/albums/72157623138921774 (2009 at [[Skull Alley]])
+* https://www.flickr.com/photos/flexyournoggin/albums/72157626827674012 (2011 at the [[Chestnut House]])
+* https://www.flickr.com/photos/flexyournoggin/albums/72157661332495339 (2015 reunion)
+==Video:==
+* November 1999 @ Headliners<br> <youtube>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3jP5OJICUU</youtube><br>
+* <youtube>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0MjpAlexZY</youtube><br>
+* Three songs from Detroit Fest 1997<br> <youtube>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uranB7K2Ua4</youtube><br>
+* January 21st, 1997 at [[Sparks]]<br> <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orKXSPjNPYE</youtube><br>
+* At [[Krazy Fest]] 2000<br> <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3j8mW9xdD8</youtube>
+* At [[Krazy Fest]] 2011<br> <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsHN-P2yZAg&pp=ygUeQnkgVGhlIEdSYWNlIG9mIEdvZCBrcmF6eSBmZXN0</youtube>
+==Related External Links:==
+* https://shirtkiller.com/collections/bythegraceofgod
+* https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/by_the_grace_of_god/ (Tabs)
-Photos:
+[[Category:Bands]] [[Category:95-00]] [[Category:1995-2000]] [[Category:2000-2005]] [[Category:2005-2010]]
-*pictures: http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/shynsobryt2/btgog.html
-*http://www.louisvillehardcore.com/guide/bands/btgog/