MilwHC:Bands:Inspector12

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Inspector 12

Original Line-up:

  • Vocals: Brian Jansen
  • Guitar: Dave Barber
  • Bass: Kurt Johnson
  • Drums: Brian Blum

Second Line-up:

  • Vocals: Brian Jansen
  • Guitar: Dave Barber
  • Guitar: Jim Cottom
  • Bass: Kurt Johnson
  • Drums: Brian Blum

Third Line-up:

  • Vocals: Brian Jansen
  • Guitar: Dave Barber
  • Bass: Kurt Johnson
  • Drums: Brian Blum

Fourth line-up:

  • Vocals: Brian Jansen
  • Guitar: Dave Barber
  • Bass: Eric Johnson
  • Drums: Brian Blum

Fifth line-up:

  • Vocals: Brian Jansen
  • Guitar: Dave Barber
  • Bass: Jamie Rohrbeck
  • Drums: Brian Blum
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Band History

A hardcore band from Madison, Wisconsin that was around forever and a day. They were fast and hard when they started, did some more melodic stuff, then got fast and hard again. They put out a bunch of tapes and records.

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Zine Interview

From an interview in Blow #2, published in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, c. 1989. Apologies for the inconsistencies:

"This interview was answered a long time ago through the mail. At the time, we weren't in the habit of keeping a copy of the questions we sent and I-12 lost the copy we mailed, so the interview appears in Jeopardy style... just the answers.

"1. Brian Blum -- drums, 21, Bad Brains, Voivod, Pink Floyd, Chili's

Kurt Johnson -- bass, 20, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Cult

Dave Barber -- guitar, 20, Slayer, Ministry, Nirvana, Marley

Brian Jansen -- vocals, 21, RKL, COC, Slayer, Cro-Mags

"2. April 1986

"3. We wanted to be in a band.

"4. None (except we had a second guitarist during '87 -- Jim). He didn't work out.

"5. It's always been straight forward and fast. It's gotten a bit heavier over the years.

"6. Intense when intense, fun when fun and understandable lyrics.

"7. Lyrics = personal problems, not into politics.

"8. It's going to hell in a bucket.

"9. Good for weekends.

"10. Actually, the band doesn't change much. We'd still have the same lifestyle if we weren't I-12.

"11. (Discography included below)

"12. Media tries to saturate your mind.

"13. Alternative press.

"14. Not fair (We get 250-300 people at our shows, no one else gets more than 100 or so). So it's actually quite big but not very active.

"15. Brian B. -- Jah worship

Kurt -- running

Dave -- malt beverage consumption

Brian J. -- skate or snow boarding

"16. We all played for about a year before starting the band, so about five years for everyone." -- Heath

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Records

  • "Surprise, Surprise" cassette, October 1986
    • "God's Experiment"
    • "One more Beer"
    • "Bug eyed Gary"
    • "21 Sucks"
    • "My Mom"
    • "Think Image"
    • "Social Pressure"
    • "What you Think"
    • "Same Old Thing"
    • "Terrorism"

recorded and mixed with Butch Vig at Smart Studios (the old studio in Gisholt Bldg) Madison, WI

  • "Speak Your Mind" cassette, December 1987
    • "Speak You Mind"
    • "Paper Route"
    • "Confusion"
    • "Right To Say"
    • "Piss-Off"
    • "Think Image"
    • "Cathode Ray Blues"
    • "Lawnskater"
    • "Social Pressure"
    • "Bug Eyed Gary * "
    • "Bloodstains"

Recorded and mixed at SMART STUDIOS by Doug Olson except * recorded live at THE NEW LOFT

  • "Look Inside" 7-inch, January 1989

Recorded Jan. 28-29 at Telstar in Deerfield

Engineered and mixed by Thomas G. Fields III

    • "Where Am I Going?"
    • "Trust"
    • "The One"
    • "Cry Wolf"
  • "Procrastination" split 7-inch (with the Libido Boyz)

Libido Boyz songs recorded live at the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis, Feb. 25, 1990 I-12 songs recorded at Smart Studios with Butch Vig, February 1990

    • "Procrastination"
    • "Just What I Needed" (Cars cover)
    • "S.O.S." -- Libido Boyz
    • "Devotion" -- Libido Boyz
  • "Still on You" cassette (and hopeful 12-inch), February 1990

recorded and mixed with Butch Vig at Smart Studios, Madison, WI

    • "Intro / Do Not Be Ignored"
    • "Always Something"
    • "Against The Grain"
    • "Don't Know Why"
    • "Inside"
    • "Mercy Of The Mechanic"
    • "Hide / Boring Song"
    • "Realize It All"
    • "Changing Times"
    • "Thank You"
  • "Jack" 7-inch

Recorded and mixed at Six Feet Under Studio, Minneapolis, Feb. 2, 1991

Engineered by Mac

    • "The Bronze"
    • "Time and Time"
    • "Blow"
    • "Cold Snap"

(Liner notes thank the Janesville Crew and Blow Zine, but the song "Blow" is not about the zine.)

  • "Seed" split 7-inch (with Doublespeak), 1992

Recorded June 23 at Madison Sound Studio

Engineered by Flash

    • "Seed"
    • "Stained"
    • "My Friend" -- Doublespeak
    • "The Squeeze" -- Doublespeak
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Songs

  • Bug Eyed Gary
  • Paper Route
  • Bloodstains (Agent Orange Cover)
  • Where Am I Going? (Look Inside 7-inch A side)
  • Trust (Look Inside 7-inch A side)
  • The One (Look Inside 7-inch B side)
  • Cry Wolf (Look Inside 7-inch B side)
  • Procrastination (Libido Boyz split A side)
  • Just What I Needed (Libido Boyz split A side)
  • The Bronze (Jack A side)
  • Time and Time (Jack A side)
  • Blow (Jack B side)
  • Cold Snap (Jack B side)
  • Seed (Doublespeak split I-12 side)
  • Stained (Doublespeak split I-12 side)
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Comments

  • I wouldn't doubt if there is an Inspector 12 reunion show in the future, as there always seemed to be one coming up. I never even knew if they were ever together or just played reunion show. ;) --Pete Prodoehl
  • There is a CD floating around of all of their recordings. Saw one at Rushmor --Dave Kaz
  • Dave was threatening the "20 Year Reunion" this summer but I think that's on hold. (They did play their first show in 1985).
    The CD is probably something Dave burned a bunch of. Kurt was/is in Knuckel Dragger and Brian Blum was in Pachinko. --Jason
  • Am I confused or did Pushead do an Inspector12 logo? I seem to remember a magnifying glass looking at a skull that said "Inspector 12" but now it doesn't really make sense.
  • I seem to remember a skull & magnifying glass, but I sort of doubt Pushead did it. (I could be wrong on this...) --Pete Prodoehl 14:28, 5 Mar 2006 (PST)
  • I have an old I-12 cassette and several 7-inches I plan to index here, as well as an old interview from the zine Blow (Fort Atkinson, 1989 or so) that I'll transcribe in the near future. -- Heath
  • Sadly, there was no 20 year Inspector 12 reunion... I still say if you wait long enough, there will be another one... --Pete Prodoehl 06:01, 3 Sep 2006 (PDT)
  • The skull and magnifying glass art work was done by a local Madison artist by the name of Sean Cliver who also did art for Flying Fish, the skate shop that Brian Jansen worked at. Right around that time Sean was hired by Powell Peralta to do board graphics and his work can be seen on most of the late 80's early 90's skate boards. -- Lloyd 08:24 20 Nov 2006 (CST)
  • Sean Cliver went on to do illustrations for other skate companies, worked on Big Brother magazine, and is one of the co-creators of Jackass --Mcirvin 16:20, 2 Dec 2006 (PST)
  • When I was working/living in Chicago, my old boss, George, had met Brian a few years before somewhere. George Podd was an industrial designer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He had developed this bungee product that mounted to a wall. The idea was when you were on your skateboard, you would hold on to this thing and use it to slingshot you around. Well, Brian was in the photoshoot for this product. I've seen the pictures. Matthew Pickard 3:30pm, 14 Dec 2006 (PST)
  • In 1986 I was a freshman in high school. I-12 Drummer Brian Blum - a senior - was in my art class. I used to see Inspector-12 stickers on his folders and I eventually bought the Surprise, Surprise Demo from him. My first punk show was Inspector-12 with the Kavity Kreeps and S.I. at the Loft. In some ways I credit I-12 for getting me into punk rock, becuase before '86 I was mostly into thrash metal. I remember walking down the hall and seeing guitarist Dave Barber in a Bad Brains shirt. After that I went out and bought a Bad Brains record just to see what it was. I looked up to those guys. Years later, singer Brian Jansen did both of the tattoos that I have. Dave did CDs for my wedding - those guys are cool as hell. Tim Burton 9:16pm, 27 Dec 2006 (PST)
  • I consider myself pretty lucky to have met all the guys. One of my friends became a good friend of Brian's and we got to hang out for one the I12's rehersals in Dave's (IIRC) parent's basement. I saw several of their shows in Madison, Janesville, and Rockford, with my favorite being the show they opened for Green Day in Janesville in 1992. Stevep 14:02, 26 Apr 2008 (CDT)
  • R.I.P. Cottom, James (Jimmy) Robert, 33, died June 28th 2003
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