Artist description 12 GAUGE GODS was a 6 peice Portland band back in 1998-2000. No longer in service but the original members are still the best of friends and rocking in different projects now... (Musical projects that is. Not low-income housing projects...) ;-D

Music Style Experi-Metal

Musical Influences Morphine, Tool, Primus, Filter, MMW, John Coltrane, etc.

Artist History By Nick Huston: In 1996, I moved up from Morro Bay, CA to a trailer park in Hazel Dell, WA to live with my Dad and Step Mom so I could go to school at ITT Tech in Portland, OR. Lucky for me, two of my best childhood friends from Hermiston, OR, brothers, Jake and Zeke Holpuch had moved to Gresham, OR around the same time. We'd hang out when we could, jamming as much as possible. Jake worked at UPS where he eventually met up with singer/guitarist Damian Renon. Damian's best friend from high school Jason Hillard was a drummer and they needed a bassist so Jake started jamming with those guys. The next thing you know, Twelve Gauge Gods was born. (Shotgun Charlie was another idea for the band name.) I have to admit that I was jealous because I wanted to be in a band with Jake but was way too busy with school, work, and learning the keyboard. Eventually, Jake, Jason and I moved into an apartment at Squire's Court in Clackamas, OR. Not long after, the boys met up with guitarist Dustin Collins from Carson, WA. If you thought I was jealous before... I came home from work one day and here's this "kid" in my living room, jamming out with Jake and playing guitar better than I ever could. Dustin took over on guitar so Damian could focus on singing. The sessions and parties were held at Damian's folks in St. Johns, OR. When it came time to record the demo, the crew loaded up and headed to Damian's Grandparents old beach house in Long Beach, WA. I tagged along, trying to stay out of the way. I brought my keyboard and tried playing along in the other room to learn their songs. Once I was done with school, I joined the band on keyboard and soon after, our friend Eric Rabe joined on saxophone. Damian was known for throwing huge house parties when he moved out to 6th & Stafford in NE Portland. Some of the bands that played were Hog Fuel, One Last Thing, Hussy, My Goldfish Ned, etc. Things were going good as we started getting gigs around town. But all good things must come to an end. Like all families, we'd get into arguments. It was hard to schedule six creative people for band practice when we all wanted to go our own direction with each song. We started practicing less and less and slowly lost contact with eachother. 12gg was no more. Jason moved out of the apartment so Dustin moved in with Jake and I. We started working on a new project which evolved into miracleEnemy. Damian and Jason started The False Profits with Eliezer Taylor on bass and Brian Lepker on drums. At the same time Iņaki Torres entered the scene and his band Purgatory had the same lineup as TFP minus Jason. We started gigging together and it was just like old times. Unfortuneatley, TFP and Purgatory broke up but miracleEnemy is still going strong. Dustin and I also have a project with Jason called Fighting Mabus. Damian recently started a band with Steve McConnell and Chief Frank called Theshit. Damian is also a soundman and recording extraordinare at his new independent label: Broke Ass Records. Even though some of us aren't in bands anymore, we still try to jam out as much as possible with our freinds, recording what we can because ultimately, we're all in the same band... just different divisions.

Group Members Damian Renon on vocals, Jason Hillard on drums, Jake Holpuch on Bass, Dustin Collins on guitar, Nick Huston on Keys, Eric Rabe on Sax

Instruments Jake used his five-string fretless bass. The rest of the instruments were pretty standard.

Albums 1999 demo

Additional Info See the links page for our current projects!

Location Portland, OR - USA

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