Vic Bondi is an American singer-songwriter and one of the founding members of political Chicago hardcore punk band Articles of Faith. He went on to form Alloy, and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup Bondi was working as a history instructor at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Bondi's subsequent day jobs included working on Microsoft's Encarta as well as other projects in educational and media software. After a hiatus in the late 90s, Bondi resurfaced with new bands, Report Suspicious Activity and Dead Ending.[1] He was featured in the documentaries American Hardcore and You Weren't There.
Musical career
Early life
Bondi is the son of a U.S. Navy captain and his family moved frequently when he was young: by his own count, he moved to new homes twenty-two times before the age of eighteen. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1985 and earned a PhD in history at Boston University in 1992.[2]
Articles of Faith
Bondi founded Articles of Faith in 1981. Originally called Direct Drive, the band changed its name and began to play thrash and hardcore after Bondi saw the Bad Brains at the 930 club in Washington, D.C., in 1981.[3] Combining thrash, reggae, and noise, the group was notable for its political lyrics, three-guitar attack, and sponsorship of the Chicago scene. AoF released two EPs (What We Want is Free and Wait) and two LPs (Give Thanks and In This Life, both produced by Bob Mould, and toured North America several times from 1983 to 1985. Bondi had already left Chicago by the time AoF disbanded in 1985.
Other projects
Bondi was also the lead singer and guitarist of Jones Very and Alloy and later fronted Report Suspicious Activity which also featured J. Robbins of Channels, Jawbox, and Burning Airlines, Darren Zentek from Kerosene 454/Oswego/Channels, and Erik Denno from Kerosene 454, and released a record on Alternative Tentacles in 2005. Vic has also played with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine in a project called Weatherman. Bondi now fronts hardcore band Dead Ending with members of Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Noise by Numbers & The Bomb. Dead Ending have released three EPs, a single and an LP. Bondi was also a participant in Reed Mullin's Teenage Time Killers project, recording on that album and appear in the band's Los Angeles showcase in 2015.[4] In 2016, Bondi recruited Alloy drummer Colin Sears and released a solo album, Primary. They played a number of shows on the West Coast as "Black Theory." Dead Ending also released a highly charged political single, "Ivanka Wants Her Orange Back"/"Class War" in time for the election. In 2017, Bondi resumed recording and playing with Report Suspicious Activity, and they and Dead Ending both released records that year. He also played a number of live shows, with both bands, and solo acoustic.[5]
Redshift and solo acoustic (2022–present)
Vic Bondi (guitar, vocals) formed the Seattle surfpunk band Redshift in 2019 with Michael Catts (bass, vocals) and Adam Gross (drums). Redshift is described as a "surf band for the apocalypse" and play aggressive surfpunk—a mix of surf-style instrumentals and traditional punk rock numbers. After being sidelined by the pandemic, Redshift is again playing live shows in 2022 in support of their forthcoming album (November 2022) on Boss Tuneage Records, which will be titled, "The Worst Timeline Possible."
Bondi also continues to play solo acoustic shows, including a set of Pacific Northwest dates in 2022 opening for his longtime friend, Bob Mould.
New Normal Catastrophe LP (Alternative Tentacles, 2012)
Compilation and soundtrack appearances
"Buried Alive" and "False Security" on the Master Tape compilation LP (Affirmation Records, 1982)
"Five O'Clock" - On The Middle of America compilation LP (H.I.D. Productions, 1984)
"Up Against The Wall" on the P.E.A.C.E. compilation LP (R Radical Records, 1985)
"Buy this War" and "American Dreams" on the Fortunate Son split EP (2 songs by AoF and Vic Bondi performing one original and one cover song solo) (Alternative Tentacles, 2003)
"Straight Time" /"Ideas New Tomorrow" 7-inch single (Bitzcore, 1991)
New Life For Lies (Jade Tree, 1992)
Compilation appearances
The New Breed cassette (Roadrunner, 1989) - "Words And Days", "Rest You Know Too Well"
For A Fistful Of Yeng! (Bitzcore/Indigo, 1994) - "Straight Time"
Jade Tree-First Five Years 2XCD (Jade Tree, 2000) - "No More", "It Comes Around", "What She Told Me", "Idea New Tomorrow", "Feet Of Clay", "Fugitive Time"
With Alloy
"Untitled" b/w "Hard Rain" 7-inch single (Plastic Distribution, 1992)
Eliminate (Bitzcore, 1992)
Alloy (Engine, 1993)
"Reading Blind" b/w "Eliminate" 7-inch single (Engine, 1993)
"Razor Wire" on split 7-inch with Bob Evans (Skene!, 1994)
Paper Thin Front MiniAlbum (Engine, 1994)
Compilation appearances
Chairman Of The Board-Interpretations Of Songs Made Famous By Frank Sinatra 2XCD (Grass, 1993) - "One More For My Baby"
Life Is Too Short For Boring Music Vol. III (EFA, 1993) - "Absurd"
Sampler Spring 1993 (Caroline Distribution, 1993) - "Reading Blind"
Case Closed? (An International Compilation Of Hüsker Dü Cover Songs) (Snoop, 1994) -"Out On A Limb"
For A Fistful Of Yens! (Bitzcore/Indigo, 1994) - "More Alone With You"
Strange Notes! A Germs Cover Compilation (Bitzcore, 1994) - "My Tunno
I Hear Ya! Winter 1994-1995 - The Caroline Distribution CD Sampler (Caroline, 1995) - "Allegheny"
So You Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Compilation? (Bitzcore, 1995) - "Graduate", "Who Bought The Con"
