Rocket From the Tombs

Musical Group

Forfans of proto-punk and garage rock; listeners interested in the roots of american punk; followers of pere ubu and dead boys.
2 Reviews 0 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

Rocket From the Tombs is an American proto-punk/garage rock band formed in Cleveland around 1973–1974. The group was short-lived but influential; members such as Peter Laughner and David Thomas went on to form Pere Ubu, while others were involved with the Dead Boys.

Reviews and historical accounts attribute to RFTT a clear transition from garage rock to American punk. Key songs from the group (for example "Sonic Reducer" and "Ain't It Fun") were later associated with Dead Boys and covered by other artists. David Thomas later became the leader of Pere Ubu.

Two DeBaser reviews treat Rocket From the Tombs as a short-lived but historically important Cleveland proto-punk band. Reviewers emphasize the band's role in the transition from garage rock to American punk and note songs later adopted by Pere Ubu and Dead Boys. Musically the records are praised for energy and influence, with occasional criticism of uneven material.

Notable Quotes

❝ Rocket From The Tombs formed around 1974 in Cleveland, Ohio, through the will of Peter Laughner and David Thomas.

❝ From the ashes of RFTT emerged two fundamental bands for avant-rock and punk, namely Pere Ubu (of Thomas and Laughner) and Dead Boys (of Chrome and Bators, the latter replacing Thomas on vocals in RFTT's last performances).