Fugazi – ‘First Demo’

The Washington DC band delve into the archives to find previously unreleased material

For a certain generation of punk rock fan, Fugazi weren’t so much a band as a belief system. The Washington DC band’s lean, righteous rocking was bound inextricably to their ethical stance, which preached social justice, sobriety and independence. Since going on hiatus in 2003, frontman Ian MacKaye has disinterred some 900 Fugazi live sets, but ‘First Demo’ is the first archival release to turn to the band’s studio stash. These 11 tracks largely consist of vestigial takes on material from ‘13 Songs’ and ‘Repeater’. The fidelity is satisfyingly chunky, though, and while you’ll find better takes on, say, 1988’s ‘Fugazi’ EP, the previously unreleased ‘Turn Off Your Guns’ perfectly encapsulates their blend of wiry funk and firecracker dynamics.

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