A big thanks to Walter Yetman for compiling all this information for me, I was too lazy to do it.
The Gorilla Biscuits all started out when Arthur met Civ because they were both living in New York and going to the same high school. They were both into hardcore from hearing Agnostic Front. They got into it and started going to shows at CBGB's on the weekends. This was where they met people like Ray Cappo and Porcell. Arthur wanted Civ to start a hardcore band and wanted him to sing. Civ had no interest in singing and always had to face the floor or wall while doing it. The guys from Token Entry hooked them up with a show and needed to know the name of the band. The drug of choice in their neighborhood were these big ludes which people called "gorilla biscuits" because they were so huge, mainly meaning "ape shit". They were just going to call themselves that until they changed it, but it pretty much stuck.
The start was kind of rough. They made crappy demo tapes which included the song "Slut", on it. They were cheap tapes bought at a dollar store which had no cases, so they just cut and pasted some stuff onto a piece of paper and copied them. The first shirts were blue with a gorilla riding a skateboard. they were done using a black magic marker and a ink blotter. At the first Gorilla Biscuits show Civ wore camo pants and a green hooded sweatshirt.
Later, Jordan Cooper, the front man of Revelation Records, who then lived in CT, put out a Gorilla Biscuits 7" which later became a hardcore hit along with other hardcore classics. The almighty G.B. then toured the States and Europe twice. The first time they went to Europe they were getting spit on and stuff thrown at them. By the second time they went there a straight-edge scene had started and it was better. On their final U.S. tour, Start Today, had just hit stores two days before. It was great for the band. Sadly enough, they played their last show later that year in Buffalo, New York. Now pretty much all the members are in CIV. Civ now owns a tattoo studio in New York City and is also the singer for CIV. Walter went on to form Quicksand and after that helped produce CIV's first album, Quicksand has recently gotten back together. Arthur went to CIV also.
It is obvious to the hardcore kids that the Gorilla Biscuits were a big influence on the hardcore scene in the 80's. Every show I have gone to, kids wear the shirt and some bands will cover their songs. There was a G.B. re-union awhile ago where they played 3 songs. CIV will also play G.B. covers sometimes. You could always check out the band by buying either cd. They're both good.
