The band: Between 1987 and 2003, Fugazi played over 1,000 shows and released seven albums, making them one of the most successful post-hardcore bands to date. Despite being on hiatus for 11 years, the members have been releasing work through their Fugazi Live Series, a project that aims to release recordings from over 800 live shows. ‘Waiting Room’ is the opening track from the latest in their live series, a remaster of their first ever demo, naturally titled First Demo.
The sound: Waiting Room encapsulates what would become the trademark sounds of the Washington D.C. quartet Fugazi; raw and bass heavy. The track is instrumentally stripped back, rhythmically focused and with Brendan Canty’s drum work in particular, played with a technical ability that opposed the genre’s standards. There is a hypnotic quality to ‘Waiting Room’ that allows frontman Ian MacKaye’s playful vocals to do their own thing.
The lowdown: This remaster of First Demo is the first time all the album’s tracks have been grouped together and formally released since it was initially handed out on a cassette tape at live shows. At the time of writing, Fugazi are still on indefinite hiatus and have no plans to reunite.
