The formation of the Pathetx began in 1980 with singer, Mark Leavitt, and guitarist, Greg Kutcher. They had been playing together in their basements for a while and were looking to get out on stage in the punk clubs in and around Detroit. They assembled the rest of the group, drummer Ted Meek, guitarist happy Tom McHenry and 16 year old bass player Mick Nasty, through newspaper ads, local “punk walls” and music stores. The Pathetx took their inspiration from the West Coast punk scene that was happening at the time, bands like The Germs, Black Flag and Dead Kennedys, as opposed to most of the other punk bands that were kicking around Detroit who were looking to The Stooges and MC5 to show them the way. Nunzio’s was the band’s unofficial home away from home but they played every legendary punk club in the area: Bookies Club 870, Freezer Theater, Red Carpet, Windsor’s Coronation Tavern...you name it, The Pathetx played it. They shared the stage with Detroit’s first wave punk bands as well as the superstars of this new hardcore thing that was happening. They played the legendary Endless Summer Skatepark show with Necros, Negative Approach and Meatmen. Their live shows were filled with beer, blood and pogos.
The Pathetx were a "transitional" Detroit-based Punk band originally, albeit briefly, active during the early 80's and were often credited with bridging the gap between Punk & Hardcore in its earliest aughts. The Pathetx's core line-up consisted of frontman Mark Leavitt, lead guitarist Greg Kutcher, rhythm guitarist Tom McHenry, bassist Michael "Mick" Goldwater AKA Filthy McNasty, and drummer Ted Meek AKA Iggy Moon. The Pathetx quickly became infamous for their extremely fast-paced original compositions, zany covers, and spirited live shows, which were often filled with slam dancing, stage diving, and blood-drenched sweaty teens. The band frequented Nunzio's, as well as local venues, Bookie's Club 870, The Freezer Theater, and The Red Carpet. "The shows were fueled with blood and destruction. Bloodied faces, fists, broken guitars, cymbals, and limbs all became part of the show," boasts a recent Third Man Records press release. It appears as though The Pathetx disappeared as quickly as they burst onto the scene and never released a proper album, 7-inch, or single, for that matter, before breaking up; although, it HAS been widely reported The Pathetx recorded something at Reel Sound Studio in the fall of 1981. While the coveted multi-track reels for said recording sessions were "lost" soon thereafter, the master tapes remained with the band's manager, Steve Shaw, for over three decades.
Yesterday, Jack White's Third Man Records announced the first-ever release of the aforementioned Pathetx album, now known as The Pathetx - 1981. The "album" spans nine tracks clocking in at just 18 minutes and 16 seconds and will be released in both standard black and limited edition colored vinyl 12-inch/45RPM versions, as well as digitally. Along with the album announcement and release details, Third Man, additionally, shared album highlight and Side A opener, "Kmart Krowd." White's recent affiliation with The Pathetx makes complete sense, as his passion for Iggy & The Stooges, MC5, and early Detroit Proto-punk bands has been extremely well-documented in the past. Mark Leavitt, Greg Kutcher, Tom McHenry & Mick Goldwater reunited with manager Steve Shaw in recent years, although, sadly, drummer Ted Meek passed away in the early 90's. Coinciding with their debut album release 39 years in-the-making, The Pathetx have announced a Record Release Show to be held on Friday, March 13, 2020 at Detroit's own UFO Factory.The Pathetx enlisted legendary Detroit drummer Danny Allen to fill in for the Third Man Records record release show. Again, The Pathetx - 1981 will be released the same day as said Release Show, March 13th, on Third Man Records. Fecal Productions is proud to present to you The Pathetx.
