Best of Budapest & Hungary

The cult band has existed for 42 years, yet throughout their career they have visited Hungary only once before, in 2011 at the VOLT Fesztivál. Now, the time has finally come for the mad-genius creations of Les Claypool – the songs of Primus – to be unleashed in Hungary on August 4 at Barba Negra.

    Primus’ music is nearly impossible to categorize: jazz, rock, funk, and metal all appear in their sound, while the driving force throughout is the bass guitar and bizarre storytelling. “Tommy the Cat,” “John the Fisherman,” “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver,” “My Name Is Mud,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” – indeed, Primus is responsible for some of the most innovative and original rock music of the 1990s. Beyond these tracks, they have also covered the music of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and written songs inspired by strange Italian children’s books. The band’s central figure is singer and bassist Les Claypool, joined almost from the very beginning by guitarist Larry LaLonde, while drummer John Hoffmann joined the group last year.

    Primus first built a large and loyal following in and around San Francisco (and later worldwide), launching their career with a string of releases now regarded as classic alternative rock albums, including 1989’s Suck on This, 1990’s Frizzle Fry, 1991’s Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1993’s Pork Soda, and 1995’s Tales from the Punchbowl. Over the years, Primus has toured with some of rock’s biggest names, including Jane's Addiction, Public Enemy, Rush, and U2, headlined the third-ever Lollapalooza, and released numerous inventive music videos that stood in sharp contrast to the overly serious tone of most clips of the era.

    Over the decades, Primus has gone through lineup changes (drummer Tim Alexander, who can be heard on many of their albums, left and rejoined the band three times), hiatuses, and the members’ various musical side projects, yet the band has lost none of its cult status. Primus has played in Hungary only once before – at VOLT Festival in 2011 – so for many fans, August 4 at Barba Negra will mark their very first encounter with the band.

    Tickets for the concert will first be available to members of the band’s official fan club on February 25 at 10 a.m., while registered Live Nation members can join the presale later that same day at 12 p.m. General ticket sales begin on February 27 at 10 a.m.