Duke Decter

Decter started his career at 15 years of age in the South Florida hardcore punk band F. F was most notable for releasing Florida's first 12" hardcore punk vinyl record, a six-song EP entitled "You Are An E.P." in 1983 (see discography). In 1984, Decter wrote and submitted a song titled "Roddy Pipers Rowdy Hearts Club Band" for The Wrestling Album. The song was to be the feature song for then WWF wrestler Roddy Piper. Although the song did not make the record, it was later included on the "Four Bands That Could Change The World" compilation album released in 1985 on Gasatanka Records. F did several small east coast tours during the 1980s, touring with The Ramones, White_Flag, and Flag of Democracy. F received radio airplay on Miami's WLRN-FM and record reviews in punk fanzines Flipside (fanzine) and Maximumrocknroll. As a result, F was included on compilation albums by both fanzines, most notably 'Flipside's Vinyl Fanzine #1' alongside notable punk acts as the Misfits, the Germs, Agent Orange, GBH, and The Dickies; and Maximum Rock N Roll's Dedication To Tim Yohannan (see discography). In 1988, F had a 7" vinyl record released on Mystic Records, titled "Mess You Up," which included a credited guest appearance by famed eccentric ukelele player Tiny Tim (musician).

Previously in 1985, Decter had also joined Disorderly Conduct, a metal-edged punk band also from South Florida featuring a 17 year old Casey Chaos. In 1986, Disorderly Conduct released a full-length album entitled "AMEN."[3] and was featured on the Flipside (fanzine) compilation album "Flipside's Vinyl Fanzine 2." That same year, Decter was voted "best new hardcore guitarist" in the fanzine "Famous Hardcore of Punkland."[4]

In 1990, Disorderly Conduct relocated from Florida to Los Angeles and became Amen in Los Angeles, with Casey Chaos on vocals. Amen recorded and released their debut on Drag-u-La Records entitled "Slave." Unable to secure a record deal during the 1990s Seattle Grunge era, Decter amicably split from Amen and joined The Ex-Idols where he began co-writing with talented singer/songwriter Gary Finneran aka "Gary X." The Ex-Idols released their major label debut "Social Kill" in 1994 on Sony Music, and toured with English punk band the U.K. Subs. All songs on the record were written by Gary Finneran, with the exception of "Go Away," written by Decter.[5][6][7][8][9] Decter's composition "Go Away" was promoted as the band's second single following their promotional "Pill Popper" EP. During the Social Kill tour, Decter was interviewed by Mean Street Magazine and had this to say:

"Being signed to a major label can sometimes be as much of a problem as it is a benefit. Sure, you get more money to use when you've got a big company behind you, but that does not necessarily mean that the bastards know what to do with the money. As in our case. Sony has a lot of money, but Relativity (doesn't know what to do with it). Eventually we had a great album which no one knew existed. We had incredible radio airplay with the single "Go Away" but the CD was placed in all the wrong stores, and (they) wouldn't give us any to sell on tour since it interfered with their sales. This meant we had to take matters into our own hands. And we did when we broke into Relativity's stock warehouse and stole a van full of our own CD's to sell across the country."[10]

In 1996 the Ex-Idols were released from Sony Music before recording their second full-length album independently entitled "WhoWeAre." Unable to secure a new record contract and with their singer and main songwriter Gary X's health declining, the band fell apart as bassist Sean DeMott and drummer Lance Porter joined former The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin in her solo project Frosted, and together they recorded their debut album "Cold" on Geffen Records. Former Shotgun Messiah and KMFDM musician Tim Skold, who shared the same management company as Decter, noticed his free agent status and soon Decter was again on a major label tour as Tim Skold's solo project SKOLD had secured a recording contract with RCA Records. Decter & Skold toured the US in support of the album and were featured in the movie In God's Hands, a fictional surf drama by Zalman King. Shot in Bali, Indonesia, the movie cast championship surfers Shane Dorian and Shaun Tomson as the lead actors in the film.

In 1999, Decter began producing a local access television show for Time Warner Cable entitled "Huntington Street TV." The comedy/variety show was based out of Huntington Beach, CA and featured a masked Mexican wrestler as the host and consisted of original sketch-comedy segments, Orange County local music, and underground backyard wrestling.[11][12] The show ran bi-weekly for two years, with segments and acting contributed by co-writers/actors Greg Mollin, Matt Dickey, Chris Johnson, and Donny Smith. The show also featured interviews with local MMA trainers and fighters working for a fast-growing fight promotion called The Ultimate Fighting Championship, now The UFC, where Decter would meet and interview David Tank Abbott, whom he would later start a popular podcast with (see below).

In 2000, Decter toured and played in various friends bands including Drown, Diatribe, and ex-bandmate and co-songwriter Gary Finneran's post Ex-Idols group Tuscaurora, and in 2004 Decter rejoined Casey Chaos in their group Amen. During Decter's absence from Amen, Casey Chaos had secured three separate major recording contracts with three separate Amen records, "Amen" (Roadrunner Records, produced by Ross Robinson), "We Have Come for Your Parents" (Virgin Records produced by Ross Robinson), and "Death Before Musick" (Columbia Records, produced by System of a Down's Daron Malakian).

In 2006 the band was asked to perform on The Henry Rollins Show. It became the first performance on The Henry Rollins Show to have material edited out by the IFC (American TV channel) itself, against the request of host Henry Rollins. This decision was made due to political death threats made by Casey Chaos between the two songs performed. The performance aired internationally on 13 July 2007, on the 14th episode of Season 2, with the band performing their songs "Coma America" and "Liberation." A third song, "Another Planet", was also taped and made available for public viewing on the IFC's website.

As a result of their appearance on The Henry Rollins Show, Amen was asked to co-headline the "Damnation Festival" with Kreator at Leeds in London, UK in October 2007 - the festival began their European tour.[13] During the tour, Decter was interviewed by BBC correspondent Laura Snow, and had this to say about longtime friend and bandmate Casey Chaos:

"I was done with music ten years ago but had to come back because he (Casey) is so much the real deal. I am sacrificing my personal life to do this. But I know he's real because I’ve worked with those who aren't. It's shocking to me that my friend has become this crazy artist. More than anyone I know. His life has unfolded in such a way it is proof to me that he is destined. Could be good, could be bad. The only way I can describe him to people is that his life is so unbelievable, it's just not believable. But I've watched it happen since we were little kids. And I'm telling you, he lives in another reality. On another planet. That's why we played that song on The Henry Rollins Show. He is forced to do what he does. It is his unfortunate destiny. Mine too, it seems".[14][15]

Decter was also interviewed by The Sycophant Magazine regarding his tenure as Tim Skold's guitarist.[16]

After the tour, Amen went into the studio with producer Ross Robinson again to record a fourth album, with Slayer's Dave Lombardo playing drums for the recording sessions.[17][18] Although entire album's worth of material was recorded, the band was unable to secure a record deal and the album remains unreleased.

On 10 May 2009 Decter's close friend and Ex-Idols singer/songwriter Gary X Finneran died of suicide. The existing members of The Ex-Idols re-united to perform a set of their material at Finneran's post-funeral reception at the Three of Clubs in Hollywood, CA. with Decter taking over on vocals. Decter, in conjunction with Anne Kadrovich and Nick Lane of Tuscaurora, also compiled a CD of Finneran's death-themed songs entitled "Goodbye" which was given to all in attendance. On 15 July 2009 a track from the second Ex-Idols album "WhoWeAre" was featured in Season 5 Episode 15 of the television series Rescue Me (American TV series) on the FX (TV channel), starring Denis Leary. In an interview with Celebrity Access, Decter said the following of his departed best friend Gary Finneran:

"I have been fortunate to have worked with some great talented people in music. None quite as talented as Gary Finneran, though. I always figured he would be the best songwriter any of us had ever known. I know he would love for everyone to listen to his music from time to time; Ex-Idols, Tuscaurora, etc, and remember him for what he was-- one of the best punk-influenced songwriters in American rock & roll. And that is exactly what we all will do. I look forward to the day we organize to listen, laugh, and talk about the great moments and music which made my awesome, good-hearted friend who was Gary ‘X’ Finneran so legendary. We will all miss him, and we will all remember him.”[19]

In 2012, Decter was recognized as a Master Mason by the Orange Grove Masonic Lodge #293 and Burger Records included F on their compilation album "What Have We Wrought? A Mike Atta Benefit Compilation" featuring notable punk groups The Circle Jerks, NOFX, the Germs, the Adolescents, The Meatmen, 7 Seconds. In 2014, Amen re-united to perform at the Slipknot Knotfest festival in California with Stone Sour 's Roy Mayorga on drums.

Thirty years after the debut of Decter's S.Florida band F, a 2014 edition of the Miami New Times voted F one of Miami's Best Hardcore Bands of All Time.[20] Urged by punk luminary Bill Bartell, the band re-united to record two new songs, later released as a 4-song 7" vinyl EP entitled "None Dare Call It Treason" which consisted of F covering The Germs "Land of Treason" and The Seeds "Gypsy Play His Drums," plus two songs by Decter's newly created solo project "The Duke Decter Army." Also in 2013, The band's original 1983 release "You Are An EP" regained popularity with several vinyl and CD re-releases of the record including a double CD discography titled "Burn The World into Ashes And Sweep It Under The Kitchen Rug" (see discography)

Following a permanent hearing loss incident, Decter put down his guitar and began a podcast titled "The Proving Ground" with UFC fight legend David Tank Abbott, whom he had previously met and interviewed while producing "Huntington Street Television" in the late nineties in Huntington Beach, CA. The podcast quickly garnered media coverage in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and TIME magazine after Tank suggested putting up $500,000 of his own money to fight Ronda Rousey, a woman, with the rules being that "when I beat her she has to make me a sandwich."[21][22] Decter recorded a song with Abbott during this period which was included in the third episode of the podcast "Put Your Hand in the Hand" by Elvis Presley, with Decter playing guitar and Abbott attempting lead vocals. The podcast was short-lived, as Decter struggled with hearing loss and Abbott suffered a motorcycle accident. On the heels of the success of The Proving Ground with Tank Abbott podcast, Decter was picked up by the non-partisan political activist group U.S. Term Limits, and began producing the "No Uncertain Terms" podcast,[23] featuring updates concerning the grass-roots term limits movement in the US, whose primary focus is to limit the amount of years served by all members of Congress.[24]

In 2020, Decter was featured in two separate episodes of Cornette's Drive-Thru, a popular weekly podcast hosted by professional wrestling career veteran Jim Cornette with song submissions that featured Decter on guitar and vocals.[25][26]

• 2001 - American Hardcore: A Tribal History (Steven Blush, Feral House) p. 312
• 2001 - Amped: Notes From A Go-Nowhere Punk Band (John Resh, Viper Press) p. 56
• 2011 - Live… Suburbia (Max Morton, Powerhouse Books) - various photos and mentions throughout