Editing Primus (band) (section)

===The early years, ''Suck on This'' and ''Frizzle Fry'' (1984–1990)===
In 1984, singer and bassist [[Les Claypool]] and guitarist [[Todd Huth]] began playing together in [[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante, California]], under the name Primate.<ref name="consequence of sound 2017">{{Cite web|last=Phillips|first=Lior|date=September 29, 2017|title=Les Claypool Breaks Down the Entire Primus Discography|url=https://consequence.net/2017/09/les-claypool-breaks-down-the-entire-primus-discography/|access-date=June 15, 2020|website=Consequence of Sound|language=en-US|archive-date=June 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615072556/https://consequence.net/2017/09/les-claypool-breaks-down-the-entire-primus-discography/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vaziri|first=Aidin|date=February 18, 2020|title=Primus to pay tribute to Rush on summer tour|url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/primus-to-pay-tribute-to-rush-on-summer-tour|access-date=June 15, 2020|website=Datebook {{!}} San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide|language=en-US|archive-date=June 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615072557/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/primus-to-pay-tribute-to-rush-on-summer-tour|url-status=live}}</ref> The duo were initially accompanied by a [[LinnDrum]] drum machine as they had trouble finding a drummer, until Claypool's friend Vince "Perm" Parker returned home from a stint in the army.<ref name="consequence of sound 2017" /><ref name="birthday">{{cite web|url=http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/les_bday_atn.html|title=You Say It's Your Birthday: Les Claypool of Primus|work=Addicted to Noise, via ram.org|author=Randy Reiss|date=September 1997|access-date=May 1, 2011|archive-date=July 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718203335/http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/les_bday_atn.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Claypool, Huth and Parker recorded the band's first [[demo (music)|demo tape]] together, financed by Claypool selling his car.<ref name="bass player 1992">{{cite web|title=Les Claypool gets a Taste of the Big Time|publisher=[[Bass Player (magazine)|Bass Player]]|website=ram.org|first=Karl|last=Coryat|author-link=Karl Coryat|date=September 1992|url=http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/bp1.html|access-date=September 23, 2006|archive-date=July 19, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719190853/http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/bp1.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="through the years">{{cite web|url=http://mama.indstate.edu/users/primus/html/primus_through_the_years.html|title=Primus Through the Years: Les Claypool Reflects on His Past|author=Michael Goldberg|work=[[Addicted to Noise]]|access-date=May 1, 2011|archive-date=September 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928002145/http://mama.indstate.edu/users/primus/html/primus_through_the_years.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Primate then changed their name to Primus after "about a month" when they were contacted by the legal representative of a group called the Primates threatening legal action over the similarity of their names.<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="through the years" /> Parker was soon replaced by the band's second drummer, Peter Libby, who played on the first demo tape recorded under the name Primus. In the next few years Libby was then replaced by Robbie Bean, who was himself replaced by Tim "Curveball" Wright in 1986.<ref name="family tree">{{cite web|title=Primus family tree|url=http://www.ram.org/music/primus/misc/family_tree.html|access-date=April 29, 2011|archive-date=May 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514001149/http://www.ram.org/music/primus/misc/family_tree.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|The DVD ''[[Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People]]'' includes a video clip of Tim "Curveball" Wright playing with Primus, dated to sometime between 1986 and 1988, indicating that Wright joined the band in 1986.<ref name="animals discog" /> This is also corroborated by the "Primus family tree" timeline.<ref name="family tree"/>}}

By 1988, Primus had found success in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] music scene; it was to the point where they were "getting pretty popular [...] selling out at [[Berkeley Square (club)|Berkeley Square]]", when they "[got] rid of" Wright.<ref name="through the years" /> He was replaced by [[Jay Lane]], drummer with the [[Freaky Executives]], who were "getting dicked around by their record company" at the time, as Claypool later described it.<ref name="through the years" /> This lineup of Claypool, Huth and Lane recorded the demo tape ''Sausage'' (which later gave its name to the band [[Sausage (band)|Sausage]]), before "something good happened" with the Freaky Executives' record deal and Lane left the group.<ref name="through the years" /> [[Brain (musician)|Bryan "Brain" Mantia]] briefly joined to play drums during this period after Lane's departure, until a broken foot forced him to leave.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bryan-brain-mantia-guns-n-roses-tom-waits-primus-1388363/|title=Bryan 'Brain' Mantia Was There for Guns N' Roses' Most Unpredictable Era. Here's What It Was Really Like|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=August 4, 2022}}</ref> Huth soon also left in order to dedicate more time to his family, as he had recently had a son and was expecting another.<ref name="through the years" /><ref name="billboard frizzle 30">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/les-claypool-primus-debut-frizzle-fry-8550442/|title=Les Claypool Looks Back on Primus' Debut 'Frizzle Fry' at 30|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Hart, Ron|access-date=May 13, 2023}}</ref>

At this time in 1988, Claypool had been "moonlighting" in his words,<ref name="billboard frizzle 30" /> playing bass for his former band, [[Blind Illusion]], which also featured guitarist [[Larry LaLonde|Larry "Ler" LaLonde]].<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="billboard frizzle 30" /> LaLonde was a former member of the band [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]],<ref name="family tree" /> a student of [[Joe Satriani]],<ref name="rolling stone sucks" /> and "one of [Claypool's] best friends".<ref name="through the years" /> This lineup of Blind Illusion recorded the album ''[[The Sane Asylum]]'' before Claypool and LaLonde left the band in late 1988 to reform Primus.<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="through the years" />

In January 1989, Claypool and LaLonde were joined by [[Tim Alexander|Tim "Herb" Alexander]], drummer from the [[Arizona]]-based group [[Major Lingo]]. A month later,<ref name="through the years" /><ref name="birthday" /><ref name="RoSto Naugahyde"/> this lineup recorded the band's first album: ''[[Suck on This]]'', a live recording culled from two of their Berkeley Square concerts.<ref name="through the years" /> The initial pressing of 1,000 records was funded by a loan from Claypool's father,<ref name="through the years" /><ref name="animals discog">Illustrated Discography, ''[[Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People]]'' DVD, 2003.</ref> and after repaying him, the band used the profits from selling these to fund further pressings, later signing a deal with [[Rough Trade Records]] for nationwide distribution.<ref name="through the years" /><ref name="billboard frizzle 30" /> The band also sent copies of the album to [[campus radio|college radio stations]] across the United States, many of which gave it significant airplay, and it quickly gained traction.<ref name="through the years" />

In December 1989, Primus recorded their first studio album: ''[[Frizzle Fry]]'', which the band self-funded with the profits from sales of ''Suck on This''.<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="billboard frizzle 30" /> In 1990, the band signed a one-album deal with [[Caroline Records]] to release ''Frizzle Fry'' on condition that Caroline also obtained the rights to reissue ''Suck on This''.<ref name="through the years" /><ref name="rolling stone sucks" /> The band then spent the year touring North America and Europe in support of bands such as [[24-7 Spyz]], the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] and [[Jane's Addiction]],<ref name="concert archives 1990">{{cite web|url=https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/primus?year=1990|title=Primus's 1990 Concert History|work=concertarchives.org|access-date=May 13, 2023}}</ref> and soon attracted attention from a number of major record labels.<ref name="consequence of sound 2017" /><ref name="through the years" /><ref name="billboard frizzle 30" /> They signed to [[Interscope Records]] in 1991.<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="through the years" /><ref name="rolling stone sucks" />

It was during these early years that the band developed their iconic catchphrase "Primus sucks".<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="westword sucks" /> According to Claypool, this began as fans of the band would compliment them, and Claypool would reply "Nah, we suck".<ref name ="birthday" /> The band then started introducing themselves on stage by saying "We're Primus, and we suck",<ref name="rolling stone sucks" /> and fans quickly adopted the phrase, shouting "Primus sucks" at the group as a sign of affection.<ref name="birthday" /><ref name="through the years" /> Audiences also began chanting the phrase at the band's concerts, both before the start of the show and as a call for an [[encore]].<ref name="rolling stone sucks" /><ref name="westword sucks" /> The band embraced it and began printing and selling t-shirts with "Primus sucks" written on them.<ref name="rolling stone sucks" /><ref name="westword sucks">{{Cite web|last=Perry|first=Adam|title=Three Decades Later, Primus Still Sucks|work=Westword|date=2017-05-16|accessdate=2023-03-30|url=https://www.westword.com/music/primus-still-sucks-at-the-fox-theatre-a-night-before-the-trio-plays-red-rocks-9066983}}</ref> Claypool, talking about the phrase, said "I think it's the greatest thing [...] somebody can come right up to me and say, 'You guys really ''suck''.' And I would just take it as a compliment."<ref name="rolling stone sucks">{{Cite magazine|last=Azerrad|first=Michael|title=Does Primus Really Suck?|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=2023-03-30|date=1991-10-31|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/does-primus-really-suck-249254/}}</ref>