Best Revenge was formed by members Ryan Revenge and KT in early 1998. The two were previously in a band called Happybomb while attending college at the University of Southern California. Revenge pitched to KT his idea of putting together a melodic punk rock band with queer-oriented lyrics, playing her a few songs he'd been working on including one that would later become one of the band's anthems, "Punk Rock Fag." While searching for a rehearsal space and a drummer, the two found both when they answered an ad to rent a garage space in Venice Beach, CA. The garage space was coincidentally at the former home of Jordan Crane, and the current occupant of the house was Bilito Peligro, who later joined the band on drums. The gathering scene created the need for a record label to document the music that would probably never find a place in the major label mainstream. Peligro and Revenge responded by starting upSpitshine Records, which went on to put out all of Best Revenge's releases as well as releases by local acts IAMLOVED, $3 Puta, Brian Grillo, Hot-N-Heavy, the Sharpease and a Freak Show compilation CD.
Post-Best Revenge
After Best Revenge, Ryan Revenge played with the bands Exit Plan and Terrazzo. In June 2012, he completed his doctoral work inPolitical Science, earning a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. He is currently employed as an assistant professor at Bradley University. Bilito Peligro and Frisky McNichol played with the Gay-Gays, the all-gay Go-Go's tribute band. Bilito has continued playing drums for Los Angeles bands , , and . KT skates as on a banked track roller derby team called and performs as a stunt woman in film and television. The Best Revenge song, "Know You", was featured in the 2004 gay horror filmHellbent, which also featured songs by such notable queercore bands as Three Dollar Bill and Pansy Division. Best Revenge was featured in the 2005 book Homocore:The Loud and Raucous Rise of Queer Punk by Ken Knox and David Ciminelli.
Discography
LPs and EPs
Compilation appearances
Band members
The band experienced several lineup changes, first spurred by the departure of bassist KT just after the completion of the Starts With You full-length. Lineup 1, 1998-December 2001: Ryan Revenge, vocals and guitar KT, bass and vocals Bilito Peligro, drums and vocals Lineup 2, January 2002-May 2002: Ryan Revenge, vocals and guitar Bilito Peligro, drums and vocals Shug, bass and vocals Lineup 3, May 2002-December 2002: Ryan Revenge, vocals and guitar Bilito Peligro, drums and vocals Glen Livid, bass Frisky McNicholl, second guitar and vocals Lineup 4, final show December 6, 2002: Ryan Revenge, vocals and guitar Bilito Peligro, drums and vocals KT, bass and vocals Frisky McNicholl, second guitar and vocals
