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All Music Guide:
New York City ska-punks Choking Victim, whose members lived together out of various squats on Manhattan's Lower East Side, comprised singer/guitarist Scott Stergin (aka Stza or Sturgeon), bassist Alec, and drummer Skwert, though the band also included guitarist Ezra, bassists Sascha Scatter and Shayne, and drummer John Dolan, among others, during their time together. Stza and Alec originally formed the band as No Commerical Value in the early '90s, the band eventually evolving into Choking Victim. After debuting with a handful of 7" singles during the mid-'90s that centered around their vagrant lifestyle and atheist beliefs, including the Crack Rock Steady EP and the "Squatta's Paradise" single, the trio signed to the Epitaph imprint Hellcat to release the full-length No Gods, No Managers in 1999. Choking Victim broke up after the first day of recording for the album, but fortunately, they'd gotten enough songs out of the session to release the record anyway. Crack Rock Steady Demo followed a year later on Tent City, as did another release that conveniently put together the band's earlier singles and EP. Stza and Ezra went on to form Leftover Crack; Ezra also played in INDK with Skwert.
Wikipedia:
Choking Victim was a United States punk rock band formed in New York City, which were together from 1992 to 1999. Playing a mix of hardcore punk and ska with anarchist lyrics. Following the breakup of the band, which occurred the same day as the recording of their only studio album No Gods, No Managers, members went on to form Leftöver Crack.
Background
The band became well-known at the C-Squat in the Lower East Side of Manhattan for their innovative music and politically charged lyrics. They also became infamous for their Satanic imagery and references to the vagrant lifestyle, including smoking both crack cocaine and marijuana, shoplifting, and squatting. The band prides itself on its atheism, making reference to Satan for the purpose of being offensive, rather than any actual worship of the deity. On the album No Gods, No Managers, they use excerpts from the lectures of political scientist Michael Parenti.
Choking Victim broke up after the first day of recording for their first full-length LP, No Gods, No Managers, but the recordings from that one day were enough to make a full album. After they broke up, (Stza and Ezra Crack) formed the band Leftöver Crack, and Skwert and Ezra formed INDK. Skwert is currently the front man for the NJ based ska punk band Public Serpents. Sascha has spent the last several years organically farming in upstate NY, and is a founding member of Icarus Project, a radical mental health network. Choking Victim and Leftöver Crack are anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic and anti-fascist.
On November 11, 2000, Choking Victim reunited to play a show in Tompkins Square Park with the lineup from their album, substituting former bassist Alec for Shayne. Later, in late 2005, Choking Victim reunited a second time, performing four shows. On June 11, 2006, they played a show at the Lower East Side's Tompkins Square Park, which featured various political speakers, including members of the Mislead Youth Project. At the end of July 2006, they toured the Dominican Republic, before Leftöver Crack embarked on their European Tour.
In addition to Leftöver Crack and INDK, Choking Victim also spawned Morning Glory and the Crack Rock Steady 7.
