Mondo Generator (sometimes known as "Nick Oliveri And The Mondo Generator") is an American punk/hard rock band fronted by Nick Oliveri.Nick Oliveri (under the moniker Rex Everything) formed Mondo Generator in 1997 and with friends Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, Rob Oswald, and others, recorded the debut album, Cocaine Rodeo.
The LP wouldn't be released until 3 years later due to Oliveri and Homme being full-time members of Queens of the Stone Age. The album was released by Southern Lord Records in 2000. There was little support of the album by the way of live shows, and the band gained cult status among the most devoted Queens of the Stone Age fans.
In 2003, the band again emerged with a new LP, A Drug Problem That Never Existed. This time, Oliveri hired on more friends for recording duties including Dave Catching, Troy Van Leeuwen, Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, and Molly McGuire, and Dwarves frontman Blag Dahlia for co-producing duties.
It was released jointly by Mike Patton's label, Ipecac Recordings, and Homme's Rekords Rekords. The live band, which included Oliveri, Catching, Bjork, and McGuire, went on a three month tour of North America and Europe to support the disc.
In early 2004, after Oliveri was fired from Queens of the Stone Age by Homme, he announced that Mondo Generator would become his full-time project. He recorded an acoustic record, Demolition Day, and toured Europe with Brant Bjork and Mark Lanegan Band.
He then recorded an EP with Catching, McGuire, and Alfredo Hernandez. On the summer 2004 tour to promote the disc, Oliveri physically assaulted a sound crew member of a German night club after complaining about his sound through a few songs during the band's set.
The other members of the band were furious and left Oliveri behind and returned to the United States.In 2005, Oliveri once again toured Europe frequently, opening for such bands as Motörhead, and playing along-side and on stage as a member of Dwarves.
Oliveri also recruited UK band Winnebago Deal's Ben Perrier and Ben Thomas to join Mondo Generator on tour. They were frequently dubbed "Winnebago Generator" by fans. The three-piece entered Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles in December 2005 to begin work on the next Mondo Generator LP.
Oliveri also hired on several friends from his hometown to record parts of the record, which was co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz and Oliveri.In July 2006, it was reported that Perrier and Thomas had exited the band under unknown circumstances.
Oliveri then re-named his band Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator and signed to Mother Tongue Records, who then released the new LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails in the United Kingdom and Europe in September of 2006.
DiscographyCocaine Rodeo (2000, Southern Lord)A Drug Problem That Never Existed (2003, Ipecac)III The EP (2004, Tornado)Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails (2006, Mother Tongue (UK/Europe)Dead Planet (2007, Suburban Noize)Former members include: Brant Bjork (drums), Dave Catching (guitar), Marc Diamond (guitar), Alfredo Hernandez (drums), Josh Homme (guitar), Josh Lamar (drums), Molly McGuire (bass), Rob Oswald (drums), Ben Perrier (guitar), Ben Thomas (drums), Spud (guitar)
