| Useless ID | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Haifa, Israel |
| Genre: | Punk rock |
| Years Active: | 1994 - present |
| Label: | Falafel (1994-2000) Kung Fu (2000-2008) Suburban Home (2008-present) |
| Url: | http://www.uselessid.net |
| Current Members: | Yotam Ben-Horin Ishay Berger Guy Carmel Yonatan Harpak |
| Past Members: | Ido Blaustein Ralph Hobri Adi Alkavatz |
Useless ID is a four-piece punk rock band, formed in Haifa, Israel in 1994. Known as one of the most successful Israeli punk bands worldwide.
At its first years, the band was mainly active in the Israeli hardcore scene, and released two studio albums independently, on its own label "Falafel Records", named after band member's favorite food, the falafel.
Two years after the band's formation, the four members decided to play shows in the United States, and toured around the country for 6 months. This successful tour was followed by five more tours around North America, two around Europe and one in Japan.
The band's international breakthrough happened in 1999, after The Ataris frontman, Kris Roe, heard the band and invited it to record a split album for Kung Fu Records. The album, titled Let It Burn, featured 7 songs by the Ataris and 8 songs by Useless ID. The song "Too Bad You Don't Get It" was also featured on Fat Wreck Chords' compilation, Short Music for Short People that same year. After the release of Let It Burn the band was signed for Kung Fu Records, and in 2001 the band's third studio album, Bad Story, Happy Ending, was released. The album was produced by Kris Roe.
In 2003 the band released another album via Kung Fu, titled No Vacation from the World, with Angus Cooke co-producing the album with the band, and additional production by Tony Sly of No Use for a Name.
A year later, the band was featured in the Fat Wreck Chords' Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation, with the song "State of Fear", alongside bands like Green Day and Foo Fighters. After returning to Israel, the band released its 5th album, Redemption, in December of 2004 in Israel and Japan, and July 2005 in the rest of the world. This album was produced by Bill Stevenson of Descendents fame, and recorded at The Blasting Room in Colorado between March and April of 2004. Drummer Ido Blaustein left the band prior to the recording of the album. Moshe Liberman played drums on the album, but Yonatan Harpak of Israeli punk band Punkache joined as the official drummer prior to the release of the album.
Still in 2004, the band took part in the movie "Jericho's Echo", directed by Liz Nord, which dealt with the Israeli punk and hardcore scene.
On September 2006, the band released a DVD, titled Ratfaces Home Videos Presents Useless ID, containing live and studio video clips of the band.
In 2008 the band returned to the Blasting Room, to record its sixth studio album, again with Stevenson as producer. On July 24th, 2008, it was announced that the album, to be titled The Lost Broken Bones, will be released via Suburban Home Records on October of that year[1] .
After the recording of the album, the band left for a brief tour around the United Kingdom, and in June 2008, the band played live in Trafalgar Square, London, as part of the "Salute to Israel" event. After another tour in Japan and China in September, the band returned to Israel for a special release show of The Lost Broken Bones on October 18, 2008, at the Barby club in Tel Aviv, joined by famous musicians from the Israeli mainstream music scene.
The band finished off 2008 with an Israeli tour supporting The Lost Broken Bones, playing in Haifa, with Betzefer and Friday Night Sissy Fight, in Tel Aviv with Got No Shame and Kill The Drive, and in Jerusalem with Man Alive, Mondo Gecko and Evenyaru.