Biography
Channel 3, a punk outfit from the West Coast with decades of activity, shifted from hosting local parties in Cerritos, California, to worldwide notice thanks to the 1982 album Fear of Life. Their vigorous strain of SoCal hardcore punk turned that debut LP into a fixture among California punk listeners and secured supporters in the U.K. and Europe once an altered overseas pressing appeared as I've Got a Gun. Throughout the mid-1980s the group folded in hard rock and metal touches on the 1984 release Airborne and the 1985 album Last Time I Drank..., moves that fractured their existing audience. After an extended break from the studio the band reclaimed its foundational style on the 2002 record CH3 and kept up steady touring across the U.S. and Europe; they confirmed their ongoing strength with the 2018 album Put 'Em Up.
Formed in 1980 by guitarist and vocalist Mike Magrann together with guitarist Kimm Gardener, who had shared a childhood friendship, Channel 3 (frequently shortened by followers to CH3) drew early inspiration from classic rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, the Who, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Once punk entered their listening habits they began attending Hollywood concerts where the style had taken hold. Magrann and Gardener soon launched Channel 3, initially playing parties and keggers around Cerritos, California. After beginning with covers Magrann started composing originals, sometimes alongside Gardener, and the addition of bassist Larry Kelley plus drummer Mike Burton allowed the quartet to record its first demo. That tape reached Robbie Fields, founder of the West Coast punk imprint Posh Boy Records, who offered a deal despite the band never having performed a club date. Their opening four-song EP arrived in mid-1981, after which Channel 3 played every available California venue. The full-length Fear of Life surfaced in mid-1982, quickly becoming a West Coast punk landmark and prompting the group’s first major American tour. They followed swiftly with the 1983 album After the Lights Go Out, now featuring Jack DeBaun on drums, an early example of the frequent drummer changes that would mark the band’s history. By then an English audience had developed, and the U.K. punk label No Future issued I've Got a Gun, a trimmed and reordered version of Fear of Life. That edition’s reception led to Channel 3 touring the U.K. and Europe as their following continued to expand.
For the 1984 Airborne EP, Channel 3 left Posh Boy for the larger and more widely distributed Enigma Records and began enlarging the lineup while refining their sound to emphasize hard-rock influences. The subsequent album, 1985’s Last Time I Drank..., marked an even sharper break from earlier material; now expanded to a five-piece with Magrann and Gardener joined by guitarist James D. Langford, drummer Ron Wood, and bassist Larry Lee Lerma, the band secured opening slots for Midnight Oil and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet longtime supporters largely rejected the new direction while fresh listeners failed to replace them. A move to the smaller Lone Wolf label produced the little-noticed 1989 album Rejected. Although Channel 3 continued occasional live work through the 1990s and released the Europe-recorded live set ...How Do You Open the Damned Thing? Live '94, no further studio material appeared during that decade. The 2002 album CH3, recorded by the lineup of Magrann, Gardener, bassist Anthony Thompson, and drummer Fredo Silva, delivered an energetic revival of the group’s original approach and supported successful U.S. and European tours. Live performance remained the focus, resulting in the 2008 live album One More for All My True Friends, released alongside a DVD documentary chronicling the band’s history. The limited-edition collection To Whom It May Concern: The 1981 Demos appeared in 2009. Emphasis stayed on live shows, though scattered singles later gathered on the 2015 album A Home for the Homeless. In 2018 Channel 3 welcomed drummer Nick Manning and issued the studio album Put 'Em Up, a robust blend of punk and hard rock.
Formed in 1980 by guitarist and vocalist Mike Magrann together with guitarist Kimm Gardener, who had shared a childhood friendship, Channel 3 (frequently shortened by followers to CH3) drew early inspiration from classic rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, the Who, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Once punk entered their listening habits they began attending Hollywood concerts where the style had taken hold. Magrann and Gardener soon launched Channel 3, initially playing parties and keggers around Cerritos, California. After beginning with covers Magrann started composing originals, sometimes alongside Gardener, and the addition of bassist Larry Kelley plus drummer Mike Burton allowed the quartet to record its first demo. That tape reached Robbie Fields, founder of the West Coast punk imprint Posh Boy Records, who offered a deal despite the band never having performed a club date. Their opening four-song EP arrived in mid-1981, after which Channel 3 played every available California venue. The full-length Fear of Life surfaced in mid-1982, quickly becoming a West Coast punk landmark and prompting the group’s first major American tour. They followed swiftly with the 1983 album After the Lights Go Out, now featuring Jack DeBaun on drums, an early example of the frequent drummer changes that would mark the band’s history. By then an English audience had developed, and the U.K. punk label No Future issued I've Got a Gun, a trimmed and reordered version of Fear of Life. That edition’s reception led to Channel 3 touring the U.K. and Europe as their following continued to expand.
For the 1984 Airborne EP, Channel 3 left Posh Boy for the larger and more widely distributed Enigma Records and began enlarging the lineup while refining their sound to emphasize hard-rock influences. The subsequent album, 1985’s Last Time I Drank..., marked an even sharper break from earlier material; now expanded to a five-piece with Magrann and Gardener joined by guitarist James D. Langford, drummer Ron Wood, and bassist Larry Lee Lerma, the band secured opening slots for Midnight Oil and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet longtime supporters largely rejected the new direction while fresh listeners failed to replace them. A move to the smaller Lone Wolf label produced the little-noticed 1989 album Rejected. Although Channel 3 continued occasional live work through the 1990s and released the Europe-recorded live set ...How Do You Open the Damned Thing? Live '94, no further studio material appeared during that decade. The 2002 album CH3, recorded by the lineup of Magrann, Gardener, bassist Anthony Thompson, and drummer Fredo Silva, delivered an energetic revival of the group’s original approach and supported successful U.S. and European tours. Live performance remained the focus, resulting in the 2008 live album One More for All My True Friends, released alongside a DVD documentary chronicling the band’s history. The limited-edition collection To Whom It May Concern: The 1981 Demos appeared in 2009. Emphasis stayed on live shows, though scattered singles later gathered on the 2015 album A Home for the Homeless. In 2018 Channel 3 welcomed drummer Nick Manning and issued the studio album Put 'Em Up, a robust blend of punk and hard rock.
Albums
Singles
