Whipping Boy could refer to two different acts: 1) An Irish rock band who were active in the 1990s. They came to public attention with the critically acclaimed Heartworm album. They had been together a number of years at this stage, and had already released a low-key debut, Submarine. Despite its critical acclaim, Heartworm sold poorly and the band was subsequently dropped from their label, Columbia Records. They released a self-financed, self-titled follow up album, which again got huge critical acclaim. However, without the backing of a major record company the record once again flopped. The band had already grown disheartened with their experience and had broken up in 1998, 3 years before they could afford to release their final album. Despite little commercial success, Whipping Boy frequently appear in "best album" and "best band" polls in their native Ireland, and have gained celebrity fans such as Billy Corgan and Lou Reed (who said if the band's single We Don't Need Nobody Else isn't a huge hit, he knows nothing about music). Whipping Boy consisted of members: * Colm Hassett (drums) * Myles McDonnell (bass guitar) * Fearghal McKee (vocals) * Paul Page (guitar) The band reformed in September 2005 announcing 2 Irish dates around Christmas, and the possibility of recording another album. 2) A hardcore punk band from Palo Alto, California. The band was created in 1982, made up of students from Stanford University. Their sound featured lightning-fast melodies, tight, chunky rhythms, and violently incoherent vocals. They espoused a radically anti-government view that caught the attention of Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra and led to his support. Their first LP, "The Sound of No Hands Clapping" was produced by DK's Bassist, Klaus Fluoride. The band enjoyed moderate success, and a national tour in 1983 was capped by the release of the psychedelic "MuruMuru" in 1983. This abrupt change in style was not welcomed by Whipping Boy's fanbase, and after several personnel changes and the release of another record, "The Third Secret of Fatima," the band broke up in 1986. Incendiary frontman Eugene Robinson is now in the experimental rock band Oxbow.
