Offspring Music Group

In judging Thom Wilson by his cover, there is only one question to resolve: Is this tall, lanky fellow merely a middle-aged Deadhead, or is he one of those poor souls who went to the original Woodstock and never quite made it back? The beard is long and bushy, the hair wavy and graying. Grin marks frame the eyes. Furrows have been worn into the prominent forehead. The feet are sandaled, of course.

Punk godfather Iggy Pop has proven there's punk life after 50 with still-explosive performances at 56, yet the question of how long a punk rocker can stay angry remains relevant to many of his musical offspring. "I think we have a few good years left," says Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead singer and songwriter of the Offspring, the Orange County punk outfit that will reach its 20th anniversary next year. "It's always hard to imagine still doing this more than a few years out," Holland, 37, says.

"Well I guess it ain't easy doing nothing at all but hey man free rides just don't come along every day." --"Why Don't You Get a Job?" by the Offspring * In its hit song "Why Don't You Get a Job?," the Offspring chide slackers who sit back and let others do the work. But some music critics say the rock group is committing that very same sin with the tune.

The Offspring is on stage pummeling out "Original Prankster" from its new "Conspiracy of One" album, and the band is surrounded. Not by a surging throng of moshing fans, but by row upon row of empty seats. It's two days before the start of the Orange County punk quartet's "Conspiracy" tour--which would bring them to the Forum in early November--and the band is rehearsing in the cavernous Olympic Auditorium.

The last thing a band that's been accused of plagiarism wants to do is hear its song on the radio along with the one it allegedly copied . . . unless that band is the Offspring. The Orange County group took to the air on KROQ-FM recently and played not one but two songs it's been accused of copping for its hit song "Come Out and Play," from the 4-million-selling album "Smash."

At least someone's making money off Napster. Orange County punk-rock group The Offspring, which has supported the controversial music-swapping software company, started hawking unauthorized Napster merchandise last week on the band's Web site, http://www.offspring.com. The band plans to keep the profits from all sales, although sources say the revenue is likely to be minimal.

The Offspring is on stage pummeling out "Original Prankster" from its new "Conspiracy of One" album, and the band is surrounded. Not by a surging throng of moshing fans, but by row upon row of empty seats. It's two days before the start of the Orange County punk quartet's "Conspiracy" tour--which would bring them to the Forum in early November--and the band is rehearsing in the cavernous Olympic Auditorium.

As 1994 began, the Offspring were just another obscure punk band hoping they could make it to the next gig without a mechanical breakdown. The bus motor would seize up on the road to Bakersfield. The transmission would give out en route to Arizona. When they finally got the engine rebuilt, the four band members drove across country on a winter tour, shivering all the way because they couldn't get the heater to work. "It was awful, but it would cost too much to fix it," said drummer Ron Welty.

Multi-platinum music sensation Offspring plans to rock the recording industry by posting an album on the Internet more than a month before the CD goes on sale. The really radical idea, however, is that the punk band believes that its giveaway--the first by a major recording artist--will drive sales of the CD when it hits stores in November.

As 1994 began, the Offspring was just another obscure punk band hoping it could make it to the next gig without its bus breaking down. The motor would seize up on the road to Bakersfield. The transmission would give out en route to Arizona. When they finally got the engine rebuilt, the four band members drove across country on a winter tour, shivering all the way because they couldn't get the heater to work. "It was awful, but it would cost too much to fix it," recalled drummer Ron Welty, 23.

Citing paralyzing legal pressure, multi-platinum rock band the Offspring has bowed to the demands of its record label and has scrapped plans to post an album on the Internet more than a month before the CD goes on sale. The band's plans had raised the hackles of Sony, the record label that distributes the Offspring's music. Sony and other major record labels are currently embroiled in legal battles against several online services that allow fans to freely swap music over the Net.

Multi-platinum music sensation Offspring plans to rock the recording industry by posting an album on the Internet more than a month before the CD goes on sale. The really radical idea, however, is that the punk band believes that its giveaway--the first by a major recording artist--will drive sales of the CD when it hits stores in November.

Napster Inc., whose controversial song-swapping software has created an uproar over copyright issues, scrambled Monday to fix a legal snafu that outraged both music pirates and the recording industry alike. On Friday, the San Mateo, Calif.-based company e-mailed a cease-and-desist letter to Orange County punk rock act the Offspring, which had been hawking on its Web site $10 T-shirts and caps and $1 bumper stickers imprinted with the Napster logo.

At least someone's making money off Napster. Orange County punk-rock group The Offspring, which has supported the controversial music-swapping software company, started hawking unauthorized Napster merchandise last week on the band's Web site, http://www.offspring.com. The band plans to keep the profits from all sales, although sources say the revenue is likely to be minimal.

"You're where? Near the airport?" Steve Rennie, partner in the Internet-aggressive music booking and marketing firm ArtistDirect, shakes his head as he talks on the phone with Bryan "Dexter" Holland. The lead singer of the Offspring is caught in traffic coming up from his Orange County home to the company's Encino offices for a strategy session on the redesign of the band's Web site. Holland finally arrives nearly an hour late, so you'd expect him to be pretty grumpy.

The arena-rock warhorse is a dwindling breed consisting of holdovers from past decades and a few '90s-bred ponies that haven't proved they can carry the load as a big draw over the long haul. Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots broke down before they even made it to the back stretch. Pearl Jam could run the race--but does it want to? The Dave Matthews Band? Not a bad bet; somebody has to take over the Grateful Dead's jam-band slot. Smashing Pumpkins, Hole and Nine Inch Nails?

Orange County punk band Offspring is expected to sign a four-album, multimillion-dollar contract this week with Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The deal, which has been in the works since February, could be announced as early as Friday, although some financial details are still unresolved.

Punk godfather Iggy Pop has proven there's punk life after 50 with still-explosive performances at 56, yet the question of how long a punk rocker can stay angry remains relevant to many of his musical offspring. "I think we have a few good years left," says Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead singer and songwriter of the Offspring, the Orange County punk outfit that will reach its 20th anniversary next year. "It's always hard to imagine still doing this more than a few years out," Holland, 37, says.

"Well I guess it ain't easy doing nothing at all but hey man free rides just don't come along every day." --"Why Don't You Get a Job?" by the Offspring * In its hit song "Why Don't You Get a Job?," the Offspring chide slackers who sit back and let others do the work. But some music critics say the rock group is committing that very same sin with the tune.

The Offspring's "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)," a good-natured dressing-down of a kid who dresses up in gangsta gear, has been one of the big hits of the season. Its success has helped make the Orange County punk band's current album, "Americana," the lone flag-bearer for rock at the high end of the sales chart. The song also touches on issues surrounding hip-hop's rise to a dominant position in popular culture.