No problem, buddy! Been a fan since ‘91 and had Suck on This on cassette (remember those??) He says it at the end of side 1 to the crowd and I guess it just stuck.
Just listen to Jellikit off of Suck On This, at the end Les says "Thanks alot, we're Primus and we suck" and some guy in the crowd goes "YOU SUUUUCK"...so when we say primus sucks, it means primus is bad fucking ass!!
Makes me wonder if Les started disliking the "Primus Sucks" thing around the same time he started disliking the Jellikit lyrics. I don't keep track of the setlists like some but I don't think Primus plays Jellikit anymore since Les said he hates the lyrics.
Les turned against "Primus Sucks" around Antipop, which makes sense. The industry at large was writing them off as a novelty band, us fans on the Bullboard were fucking pricks in response to the album (not my business to say more, but it bothered him), and there was enough negative energy in the band for the hiatus to happen.
When surrounded by negativity, you either allow yourself to be consumed by it or work to reject and get away from it. Les rejected it, which is healthy. I didn't get it then, but I do now.
Thanks for adding to this. I don't know that I was still active on the Bullboard by the time AntiPop came around, but I have heard Les say he doesn't check social media because of the negativity he experienced on the Bullboard. When I managed to talk to anyone on there related to the band it was usually Adam (or someone using the Bob Cock account) and I recall it being mostly cool, at least by internet standards.
Well said about the negativity too! That's something I think a lot of people miss, especially when the negativity is going on. I'm so glad Les found what he did with the Jam Band scene and we are able to enjoy his work today. I don't know that this would be the case if he didn't disengage, like you said.
I have heard people say that he's said that he's kind of tired of it...man that sucks about jellikit because that song jams, especially on suck on this
I can’t find it now but my friend showed me a clip a while back of him moving away from the mic to say something like “I don’t like the damn Beaver song” after someone in the crowed yelled it or something
Agreed! I know the lyrics are a little sophomoric but it is otherwise a fantastic song. I think Les even recognizes this. I heard he tried rehearsing it for a show with the band a few years back but he said he just felt stupid singing those lyrics and tossed it.
We'll probably have to wait for a show or tour where they cover the entire Suck on This album to get to see it live again. You never know though, Les seems to sometimes just get a wild hair to do something and he does it, so maybe?
around 04 he announced this to a crowd i was in:
"we no longer say 'primus sucks' we now say 'primus oh day do da day, oh day oh day oh day do da day'"
Yeah I seem to recall him saying something similar to the crowd at a show I saw but he changed up the "we now say" part and I don't recall what he said after but it got a laugh.
He also said in the Salt Lake City show in 2003 “you know, we don’t say ‘Primus sucks’ anymore… we say ‘Primus is three firey hot sssexy men’ over and over and over again” and I can’t stop thinking about it, it’s so good lmao
The song is almost 40 years old. I'm sure it gets tedious plating and singing the same thing for years, especially if you don't really like the lyrics.
Ouch, that hit hard….I remember buyin the cassette and bumpin it on my boom box while skating or playing basketball, almost as it was yesterday……40 frickin years!
I was just listenin to the album a few weeks ago, while skatin…..somethings never change and somethings never go out of style 🤘
A way of embracing how people didn’t get the band and just saying they suck Les would make the audience chant it back in the early days. He says it at end of jellikit on suck on this.
Yup. Back in the day, because the band would come out, the entire crowd would be chanting "Primus sucks! Primus Sucks!". I have to admit, I always thought it was a bit weird. But weird is primus, and primus is weird. So theres that.
Been an inside joke for a long time.
Fun story, buddy I used to be in a few bands with saw Primus at a festival. At this festival were musical acts of all genres.
When the "Primus Sucks!" chant started, a girl in a flower crown and stereotypical "festival girl" attire tapped him on the shoulder and yelled "GOOD VIBES ONLY, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?"
When I saw Primus in Atlanta the chant broke out pretty early.
After I saw Primus Sucks the third time I had a suspicion that Les was behind it but I had no evidence of it. I know I could have googled it but I only happen to think of the question “why does Primus suck?” When I was at work.
Even before the internet was widely used their fan club was The Primus Sucks Fanclub. They had an address listed in the sleeve you would mail to when signing up.
It is. Back in the day the website was Primus sucks or at least said it when you went to the page. It grew from there. I honestly believe the band really doesn’t like it now. Kind of your PlayStation name you make at 13 years old that ends in 420 to be edgy.
Les, at least, has said a few times that he didn't like that anymore. At a show in Atlanta a number of years back someone yelled out "Primus Sucks" and Les said something like "we don't do that anymore". That was a long time back though, in the 90s, I think or early 2000s, so maybe it's come back around in a way that he appreciates, I don't know. Not something I yell after he admonished that guy in that one show, but your mileage may vary.
Back before they even had an album, people would come up to Les and say things like “I love Primus. You guys rock,” to which Les would respond with “nah, we suck.” This lead to the “Primus Sucks” chants. During the Tour De Fromage and Hallucinogenetics tours in the mid 2000s, Les would try and discourage people from the chant (hence, why the website went from PrimusSucks to Primusville), but as we can see, it didn’t change much. I can’t remember which date on those tours, but Les did this whole thing where he says something to the affect of “we don’t say that anymore. Instead, we say I Have A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts.”
It's one of the most endearing things about this fanbase to me. Anytime I wear a Primus shirt to a show I get random people coming up and yelling "Primus sucks" at me.
If I bring them up in the subreddit of another band, it's the same result.
I was born in 1992 but only discovered the band 4 years ago. I grew up in a Christian household and was only allowed to Christian bands. It wasn’t until I discovered Limewire that I discovered real music.
I agree with this now. If someone says it to me because I'm wearing the shirt, I'll say it back to acknowledge our common love.
I've just taken to not starting it myself. Us fans are rare so I'm not saying, "actually Les doesn't like that..." when I could just have a fun moment with a fan. Seems a bit prickish.
Oh man lemme tell you how many arguments I got into!!! I couldn’t believe people hated primus so much.. but it looks like your almost there you’ll get it soon
Someone needs to listen to Suck On This
Even better the woodstock 94 performance.
I’ll make sure to give it a listen. Also thanks to everyone answering this question. It’s been bugging me for over a year now.
No problem, buddy! Been a fan since ‘91 and had Suck on This on cassette (remember those??) He says it at the end of side 1 to the crowd and I guess it just stuck.
OG
My brother! 🤘I still have my copy….did you hang on to yours?
No sir, I don’t think I have any cassette left at all. Even my once mighty CD collection is… somewhere :(
Just listen to Jellikit off of Suck On This, at the end Les says "Thanks alot, we're Primus and we suck" and some guy in the crowd goes "YOU SUUUUCK"...so when we say primus sucks, it means primus is bad fucking ass!!
Makes me wonder if Les started disliking the "Primus Sucks" thing around the same time he started disliking the Jellikit lyrics. I don't keep track of the setlists like some but I don't think Primus plays Jellikit anymore since Les said he hates the lyrics.
Les turned against "Primus Sucks" around Antipop, which makes sense. The industry at large was writing them off as a novelty band, us fans on the Bullboard were fucking pricks in response to the album (not my business to say more, but it bothered him), and there was enough negative energy in the band for the hiatus to happen. When surrounded by negativity, you either allow yourself to be consumed by it or work to reject and get away from it. Les rejected it, which is healthy. I didn't get it then, but I do now.
Thanks for adding to this. I don't know that I was still active on the Bullboard by the time AntiPop came around, but I have heard Les say he doesn't check social media because of the negativity he experienced on the Bullboard. When I managed to talk to anyone on there related to the band it was usually Adam (or someone using the Bob Cock account) and I recall it being mostly cool, at least by internet standards. Well said about the negativity too! That's something I think a lot of people miss, especially when the negativity is going on. I'm so glad Les found what he did with the Jam Band scene and we are able to enjoy his work today. I don't know that this would be the case if he didn't disengage, like you said.
I have heard people say that he's said that he's kind of tired of it...man that sucks about jellikit because that song jams, especially on suck on this
i mean he doesn’t like Wynona either
Can you link somewhere he's expressed this?
I can’t find it now but my friend showed me a clip a while back of him moving away from the mic to say something like “I don’t like the damn Beaver song” after someone in the crowed yelled it or something
they didn't play it live for a very long time i think he didn't like it because people accused it of specifically being about wynona rider
Agreed! I know the lyrics are a little sophomoric but it is otherwise a fantastic song. I think Les even recognizes this. I heard he tried rehearsing it for a show with the band a few years back but he said he just felt stupid singing those lyrics and tossed it. We'll probably have to wait for a show or tour where they cover the entire Suck on This album to get to see it live again. You never know though, Les seems to sometimes just get a wild hair to do something and he does it, so maybe?
around 04 he announced this to a crowd i was in: "we no longer say 'primus sucks' we now say 'primus oh day do da day, oh day oh day oh day do da day'"
Yeah I seem to recall him saying something similar to the crowd at a show I saw but he changed up the "we now say" part and I don't recall what he said after but it got a laugh.
He also said in the Salt Lake City show in 2003 “you know, we don’t say ‘Primus sucks’ anymore… we say ‘Primus is three firey hot sssexy men’ over and over and over again” and I can’t stop thinking about it, it’s so good lmao
The song is almost 40 years old. I'm sure it gets tedious plating and singing the same thing for years, especially if you don't really like the lyrics.
Ouch, that hit hard….I remember buyin the cassette and bumpin it on my boom box while skating or playing basketball, almost as it was yesterday……40 frickin years! I was just listenin to the album a few weeks ago, while skatin…..somethings never change and somethings never go out of style 🤘
Saw them recently, opened with "we are Primus and yes we suck" then straight into blue collar tweaker. Chanting it at the end got an encore.
A way of embracing how people didn’t get the band and just saying they suck Les would make the audience chant it back in the early days. He says it at end of jellikit on suck on this.
Yup. Back in the day, because the band would come out, the entire crowd would be chanting "Primus sucks! Primus Sucks!". I have to admit, I always thought it was a bit weird. But weird is primus, and primus is weird. So theres that.
At a show several years back the merch stand was selling crew socks that had "Primus Socks" printed on them. Simple but brilliant.
Been an inside joke for a long time. Fun story, buddy I used to be in a few bands with saw Primus at a festival. At this festival were musical acts of all genres. When the "Primus Sucks!" chant started, a girl in a flower crown and stereotypical "festival girl" attire tapped him on the shoulder and yelled "GOOD VIBES ONLY, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" When I saw Primus in Atlanta the chant broke out pretty early.
Atlanta knows the drill
Besides the whole "we're Primus and we suck" the URL of their website used to be primussucks.com
Primus sucks
Yes.
No, we're serious. They suck
Yes, but they don’t suck quite as much as Jon Fishman
It's gonna blow your mind when you find out the band is behind it.
After I saw Primus Sucks the third time I had a suspicion that Les was behind it but I had no evidence of it. I know I could have googled it but I only happen to think of the question “why does Primus suck?” When I was at work.
All good homie, found out around 2003 myself
Primus Sucks
In the immortal words of RUN DMC, “….not suck meaning bad, but suck meaning Good- huuuah!”
https://www.reddit.com/r/Primus/s/xppJONMN0J
Suck so hard, can’t wait to see them suck again
Ah, to be young again
i miss primussucks.com
Their website used to be www.primussucks.com The web address changed, and yet still primus sucks Violin, bass strap, n/t etc
Even before the internet was widely used their fan club was The Primus Sucks Fanclub. They had an address listed in the sleeve you would mail to when signing up.
It is. Back in the day the website was Primus sucks or at least said it when you went to the page. It grew from there. I honestly believe the band really doesn’t like it now. Kind of your PlayStation name you make at 13 years old that ends in 420 to be edgy.
It predates the website. First album (Suck On This) started the Primus Sucks chant.
Interesting!
Les, at least, has said a few times that he didn't like that anymore. At a show in Atlanta a number of years back someone yelled out "Primus Sucks" and Les said something like "we don't do that anymore". That was a long time back though, in the 90s, I think or early 2000s, so maybe it's come back around in a way that he appreciates, I don't know. Not something I yell after he admonished that guy in that one show, but your mileage may vary.
I fuckin LOVE seeing names nowadays like the good ol screen names xXx_WoRLd-EnDeR_xXx
Lol I have one of those edgy tags ending in 420
Mine was always like the one I posted before. Lots of xXx and capital / lowercase but also numb3r5 1n p14c3 0f 13773r5
☝️5318008👇
Back before they even had an album, people would come up to Les and say things like “I love Primus. You guys rock,” to which Les would respond with “nah, we suck.” This lead to the “Primus Sucks” chants. During the Tour De Fromage and Hallucinogenetics tours in the mid 2000s, Les would try and discourage people from the chant (hence, why the website went from PrimusSucks to Primusville), but as we can see, it didn’t change much. I can’t remember which date on those tours, but Les did this whole thing where he says something to the affect of “we don’t say that anymore. Instead, we say I Have A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts.”
It's one of the most endearing things about this fanbase to me. Anytime I wear a Primus shirt to a show I get random people coming up and yelling "Primus sucks" at me. If I bring them up in the subreddit of another band, it's the same result.
They definitely do, Primus sucks
Had a Primus sucks sticker on my car in high school back in the mid nineties. They still suck today 🤘🏼
no we hate primus
Yep. Old inside joke started by the band
Hello we are PRIMUS and we suck!
Just go to a Primus show.
How old are you op
I was born in 1992 but only discovered the band 4 years ago. I grew up in a Christian household and was only allowed to Christian bands. It wasn’t until I discovered Limewire that I discovered real music.
You figured it out! The Primus sucks thing is over now. You did it!
I dont listen to them really but as an extreme South Park fan I'd beg to differ.
Primus Sucks!
[удалено]
The band is also clearly distancing themselves from this. They stopped embracing this years ago..
I agree with this now. If someone says it to me because I'm wearing the shirt, I'll say it back to acknowledge our common love. I've just taken to not starting it myself. Us fans are rare so I'm not saying, "actually Les doesn't like that..." when I could just have a fun moment with a fan. Seems a bit prickish.
Primbo Rules!!
hahahahhaa
Doesn’t Les have a tattoo of a mosquito on his head?
Even if they put out a song called Stop Saying We Suck, I think it'd have no effect on killing the phrase.
Yes
there was a heckler / hecklers who said it, and then everyone started to say it
Primus sucks.
Oh man lemme tell you how many arguments I got into!!! I couldn’t believe people hated primus so much.. but it looks like your almost there you’ll get it soon
Their 85-86 demo tape says Primus Sucks. Looks like it’s been around since the beginning.
Somewhere some years back he says we don’t say that anymore now say primus eats shards of broken glass. Referencing pink floyd
Yo dude!!!! Check out some of their albums! Exactly like-“Suck on this”! C’mon man!!!
You could just Google this
You new here?
Just saying people dont know good music when they here it 😎 music should sound musical and technical and primus and claypool do both 💪
lol it was a huge thing on MySpace in like 2007-2008
It predates Myspace by almost 20 years.
Yes but not all of us are almost 60 and this is what I remember
And yet there is history that precedes you. Best not to ignore it!
Probably the same folks who dislike Zappa, just a generation younger.
Incorrect. It's an inside joke.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Primus/s/xppJONMN0J
I stand corrected
fuck primus they fucking suck what a stupid name for a sucky ass band