Rikk Agnew

American musician

Richard Francis "Rikk" Agnew Jr. (born December 9, 1958) is an American musician with a career spanning more than 40 years. He has previously been a member of some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk genre, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death. During his years with the Adolescents, Agnew became known as one of the best guitarists in the Southern California hardcore punk scene. Agnew has also pursued a solo career and released his debut studio album, All by Myself, in 1982. He later released Emotional Vomit in 1990 and Turtle in 1992. Because he was shy, Agnew gravitated toward music, and played various instruments that he and his younger brothers Frank and Alfie found around the house. Agnew joined Christian Death soon after leaving the Adolescents, writing and playing guitar on the seminal Only Theatre of Pain album, issued by Frontier in March 1982. He also performed on the band's Deathwish EP, recorded before the album during the sessions for the compilation Hell Comes to Your House but not released until 1984. He joined D. I. in 1983, playing on their 1983 debut EP Team Goon (originally known simply as D. I.) as well as their first two albums (1985's Ancient Artifacts and 1986's Horse Bites Dog Cries) before deciding to leave the band in 1987. When the Adolescents reunited in 1986, Agnew rejoined the band until its hiatus in 1989. He rejoined Casey Royer and Tony Adolescent to record Where Were You? with ADZ in 1992.

In 1982, Agnew released his first solo album, All by Myself (Frontier), on which he played all the instruments. Agnew went on to release two more solo albums, Emotional Vomit (under the name Rikk Agnew's Yard Sale) in 1990 and 1992's Turtle, both on Triple X Records. About the album Emotional Vomit, Agnew said, "A lot of (the songs) I wrote while I was in a very bad state, a very lonely and self abusing state. It was a way of letting it out". He also played guitar in Poop (with Scott Hoogland, former frontman of the influential Orange County band The Mechanics) and the reunited Detours. After playing in Christian Death 1334 with James McGearty and Eva O, Agnew joined the new lineup of Voodoo Church as second guitarist and performed on their 2009 album Eminence of Demons. In 2013, Agnew was active playing in Wrong Beach, producing bands and recording solo work and various projects. He also rotated between guitar, drums and bass for Chaotic Stature. In 2015, Agnew was listed as active with the Detours and also had a touring band of his own, the Rikk Agnew Band. In 1990, Agnew was engaged to Karen Mountain, with whom he had a daughter named Polina (Polli). He became engaged to fellow former Christian Death member Gitane DeMone on May 3, 2013. Each has a daughter from a previous relationship.