formed as a four-piece

The band formed as a four-piece in the summer of 1981 and featured Alec MacKaye , former vocalist for the Untouchables , on vocals, Michael Hampton and Ivor Hanson of Henry Rollins ‘ first band, State of Alert on guitar and drums respectively, as well as Chris Bald on bass. They called themselves the Faith and played their first show at H.B. Woodlawn High School in November 1981. Alec described the name as “a positive kind of sound, not negative like so many others”. “We felt that (The) Faith was a stronger-than-macho name. We did want something more hopeful and less nihilistic, in spite of our chaotic and sometimes destructive approach to performance.”