Spastik Children

Spastik Children was a punk rock supergroup founded by Fred Cotton, James McDaniel and Rich "Jumbo" Sielert (vocalist of Pillage Sunday). Sielert, the drummer, was later replaced by Metallica's James Hetfield and Metallica's Cliff Burton joined on bass. After Burton's passing, he was replaced by Jason Newsted, also of Metallica. Spastik Children allowed the members of Metallica to have fun and explore a less serious side of their musical talents. The band performed only in clubs and bars in Northern California. Their music was a raw punk style, occasionally performed with little or no rehearsal. James McDaniel and Fred Cotton's influences for Spastik were bands such as Fang, Flipper, Pillage Sunday and the Mentors. Jim Martin later joined the band as a second bass player. The music was, according to friends of the band, amazing at times but mostly hilariously atrocious.^[1]

Rich Sielert died in 2014—he was interred at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, CA.

Band members

• James Hetfield - drums, vocals (singer & rhythm guitarist in Metallica)
• Cliff Burton - bass, vocals (late bass player for Metallica)
• Kirk Hammett - bass (lead guitarist in Metallica, formerly part of Exodus)
• Jason Newsted - bass, vocals (Metallica's replacement for Cliff Burton and founding member of Echobrain)
• Rich "Jumbo" Sielert - drums (Pillage Sunday vocalist)
• Jim Martin - bass, vocals (former lead guitarist in Faith No More)
• James `Flunkey` McDaniel - guitar
• Fred Cotton - drums (drummer in Piranha)
• Paul Baloff - vocals (late vocalist in Exodus, Piranha, Heathen and Hirax)
• Gary Holt - guitar (guitarist in Exodus and Slayer)
• Doug Piercy - guitar (guitarist in Heathen and Anvil Chorus)

References