Militarie Gun on Tour
Los Angeles-based punk band Militarie Gun is led by multi-instrumentalist Ian Shelton. In addition to Militarie Gun, Shelton fronts Regional Justice Center, but his main focus has been the more melodic Militarie Gun, influenced by legendary punk, rock and alternative bands Minutemen, Bad Brains and Hüsker Dü.
Militarie Gun released the EP All Roads Lead to the Gun in 2021 on the Alternatives Label. Drawing on a diverse array of styles on tracks such as "Ain't No Flowers," "Don't Pick Up the Phone," "Fell on My Head," and "Stuck in a Spin," Grammy.com called the EP "vibrant and diverse."
Using unexpected instruments for a hardcore record such as an acoustic guitar and a Mellotron keyboard, Shelton refuses to be pigeonholed into just one genre. Be sure to catch this groundbreaking band when they come to a city near you.
Militarie Gun Live in Concert
Militarie Gun was formed as a creative outlet in 2020 by the multi-talented Ian Shelton, when all touring had been canceled for his other band, Regional Justice Center, due to the pandemic.
Shelton became obsessed with punk rock music growing up in the Bay Area, enamored with bands including Dead Kennedys, Anti-Flag, Rancid, and Blink-182. He moved to Enumclaw, Washington, as a pre-teen where his tastes grew even heavier and his passion for making music was fueled by his feelings of being an outcast and a misfit.
Punk rock also shaped his political consciousness, which has taken shape in the form of Shelton's band Regional Justice Center, giving him an outlet for the difficult feelings surrounding the six-year incarceration of his younger brother. Shelton has also become known as an outspoken advocate for incarcerated individuals.
Shelton also channels his creativity into filmmaking (directing videos for bands including Angel Du$t and Bayside), and was inspired by dystopian and experimental films including Stanley Kubrick's 1971 classic A Clockwork Orange. This type of subversive art also served as inspiration for the formation of Militarie Gun.