Biography

If you ask Enoch, he’ll tell you he is the Son of Cain, and that he was born long ago before Noah’s Flood. Although Enoch’s fictional tale of living 365 years and being taken away by a chariot of fire is intriguing, it’s hard for me to accept these words as nothing but a facade. With a little digging, I was able to discover that Enoch Watcher was born in Los Angeles and was raised in the suburbs of Orange County, California. I met Enoch at UCLA. We were both English majors struggling through the curriculum trying to earn our degrees, and I soon realized that Enoch was a man on a mission. He played his left-handed guitar furiously at the local clubs and dive bars in hopes of making his mark on the world. He had an edgy, unique style that was comically antagonistic and bizarre. It was a mix of folk, blues, punk, and reggae all intertwined. When you went to an Enoch Watcher show, it felt like you were at a warped version of a Christian revival caught in the crosshairs of a political mosh pit. It was unbalanced and inconsistent, yet his music came at you like a big rig going 100 miles-per-hour. Enoch started as a solo act in his early years, but soon added a drummer, bass player, lead guitarist, and singers to his band. Before he knew it, they were called Enoch & the Watchers. Over the years, the Watchers line-up has changed, but there has been many consistent players in the band. Jose Sanchez is the Watchers long-time drummer, although Alan Blaver was the original percussionist. Mike Donohue toured with the band for years, but was replaced by Dave Rhine. Robert Trujillo is their current bass player. Jon Taylor, Terri Mowrey, Jane Drury, and Deo Azurin were all vocalists in the group, and there have been countless other musicians/singers that have participated in Enoch & the Watchers’ projects, recordings, and tours over the years. To name a few: TJR, Barbara Wheat, Greg Tortell, Jenny Grozdich, Tina Hoffman, Kim Cahill, Tony Vizcarra, & George Fryer. The Watchers first record, The Early Years, was a compilation of singles released in the 1990s. “Slave to my Dick” was their first hit, and it’s still played on radio stations throughout the world today. Although Enoch & the Watchers never became a household name in the United States, the band is well-known abroad. I asked Enoch why he thought the band never made it big in America. He replied, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.” After “Slave…” rocked the airwaves, the band suddenly found it much easier to fill clubs and expose the masses to the rest of their music. “The Kids Don’t Care” was their second hit, and the band performed the single on British television. This instantly brought them fame in the UK and Ireland. (Continued on Next Page)