A punk revival quartet from Vancouver,
Gob was formed in 1994. Comprising Tom Thacker on guitars/vocals,
Theo Goutzinakis on guitars/vocals,
Craig Wood on bass (soon to be replaced by
Steven Fairweather), and
Gabe Mantle on drums issued their debut album,
Too Late...No Friends. In addition to several split releases with other Canadian punk bands, the band recorded the full-length
How Far Shallow Takes You in 1998; it was reissued in the U.S. the following year.
The World According to Gob appeared in early 2001. But despite their prolific output, a large Canadian following, numerous appearances on the Vans Warped Tour, and their energetic, hyperactive hooks, it wasn't until fellow Canadian pop-punks
Sum 41 took
Gob out on tour with them that things really started to happen stateside. That exposure led to a successful label showcase for
L.A. Reid's Arista imprint, and soon the boys found themselves in the studio with
Mark Trombino, who had produced such like-sounding groups as
blink-182 and
Jimmy Eat World. The
F.U. EP appeared in early 2003 as a precursor to the full-length
Foot in Mouth Disease, which arrived in April of that year. Following the release of the proper Arista full-length,
Gob embarked on a three-month tour opening for fellow Canadian/Arista artist
Avril Lavigne. ~ Johnny Loftus