08/30/2026
Happy birthday, legend.
Happy 55th birthday, Lars Frederiksen! The Rancid guitarist and vocalist was born on August 30, 1971, in Campbell, California. He joined the band in 1993, following the release of the EP 'Radio Radio Radio'. From that moment on, Frederiksen established himself as one of the group's main songwriters, sharing vocal duties with Armstrong and contributing street punk and Oi! influences to the band's sound.
Alongside his work with Rancid, Frederiksen has developed an extensive career as a record producer and leader of side projects. In the production field, he was responsible for Dropkick Murphys' first two studio albums, 'Do or Die' (1998) and 'The Gang's All Here' (1999), in addition to producing material for bands on the scene such as Agnostic Front, The Business, Anti-Heros, and Swingin' Utters. In 2000, he formed Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, with whom he released two albums on Hellcat Records, co-written with Tim Armstrong. Later, in 2010, he founded The Old Firm Casuals, a trio playing traditional Oi! and hardcore, with whom he has maintained an active schedule of releases and live performances. Prior to his rise to prominence in the San Francisco Bay Area scene, his musical background included playing in the local band Slip and a brief stint as guitarist for the British band UK Subs during a 1991 US tour.
