Collateral Damage

The (Unofficial) Factions of ERA

Collateral Damage is an alternative rock band founded in ERA by fellow students and dormmates Brown, Saki, Hugo, and Xander. While their lineup has changed considerably over their history, their core members active for the band’s entire run are Brown and Hugo.

Their music consists mostly of midwest emo, punk, power pop, indie rock, and new wave elements, taking influence from contemporary rock bands and artists such as Weezer, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, Good Kid, and others. While not having recorded any studio material, they periodically play live performances for campus to warm acclaim.

History

2020: Band Formation

During the 2020 Summer Festival, the band, urged by Brown and Saki, entered as contestents in the main event, a schoolwide talent show, encouraged by their Music Professor Merla Evergreen and with instruments loaned from her clubroom. While amateurs and having only learned their instruments for several months, they went on to win the talent show, getting to keep their loaned instruments and other music equipment as rewards.

2021: Rock-a-Thon & Miscellaneous Activity

One year later, Collateral Damage resumed activity for the upcoming Rock-a-Thon contest, a week-long battle of the bands for an $8000 grand prize. Needing a new drummer upon Xander’s graduation, Brown brought in his friend, Kai, to replace his former dormmate. Seeing the oppurtunity to attract attention to the Four-Scaled Clover Casino, Skyber proposed a sponsorhip to Brown to provide whatever equipment the band needed to win. Reluctantly, Brown agreed, assuming the role of band leader and later taking in Kay to serve as a roadie and sound engineer for the band. However, shortly before their first performance, Saki was wrongfully arrested for alleged drug possession, and Skyber brought in Nova to replace him as lead guitarist at the last minute. The new lineup would then go on to advance against the Offchords, led by Karen McKnight. Realizing the entire event was an elaborate ploy for Karen to humiliate Brown in public and murder him to settle an irrational grudge, the Rock-a-Thon came to an abrupt end with Karen’s final murder attempt during the final round and her swift takedown by the band, Skyber, and ERA Security, tying with the remaining Offchords and splitting the grand prize.

The band would later disband and resume their studies at ERA, but not before Saki was let out of holding and Kay recovered from her stab injuries while fighting Karen. Together, Brown, Saki, Hugo, Kai, Kay, and Nova played one final impromptu concert on the Roof, before quickly dispersing as ERA Security arrived.

2022-2023: Breakup & Brief Reunion

Collateral Damage would not see any activity in 2022, as Saki was once again arrested for drug possession and abuse, this time on convicted charges, and sent to further rehabilitation to recover while the rest of the band members would be busy competing in Skyber’s Wildcard Tournament.

After the Tournament, Kai would presumably escape the facility, and Hugo went into hiding for an unrelated personal incident. Brown contemplated disbanding Collateral Damage and retiring from music entirely until Kay asserted herself as the new lead guitarist, spurring Brown to look for new band members. Eventually, the two held tryout sessions, and scouted Pearl as their new drummer, and Skyber as a keyboardist. Hugo participated in the tryouts, however did not need to audition. A practice session was held, wherein Nova crashed the session as their lead singer, but creative differences led to early conflict with the new lineup wherein hardly any decisions were reached. Discouraged, Brown once again halted activity indefinitely, and Kay and Pearl decided to leave the band to join Casti, former Offchords member, to form a new band called RGB.

2024-Present

Saki was allowed to return to ERA after rehabilitaitng from his drug addiction, and had reunited with Brown. The two are currently in talks to reunite the band, in search again of a new drummer. Hugo has yet to confirm his return to the band as guitarist.

Current Lineup

Former Members