Members of San Antonio’s metal and punk communities are mourning the loss of Chris Riddle, a longtime scene fixture and one-of-a-kind frontman most knew as “Beer.”
Beer, who fronted venerable wrestling-obsessed punk band Rancid Vat for the past 22 years, died suddenly on Saturday, according to a statement on the group’s Facebook account. The statement didn’t include his age, but friends said he was in his late 40s.
During his decades of involvement in San Antonio’s extreme music scene, Beer also fronted black metal band Hod, stoner riff merchants Pillcrusher and punk act Shit, known for chaotic performances that frequently left him with blood streaming down his face.
Many Alamo City music fans also encountered him during the 15 or so years he served as a full-time employee at indie record store Hogwild Records.
Bearded, tattooed and frequently bedecked in spike gauntlets, Beer made an imposing frontman, delivering lyrics in a belligerent growl as he prowled the stage swilling from a Lone Star tall boy. Despite the gruff persona, those who knew him remember him as a loyal, funny friend and passionate supporter of music on the underground fringe.
A voracious reader and master raconteur, Beer was also capable of carrying on conversations that veered from rants about the general stupidity of human beings to the nuances of early-20th century fantasy authors such as Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.
“Thank you for always being true to yourself and to me as a friend!” Robert “Marilyn” Monroe, who played bass in Pillcrusher, said in a Facebook remembrance.
Rancid Vat’s Facebook statement described Beer as a “a super fan that became part of the band,” adding that he expressed an interest fronting the group before the job even became open.
“Beer may as well have been a genuine member of the family,” the band said in its post.
During his time at Hogwild, Beer was a ride-or-die champion of artists he loved whether they played metal, punk or real-deal country, manager Steve Alejandro said. Likewise, he was unafraid to relentlessly mock performers he deemed phony and a waste of his time.
“There was never a dull conversation when it came to talking about music with Beer,” Alejandro said.
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This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.