Supergroup The Defiant made their first network appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night.
The group performed "Dead Language," the lead single off the band's debut 2023 album If We're Really Being Honest.
During the performance, drummer Pete Parada, formerly of The Offspring, donned a shirt reading, "FREE SPEECH IS FOR EVERYONE. EVEN PEOPLE YOU DISAGREE WITH."
The appearance marked the return of frontman Dicky Barrett, formerly of The Mighty Mighty BossToneS, to Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Barrett formerly served as the program's announcer from 2004 until his 2022 departure after vocally opposing the COVID-19 vaccine and other mandates.
The band consists of five former members of previously established bands, including former drummer Parada, former Smash Mouth guitarist Greg Camp, former Street Dogs bassist Johnny Rioux, former member of The Briggs Joey La Rocca on guitar and keys, and lead singer Barrett.
“All I’ve ever really wanted to do is bring people together and share a message of peace, love, and unity,” said Barrett of the supergroup. “With that in mind, the music created by The Defiant could very well be some of the best I’ve ever had a hand in making, as well as one of the most important and thoughtful musical experiences of my career. I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
Parada compared the group’s lineup to the 1927 New York Yankees.
“This project is a real throwback to when albums felt like books, and songs were integral chapters in a story,” he said. “It’s a tribute to the heartbroken, the misunderstood, the lost and found, the isolated, the fighters, the believers, the wildly hopeful and irrationally optimistic.”
“The diversity of the material is great, too. You can hear hints of The Jam, The Pogues, The Specials and Blur. So many different influences make up this project,” Rioux added of The Defiant. “Those influences, along with incredible unifying and biographical lyrics, have resulted in something I’m really excited about.”
“From our similar musical backgrounds and influences to our general life philosophies, we have much in common and a lot to share," La Rocca said.
Parada began his tenure with the Offspring in 2007, though was kicked out of the band in 2021 after similarly refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to having Guillain-Barré syndrome. Parada further noted his doctor advised against taking the vaccination and suggested the medical procedure could lead to further health risks.
Following his departure from the Offspring, Parada partnered with Timcast owner and CEO Tim Pool for a series of songs released by the podcaster.
