The career of Sherman Jones is a four-decade testament to the enduring power of community, passion, and the raw, uncompromised ethics of old-school heavy metal. As the co-founder of the thrash band Insecticide and the daily proprietor of Cideshow Studios, Jones is less a businessman and more the “fuel” that drives the Los Angeles music scene, cultivating a space that feels like a second home. Jones has cemented his legacy as a vital figure in the indie thrash movement, continually keeping the aggressive sound alive in the underground. | By Teresa Coben | Photo Archive Courtesy of Cideshow Studios – Gina Marie Cercone
Jones’s roots run deep in the LA underground, tracing back to the 1980s. He began collecting records around age 13 and was attending shows by the late 70s. By 1986, he was actively connecting with bands on Metal Blade Records like Savage, Blood Lust, Menenhall, and Holy Terror. Critically, Jones personally witnessed the original, legendary lineups of bands like Metallica (with Dave Mustaine), Motörhead, and Iron Maiden, whose blistering sound would shape his own path. In 1986, he and his best friend, Gimme (Brian Smith), co-founded Insecticide. As metal transitioned into thrash, Jones and Gimme gained a reputation for aggressive self-reliance. Gimme, recalling the sheer ambition of their early touring days, notes that Insecticide was the “only band he ever knew that could tour the United States on a demo”. Gimme recalled the audacity of their early venture: “We toured on a demo. It was really unheard of back then”. This spirit of a “go getter” was a huge source of inspiration for other bands in their scene.
Jones’s commitment to the underground is evident in his ideological ties to the pioneering spirit of Motörhead and its iconic frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. By adopting the crucial dual roles of both Vocalist and Bassist in Insecticide, Jones created a “structural homage” that directly mirrors Lemmy’s defining configuration, prioritizing a dense, aggressive, bass-led rhythmic attack over the typical guitar-hero template. This wasn’t accidental: Jones was an ex-member of Hirax, a canonical crossover/thrash band whose style was explicitly catalyzed by the influence of Motörhead and Venom, operating under what is called the “Motörhead school of thought and consistency”. This ideological lineage positions Jones as a direct heir to the speed metal blueprint. Longtime friend Mike Trujillo, who met Jones in the thick of the 80s scene, draws a direct comparison to the Motörhead icon: “To me He’s no different than say, Lemmy or guys like that that really took hold of the scene, embraced it and made it again, where it was exciting for people”. Trujillo further clarifies Jones’s value, saying, “He never shies away from a conversation” and is one of the “ultimate people persons that I’ve ever met”. He describes Jones as a “remarkable, good community organizer”.
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