Steve Hansgen, a onetime bassist for Minor Threat and a co-producer on Tool’s Opiate EP, has been diagnosed a stage 4 kidney disease.
A GoFundMe has been launched to aid the veteran Washington D.C. musician, who also played with Government Issue in the 1980s and took part in the Youth Brigade reunion in 2012. He’s currently a member of the group Poisonous H.
Hansgen’s girlfriend and Poisonous H bandmate Holly took to social media to share the unfortunate news of Steve’s diagnosis. As Holly explained, despite recently reversing his Type 2 diabetes, Steve’s kidney function had deteriorated greatly. He’s now on dialysis until a donor can be found, as the current waitlist is five years.
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Posted Holly on the Poisonous H Instagram page:
“Bummer to have to post this but as some of you may already know, @steviehansgen needs a kidney transplant. Over the last several years, with my nutritional guidance and his consistent exercise regimen, he was able to reverse his Type 2 Diabetes. Despite being in the best shape of his adult life in 30 years, he found out at the end of last year that his kidney function had deteriorated tremendously. He recently spent several weeks in the hospital and unfortunately is on dialysis 3 times a week now until a kidney donor can be found. (Average wait time for a deceased donor is 5 years, so his best chance of survival is a living donor). I have set up a gofundme to help with some of the financial hardship that is a result of him missing work as well as some of the medical bills and transportation costs to and from dialysis. Link is in our bio. (PS.If you feel called to become a living donor or know of someone who might, or have any questions please reach out to us. It’s been a challenge physically and emotionally and I’m sure Steve would love to hear from you.) Love and appreciate you all! -Holly”
Hansgen’s most notable musical credit was his bass work on Minor Threat’s landmark 1983 EP Out of Step. He became the legendary hardcore band’s bassist in 1982 when original member Brian Baker moved over to guitar, but exited the group a year later when Baker resumed bass duties just prior to the band’s breakup.
He went on to form the short-lived punk band Second Wind before playing bass for Government Issue in 1986. In the 1990s and beyond, he worked as a producer and engineer — co-producing and co-engineering Tool’s Opiate EP with Sylvia Massy — and also played in bands such as Emmapeel and Dot Dash.