Since its formation, the band has gone through various lineup changes, and at one point featured Flea, later a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, on bass.

The classic Fear lineup existed from 1978 to 1982, and was composed of Ving, guitarist Philo Cramer, bassist Derf Scratch, and drummer Spit Stix.

Fear was formed in 1977 by singer/guitarist Lee Ving and bassist Derf Scratch, who recruited guitarist Burt Good and drummer Johnny Backbeat.

Film director Penelope Spheeris met Ving and Stix while they were hanging handbills on telephone poles in Los Angeles on Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

After a brief discussion, she asked if they wanted to be in a documentary about the Los Angeles punk scene,[3] The Decline of Western Civilization (1981).

The film's producers eventually forced Fear off the project, and Belushi got them the infamous SNL gig as compensation.

They ended "Beef Bologna" by saying, "It's great to be in New Jersey", drawing boos from the New York live audience.

The two sides decided the winner of a coin toss would get the publishing rights to the song, which the Paines won.

[2] Eric Feldman (of Captain Beefheart, Pere Ubu, and later PJ Harvey and Frank Black) briefly filled in on bass before he was replaced by Flea.

On July 3, 1983, Fear performed at the "Rock Against Reagan" protest concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. along with the Dead Kennedys, MDC, Toxic Reasons, the Crucifucks and others.

This eventually became the new Fear lineup, including Ving backed by LVA members Sean Cruse (guitar), Scott Thunes (bass) and Andrew Jaimez (drums).

[19] In 2018, the band reunited with Cramer and Stix, and added former AFI bassist Geoff Kresge and Henchmen guitarist Eric Razo to the lineup.

The lineup consisted of Ving, Stix, Kresge, and Razo, in addition to songwriting contributions from Cramer.