The Gories
Encyclopedia
The Gories are an American garage rock
trio that formed in Detroit in 1986. They were among the first 1980s garage punk
bands to incorporate overt blues
influences. The band features Mick Collins
(of The Dirtbombs
), Dan Kroha (of The Demolition Doll Rods
) on guitar and vocals, and Peggy O'Neill on drums.
While the band originally broke up in 1993, the band reformed in July 2009 for a reunion tour across Europe, along with co-headliners The Oblivians. The band reconvened for a second reunion tour in 2010, this time across North America. It is not known at this point whether the band will record new material, or continue to perform live past 2010.
, Dan Kroha, and Peggy O'Neill. The Gories took their name from a band that appeared on the 1960s television show Gidget
. [] At the time they formed the Gories, only Collins had had any musical experience, and they had to teach themselves how to play. [] The Gories released their first album, "Houserockin'," in 1989. The album was allegedly recorded in a Quonset hut. The release had been predated by a cassette-only collection of demos and live recordings, with extremely limited retail distribution in the metro Detroit area. [] The band recorded the followup LP, "I Know You Fine, but How You Doin'," in 1990. They soon signed to the German label Crypt Records
and released "Outta Here." After only three albums, the band suffered an infamous break-up in 1992. Mick Collins
went on to form various bands including Blacktop and The Dirtbombs
, while Dan Kroha joined Rocket 455 and later formed the Demolition Doll Rods
and The Readies. Peggy O'Neill went on to join '68 Comeback
and Darkest Hours
. []
message board, Greg Cartwright
of the Oblivians announced that the Gories and the Oblivians would play reunion shows in Detroit and Memphis, as well as multiple shows across Europe in the summer of 2009.
The Detroit Free Press
reported the reunion on April 1, 2009. http://www.freep.com/article/20090401/ENT04/90331118/1035/rss04 Detroit's free weekly newspaper the Metro Times ran a cover story on the Gories in its June 24, 2009, issue. The Oblivians-Gories show at the Majestic Theater in Detroit on June 26, 2009, featuring WFMU DJ Mr. Fine Wine playing records between acts, sold out.
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
trio that formed in Detroit in 1986. They were among the first 1980s garage punk
Garage punk
Garage punk is a fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced lo-fi music characterized by a dirty, choppy guitar sound—usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned...
bands to incorporate overt blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
influences. The band features Mick Collins
Mick Collins
Mick Collins is a musician from Detroit, Michigan.- Biography :Collins first played in a band called the U-Boats in 1981 and then in the Floor Tasters from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, the 20-year old Collins helped form the seminal garage punk band, The Gories...
(of The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
), Dan Kroha (of The Demolition Doll Rods
Demolition Doll Rods
The Demolition Doll Rods was a three-piece glam / garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan. The band, known for wild stage attire, released its first record in 1994...
) on guitar and vocals, and Peggy O'Neill on drums.
While the band originally broke up in 1993, the band reformed in July 2009 for a reunion tour across Europe, along with co-headliners The Oblivians. The band reconvened for a second reunion tour in 2010, this time across North America. It is not known at this point whether the band will record new material, or continue to perform live past 2010.
History
The Gories were formed in 1986 by metro-Detroit natives Mick CollinsMick Collins
Mick Collins is a musician from Detroit, Michigan.- Biography :Collins first played in a band called the U-Boats in 1981 and then in the Floor Tasters from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, the 20-year old Collins helped form the seminal garage punk band, The Gories...
, Dan Kroha, and Peggy O'Neill. The Gories took their name from a band that appeared on the 1960s television show Gidget
Gidget (TV series)
Gidget is an American sitcom about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as her father. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965 through April 21, 1966...
. [] At the time they formed the Gories, only Collins had had any musical experience, and they had to teach themselves how to play. [] The Gories released their first album, "Houserockin'," in 1989. The album was allegedly recorded in a Quonset hut. The release had been predated by a cassette-only collection of demos and live recordings, with extremely limited retail distribution in the metro Detroit area. [] The band recorded the followup LP, "I Know You Fine, but How You Doin'," in 1990. They soon signed to the German label Crypt Records
Crypt Records
Crypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
and released "Outta Here." After only three albums, the band suffered an infamous break-up in 1992. Mick Collins
Mick Collins
Mick Collins is a musician from Detroit, Michigan.- Biography :Collins first played in a band called the U-Boats in 1981 and then in the Floor Tasters from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, the 20-year old Collins helped form the seminal garage punk band, The Gories...
went on to form various bands including Blacktop and The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
, while Dan Kroha joined Rocket 455 and later formed the Demolition Doll Rods
Demolition Doll Rods
The Demolition Doll Rods was a three-piece glam / garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan. The band, known for wild stage attire, released its first record in 1994...
and The Readies. Peggy O'Neill went on to join '68 Comeback
'68 Comeback
68 Comeback is an American garage rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1992 by singer, songwriter, and musicologist, Jeffrey Evans. For the purposes of the band, Jeffrey Evans is frequently billed as either "Monsieur Evans" or "Monsieur Jeffrey Evans." The group contains a revolving cast of...
and Darkest Hours
Darkest Hours
"Darkest Hours" is a single by power metal band Stratovarius, released on November 24, 2010 through Edel Music and on November 26, 2010 through Victor Entertainment...
. []
The Gories reunion
On September 30, 2008, via the Goner RecordsGoner Records
Goner Records is an independent record label and record store co-owned by Eric Friedl of The Oblivians and Zac Ives and is based in Memphis, Tennessee. It is known for releasing albums by punk and garage rock bands such as the King Khan & BBQ Show and the late Jay Reatard...
message board, Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright
Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. He currently fronts Reigning Sound and lives in Asheville, North Carolina...
of the Oblivians announced that the Gories and the Oblivians would play reunion shows in Detroit and Memphis, as well as multiple shows across Europe in the summer of 2009.
The Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
reported the reunion on April 1, 2009. http://www.freep.com/article/20090401/ENT04/90331118/1035/rss04 Detroit's free weekly newspaper the Metro Times ran a cover story on the Gories in its June 24, 2009, issue. The Oblivians-Gories show at the Majestic Theater in Detroit on June 26, 2009, featuring WFMU DJ Mr. Fine Wine playing records between acts, sold out.
Singles
- Nitroglycerine 7" (New Rose, 1990, new 141/NR 100)
- Here Be The Gories 7" (In The Red RecordsIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
, 1991, ITR 003) - Give Me Some Money 7" (Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
, 1992, SP 134) - Baby Say Unh! 7" (Estrus RecordsEstrus RecordsEstrus Records is an independent record label from Bellingham, Washington that makes surf, garage and trash rock music.They have released such bands as Soledad Brothers, The Drags, The Mummies, Impala, Man or Astro-man?, the Makers, Gas Huffer, The Mooney Suzuki, DMBQ, The Cherry Valence, Midnight...
, 1992, ES 724) - To Find Out 7" (Giant Claw, 1992, GCS-005)
- You Little Nothing 7" (Get Hip RecordsGet Hip RecordsGet Hip Records is an independent Pittsburgh based music label and distributor formed by Gregg Kostelich in 1986. Kostelich used the label to release music by his own band, The Cynics, as well as other local, indie and retro garage rock bands.-Releases:...
, 1995, GH-173) - Again and Again 7" (In the Red RecordsIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
) still unreleased
Splits
- Split 7" with Lord High Fixers (Hate Records, 2000, hate mag #8)
- Split 7" with the Dirtbombs (Fortune Teller Records, 2004, FTP 201)
Albums
- House Rockin' LP/CD (Fanclub Records/New Rose, 1989, NR 340/FC 077)
- I Know You Fine, But How You Doin' LP/CD (New Rose, 1990, ROSE 219)
- Outta Here LP/CD (Crypt RecordsCrypt RecordsCrypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
, 1992, CR-030) - I Know You Be Houserockin' CD (Crypt RecordsCrypt RecordsCrypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
, 1994, CR-CD-04241) (re-release of first 2 records)