Maillist
FOCUS ON: Devil Dogs
- Official Website >>
- Label: Sympathy For the Record Industry >>
- Genre: Garage Rock
New York City...1988. Guitarists Andy Gortler (The Fabulous Andy G. to you) and Pete Ciccone emerge bloodied but unbowed from a stint with The Thugs.
New York City...1988. Guitarists Andy Gortler (The Fabulous Andy G. to you) and Pete Ciccone emerge bloodied but unbowed from a stint with The Thugs. Andy and Pete bring Joey Psycho into the fold to complete the TRIPLE-GUITAR attack. The three go searchin the bars for bass and drums, and come up with Steve Baise (bass) and Eric Tretbar (drums) to complete the line-up of The Rat Bastards. They create quite a stir in the NYC scene of the time, with their killer 60s garage covers like the Count Fives "Double Decker Bus" and the Remains "Dont Look Back". Pete C. runs Joey Psycho out of the band (Joey says he quit, unaware that Pete was trying to get him ousted from the band anyway) - Eric Tretbar also leaves and is replaced by Paul Corio. The newly reformed Rat Bastards continue to play all over NYC with other like-minded bands, such as The Raunch Hands and The A-Bones. In late 88, Crypt Records (home of raw, paint-peelin rock and roll) asks the band to record a full-length album, which they do with Billy Childish (of Thee Headcoats, The Milkshakes, etc.) twisting the knobs. Half the band (that would be the Pete/Paul half) is unhappy with the results and the whole thing is RE-RECORDED (what a pain in the ass!), this time with Mike Mariconda (of The Raunch Hands) producing. The dissatisfied half of the band isnt any happier with the new recordings, so the two camps split - Pete goes on to form the Vacant Lot. Andy G. and Steve Baise get drummer Paul to come back and finish the record, they rechristen themselves The Devil Dogs, and the record FINALLY comes out in late 89.
Although the band (minus Paul, who joined the Vacant Lot) tours Europe and gigs relentlessly behind the new record, it is ignored by pretty much everyone. A string of drummers drift in and out of the band before you can remember their names, but the line-up finally solidifies with the addition of Dave Ari, skin-pounder extraordinaire. In February of 90 The Devil Dogs record Big Beef Bonanza!, their second Crypt release. The 8-song disc includes original classics "North Shore Bitch" and "Cheesecake", as well as rippin covers of The Shadows of Knights "Im Gonna Make You Mine" and Freddy Cannons "Palisades Park". Bonanza! sells fairly well in Europe (where people actually APPRECIATE rock and roll), but doesnt do dick here in America. The Dogs tour Europe and even Japan (thanks to 1+2 Records). When they return, Dave Ari leaves the band to go to law school and is replaced by Mighty Joe Vincent. The new line-up tours America for the first time.
When the boys get back to NYC (May 91) they record their third full-length platter, We Three Kings, which contains The Devil Dogs classics "Baby Im A King", "Get In Line", and "Get Out" among others. The band tours Europe AGAIN! And THEN, in March 93, the mother of all Devil Dogs albums is recorded at Egg Studios in Seattle. Im talking about Saturday Night Fever, which is hailed by just about everyone as no less than a modern classic. If you ever feel like having a rockin good time, you need do no more than put this on the turntable or CD player and crank it up - instant party! It is released on LP on Crypt and on CD on Sympathy For The Record Industry. The Dogs then proceed to pillage Europe and Japan one last time before returning to America and splitting up in December 1994.
Now back to the present...its 2002. Things have changed a lot...the once-ignored Devil Dogs are now legends in the garage-rock scene. It is my belief that they, along with Teengenerate and New Bomb Turks, are responsible for the current state of the international garage-punk scene (that is, hordes of young bands aping the aforementioned three, trying to out-loud, out-fast, and out-raunch them...without much success!). The three members of The Devil Dogs are still active in various musical projects, and Andy G. and Steve have gotten back together (with Dave Ari on drums) twice to play gigs as the Devil Dogs, once at Upstairs At Nicks in Philadelphia (Halloween 98) and once at the Continental in NYC (New Years Eve 98). Pictures from both of these shows can be found on the images page. These gigs were just for kicks - the band is most definitely NOT gettin back together!
