The Gruesomes are a Canadian
garage punk
A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include:
*Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...
band from
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada, that formed in 1985.
The band gained recognition following the 1986 release of their debut album, ''Tyrants of Teen Trash'' (
Og Music), which led to an "
underground
Underground most commonly refers to:
* Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth
Underground may also refer to:
Places
* The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston
* The Underground ...
" following in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
(US) and Canada. Subsequent releases increased their
fan base and, after periods of
touring, the band established itself within the global garage music scene.
History
With no previous musical experience, Bobby Beaton (guitar and vocals),
Gerry Alvarez (guitar and vocals), John Davis (bass) and Davis' brother, Eric Davis (drums), were all between the ages of 16 and 19 when they began playing music together. The four teenagers were primarily inspired by long nights spent in their parents' basement watching TV and listening to obscure mid-60s records. Taking their name from the
scary neighbours on TV's ''
The Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'', the Gruesomes developed an image of matching black turtlenecks,
Beatle boots
A Beatle boot or Baba boot is a style of boot that has been worn since the late 1950s but made popular by the English rock group the Beatles in the 1960s. The boots are a variant of the Chelsea boot: they are tight-fitting, High-heeled footwea ...
and bowl haircuts, combining it with a "snotty"
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
musical style. Early live shows relied more on the group's energy and humour than actual musical ability; however, the Gruesomes proceeded to become a popular club act, despite their inexperience.
Og records
Within a year of forming, the Gruesomes recorded their debut
LP for Og Records, an
independent music label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
based in Montreal. In 1986, ''Tyrants of Teen Trash'', a collection of primitive teen
anthems, was released and fared well in the European and North American markets. In their home country of Canada, the album was often in the number one position on
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
playlists. The band's follow-up releases, also on Og, 1987's ''Gruesomania'' and 1988's ''Hey!'', were also well-received and established the band as one of Canada's biggest selling underground acts.
Live shows
Famous for their wild stage presence, the Gruesomes toured Canada and the US accompanied by a reputation for legendary live shows. Always taking an
irreverent
''Irreverent'' is an Australian drama television miniseries that was released on 30 November 2022 on Peacock in the United States and on 4 December 2022 on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. ''Irreverent'' follows the story of an American cr ...
approach to music, the Gruesomes were known for their humor and
goofy stage antics. Their famous
Halloween shows were
schlock tributes to horror themes, incorporating
camp
Camp may refer to:
Outdoor accommodation and recreation
* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
* a temporary settlement for nomads
* Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
props such as coffins and
Dracula capes. In 1987, following the release of ''Gruesomania'',
Ottawa's John Knoll replaced Eric Davis on drums and the band subsequently developed a harder, more polished Garage Punk sound.
Music videos
The Gruesomes released two
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
s: 1987's "Way Down Below" and 1988's
Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
-inspired, "Hey!". Both clips received
heavy rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely ...
on Canada's video station
MuchMusic.
Dissolution
The Gruesomes ceased operation as a band in 1990 and it is reported that the members believed that they had achieved the highest level of success that was possible for an underground musical act.
Reformation
In late 1999, the Gruesomes reformed to coincide with the release of a new album, ''Cave-In!''. A 14-track CD was released in Canada, whilst the album was sold as a
12" vinyl record in Germany. The tour to support ''Cave-In!'' was primarily driven by popular demand and resulted in the band playing shows in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium.
The Gruesomes have since played many shows including Cavestomp in New York City (2000), The Funtastic Dracula Carnival in Benidorm, Spain(2017), Wild O'Fest in Mexico City (2018), and the Spider Monkey Festival in San José, Costa Rica in 2019. The Gruesomes are still active performing around the world
Discography
Singles and EPs
* "Jack The Ripper" (1986) (Primitive Records)
** reissued in 2009 by (
Fuzz Overdose Records)
* "Unchained!" (1987) (Primitive Records)
* "Someone Told A Lie/Make Up Your Mind" (2020) (Calico Wally)
Albums
* ''
Tyrants of Teen Trash'' (1986) (
Og Music)
** reissued in 2008 by (
Ricochet Sound)
** reissued in 2012 by (
Groovie Records)
* ''
Gruesomania'' (1987) (Og Music)
** reissued in 2008 by (
Ricochet Sound)
* ''
Hey!'' (1988) (Og Music)
** reissued in 2009 by (
Ricochet Sound)
* ''
Cave-in!!'' (2000) (
Tyrant Records)
** Issued in 2000 by (
Jaguar Club Records)
** reissued in 2007 by (
Ricochet Sound)
* ''
Gruesomology 1985-89'' (2003) (
Sundazed Music
Sundazed Music is an American independent record label based in Coxsackie, New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2000, Sundazed had a staff of 15 and two mixing studios, including a vintage audio ...
)
* ''
Live in Hell'' (2007) (Ricochet Sound)
Compilations/Gruesomes solo projects
* ''Gruesomology 1985-89'' (2003) (Sundazed Records)
* ''Fuad and The Feztones - In the Valley of the Kings(7"/EP)(2002) (Ricochet Sound)
* ''Gerry Alvarez Odyssey - Candy Prankster'' (2006) (Ricochet Sound)
* ''Fuad & the Feztones - Beeramid (2008) (Ricochet Sound)
* ''Gerry Alvarez Odyssey - Omega Tea Time'' (2010) (Ricochet Sound)
Music videos
* ''Way Down Below''
* ''Hey!''
See also
*
Music of Canada
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been ...
*
Music of Quebec
Like many cosmopolitan cities, Quebec is a home for all genres of music. From folk music to hip hop, music has always played an important role in Quebecer culture. In the 1920s and '30s singer/songwriter Madam Bolduc performed comedic songs in ...
*
Canadian rock
Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada, beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern ...
*
List of Canadian musicians
This is a list of Canadian musicians. Only notable individuals appear here; bands are listed at List of bands from Canada.
0-9
*347aidan - rapper
A
* Lee Aaron – jazz and rock singer-songwriter, also known as "Metal Queen"
*Abdominal – hi ...
*
List of bands from Canada
*
:Canadian musical groups
References
External links
Where Are They Now?October 2005 ''
Montreal Mirror
''Montreal Mirror'' or just ''Mirror'' was a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which was distributed every Thursday. It had a circulation of 70,000 and reached a quarter of a million readers per week.
...
'' interview.
The Gruesomes , Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, VideosThe Gruesomes Myspace website.
"The Ruckus" audio interview with John Davis, Bobby Beaton and Gerry Alvarez from February, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruesomes, The
Musical groups established in 1985
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
Musical groups reestablished in 1999
Canadian indie rock groups
Canadian punk rock groups
Garage punk groups
Canadian garage rock groups
Musical groups from Montreal
English-language musical groups from Quebec
1985 establishments in Canada