DumDum Boys are a Norwegian

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band from

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

. They are one of the most successful Norwegian rock acts of all time, and are considered one of the "four great" bands who popularized modern rock with Norwegian lyrics in the mid-to-late 1980s (along with

Jokke & Valentinerne Joachim Nielsen (8 September 1964 – 17 October 2000), better known as Jokke, was a Norwegian rock musician and poet. He was the frontman of Norwegian rock band Jokke & Valentinerne, the brother of cartoonist Christopher Nielsen, and son of the ...

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and

DeLillos deLillos is a Norwegian poprock band formed in Oslo in 1984. They are generally regarded as one of the "Four Greats" in modern Norwegian pop music, i.e. one of the four 1980s groups that founded a new tradition for rock music with lyrics in Nor ...

). Before breaking into the mainstream they were known as a punk rock act under the name Wannskrækk.

History

Wannskrækk (1979–1985)

DumDum Boys started in the late 1970s as a punk rock act under the name ''Wannskrækk'', inspired by acts such as Lasse Myrvold and

The Aller Værste! The Aller Værste! (1979–1981) was a Norwegian rock band from Bergen, that was awarded Spellemannprisen for the album '' Materialtretthet'' (1980). Biography The Aller Værste! was influenced and inspired by punk, new wave, ska and regga ...

, who pioneered punk rock with Norwegian lyrics. They played gigs extensively in Trondheim and gained a cult following. They released two singles, ''Faen Kuler Treffer Aldri Riktig'' (1981) and " ...12"... " (1982), and one live album, ''Wannskrækk/Liliedugg - Last Opera/Live Ritz Trondheim 12. juni 84 ''. In 1992 a compilation album was released, "Wannskrækk - Riff (1980-1985)" which consisted of released and unreleased material from that period.

DumDum Boys (1985)

In 1985 Wannskrækk adopted a more mainstream, rock sound and took the name ''DumDum Boys'' (after a song by

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

and

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

). The following year, they released their first single "Sorgenfri".

''Blodig Alvor'' (1988)

Their first album, ''Blodig Alvor'' (1988) broke into the sales charts at #14. The album received the Spellemannprisen for best rock record of the year.

''Splitter Pine'' and ''Pstereo'' (1989–1990)

Their second album ''Splitter Pine'', was released in 1989, which also received a Spellemann award, and was certified gold. The third album ''Pstereo'', released in 1990, also received the award.

1990–2018

From 1990 to 2012 DumDum Boys has released eight albums, of which six reached #1, one #2, and one #7 on the Norwegian charts. In 2011 they played a special concert as ''Wannskrækk'' at the music festival Øyafestivalen in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. Their latest release, the 2018 album "Armer og Bein" went straight to #1.

Discography

Albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

EPs

*1986: ''Bapshuari'' (EP)

DVDs

*2004: ''DumDum Boys i Dødens Dal'' (live, DVD)

Notes

References

{{Authority control Norwegian rock music groups Spellemannprisen winners Musical groups established in 1985 1985 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Trondheim