The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist

Stiv Bators Steven John Bator (October 22, 1949 – June 4, 1990), known professionally as Stiv Bator and later as Stiv Bators, was an American punk rock vocalist and guitarist from Girard, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands Dead Boys and The Lords ...

, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Zero, bassist Jeff Magnum, lead guitarist

Cheetah Chrome Eugene Richard O'Connor (born February 18, 1955), better known by his stage name Cheetah Chrome, is an American musician who achieved fame as a guitarist for Rocket from the Tombs and the punk rock band Dead Boys. Career Rocket From the Tombs ...

, and drummer

Johnny Blitz John Madansky, known as Johnny Blitz, is a punk rock drummer from Cleveland, Ohio, best known as being a member of the bands Dead Boys and Rocket From The Tombs. With the Dead Boys he helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude of th ...

in 1975, with the later two having splintered from the band Rocket From The Tombs. The original Dead Boys released two studio albums, '' Young Loud and Snotty'', and ''

We Have Come for Your Children ''We Have Come for Your Children'' is the second and final studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Boys. It was recorded and released in 1978, on Sire Records. The recording of the album was problematic for the group and sessions were h ...

''. The Dead Boys were initially active from 1975 to 1980, briefly reuniting a few times in the mid-1980s, and then later again in 2004 and 2005 for the first time without Bators, who had died in 1990. In September 2017, Chrome and Blitz reunited the band with a new line-up for a 40th anniversary tour along with a new album, '' Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40'', a re-recording of their debut album. The new lineup includes vocalist Jake Hout, guitarist Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz and bassist Ricky Rat, alongside Chrome and Blitz.

History

Formation and 1970s punk rock era

Chrome and Blitz joined Cleveland proto-punk band Rocket From The Tombs in late 1974. Chrome invited his friend Steve Bators on stage to sing a few songs at a show in August 1975. This caused most of the other band members to walk off stage and they broke up. Shortly thereafter Bators, Chrome and Blitz recruited Magnum and Zero to form Frankenstein who recorded demos in October but they broke up in January 1976. When the band members relocated to New York City in July 1976, they adopted the Dead Boys moniker which came from a line in the RFTT song "Down in Flames". Moving to New York City at the encouragement of Joey Ramone, the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

' lead singer, the Dead Boys quickly gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances. Lewd gestures and profanity were the norm. On more than one occasion, lead singer

slashed his stomach with his mic stand. Such antics reportedly discouraged the development of a mainstream rock following, despite the relative breadth of their material beyond pure punk. They frequently played at the rock club CBGB (the band was briefly managed by club owner Hilly Kristal) and in 1977 they released their debut album, '' Young, Loud and Snotty'', produced by Genya Ravan. Their song " Sonic Reducer" is often regarded as one of the classics of the punk genre, with AllMusic calling it "one of punk's great anthems." Their second album, ''

'', produced by Felix Pappalardi, was recorded in Miami in early 1978 and released later that year. Sire Records pressured the group to change their look and sound to appeal more to the U.S. mainstream (which had yet to embrace punk on the level seen in the UK) and this contributed to Dead Boys breaking up in 1979. Shortly after returning from Miami Johnny Blitz and a group of his friends got into an altercation on Second Avenue in Manhattan which led to Blitz being stabbed in the chest 5 times. While he was recovering in the hospital a benefit was held for him, at which the Dead Boys performed without him, with John Belushi and former

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...

and

Johnny Thunders John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with ...

& the Heartbreakers drummer Jerry Nolan filling in for him on drums. Several 1979 performances were featured in the 1980 film, '' D.O.A.''. A few months after the breakup the band had to reunite to record a live album and thus fulfill their contractual obligations. To exact revenge on the label, Bators purposely sang off mic and the resulting recording was unusable. When the material eventually surfaced on Bomp! Records, Bators had re-recorded the vocals in a studio. They booked a 1979 - 80 tour but Magnum, then Chrome, Blitz and finally Zero left leaving Bators as the only original member. He recorded his first solo album with the final (until later reunions) Dead Boys lineup.

Bators' and Chrome's subsequent careers

in 1979 Bators recorded some singles, including a cover of "

It's Cold Outside "It's Cold Outside" is a song by the American garage rock band the Choir, written by the Choir's drummer, Dan Klawon, and first released on Canadian-American Records in September 1966. It is considered a classic of the musical genre of garage ...

" by the Choir and a solo album, '' Disconnected'', for BOMP! Records. Bators later joined the Wanders with former members of

Sham 69 Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, achieving five top 20 singles, including "If the Kids Are United" and "Hurry Up Harry". The ...

and shortly thereafter formed Lords of the New Church with Brian James from The Damned and Dave Tregunna from

. They released several albums on IRS Records, including the keyboard-laden hit single "Open Your Eyes" and a cover of " Like a Virgin". After the Dead Boys dissolved,

played around New York City (mostly at

Max's Kansas City Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in Decembe ...

) doing shows with The Stilettos, as well as his own band Cheetah Chrome and the Casualties. He recorded a single for ORK Records, "Still Wanna Die" / "Take Me Home", recorded with Atlantic Records co-founder

Herb Abramson Herbert C. Abramson (November 16, 1916 – November 9, 1999) was an American record executive, record producer, and co-founder of Atlantic Records. Life and career Abramson was born in 1916 to a Jewish family in Brooklyn. He studied to be a den ...

. Shortly thereafter, he played on Ronnie Spector's debut solo album ''Siren''. He appeared on several recordings during the 1980s, and rejoined the Dead Boys for their ill-fated reunions of the late 1980s. In 2003, after the release of ''The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs'', Chrome reformed Rocket from the Tombs with David Thomas, Craig Bell, with Steve Mehlman ( Pere Ubu) on drums and Richard Lloyd (Television) replacing the late

Peter Laughner Peter Laughner (August 22, 1952 – June 22, 1977) was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer. A native of Bay Village, Ohio, Laughner was described by Richie Unterberger as "probably the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleve ...

. This reincarnation of the group toured in 2003 and 2006. In Summer 2003, they entered the studio to record some of the band's old material for the first time. The recordings were released as ''Rocket Redux''. In 2005, the members of Rocket from the Tombs flew to Germany to headline one night (

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...

headlined the other) of the International Punk Kongress in Kassel; then, in 2006, they reconvened in Cleveland, Ohio to write material for a new record. This material became the single "I Sell Soul"/"Romeo and Juliet", released in 2010, and the full-length album ''Barfly'', released in 2011. In early 2010, Chrome formed a short lived band called Batusis with

Syl Sylvain Sylvain Mizrahi (February 14, 1951 – January 13, 2021), known professionally as Sylvain Sylvain, was an American rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls. Early years Sylvain was born in Cairo, Egypt, to a Jewish ...

of the

. They recorded at least 10 songs but released only four on an EP. In September 2010 ''Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale from the Front Lines of Punk Rock'' was published. At the end of a week-long Rocket from the Tomb tour in December 2011, Chrome announced to the band that he had decided to stop touring extensively after 2012. He currently works for Plowboy Records in Nashville, TN, mainly in production and promotion.

Reformation, death of Bators, 40th anniversary tour

The Dead Boys reformed for several gigs in the 1980s. They re-released their first album as ''Younger, Louder and Snottier'' in 1989, mastered from a cassette tape of rough mixes, attributed to a young Bob Clearmountain, a studio assistant at the time. In June 1990, Bators died in France due to injuries sustained after having been hit by a taxi. In September 2004, the remaining members of the band re-formed for a one-off gig in Cleveland. In 2005, they played a benefit show for CBGB and another reunion show on Halloween. On April 25, 2017, Chrome and Blitz played six shows in Canada as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of ''Young, Loud and Snotty''. The band played the record in its entirety. Chrome and Blitz then announced in 2017 that the band would go on a full reunion tour. On September 8, 2017, '' Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40'' was released. The album is a re-recording of their debut album and the first album by the Dead Boys in 39 years. Along with Chrome and Blitz, the tour and album will feature Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz (Bulemics, Sylvain Sylvain and the Sylvains, Cheetah Chrome solo band) on guitar, Ricky Rat (Trash Brats) on bass and vocalist Jake Hout from zombie-themed Dead Boys tribute band the Undead Boys. Chrome said of the tour "With the 40th anniversary of the Dead Boys on the horizon and a solid band that could interpret and deliver the performance and sound needed to maintain the authenticity of the Dead Boys, I reached out to Johnny Blitz about an anniversary tour and he said yes and we began the journey of what would become Still Snotty. I've been singing the Dead Boys songs myself for 20 years because I couldn't find another singer I trusted enough to hand it to. The first gig with Jake, it was like, 'You got it, man!' I think Stiv would be very proud of our choice." A photobook, ''Dead Boys 1977: The Lost Photographs of Dave Treat'', was also released on September 29, 2017.

CBGB movie

In 2013, an American-made motion picture titled '' CBGB'' was released to theaters. Bators is portrayed by actor Justin Bartha, best known for his roles in '' The Hangover'' films and the ''

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...

'' films, while Rupert Grint, best known for his work in the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' film series as Ron Weasley, plays Cheetah Chrome. Chrome also makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Members

Current members *

(Gene O'Connor) – lead guitar (1976–1979, 1987, 2004–2005, 2017–present) * Jake Hout – vocals (2017–present) Former members *

(Steve Bator) – vocals (1976–1979, 1987) *

(John Madansky) –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(1976–1979, 1987, 2004–2005, 2017–2019) * Jimmy Zero (William Wilden) – rhythm guitar (1976–1979, 1987, 2004–2005) *Jeff Magnum (Jeff Halmagy) – bass (1976–1979, 1987, 2004–2005) * Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

(2017–2019) * Ricky Rat –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

(2017–2019)

Discography

The Dead Boys only have three official full-length studio releases, however many labels have released rough material and outtakes in the years following their initial 1979 breakup.

Studio albums

*'' Young, Loud and Snotty'' (1977, Sire Records) *''

'' (1978, Sire) * '' Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40'' (2017, Plowboy Records) **Re-recording of ''Young Loud and Snotty''

Alternate mix albums

*''Younger, Louder and Snottier'' (1997, Bomp!) **Original rough mixes of ''Young, Loud and Snotty'' *''3rd Generation Nation'' (1999,

Bad Boy Production Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good *Error, Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect *Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored tr ...

) **Premix of ''We Have Come for Your Children''

Live albums

*'' Night of the Living Dead Boys'' (1981, Bomp! Records) *''The Return of the Living Dead Boys'' (1987,

Revenge Records Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." P ...

) (Import/France) **Recorded July 22, 1977 at CBGB *''Liver Than You'll Ever Be'' (1988, Various Labels) (Import/Various) **Recorded December 26, 1987 at the Ritz, NYC *''Twistin' on the Devil's Fork: Live At CBGB's'' (1998,

Hell Yeah Records In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict ...

/ Bacchus Records) **Recorded October 2, 1977 and August 31, 1978 at CBGB *''All This and More'' (1998, Bomp!) **Recorded in 1977, November 1 in San Francisco and August 7, 22 and April 7 at CBGB

Singles

7" singles

*" Sonic Reducer" (1977, Sire) *"Tell Me" (1978, Sire) *"Search and Destroy" (1979, live, Revenge) (Import/France) *"Buried Gems" (2000,

Cold Front Records Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

)

12" singles

*"All The Way Down/Nights Are So Long" (1987, Relativity Records 8165) (never released on CD)

DVD

*''Return Of The Living Dead Boys! Halloween Night 1986'' (2008,

MVD Visual The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; russian: Министерство внутренних дел (МВД), ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enfor ...

) *''Live At CBGB's 1977'' (2009, MVD Visual)