The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy melodies, harmony vocals, and pop music, pop song structures, with a speedy punk guitar attack. This musical approach is paired with a humorous style and has been labelled "
pop-punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
" or "bubble-gum punk". The band have sometimes been referred to as "the clown princes of punk".
History
Formation and early years (1977–1979)
Eventual Dickies vocalist Leonard Graves Phillips was a self-described celibate, "introverted character" in the period following high school. He played keyboards in his bedroom and, together with friend Bob Davis (later
Chuck Wagon
A chuckwagon is a type of field kitchen covered wagon historically used for the storage and transportation of food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. Such wagons formed part of a wagon train of settlers or fed ...
), created a type of music that Phillips describes as "autism rock", similar to
Devo
Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...
, though not as good. Another friend of Phillips was Steve Hufsteter, a former junior high school and high school class mate. The latter figure was the guitarist and main songwriter for local
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
band the Quick, and was giving guitar lessons to Stan Lee (born Stan Sobol). Although Hufsteter thought highly of Phillips' keyboard playing, it was his opinion that Phillips becoming vocalist for the band Lee was starting would be good for his friend's social well being. Phillips intentionally sabotaged his first audition, but realizing his mistake, aggressively entreated Lee for another chance. That audition was successful. Singing for the Dickies had its intended effect for Phillips, causing him to break out of his shell, and improving his confidence with women.
As a teenager, Stan Lee was a drug buddy of
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 ...
, once accepting the well known "leopard" jacket that the latter wore in
the Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
as payment for heroin. Surprisingly, it was not hanging out with Iggy Pop that pushed Lee into joining the nascent punk scene, but rather it was the experience of going with eventual Dickies bassist Billy Club (Bill Remar) to see The Damned on their first American tour that proved most influential. Exposure to the music of
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 ...
and
the Weirdos
The Weirdos are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1975, split-up in 1981, re-grouped in 1986 and have remained semi-active ever since. Critic Mark Deming calls them "quite simply, one of the best and bright ...
was seminal as well. Prior to deciding on a punk rock direction, Lee had begun to learn guitar, at the urging of friend
Kevin DuBrow
Kevin Mark DuBrow (October 29, 1955 – November 19, 2007) was an American singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until 1987, and again from 1993 until his death in 2007.
Early life, photography ...
, with the ambition of becoming a
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guitar ...
-like virtuoso. His teacher, Huffsteter, suggested that playing punk was a more practical idea, and by way of convincing, provided Lee with his initial introduction to the music of the Ramones. Lee and Club rounded out their initial punk band lineup with Phillips, multi-instrumentalist Chuck Wagon, and drummer Karlos Kaballero (Carlos Caballero), who came up with the name "Dickies" (Lee preferred "the Imbeciles"), and the band made their live debut at the
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boul ...
in September 1977. The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles. They were the first
California punk
Since the mid-1970s, California has had thriving regional punk rock movements. It primarily consists of bands from the Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, Alameda Count ...
band to appear on
network television
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
( C.P.O. Sharkey), and the first California punk band to be signed to a
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
(
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
).
The book ''Going Underground: American Punk Rock 1979–1989'' describes the Dickies in the context of the early L.A. punk scene. Its author contends that the Dickies were "the best musicians on the scene and made good use of their talents". Also described is an early gig at
the Masque
The Masque was a small punk rock club in central Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California which existed from 1977 to 1978. It is remembered as a key part of the early LA punk scene.
History
The Masque was founded by Scottish-American rock ...
in 1977. An opening band was so incompetent that "some punks turned a fire hose on them". The Dickies came out next, looking like "normal suburban nerds". The band "erupted in a tight, jackhammer, speed-of-light assault" of "ferocious... goofball comedy punk" which inspired manic punk rock dancing ("bodies carooming off each other"). The author claims that the Dickies' subsequent record contract caused jealousy among other bands, some of whom would say that the Dickies were only in it for money. This belief is contrasted with the Dickies actual stated primary goal of being written about in
Slash (fanzine)
''Slash'' was a punk rock-related fanzine published by Steve Samiof and Melanie Nissen in the United States from 1977 to 1980. The magazine was a large-format tabloid focused on the Los Angeles punk scene. The fanzine also gave birth to Slash R ...
.
The band's A&M record deal came about after that label sacked the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
, one of two labels to do so in what manager
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provoc ...
would later describe as "
the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'' is a 1980 British mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas. It centres on the British punk rock band Sex Pistols and, most prominently, their manager Malcolm Mc ...
", wherein that band would behave poorly, and be booted off a label while keeping the signing money. The label wanted a replacement punk band that was more manageable (or at least less notorious), and sent a representative to see the Dickies on the set of C.P.O. Sharky. This was followed up by a showcase at the Whisky, and some assertive bluster by Stan Lee, which, along with the enthusiastic efforts of true-believing manager John Hewlett (who also managed Sparks), led to the Dickies landing the record deal. The two albums that the band recorded for the label,
The Incredible Shrinking Dickies
''The Incredible Shrinking Dickies'' is the debut studio album by the California punk band The Dickies. It peaked at #18 on the UK album charts. The album includes the group's cover of Black Sabbath's " Paranoid," which reached No. 45 in the UK ...
(1979) and Dawn of the Dickies (1979) are influential, well regarded early punk records, and were modestly successful commercially (the former peaked at #18 on the UK album charts).
The Dickies had a string of successful singles in the UK, twice making the top 40. They had a Top 10
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
with their speedy punk cover of the theme song to a children's show with "
Banana Splits (Tra La La Song) "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" is a 1968 pop song, which was the theme song for the children's television program '' The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''.CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records Origin ...
" in 1979, and reached the top 40 again with their cover of "
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...
" (1979). Their punk rendition of "
Silent Night
"Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...
" charted at #47 in December 1978, while their cover of "
Paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
" peaked at #45, in 1979. The band, which has claimed to have sold "a million singles" in England, credits their popularity in that country to being perceived as a "teeny pop" punk band that appealed to the younger siblings of punk rockers.
Their career off to a fast start, the Dickies would tour Europe 5 times between 1978 and 1980, pausing to play
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
on May 3, 1979.
Post A&M (1980–1989)
Guitarist
A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...
/
keyboardist
A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...
/
saxophonist
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
/
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
Chuck Wagon
A chuckwagon is a type of field kitchen covered wagon historically used for the storage and transportation of food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. Such wagons formed part of a wagon train of settlers or fed ...
(born Bob Davis) released a solo recording, more
synth pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
than punk rock, entitled "Rock 'N' Roll Won't Go Away" (A&M, 1979). Wagon, who was known for his energetic and entertaining antics at Dickies shows (such as running in a circle around his keyboard, or wearing an
afro
The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...
wig while playing saxophone), has been said to have become troubled over time, and dissatisfied with punk rock and the Dickies. He left the band at one point, planning to pursue his solo career, but reunited with the Dickies for a number of concerts. He committed suicide, shooting himself at his parents' home after a Dickies show, and died in a hospital the next day, on June 28, 1981. The LA Times has called this event "the most sobering moment in Dickies history."
Wagon's death, and drug issues among surviving members, slowed down the Dickies initial momentum considerably starting the 1980s, with John Hewlett being fired as manager and the A&M contract expiring during this period. However, Phillips and Lee have kept the band playing and recording, at times sporadically, at other times more actively, until the present day, achieving venerable, "pop punk godfather" status along the way.
During lulls between activity, the band would occasionally play locally around L.A. to earn a paycheck. But steadier work would come, supported by concerts on both US coasts (and occasionally in between), the UK, and elsewhere. In addition to work on several motion pictures, the band would, over time, record albums for labels like
PVC Records Passport Records was a U.S.-based independent record label that existed between 1973 and 1988. It was notable for popularizing such artists as Larry Fast, FM, Richard Barone, and Wendy O. Williams. It was distributed by Jem Records in the United ...
(
Stukas Over Disneyland
''Stukas Over Disneyland'' is the third studio album by punk rock band The Dickies, released in 1983.
The album includes covers of The Quick's "Pretty Please Me" and Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown." The cover art illustrates the albu ...
), ''Restless Brand Records'' (
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
''Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only movi ...
),
Enigma Records
Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
History
Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/dis ...
(
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
),
Triple X Records
Triple X Records was a Los Angeles-based record company started by three former employees of the bankrupt Greenworld Distribution: Dean Naleway, Peter Heur and Charley Brown.
The label was known for "a fearlessly eclectic catalogue that broke away ...
( Idjit Savant and ''Dogs from the Hare that Bit Us'') and
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
(
All This and Puppet Stew
''All This and Puppet Stew'' is the sixth and latest studio album by the Los Angeles punk rock band the Dickies, released in 2001 on Fat Wreck Chords. While the band remains a touring entity, ''All This and Puppet Stew'' is their last studio album ...
).
After having had their first two albums released within a 9-month span, there was a nearly four-year gap before the release of ''Stukas Over Disneyland'' (1983). The influential punk
zine
A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to writ ...
Maximum Rocknroll
''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly zine of punk subculture. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and hardcore music, and primarily featur ...
published an enthusiastic review of this album, with writer Steve Spinali asserting that "The Dickies' first vinyl in almost four years ranks up there near their previous funnypunk triumphs. Most of the eight songs here veer toward amphetamine pop, with irresistible layered choruses to boot.... buoyant and entertaining as hell!"
On March 5, 1985, the Dickies were one of a number of California punk bands to play a very unexpected benefit show; other bands on the bill included the Circle Jerks,
the Vandals
The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...
Cypress College
Cypress College is a public community college in Cypress, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and belongs to the North Orange County Community College District. It offers a variety of general education (55 associ ...
Keith Morris
Keith Morris (born September 18, 1955) is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the hardcore punk bands Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and Off!. Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, he formed Black Flag at the ...
from the Jerks both stated that they were doing it out of fondness for the other bands on the bill, and because it was a paying gig (despite being a benefit). Both denied having political motivations for doing the show, and in fact wished for their respective bands to not be associated with politics. As to the show's organizers, one stated that there was a motivation to show their fellow college Republicans that punk was nothing to be afraid of, and to encourage them to have fun, since after all “(the college is in) Orange County, a predominantly conservative area, and a lot of punks come from conservative families.... (and) a lot of them think Orange County is good."
Live footage of the Dickies in concert was aired on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
in 1985, as they were co-featured along with G.B.H. in a concert special entitled ''Punks and Poseurs: A Journey Through the Los Angeles Underground'', which also featured interviews with fans, as well as figures like
Pleasant Gehman
Pleasant Gehman is an American author, writer, poet, actress, dancer and musician from Los Angeles.
Career
In the 1980s, she was the singer for the punk rock band Screamin' Sirens.
Her articles on rock 'n' roll, American pop culture, sex, ...
and Iris Berry.
In 1986, cassette-only label
ROIR
ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper.
Background
ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...
released a Dickies live compilation entitled ''We Aren't the World''. It contains performances from 7 different Dickies concerts, ranging in vintage from 1977 to 1985, and from regions ranging from NY (
C.B.G.B.
CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village, Manhattan, East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for ''country music, Country' ...
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to the
U.K.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
Among the bands that the Dickies shared bills with between 1985 and 1987 are
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...
,
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
,
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 ...
Thelonious Monster
Thelonious Monster is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, led by singer-songwriter Bob Forrest and named after jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Active from 1984 to 1994, again from 2004 to 2011, and reforming a second time in ...
,
Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist ...
, and Murphy's Law.
In 1988, the Dickies wrote and performed the theme song for the cult classic horror film
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
''Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only movi ...
, which also became the title track for a Dickies ep released that year. It was produced by Ron Hitchcock, and was the debut of drummer Cliff Martinez who had recently played with the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
,
The Weirdos
The Weirdos are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1975, split-up in 1981, re-grouped in 1986 and have remained semi-active ever since. Critic Mark Deming calls them "quite simply, one of the best and bright ...
, and
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...
. Martinez played with the Dickies from 1988 to 1994, and on albums such as Second Coming, Locked N' Loaded Live in London, and Idjit Savant.
Also in 1988, The Dickies appeared in the comedic motion picture 18 Again!, starring
George Burns
George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...
. In the movie, Burns' 81 year old character switches consciousnesses/souls with his 18-year-old grandson. In one scene, the octogenarian-turned-teenager accompanies a teenaged girl to a punk club, where the Dickies perform "You drive me ape (you big gorilla)". The whole song is performed, at times in the foreground, at times in the background. Closeups of Phillips wearing an ape mask (as is his penchant during live performances of the song), and
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
-like rope swinging by the singer, are featured.
A gap of 5 years between studio albums number 3 and 4 having elapsed (notwithstanding the ''Killer Klowns'' EP), a writer at the
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
was led to connect the title of their 1989
long player
The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
, ''Second Coming'', to the band's "comeback status". The writer noted that this album had some
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
-like melodicism and some "art-rock aspirations", while retaining the Dickies' characteristic punk "silliness". The writer also noted that the Dickies would be undertaking a national tour supporting the release.
The close of the decade saw the third Dickies-involved motion picture. In the opening minutes of the 1989 skateboard drama ''
Gleaming the Cube
''Gleaming the Cube'' (also known as ''A Brother's Justice'' and ''Skate or Die''; released in the Philippines as ''Challenge to Win Again'') is a 1989 American neo-noir film directed by Graeme Clifford and starring Christian Slater as Brian Kelly ...
'', starring
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
, Slater's character Brian is seen flying in a small airplane over Disneyland, along with 4 friends and the pilot, when the 5 skaters sing a line from the chorus of "Stukas over Disneyland". The song, which the characters would later listen to in a bedroom, is also featured on the soundtrack.
During the pop punk revival (1990–1999)
The Dickies toured Europe in 1990 for the first time in a decade. Upon their arrival on the continent, meeting fans provided evidence to band members of their enduring popularity despite their ten year absence. They have returned regularly since then, including participation in multi-band punk rock festivals.
In 1990, the Dickies wrote another theme song for a motion picture. This time it was for Lucas Reiner's time travel comedy film '' Spirit of 76'', which stars
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother, Shirley Jones), in t ...
,
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett (born Leif Per Nervik; November 8, 1961) is an American singer, actor, and television personality. He worked as a child actor, then in the 1970s became famous as a teen idol in music. He later received much publicity for his drug ...
,
Devo
Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...
, and Red Kross.
1991 saw the release of another live Dickies album, this one entitled ''Live In London - Locked 'N' Loaded'', put out by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
label ''Rebel Rec.'' It was recorded at ''the Dome'' in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on October 11, 1990.
On June 4, 1993 the Dickies headlined a one day festival called the ''
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
Mega Jam''. Other acts on the bill included Green Day (a half year before the release of their breakthrough
Dookie
''Dookie'' is the third studio album and the major label debut by American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late 1993 at Fantasy ...
album),
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
, and
the Didjits
The Didjits were an American punk rock band formed in Mattoon, Illinois in 1983, composed of Rick Sims (a.k.a. Rick Prot5) on guitar/vocals, Doug Evans on bass, and Rick's brother Brad Sims, on drums. Didjits were known for the aggressive guita ...
. Also in 1993, the band released a 3 song EP entitled ''Road Kill'' on Triple X Records.
In addition to whatever personal issues the Dickies had to cope with in the middle part of their career, there was also the commercial challenge of the decline of the original punk scene, replaced by
post punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
,
college rock
College rock was the alternative rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream ...
, underground
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
, and, eventually,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, none of which provided the Dickies with a suitable milieu. Therefore, the profile of the band was uplifted with the rise of California pop punk in the 1990s, with successful bands like
the Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
and
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
citing the Dickies as an influence. Leonard Phillips noted in a 1994 interview that "We are being recognized in a mainstream way again."
One outgrowth of the revived attention given the Dickies, and attempts by interviewers to connect them to the current scene, was a minor feud with
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
. This resulted from a misunderstood joke from the Dickies camp, often repeated (it was a stock answer to a frequent question), saying the multi-platinum selling Green Day should support their forbears by "passing the hat" at a stadium gig to fund a punk rock retirement home. One shortened version of this idea had Stan Lee saying "they should just write us a check", which was interpreted as Green Day ripping the Dickies off. This led to salty quotes from the former band directed at the Dickies in an issue of ''
Guitar World
''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'', which Leonard Phillips describes as being " WWF" style: the Dickies are "the most bitter old bastards", who are "just another Ramones rip-off". Apparently it blew over, as Green Day bassist
Mike Dirnt
Michael Ryan Pritchard (born May 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and former guitarist of Green Day. He has also played in seve ...
would attend Dickies shows after this, and was friendly in his interactions with them.
By the time of ''Idjit Savant'' (1994), the Dickies had released their third consecutive album which followed a prolonged recording hiatus, at least with respect to studio LPs. About this state of affairs, Leonard Phillips told the
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
"every few years, it's me and Stan against the world with three new faces behind us." Axl Rosenberg of
MetalSucks
MetalSucks is a heavy metal music-themed news website. The site features reviews, interviews, information on latest metal releases and blog-like posts from the writers, most notably Vince Neilstein and Axl Rosenberg.
History
The site was foun ...
wrote of ''Idjit Savant'' that it is "one of the best pop-punk albums of all time", superior to American Idiot. He also noted that it was recorded during a time of dour
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
and angry
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
music, and called the Dickies album possibly "the feel good album of the 90’s". The Dickies toured with
Gwar
Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. After th ...
in the fall of '94 supporting this release.
The holiday compilation ''Punk Rock Xmas'' (1995) by
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus.
History
Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
includes the Dickies version of "
Silent Night
"Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...
". Other artists on the collection include
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 ...
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
, and
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...
. A compilation that the Dickies were "conspicuously" absent from, however, was Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits (1996). This compilation featured alternative and punk bands covering songs from cartoons.
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
labeled the Dickies "the kings of the genre", and noted they had already covered three of the album's songs; a fourth, "
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
", the theme song for a comic character which is a frequent visual motif of Stan Lee's guitars and stage apparel, went to a band the Dickies shared many concert bills with- the Ramones.
Jonathan Melvoin
Jonathan David Melvoin (December 6, 1961 – July 12, 1996) was an American musician, active in the 1980s and 1990s.
Early life
He was the son of Constance (née Ives) and Mike Melvoin, keyboardist for The Wrecking Crew, and brother of ...
, who played drums on ''Idjit Savant'', died of a
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
overdose on July 12, 1996 in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, aged 34, while on
tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
playing
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
for the
Smashing Pumpkins
Smash may refer to:
People
* Smash (wrestler) (born 1959), professional wrestler
* Moondog Rex, another professional wrestler who briefly wrestled as the original Smash, before being replaced by the above.
* DJ Smash, DJ and music producer
Art, ...
.
A reviewer for a November 1998 Dickies concert in
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
suggested that most attendees were old school punks wearing "vintage leather jackets" and "buttons that could be artifacts at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". The writer quotes Leonard Phillips as sarcastically indicating his willingness to court a younger crowd by rebranding the Dickies as an "alternative" punk rock band.
The Dickies closed out the decade by recording an all-covers album, ''Dogs From the Hare That Bit Us''.
Jack Rabid
''The Big Takeover'' is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.
History Establishment
Jack Rabid and Dave Stein began publishing ''The Big Takeover'' in May 1980 as a fanzine dedicated to N ...
, noting that the Dickies had a long history of recording covers, some of which are "terrific", gave this release a very favorable review, writing that although the latest batch were more reverent and less humorous than some previous efforts, it was "still frickin' great and a lot of fun."
Turn of the century (2000–2009)
Stan Lee negotiated the band's ''Fat Wreck Chords'' deal by fibbing to label owner
Fat Mike
Michael John Burkett (born January 16, 1967), known professionally as Fat Mike, is an American musician and producer. He is the bassist and lead vocalist for the punk rock band NOFX and the bassist for the punk rock supergroup cover band Me F ...
, a Dickies fan who had, in 1996, obtained a 4 song demo the Dickies had recorded. Neither Lee nor Leonard Phillips had heard of the label head/
NOFX
NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
front man, but were filled in by a member of the Dickies camp. Lee claimed that he had "an album's worth of material" ready to record, when in fact the band actually only had the 4 songs. Following this claim, a deal was agreed upon, but the L.P. was delayed by the amount of time it took to come up with and record an appropriate amount of material. The resulting record found a prominent fan in
Milo Aukerman
Milo Jay Aukerman (; born January 1, 1963) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and former research molecular biologist. Aukerman is most widely known for being the lead singer of the punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to b ...
. The scientist/
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a s ...
front man has stated that ''
All This and Puppet Stew
''All This and Puppet Stew'' is the sixth and latest studio album by the Los Angeles punk rock band the Dickies, released in 2001 on Fat Wreck Chords. While the band remains a touring entity, ''All This and Puppet Stew'' is their last studio album ...
'' gave him encouragement to continue playing into advancing middle age. "I was just extremely impressed with how they put out a great record
t that age
T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
It definitely set the kernel in my mind that you could be in your late 40s and still put out a record that full-on brought the punk rock from start to finish."
''Spectrum Records'' released the 18 song compilation ''The Dickies – The Punk Singles Collection'' in 2002.
In the Summer of 2003 the Dickies were part of a package tour of classic punk bands. Called "Fiend Fest", it was headlined by the Misfits, and, besides the Dickies, also featured The Damned,
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre.
History First era (1980–19 ...
Marky Ramone
Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952) is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus. He was asked to drum for punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tom ...
, Dez from Black Flag, and Japanese band Balzac.
The Dickies played the 2004 Ramones 30th Anniversary tribute concert in Los Angeles, which was filmed. The Dickies are also in the 2006 documentary ''Too Tough to Die: A Tribute to
Johnny Ramone
John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004), better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American musician who was the guitarist and a founding member of the Ramones, a band that helped pioneer the punk movement. ...
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
,
Joan Jett
Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
,
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...
, and others. The film features footage from the 2004 concert, which was held in particular to honor the then seriously-ill Ramones guitarist. The Dickies perform "You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla)" and the Ramones song "Today Your Love (Tomorrow the World)", and in interview footage, they talk about their shared history with the New York band. Another video release from this period is entitled ''The Dickies: An Evening With the Dickies'' (2005, Secret Films).
The Dickies played the 2007
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
, a North American punk rock festival, for the first time in what would be four consecutive years, and five years total.
Leonard Phillips provided guest vocals on the Vibrators' cover of "vibrator" by
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
, on the former band's ''Pure Punk'' album (2009).
The decade closed on two sour notes, as a pair of former Dickies died in the year 2009. Enoch Hain (born Robert Frederick Orin Lansing, Jr.), Dickies guitarist for a period stretching from the late 1980s into the mid 1990s, died on July 25, 2009 from complications arising from pneumonia. And original drummer Karlos Kabellero (born Carlos Cabellero), who gave the band its name and was one of its songwriters during his tenure, died on September 22, 2009 from heart-related problems.
Present day (2010–present)
In 2010, The Dickies hit cover of "Banana Splits" provides the soundtrack to a hyper-violent action scene in the superhero movie '' Kick Ass.''
The new decade found the Dickies on the road. Reviewing an August 2011 headlining concert in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, England, a writer remarked on their enduring appeal in that country. The mix of young and older attendees was noted, and it was stated that the event had a "timeless" feel. Back in the U.S. for the 2012
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, the Dickies played the "after party", along with
NOFX
NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
,
Adicts
The Adicts are a British punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. One of the most popular punk rock bands in the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts during that decade.
The Adicts originated as The Afterbirth in late 1975 but n ...
, and
the Casualties
The Casualties are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, founded by vocalist Jorge Herrera, Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums) in 1990. In July 2017, it was announced on the band's F ...
.
The Dickies live dates in 2013 included Rob Zombie's ''Great American Nightmare'' fest in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England. Regarding the latter, an impressed reviewer suggested that the Dickies were "the perfect support act for the Damned", and praised the band for "having the balls" to play their "crunching take" on Black Sabbath's "paranoid" in that band's hometown. Other tour dates that year included concerts in the US northeast. The band continued to tour consistently through 2014 and 2015, including dates throughout
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, one of which was the 2015 Gwar B-Q, and also shows in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Secret Records
''Secret Records limited '' is a British independent record label based in London founded in 1980. The label specialize in a number of genres including blues, reggae, rock, rock 'n' roll, psychedelic, soul and punk. The label's roster includes ...
released ''Banana Splits'' (2016), which is the title of both a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and a CD documenting a 2002 Dickies concert in England, featuring a guest performance from Michael "Olga" Algar of Toy Dolls. With respect to live performances from the calendar year 2016, the Dickies toured the US and Europe, and were part of the 2016
Rebellion Festival
The Rebellion Festival, formerly Holidays in the Sun and the Wasted Festival is a British punk rock festival first held in 1996. The festival has attracted mainstream press coverage from such sources as The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily ...
in the U.K. Unfortunately, Phillips became ill with gallstones during a ferry trip from the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, leading to a hospital visit and endangering the scheduled performances. With the singer's encouragement, the band performed the dates without him, in a "Dickies karaoke" format. Vocal duties were handled by fans, members of the band's entourage, and by guest punk notables, including members of
The Rezillos
The Rezillos are a punk/ new wave band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1976. Although emerging at the same time as other bands in the punk rock movement, the Rezillos did not share the nihilism or social commentary of their contemporaries, b ...
,
the Vibrators
The Vibrators are a British punk rock band that formed in 1976.
Early career
The Vibrators were founded by Ian ' Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice ...
,
Leftover Crack
Leftovers are surplus foods remaining unconsumed at the end of a meal, which may be put in containers with the intention of eating later. Inedible remains like bones are considered ''waste'', not leftovers. Depending on the situation, the amoun ...
,
the Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1979 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981,GBH,
the Dwarves
The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois and based in San Francisco, California as of 2009.Gentile, John (2009)Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, ''The A.V. Club'', April 13, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2010
...
,
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror (often abbreviated to ENT) are a British extreme metal band formed in Ipswich, England in 1985 and one of the earliest and most influential crust bands. Noted for one of the earliest uses of dual vocalists in hardcore,Bonn ...
,
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 yea ...
,
Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and ...
, and others.
2017 was the band's 40th anniversary, which they celebrated by touring, including 16 dates in England and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, and that year's iteration of the ''Punk Rock Bowling'' festival in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, which, among many other notable punk artists, was headlined by old band associate
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 ...
. Stan Lee, in an interview promoting the tour, explained that their somewhat erratic touring schedule, historically, was in part due to his reluctance to be separated from his pet dogs for long stretches of time.
Another leg of the band's 40th anniversary tour included a run of dates on the 2017
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
. An incident occurred on July 25, their final day with Warped, which caused the band to become the center of a controversy, to the extent that an
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
writer characterized it as "tearing apart the hardcore music community right now". While performing, Phillips was targeted by a sign-holding friend of feminist band War on Women, who protested his "sexist", humorous, politically incorrect stage banter. Phillips responded with angry, profane insults, and this was captured via cellphone video and posted online. As a result, some in the punk scene denounced the Dickies, while others, including Noodles of
the Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
,
Buzz Osborne
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biography
Born in Morton, Was ...
,
Ben Weasel
Benjamin Foster (born 1968), also known as Ben Weasel, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Screeching Weasel.
Early life
Foster was born in 1968, and was raised in Prospect Heights, Illi ...
,
the Dwarves
The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois and based in San Francisco, California as of 2009.Gentile, John (2009)Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, ''The A.V. Club'', April 13, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2010
...
, and Jesse Hughes of
Eagles of Death Metal
Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...
, voiced their support for the band.
In May 2018, the Dickies, along with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, played the theme to Killer Klowns From Outer Space live at the sold-out Montalbán Theatre, during the 30th-anniversary screening of that film. Other activity in 2018 included Oakland's"Burger Boogaloo" festival alongside
Devo
Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...
the Dwarves
The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois and based in San Francisco, California as of 2009.Gentile, John (2009)Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, ''The A.V. Club'', April 13, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2010
...
, host
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
, and many others, and two runs of tour dates supported by
the Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With t ...
.
The Dickies released a single in 2019, their first studio recording in over a decade. A cover of Cheap Trick's "I Dig Go Go Girls", it features a contribution from Monkey from
the Adicts
The Adicts are a British punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. One of the most popular punk rock bands in the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts during that decade.
The Adicts originated as The Afterbirth in late 1975 but n ...
. The B-side is called "the Dreaded Pigasaurus", which is a reference to a creature that functions as garbage disposal in
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 ...
.
Recent live dates include ''Punk Rock Bowling'' in May 2019, and T.S.O.L.'s 40th anniversary show in January 2020. Continuing to share billing with peers, The Dickies were scheduled to be among the headliners (along with
Cockney Rejects
Cockney Rejects are an English punk rock band that formed in the East End of London in 1978. Their 1980 song "Oi, Oi, Oi" was the inspiration for the name of the Oi! music genre. The band members are supporters of West Ham United, and pay ...
,
UK Subs
U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the f ...
, Anti Nowhere League, and others) in a one day Scottish punk festival in April 2020, and were also to play a number of concerts in the U.S. in June 2020 with
Total Chaos
Total may refer to:
Mathematics
* Total, the summation of a set of numbers
* Total order, a partial order without incomparable pairs
* Total relation, which may also mean
** connected relation (a binary relation in which any two elements are co ...
, T.S.O.L., and headliners Black Flag.
In an interview with Goldmine, Leonard Phillips stated that the band will record a "final" album. In the same interview, another purported project on the way is discussed: an autobiographical book of humorous short stories by Phillips.
Musical style and themes
Some artists eschew the term "
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
", perhaps viewing it as implying less authenticity than the label " punk rock" (for example, Green Day's
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for t ...
: "I’ve always hated the phrase. I think it’s a contradiction in terms. Either you’re punk, or you’re not”). Leonard Phillips, however, has said he "has no problem" with the label being applied to the Dickies, rhetorically asking "can I help it if we are musical?" Stan Lee once said of the early period of the Dickies: "We were a pop band masquerading as a punk band."
During the band's formative period, they viewed the already existing punk bands as being divided into two camps: serious political bands (such as the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
and
the Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
), and fun, entertaining bands (like the Damned and
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 ...
). The Dickies made a deliberate choice to belong to the latter camp, albeit with a distinctive southern California vibe. Elaborating on their distinction from the angrier, angstier bands, some of whom had gritty upbringings, Stan Lee points out that at the ''Dawn of the Dickies career, he was living with his parents in the valley with a swimming pool, preoccupied with waterslides and tv shows, finding not much to complain about.Steven Hufsteter, an influential figure in the Dickies' formation and a sometimes "extra member" of the band, opines that "the Dickies never really thought of themselves as punks" at the outset, but instead saw the form "as an opportunity", particularly the "silly" variant of punk evident in
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 ...
music.
Many of the Dickies
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...
concern
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
culture, rife with references and in-jokes; examples include songs like "Waterslide", "I'm A Chollo", " Manny, Moe, and Jack",
Stukas Over Disneyland
''Stukas Over Disneyland'' is the third studio album by punk rock band The Dickies, released in 1983.
The album includes covers of The Quick's "Pretty Please Me" and Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown." The cover art illustrates the albu ...
, and "(I'm Stuck in a Pagoda with) Tricia Toyota". Another theme is classic cartoons/children's TV, with songs like "Banana Splits (tra la la song)", "
Gigantor
is a 1963 anime adaptation of ''Tetsujin 28-go'', a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama released in 1956. It debuted on US television in January 1966. As with ''Speed Racer'', the characters' original names were altered and the original series' viol ...
", "Eep Opp Ork (Uh Uh)" (from
the Jetsons
''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced f ...
), "Bowling with
Bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
Barney", and most recently, another Flintstones reference with "The Dreaded Pigasaurus". Leonard Phillips has said that these choices add up to a social commentary. He saw some of his peers in LA punk coming from privileged backgrounds, but projecting UK
working class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
-style angst. "We wanted to show all those bourgeois ‘punks’ what it really MEANT to come from the valley."
The Dickies are also known for
recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, ...
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
songs, including
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
' "
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
's "
Paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
She
She most commonly refers to:
*She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English.
She or S.H.E. may also refer to:
Literature and films
*'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
,"
Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit " Eve of Destruction". Later he would pioneer as a singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian music.
Early life
McGuire was born in O ...
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
The Left Banke
The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the music press referred to as "baroqu ...
's "
Pretty Ballerina
"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown that was released as a single by his band the Left Banke in December 1966. It peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 4 on the Canadian '' RPM'' chart. The ...
,"
The Cowsills
The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island, six siblings noted for performing professionally and singing harmonies at an early age, later with their mother.
The band was formed in early 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and ...
Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
's "
Communication Breakdown
"Communication Breakdown" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1969 self-titled debut album. It was also used as the B-side of the group's first single in the US, " Good Times Bad Times". A promotional video was released ...
",
The Germs
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
/
Pat Smear
Georg Albert Ruthenberg (born August 5, 1959), better known by his stage name Pat Smear, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles-based punk band The Germs and for being a rhythm guitar ...
's "golden boys", as well as the cover album ''Dogs from the Hare That Bit Us''. When asked about this penchant of the band, Stan Lee responded "It was easier as you didn't have to write the songs." Regarding the band's choice of material, Lee has said that they cover "mostly songs we liked when we were 13." Describing the tone of some of the early covers of 1960's music, Lee characterizes it as "affectionate piss-takes of hippies and the old culture."
Leonard Phillips has said that he feels the Dickies many covers are different in character from those by latter-day punk cover band
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. Ch ...
(who have paid homage to the Dickies by playing a snippet of "You Drive Me Ape" in their cover of
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' "
All My Loving
"All My Loving" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their second UK album ''With the Beatles'' (1963). It was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney), and produced by George Martin. Though not officially rele ...
"). Phillips feels that band employs a formula, whereas the Dickies reinterpret songs that are meaningful to them.
Something else that the Dickies are known for is Phillips' routines when playing live, including wearing an ape mask or scuba gear, and using props ranging from a dog puppet, to a talking penis puppet ("Stewart"), to an inflatable female "
love doll
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...
", each for use during particular songs. Regarding this "bag of tricks", Stan Lee has said “It’s all nonsense to me. I play guitar.” Steven Hufsteter claims this aspect of the Dickies' live shows is an influence of his band the Quick, who Phillips was once involved with.
In the book ''Punk Rock: So What? The Cultural Legacy of Punk'', edited by Roger Sabin, a writer states that the Dickies follow in a tonal/thematic tradition started by immediate predecessors
the Dictators
The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth."
Origins
The band was formed in 1972 by Andy "Ad ...
and
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 ...
, but it is "in the Dickies (that) punk's simultaneous parody and celebration of commercial teen culture reached its apex". The author believes that 90's punk like
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
,
the Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
, and Pennywise are indebted to the older punk trio for this reason.
Influence
In a feature about the
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...
in ''Timeline'', it was written that the Dickies and the
Dead Boys
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 B ...
were among the Brains' punk influences, which they combined with
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
influences. Metal Storm's biography of the Bad Brains also lists the Dickies, along with Dead Boys,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
, and the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
as being among the band's influences.
Jack Rabid
''The Big Takeover'' is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.
History Establishment
Jack Rabid and Dave Stein began publishing ''The Big Takeover'' in May 1980 as a fanzine dedicated to N ...
, writing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote, perhaps hyperbolically, that the Dickies' cover of "paranoid" by Sabbath "basically inspired the Bad Brains to form!"
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums f ...
of
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
and
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...
has stated that members of his band "grew up with" the Dickies, and considers the band "one of the greatest punk bands", as good as the
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 ...
. He praises the Dickies songs more than their humor.
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
and
the Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
have cited Dickies influence. While the former band would later give mixed messages about their feelings about the Dickies, Noodles, guitarist for the Offspring, said that the Dickies are "one of my favorites", in a
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
interview.
Ben Weasel
Benjamin Foster (born 1968), also known as Ben Weasel, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Screeching Weasel.
Early life
Foster was born in 1968, and was raised in Prospect Heights, Illi ...
of
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
included the Dickies in a short list of punk bands that "were sort of pioneers, both musically and in what they did to lay the groundwork for bands like mine."
Joe "Queer" King has stated that his band is in a tradition of punk bands, like the Dickies,
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...
Angry Samoans
The Angry Samoans is an American punk rock band from the first wave of American punk, formed in August 1978 in Los Angeles, California, by early 1970s rock writer "Metal" Mike Saunders, his sibling lead guitarist Bonze BlaykBad Trip Records ...
, and Flipper, that "were funny, but... had a message", and feels that this spirit is lost on modern, politically sensitive audiences, who are "just looking for a reason to say they’re offended".
The
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
, themselves named after the cartoon ''
Groovie Goolies
''Groovie Goolies'' is an American animated television show that had its original run Saturday mornings on CBS between 1970 and 1971. It was rebroadcast the following season on Sunday mornings. Set at a decrepit castle, the show focused on its mo ...
'', were influenced by the "cartoon-punk" aspect of the Dickies.
In a profile of
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.
Early years
Born in Malone, ...
in
Pop Matters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fil ...
, it was said that in writing/performing for
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...
, he was driven by "being faster" than the Dickies, Ramones, and Buzzcocks.
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...
recounted an anecdote to a reporter from
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
about listening to a
mix tape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
an acquaintance made, while in a car traveling to a
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 ...
concert, in 1979. He recalled "it had that Dickies 'Banana Splits' song on it and it just blew my mind! As soon as I got back I started searching out all these bands, because I was so intoxicated with all this music."
Fat Mike
Michael John Burkett (born January 16, 1967), known professionally as Fat Mike, is an American musician and producer. He is the bassist and lead vocalist for the punk rock band NOFX and the bassist for the punk rock supergroup cover band Me F ...
of
NOFX
NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
,
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. Ch ...
, and
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
, and
Milo Aukerman
Milo Jay Aukerman (; born January 1, 1963) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and former research molecular biologist. Aukerman is most widely known for being the lead singer of the punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to b ...
of
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a s ...
, both cite the Dickies as an influence.
Johnny Ramone
John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004), better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American musician who was the guitarist and a founding member of the Ramones, a band that helped pioneer the punk movement. ...
of the punk band
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 ...
"officially" ranked the Dickies as one of the top 10 greatest punk bands of all time.
In the cult film High Fidelity the lead figure Rob Gordon (played by
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his ol ...
) wears a T-shirt clearly emblazoned "The Dickies" in his record store.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
The Incredible Shrinking Dickies
''The Incredible Shrinking Dickies'' is the debut studio album by the California punk band The Dickies. It peaked at #18 on the UK album charts. The album includes the group's cover of Black Sabbath's " Paranoid," which reached No. 45 in the UK ...
Stukas Over Disneyland
''Stukas Over Disneyland'' is the third studio album by punk rock band The Dickies, released in 1983.
The album includes covers of The Quick's "Pretty Please Me" and Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown." The cover art illustrates the albu ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
'' (1989)
* '' Idjit Savant'' (1995)
* ''Dogs from the Hare That Bit Us'' (1998)
* ''
All This and Puppet Stew
''All This and Puppet Stew'' is the sixth and latest studio album by the Los Angeles punk rock band the Dickies, released in 2001 on Fat Wreck Chords. While the band remains a touring entity, ''All This and Puppet Stew'' is their last studio album ...
'' (2001)
EPs
* ''
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
''Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only movi ...
'' (1988)
* ''Roadkill'' (1993)
Live albums
* Locked 'N' Loaded 1990 (1991)
* ''Locked 'N' Loaded Live in London'' (1991)
* ''Still Got Live Even If You Don't Want It'' (1999)
* ''Live In London'' (2002)
* ''Dickies Go Bananas'' (2008)
* ''Live Destruction'' (2008)
* ''1977: A Night That Will Live in Infamy'' (2014)
* ''Live When They Were Five: City Gardens 1982'' (2014)
* ''Banana Splits'' (2016)
* ''Best of Live'' (2019)
* ''Live In Winnipeg '' (2019)
Compilation albums
* ''We Aren't the World'' (1986)
* ''Great Dictations'' (1989)
* ''Show & Tell: A Stormy Remembrance of TV Theme Songs'' (1997)
* ''Punk Singles Collection'' (1982)
Compilation appearances
* ''We're Desperate: The L.A. Scene 1976-79'' (
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
) (1993) - "You Drive Me Ape (You Big Goilla)"
Singles
* "
Paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
Silent Night
"Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...
" (1978) - UK No. 47
* "
Banana Splits (Tra La La Song) "The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" is a 1968 pop song, which was the theme song for the children's television program '' The Banana Splits Adventure Hour''.CD liner notes: Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records Origin ...
" (1979) - UK No. 7
* "
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...
" (1979) - UK No. 39
* " Manny, Moe And Jack" (1979)
* "Fan Mail" (1980) - UK No. 57
* "
Gigantor
is a 1963 anime adaptation of ''Tetsujin 28-go'', a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama released in 1956. It debuted on US television in January 1966. As with ''Speed Racer'', the characters' original names were altered and the original series' viol ...
" (1980) - UK No. 72
* "Dummy Up" (1989)
* "Just Say Yes" (1990)
* "Make It So" (1994)
* "
Pretty Ballerina
"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown that was released as a single by his band the Left Banke in December 1966. It peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 4 on the Canadian '' RPM'' chart. The ...
" (1995)
* "My Pop the Cop" (1998)
* "Free Willy" (2001)
* " I Dig Go-Go Girls" (2019)
* "A Gary Glitter Getaway" (2022)
Videos
Music videos
* "Paranoid" (1978)
* "Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)" (1979)
* "Nights in White Satin" (1979)
* "Killer Klowns" (1988)
* "Donut Man" (2001)
Commercial releases
* ''Dickies Over Stukaland'' (1991) - Compilation of various Dickies' performances in Europe in 1990.
* ''The Best of Flipside #6'' (1997) - Material originally recorded in 1985 in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
* ''Rocked 'N' Roaded'' (2000) - Compilation of various Dickies' performances in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 2000.
* ''Peepshow'' (2002)
* ''World Shut Your Mouth'' (2003)
* ''An Evening with the Dickies'' (2004) - Dickies' show at Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, July 16, 2002.
List of bands from Los Angeles
Los Angeles has been home to many new and established music bands. Some of the bands originating from greater Los Angeles, including Orange County and the Inland Empire, include:
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* Jack Mack and th ...
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Music of California
In the United States, California is commonly associated with the film, music, and arts industries; there are numerous world-famous Californian musicians. Hardcore punk, hip hop, country, and heavy metal have all appeared in California. Furt ...
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Timeline of punk rock
This is a timeline of punk rock, from its beginnings in the early 1960s to the present time. Bands or albums listed before 1974 are of diverse genres and are retrospectively called by their genre name that was used during the era of their relea ...
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Punk rock in California
Since the mid-1970s, California has had thriving regional punk rock movements. It primarily consists of bands from the Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, Alameda Cou ...
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The Quick (US band)
The Quick were a mid-1970s power pop band based in Los Angeles. The Quick were influenced by 1960s British Invasion bands and 1970s British glam bands, as well as by fellow Angelenos Sparks (formerly Halfnelson).
History
In Los Angeles, betwee ...