Biography
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Years Active
1983 – present (41 years)
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Founded In
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States
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Members
- Blag Dahlia
- Michael Fox
- Nick Oliveri
- Peter Konicek
- Peter Straus
The Dwarves are an American punk rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California.
They are known for their nuanced punk repertoire, and controversial lyrics. Since the hardcore punk and scum punk sounds of their early days, they have recently developed more of a pop-punk influence. Their shows have been notable for some aggressive fights on stage (with the audience and even a cop), and because "He Who Cannot Be Named" performs either in nothing but a jockstrap or totally nude, and makes no attempt to hide behind his guitar.
Their album covers are unusual - naked women, and a naked dwarf sodomizing a rabbit covered in blood, for their 1990 album "Blood Guts & Pussy" - followed up a decade later, with a similar theme, this time covered in soap suds, for "Come Clean". The band was sacked from their previous label, Sub Pop over pranks such as the long-lasting hoax contending that guitarist "He Who Cannot Be Named" had died. They have recorded on several labels and recently joined Sympathy for the Record Industry. They also have a track listed on the Punk you compilation album.
The original members of the Dwarves began making music together in the mid 80's as teenagers in the Chicago garage rock outfit The Suburban Nightmare. The group's original Paisley underground sound was evident on the band's 1986 Voxx Records debut Horror Stories, an album which, like many of its Paisley underground contemporaries, contained a number of mid 60's Pebbles-inspired garage rock covers, including The Avengers' "Be a Cave man", and Shag's "Stop and Listen".
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