The Gories

The emergence of the Gories heralded a new Golden Age of Detroit rock beginning in the late '80s; a renaissance of noise and rustbelt rock that lasts through to today. Formed in 1986 by three Detroit natives -- Mick Collins, Peg O'Neill, and Dan Kroha (none of whom previously knew how to play an instrument) -- the Gories took their name from a band of the same name that appeared in the Gidget series of the late '50s/early '60s. Comprised of two guitarists and a drummer (i.e., no bass), the Gories concocted a primal, raw yet soulful blend of garage punk, culling a wealth of inspiration and cover material from Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, and John Lee Hooker. The three-piece also paid homage to the Keggs and Nick & the Jaguars, two other bassless bands from Detroit. The Gories began their recorded career in 1987 with two tracks on the Wanghead compilation It Came from the Garage II, the same compilation that featured Nine Pound Hammer (who would go on to become Nashville Pussy). Len Punch, the owner of Wanghead, recorded and released their first album, Houserockin', in 1989. According to legend, these first Gories recordings were executed in a tin shack. For their second album, Alex Chilton of Big Star joined them as producer, recording I Know You Fine, But How You Doin' for the French label New Rose. Throughout this entire period, the band continued to release various 7" singles, including a cover of Spinal Tap's "Give Me Some Money" for the Sub Pop Singles Club. In 1992, Crypt released Outta Here, their third album and what would be their last for some time to come.