heralded a new Golden Age of Detroit rock beginning in the late '80s; a renaissance of noise and rustbelt rock which lasts through to today. Formed in 1986 by three Detroit natives, none of whom previously knew how to play an instrument -- Mick Collins, Peg O'Neill, and
-- they took their name from a band of the same name which appeared in the "Gidget" series of the late '50s/early '60s. Comprised of two guitarists and a drummer (i.e. no bass),
concocted a primal, raw yet soulful blend of garage punk, culling a wealth of inspiration and cover material from
. The three-piece also paid homage to the Keggs and Nick & the Jaguars, two other bass-less 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 which 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 last album, and then re-released both Houserockin' and I Know You Fine in 1994.
Since the demise of
the Gories, Mick Collins has continued to perform in Blacktop,
King Sound Quartet,
the Screws, the Dirtbombs, and has contributed to
Andre Williams' Silky and
The Black Godfather and
Speedball Baby's Uptight.
Dan Kroha spent some time in
Rocket 455, but is primarily known for being one third of another Detroit bass-free rock band,
the Demolition Doll Rods. Peg O'Neill recorded a few tracks with
'68 Comeback and is in the Darkest Hours from New Orleans.
–
Alex Zorn, Rovi