Toiling Midgets
Encyclopedia
Toiling Midgets is an influential rock band from San Francisco, California with "roots in seminal San Francisco punk acts the Sleepers and Negative Trend
1." They were "one of the first West Coast punk bands to experiment with dub
and post-punk
elements1", and have been active on-and-off since 1979. They reunited in 2007 after a ten-year hiatus for Dirkfest, a June 7–June 8, 2007 festival taking place at Slim's and the Great American Music Hall
, respectively, honoring the late Dirk Dirksen
and to play the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair (June 10, 2007). They have continued to play shows to the present, including a tour of the Northwest in November, 2009. The current lineup does not feature a vocalist, and the Midgets' instrumental rock is almost always defined as "undefinable."
Punk
bands Meyce and The Enemy, and bassist Nosmo King (aka Johnathan Henrickson). Paul Hood had previously been a bassist in Seattle but picked up the guitar in the hopes of playing in a rock band (like his hero, Mick Ronson). The band added singer Ricky Williams
to its lineup in 1981. The Midgets released their first album, Sea of Unrest about this time, before Williams insisted that Nosmo King leave the band, and leaving the band without a bass player. At the end of 1982 bassist Aaron Gregory (Maggots) joined the group, and Annie Ungar (Gun Club) joined as a third guitarist. The formation of the band released "Dead Beats" on Joe Carducci
's Thermidor label, which represented a return to the all-instrumental approach with which the Toiling Midgets has initially been formed. Toward the end of 1983, the band broke up. Hood moved to Seattle, Washington and Gray moved to the United Kingdom.
In 1989, the band reunited just before the Loma-Prieta Earthquake. Returning to the instrumental format with which the band had begun, the band recruited singer Mark Eitzel
of the American Music Club
. The new group released a CD on Matador Records
in June, 1992 (recorded in 1990) called Son and had embarked on a U.S. tour earlier in May. However, on the eve the tour Eitzel quit the band.
Without a singer, the band toured instrumentally. (Williams did not reunite with the band in 1989, instead he moved into a Midget side project that included violinist Mary Redfield Wade
and recorded an unreleased album in 1991). Shortly after rejoining the band, on November 21, 1992, Williams died due to respiratory complications and a mixture of drug and alcohol abuse). Shortly after the tour, drummer Tim Mooney and bassist Joe Goldring left the band (Mooney went on to join the American Music Club
, which Eitzel was still fronting), and were replaced by drummer and long-time producer Tom Mallon and bassist Erich Werner, who had previously been in the Seattle bands Telepaths and The Blackouts.
Mallon and Werner are still part of the lineup today, along with Gray and Hood. Along the way, they picked up keyboardist Mark Sullivan (Lucky, Motorcade). For a brief time during this period the band was joined by Paul Hood's sister, violist Joanna Hood (who had performed with the Loma Mar Quartet and Paul McCartney
). The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 1997, but reformed in May, 2007.
Negative Trend
Negative Trend was an early San Francisco punk rock band, active from 1977–1979.The former members of Negative Trend would go on to start a number of other notable western US punk bands...
1." They were "one of the first West Coast punk bands to experiment with dub
Dubbing (music)
In sound recording, dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
elements1", and have been active on-and-off since 1979. They reunited in 2007 after a ten-year hiatus for Dirkfest, a June 7–June 8, 2007 festival taking place at Slim's and the Great American Music Hall
Great American Music Hall
The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater...
, respectively, honoring the late Dirk Dirksen
Dirk Dirksen
Dirk Dirksen was a music promoter and emcee of the San Francisco punk rock clubs Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dirksen was nicknamed the "Pope of Punk"....
and to play the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair (June 10, 2007). They have continued to play shows to the present, including a tour of the Northwest in November, 2009. The current lineup does not feature a vocalist, and the Midgets' instrumental rock is almost always defined as "undefinable."
History
The Midgets were formed in 1979 by drummer Tim Mooney (Sleepers) and guitarist Craig Gray of the local San Francisco band Negative Trend, guitarist Paul Hood from Seattle'sSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands Meyce and The Enemy, and bassist Nosmo King (aka Johnathan Henrickson). Paul Hood had previously been a bassist in Seattle but picked up the guitar in the hopes of playing in a rock band (like his hero, Mick Ronson). The band added singer Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams (musician)
Ricky Williams , also known as Ricky Tractor, was an American musician based in San Francisco. He is best known as a vocalist and lyricist, but also played drums and guitar. He was the original drummer for Crime , the original singer for Flipper and The Sleepers , and vocalist for Toiling Midgets...
to its lineup in 1981. The Midgets released their first album, Sea of Unrest about this time, before Williams insisted that Nosmo King leave the band, and leaving the band without a bass player. At the end of 1982 bassist Aaron Gregory (Maggots) joined the group, and Annie Ungar (Gun Club) joined as a third guitarist. The formation of the band released "Dead Beats" on Joe Carducci
Joe Carducci
Joe Carducci is an American writer, record producer, and former A&R executive, formerly most closely associated with the influential record label SST Records....
's Thermidor label, which represented a return to the all-instrumental approach with which the Toiling Midgets has initially been formed. Toward the end of 1983, the band broke up. Hood moved to Seattle, Washington and Gray moved to the United Kingdom.
In 1989, the band reunited just before the Loma-Prieta Earthquake. Returning to the instrumental format with which the band had begun, the band recruited singer Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.-History:Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohio and the United Kingdom. He moved to America in 1979.He started making music while he was...
of the American Music Club
American Music Club
American Music Club is a San Francisco-based alternative rock band led by singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel.-History:Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981...
. The new group released a CD on Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
in June, 1992 (recorded in 1990) called Son and had embarked on a U.S. tour earlier in May. However, on the eve the tour Eitzel quit the band.
Without a singer, the band toured instrumentally. (Williams did not reunite with the band in 1989, instead he moved into a Midget side project that included violinist Mary Redfield Wade
Wade
- Places :* Wade, California* Wade, Maine* Wade, Mississippi* Wade, North Carolina* Wade Township, Clinton County, Illinois* Wade Township, Jasper County, Illinois* Wade County, Choctaw Nation, former political subdivision-Surname:...
and recorded an unreleased album in 1991). Shortly after rejoining the band, on November 21, 1992, Williams died due to respiratory complications and a mixture of drug and alcohol abuse). Shortly after the tour, drummer Tim Mooney and bassist Joe Goldring left the band (Mooney went on to join the American Music Club
American Music Club
American Music Club is a San Francisco-based alternative rock band led by singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel.-History:Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981...
, which Eitzel was still fronting), and were replaced by drummer and long-time producer Tom Mallon and bassist Erich Werner, who had previously been in the Seattle bands Telepaths and The Blackouts.
Mallon and Werner are still part of the lineup today, along with Gray and Hood. Along the way, they picked up keyboardist Mark Sullivan (Lucky, Motorcade). For a brief time during this period the band was joined by Paul Hood's sister, violist Joanna Hood (who had performed with the Loma Mar Quartet and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
). The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 1997, but reformed in May, 2007.
Current line-up
- Craig Gray - Guitar
- Paul Hood - Guitar
- Tom Mallon - Drums
- Erich Werner - Bass
- Mark Sullivan - Keyboard
Former members
- Nosmo King - Bass
- Tim Mooney - Drums
- Ricky WilliamsRicky Williams (musician)Ricky Williams , also known as Ricky Tractor, was an American musician based in San Francisco. He is best known as a vocalist and lyricist, but also played drums and guitar. He was the original drummer for Crime , the original singer for Flipper and The Sleepers , and vocalist for Toiling Midgets...
(deceased) - Vocals - Aaron Gregory (deceased) - Bass
- Annie Ungar - Guitar
- Mark EitzelMark EitzelMark Eitzel is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.-History:Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohio and the United Kingdom. He moved to America in 1979.He started making music while he was...
- Vocals - Joe Goldring - Bass
- Joanna Hood - Viola
- David Ripley - Vocals
- Carla Fabrizio³ - Cello on "Son"
- Lisa Davis³ - Bass on "Son"
Discography
- "Do the Incendiary," initial demo tape, recorded by Tom Mallon (available here) and released by Toiling Midgets Media
- "4 TRK Mind," a four-track recording (available here) and released by Toiling Midgets Media
- "God's Man," a demo from 1989-90 also recorded by Tom Mallon (available here) and released by Toiling Midgets Media
- "Sea of Unrest," released in 1982 on Rough Trade RecordsRough Trade RecordsRough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
and re-released in 1994 on Fistpuppet Records - "Dead Beats," released on Thermidor Records in 1983
- "Golden Frog," a 7" released on Matador RecordsMatador RecordsMatador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
on October 17, 1991 - "Son," the band's most recent studio album, released on Matador Records on July 14, 1992