Austin lineup (1980–1983) Dicks were formed in
Austin in 1980 by Gary Floyd, Buxf Parrott, Pat Deason, and Glen Taylor. Their first single "Dicks Hate The Police", released in 1980, brought them much attention and is now regarded as a classic hardcore punk record. In the song Floyd sings from the perspective of a
policeman who abuses his power by targeting
minorities and abusing civilians. Dicks often played shows with fellow pioneering Texas hardcore bands
MDC, The Offenders, and The
Big Boys; Dicks' full-length debut was the split album with The Big Boys, ''
Live at Raul's Club.'' Dicks were among the first punk bands to address issues of
homophobia and
sexual identity, as in such songs as "Saturday Night at the Bookstore" and "Off-Duty Sailor". After that band ended he formed and primarily played in
Europe with The Gary Floyd Band; an overview of this material, "Backdoor Preacher Man", is available in the United States. Toward the late 1990s, Floyd played in Black Kali Ma, who released an album on
Alternative Tentacles. Floyd later formed the band the Buddha Brothers, while Parrott and Deason went on to play in the Austin neo-bluegrass band Shootin' Pains and Trouser Trout, while Parrott and Taylor also played in Pretty Mouth.
Reunion, disbandment and Gary Floyd's death (2004–2024) In 2004, Dicks began playing regular reunion concerts in Austin and elsewhere. The lineup for the shows consists of the original Dicks, with the exception of Glen Taylor, who died in 1997. A documentary film,
The Dicks from Texas, was released in 2015 about the Dicks and Austin, Texas punk scene along with a tribute album,
The Dicks From Texas and Friends, with 27 bands covering 28 Dicks songs. The Dicks announced that their final show would be October 30, 2016, at Grizzly Hall in Austin, Texas; however, due to popular demand, a second show was added the day afterward. On May 2, 2024, Gary Floyd died after a series of health-related issues. He was 71, and was survived by his husband. ==Members==