In the nearly two decades since its conception, The Dirtbombs has been home to many Detroit rock musicians, both in the studio and on the road. As of September 2008 the band's lineup consists of Collins on guitar,
Troy Gregory on bass guitar,
Ko Melina (formerly of Ko & The Knockouts) on a distorted "fuzz" baritone guitar and
Ben Blackwell (owner of record label Cass Records) and
Pat Pantano (formerly of the Come Ons) on the two drum sets. Noted producer
Jim Diamond played bass from 1997 until 2004 and during that time Diamond also recorded and co-produced the Dirtbombs output with Mick Collins at his
Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit.
Troy Gregory (formerly of
Flotsam and Jetsam,
Prong, and lead singer of The Witches and Troy Gregory & The Stepsisters) has been playing bass for the band since June 2004, also constituting one of the longest runs of any Dirtbombs member: the four-year line-up of Collins, Pantano, Blackwell, Melina, and Gregory is the longest lasting Dirtbombs line-up to date. For a brief time in 2002, the band featured back-up singers Deanne Iovan (also formerly of the Come Ons) and future bass player Ko, in addition to five musicians.
Early singles and Horndog Fest (1996–2000) Originally conceived as a "singles band", the Dirtbombs were to record only 7" records each in a radically different style. The band's first single, "High Octane Salvation", was released in 1996. The band released two singles in 1997, and also appeared on the
Ghettoblaster Volume 1 compilation. They released another two singles in 1998. Los Angeles-based independent label
In The Red Records persuaded the Dirtbombs to record an LP. Collins decided that if the band were to record a full-length album they would treat it like a giant single, centering on one musical idea or genre. The full-length 1998 debut
Horndog Fest is a mix of heavy garage punk and pop-inclined rock 'n roll. The songs "I Can't Stop Thinking About It", "Granny's Little Chicken", and "Shake Shivaree" remain live staples. "I Can't Stop Thinking About It" was used in a Buick commercial in 2007 and was later covered acoustically by
the Romantics. In 2000, the band released 2 singles, as well as a split single with
The White Stripes. They also appeared on the
X-Mas Surprise Package Volume 3 compilation, and backed
Andre Williams on two songs on his "The Black Godfather" LP.
Ultraglide in Black and the Detroit rock and roll revival (2001–2003) The Dirtbombs enjoyed a boost in recognition after the release of their second album,
Ultraglide in Black, in 2001, a collection of nearly all soul,
R&B, and
Motown covers, with one original track - "Your Love Belongs Under A Rock". Around this time, a
garage rock revival became vibrant in the American and European underground, led in part by fellow Detroit band the
White Stripes, and the Dirtbombs were part of a multitude of Detroit bands that subsequently received attention from the music industry. Opening for the White Stripes (and with
Jack White acknowledging the Gories as a major influence) brought the band increased publicity as well. In 2005,
MSNBC.com listed
Ultraglide on their list of the top albums of the past 20 years. "Ode to a Black Man" was taken from the LP for a 2001 single. A five-song EP,
Chariots of the Gods?, was also released that year, and the band appeared on the Jack White-produced
Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit compilation that year as well. Two new singles were issued in 2002. That same year, the Dirtbombs appeared on four compilations, as well as on Troy Gregory's solo album,
Sybil. The band also toured extensively during this time, playing in Europe and Australia, in addition to the U.S. and Canada.
Dangerous Magical Noise (2003–2004) In 2003 the band released their third LP,
Dangerous Magical Noise. This album was originally going to be done in the style of
bubblegum pop, but Collins ultimately chose to stick with a radio-friendly pop rock style, described by the band as being " the car-commercial record". The album featured a re-recorded version of their contribution to the
Sympathetic Sounds compilation, "I'm Through with White Girls" written and sung by
Jim Diamond. The single "Motor City Baby" was featured on
Little Steven's Underground Garage as the "Coolest Song in the World". The band, with Jim Diamond and Tom Potter on bass, was featured on a Dutch television documentary about the Detroit rock scene that also profiled the White Stripes and the Paybacks. Mick took the filmmakers on a tour of the Detroit music scene, and drummed for the White Stripes while they sang Loretta Lynn's "Rated X". The documentary concluded with the three of them bowling. In 2004 the band headlined the Rock City Fest in Detroit (the show being Jim Diamond's final show with the band). 2004 was also a major year of record releasing: The band released a split LP with
King Khan and the Shrines called
Billiards at Nine Thirty, a second single from
Dangerous Magical Noise, "Earthquake Heart", and a pair of new singles. Split singles were also issued, one backed with a Gories song, one with
Justin Robertson, and one with
ADULT. ''If You Don't Already Have a Look'' and involvement with films (2005–2007) In 2005 the band released ''
If You Don't Already Have a Look'' a 2-disc collection of their singles and rarities, as well as six new songs. The band was showcased at the Motor City Music Conference and later in the year they toured Europe making stops in many places on the continent, including the
Primavera Sound Festival in Spain and headlining tour dates in
Zagreb and
Belgrade. A new split with the Love Supremes was issued, and the band also appeared on a
Gun Club tribute record that year. In the summer of 2006, the song "Trainwreck" was used in a
Walmart television commercial. In October, the band played in Rivera Court at the
Detroit Institute of Arts for the premiere of a documentary film called
It Came From Detroit, in which the band was featured prominently in interviews and live footage. In May 2007 The Dirtbombs were invited by director Julian Schnabel to play at the
Cannes Film Festival in honor of their song "Chains of Love", from the
Ultraglide LP, being featured in his award-winning
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. In September, the band played at the reopening of the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac, Michigan. The band released one single in 2007, a cover of the
Black Lips' "Oh Katrina".
We Have You Surrounded (2008–2009) Recording of
We Have You Surrounded, the fourth In The Red LP, began in November 2006 as a five-song EP. The length of time since the band's last full-length, 2003's
Dangerous Magical Noise, led to the decision to finish it as an LP, once again postponing the bubblegum record. Recording resumed in the summer of 2007, and
We Have You Surrounded was released in February 2008. Far from being bubblegum, the album's themes are dark. The song "Leopard Man at C & A" features lyrics taken from comic book writer
Alan Moore's poem of the same name, (described by Collins as "a fabulous take on urban paranoia"). In support of
We Have You Surrounded, the band embarked on tours of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Festival appearances included the
Golden Plains Festival in Australia, The
Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans, the Afro Punk Festival in Brooklyn, and the
All Tomorrow's Parties's Nightmare Before Christmas Festival in England. In July 2008, the band returned to the eastern U.S., opening for
Spiritualized, and later touring with
TV on the Radio in the Fall. Five singles were issued in 2008: a cover of a
Suicide song on the Irish label Infirmary Phonographic; an
INXS covers single on Australian label Stained Circles; a
Sparks covers single on In The Red, which includes "Sherlock Holmes", also found on
We Have You Surrounded and an iTunes compilation; and two splits on Cass Records with 2008 touring partners - a cover of Detroit proto-punk band
Death on a split with touring partner
Kelley Stoltz and a split with
Dan Sartain. While touring for
We Have You Surrounded, Ko Melina stopped playing her parts on a "fuzzed" bass and instead started playing a baritone guitar.
''Daddy Rockin' Strong LP and Party Store'' (2010–2011) In 2010, The Dirtbombs recorded the title track for
Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos. In February 2011, the band released their fifth LP,
Party Store. A sequel of sorts to
Ultraglide In Black,
Party Store features rock covers of early
Detroit techno and
house music. A companion remix album was released by
Scion's Scion A/V label.
Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey! (2013) In September 2013,
Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey!, the long-promised bubblegum record, was finally released. == Live experience ==