Biography
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in metro Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup. The Dirtbombs were formed by Mick Collins (of the influential garage punk band The Gories) as a side project and started recording songs by 1995.In the ten-plus years since their conception, a host of Detroit rock
musicians have been members of the Dirtbombs both in the studio and on
the road. As of September 2008 the band's lineup consists of Collins on
guitar, Ko Melina
(formerly of Ko & The Knockouts) on a distorted “fuzz” guitar,
Zachary Weedon (of Lee Marvin Computer Arm and the Readies) on bass,
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)
played bass from June 2004 to September 5, 2008, 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.
musicians have been members of the Dirtbombs both in the studio and on
the road. As of September 2008 the band's lineup consists of Collins on
guitar, Ko Melina
(formerly of Ko & The Knockouts) on a distorted “fuzz” guitar,
Zachary Weedon (of Lee Marvin Computer Arm and the Readies) on bass,
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)
played bass from June 2004 to September 5, 2008, 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.
