Craig
Gray ~ Guitar
Paul
Hood ~ Guitar
Tom
Mallon ~ Drums
Erich
Werner ~ Bass, Vocals
Other
Members
Lisa
Davis ~ Bass
Joe
Goldring ~ Bass
Aaron
Gregory ~ Bass
Jonathan
Henrickson ~ Bass
Mark
Eitzel ~ Vocals
Tim
Mooney ~ Drums
Mark
Sullivan ~ Organ
Annie
Unger ~ Guitar
Ricky
Williams ~ Vocals
Ricky Williams
Paul
Hood, Craig Gray - 1980
Toiling Midgets was voted # 66 "all time Bay Area band" by readers of the San Francisco Chronicle
I joined the Midgets after moving to SF from Seattle in 1979, having played with the Meyce, and the Enemy and really being among the first "punk" groups to play in Seattle. The Meyce formed in late 1975, after Jim Basnight and I broke up our very first band. The EMP museum in Seattle has recognized our efforts with a display featuring photos and a written history of those early days. The Meyce, Telepaths (Erich Werner, their guitarist later joined the Midgets as Bass Player in 1992, shortly before Ricky Williams passed away) and Tupperwares (later the Screamers, in LA) played what is recognized as the first Punk show in Seattle, May 1st, 1976. Thanks for your love of rock music, and it's history.Paul Hood, October 2002
The Toiling Midgets were part of the second wave of "Punk" groups from San Francisco, formed from Negative Trend, The Sleepers, and The Enemy. After an 1982 LP called "Sea of Unrest" with Ricky Williams, and cassette release (1983's 4-track Mind) plus NW tour, the band started recording it's next record for Rough US, when they broke up over lack of label support.
That album was released posthumously as "Deadbeats" on Thermidor Records. Reforming almost 6 years later (the week of SF's killer 7.3 earthquake in 1989) the band began recording it's 3rd record, and added vocalist Mark Eitzel to it's heavy instrumental Sound. The record charted in the top 15 of the UK Independent charts, and the Midgets toured but without Eitzel.
The Midgets began rehearsing with Ricky Williams again before he passed away in 92. The next 5 years found a strong gigging instrumental unit, and they played all over California and the NW. In early 97, Craig Gray went to England, and after one gig as a trio, the Midgets finally broke up in June of 1997.
Craig Gray and Paul Hood are currently recording new songs together, and Craig has done a soundtrack for the short film "HUMAN" (c2002).
Paul Hood, October 2002