Toiling
Midgets, Live in Berkeley - 1981
Toiling
Midgets
Seattle,
Washington
1979
- 1983
1989
- 1997
Members
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
In
Memory of
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
