Present Members
Craig Gray - Guitar
Paul Hood - Guitar
Tom Mallon-Drums
Erich Werner-Bass
Mark Sullivan-Keyboards
Past Members
Nosmo King - Bass
Tim Mooney - Drums
Ricky Williams - Vocals
Aaron Gregory - Bass
Lisa Davis - Bass
Joe Goldring - Bass
Mark Eitzel - Vocals
David Ripley - Vocals
Adam - Drums
Jack - Vocals
Mary Redfield -Violin
Joanna Hood - Viola
Carla Fabrizzio - Cello
From the still-warm ashes of Negative Trend and the Sleepers, the Toiling Midgets formed in late 1979 as an instrumental band with Craig Gray and Paul Hood on guitars, Tim Mooney on drums and Jonathan Henrickson on bass.
In 1981 singer Ricky Williams joined the band to record 'Sea of Unrest' (Instant [Rough Trade US]) and lasted through a brief West Coast tour.
By 1983 the Midgets were once again an instrumental band recording what would become ‘Dead Beats’ (released in 1984 on Jon Boshard and Joe Carducci’s Thermidor label) with new bass player Aaron Gregory and 3rd guitarist Annie Unger (Gun Club). The band split by the end of that year; Craig heading to the UK and Paul back to Seattle.
In late 1989, the Midgets reformed just before the San Francisco earthquake. Lisa Davis (Naked Into, American Music Club) replaced Aaron on bass. Singer Mark Eitzel (American Music Club) joined them live and recorded 'SON' (Matador) in 1990, but because of his AMC commitments, could not accompany them on their US tour the next year. Lisa left in the interim and was replaced by Joe Goldring (Wade, Swans; recently Enablers, Touched By A Janitor). The band did the tour instrumentally.
On return, original drummer Tim Mooney left and was replaced by long-time producer Tom Mallon. A Midgets semi-acoustic side project played live and recorded in 1991 with Ricky Williams again singing, Craig, Paul, Tom and Joe, and Mary Redfield (on loan from Wade) playing violin. Goldring left to pursue his many other projects and Seattle ex-pat Erich Werner (Telepaths, Blackouts) joined on bass.
Another spate of recording with Ricky resulted. Unfortunately, this collaboration was not meant to be – Williams died a few hours after its first and only show – on November 21, 1992. The following year, the band experimented with other vocalists (and even did a short west coast tour with David Ripley) but decided a return to instrumental music was in order.
This last, instrumental-only version of the band -- now including Mark Sullivan (Lucky, Motorcade) on piano and organ -- has been together since 1994. A great deal of recording was done in 1995 and 1996 including a project with Joanna Hood (Lafayette, Loma Mar, and Eclipse Quartets) on viola. The band took more than a decade off (1997 to 2008) recently reforming to play several shows and write new music. With any luck, the Instant, Thermidor and Matador LPs will again be available this year, along with an album culled from new material and the recording projects of the mid-90s.
CD's that are available are:
1981 - 3 shows, rough quality, audience recordings
Do the Incendiary - The 1st Midget Demo recorded by Tom Mallon
1982 V1 - two shows, SF and Seattle, both board recordings, Ricky singing
1982 V2 - 1 partial and one full show from SF, full show was for radio broadcast on KFJC when we opened for Nico, Mallon on the board
4 TRK Mind - remastered from the original DAT master
1990 Live at the Parasite Lounge - Eitzel's 1st show w us, Mallon on the board
1991 - Ibeam show with Eitzel, Mallon on the board.
God's Man - 89-90 Demo recorded by Tom Mallon and Aaron Gregory
Contact Paul Hood at pshmidget@hotmail.com.
Tom Mallon-McCorgray at: grifter1284@earthlink.net.
You should know who is who.....Toiling Midgets guitars....Craig Gray & Paul Hood toiling in public at GAMH in SF on Fri night, Oct 23, 2009....next up....Portland & Seattle
"DJ Monkey …soul-stirring, excitingly edgy music…just disturbing (read ‘mind-f**king’) enough to demand attention. There is a whole spice rack of auditory flavors here, served up like fractured poetry on a collection of intensely listenable Hallmark cards from Hell." Bill Margold, Cinema Seen, L.A. X..Press
This show has the excitement of Heayweight Championship of the World.....sound disengenious?......no way......this is BIG Friday October 23, 2009 at Great American Music Hall the class of 1976-79 continues their saga
You like beer right? You might get a kick out of this Ozzy skit. Here's the new film Gabby Skab and I made last night for upcoming Pabst sales convention. The Skabs "PBR Me Right Now". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGPLSnltauk
Craig Gray: "Slaugher on Sumner St."...how does it go?....a picture is worth a thousand words?.......interesting......this song has no lyrics.....it doesnt need any.....
Booze-The Verves (a tribute to the Velvet Underground)-The Sleaze Tax
The Maltese 1600 Park Ave. Chico, CA 95928
9:30 pm 21+ $3 cover Local legend Lori Campion is blowing through town June 27 with her classic Chico bands, Booze (featuring Tom Little, Carey Wilson, Campion), The Verves - a Tribute to the Velvet Underground (featuring Campion, Joe Martin of Job's DeSoto, Charles Mohnike of Job's DeSoto and Carey Wilson).
Headlining the show will be Barbara Manning's local band, The Sleaze Tax.
That's right - for only $3 you can experience the best of the Chico rock scene, cheap beer, and loud women.
'Article for the short film "God is an Under Achiever" DJ MONKEY song /video by Dennis Schraub and Joey Alkes'
Schraub and Alkes created two edits of the short film and choosing between them would be as unwelcome a task as choosing between Coltrane’s two edits of 'Ascension'. The comparison is apt. 'God is an Underachiever' is as difficult, moving and inspiring in it’s right as the much written about late Coltrane. - Al Eaker, in Fringe Cinema 4/2009
July 17, 2009, Cafe Du Nord in SF Toiling Midgets & fLipper....under one roof.....its my Super Bowl.....I am taking the whole week off....from the ashes of Negative Trend...and Negative climbed out of the ashes too.....way too much for my brain to process
