Destroy All Monsters was a Detroit rock band existing from 1973 to 1985, with sporadic performances since. Their music touched on elements of punk rock, psychedelic rock, heavy metal and noise rock with performance art. Their music was described by Lester Bangs as "anti-rock". Members of The Stooges and MC5 joined the band, and Sonic Youth singer/guitarist Thurston Moore participated in the compilation of a three compact disc set of the group's music in 1994, released by his Ecstatic Peace! record label.
Contents
History
Early years
Formed in 1973, the first edition of Destroy All Monsters was formed by University of Michigan art students Mike Kelley, Jim Shaw, Niagara, and filmmaker Cary Loren. They performed in the Ann Arbor area from 1973–1976, and their only release was a one-hour cassette of their recordings available through Lightworks magazine. Their early music was influenced by Sun Ra, Velvet Underground, ESP-Disk, monster movies, beat culture and futurism. Their sound was experimental, abrasive, psychedelic, darkly humorous and droning.
On New Year's Eve of 1973, the first Destroy All Monsters concert was held at a comic book convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At the time the instruments were two guitars with an echoplex and fuzz box, a drum kit played by Mission of Burma's Roger Miller, tape loops, a violin, a sax, a vacuum cleaner and a coffee can. They performed a demented version of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and were asked to leave after ten minutes. The group performed "guerilla style", setting up free at parties and playing for food along Ann Arbor's frat row. They used modified instruments, a drum machine, tape loops, toys, cheap keyboards and broken electronic devices. Aside from the comic convention, the group's only formal gig in this era was at the Halloween Ball at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design in 1976.
New personnel
In 1977, Niagara and Loren recruited guitarist Larry Miller and saxophonist Ben Miller; both had been in the short-lived Sproton Layer (as drummer and guitarist respectively) with their brother Roger Miller (who later went on to co-found Mission of Burma). They invited Mike (Jett) Powers on bass but he soon left for Harvard University. Not long after, members of two important Detroit-based groups signed on: guitarist Ron Asheton, earlier of The Stooges, and bass guitarist Michael Davis of the MC5. Shortly thereafter, Ron asked drummer Rob King to join the band (replacing Roger Miller, who had filled the spot on a temp basis).
In 1978, Destroy All Monsters were preparing to release "Bored", their first official recording. Niagara by then ended her relationship with Loren in favor of a new relationship with Asheton; Loren was fired from the group. Soon after the Miller brothers also left after the DAM's Halloween show at Eastern Michigan University, in 1978. The "Bored"/"You’re Gonna Die" single earned attention in the UK music press, and a major 35 gig tour of the U.K. followed.
Later developments and reunion
Niagara and Ron Asheton continued touring and recording with Michael Davis releasing a total of four 7" singles on the IDBI label. Between 1982 and 1984, Destroy All Monsters toured nationally. Personnel: Rob King on drums, Mike Davis on bass, Ron Asheton on guitar, and Niagara on vocals. DAM made friends with the Ramones and Dead Boys during this period. The three bands would take turns opening for each other in New York, Detroit and Philadelphia shows. DAM became the house band for Second Chance (Ann Arbor) and Bookies (Detroit) during these early Punk times. In May 1983, the band recorded and videotaped a song called "Make Mine Japanese." Released in December 1983, this video can now be seen on-line. The Monsters broke up in 1985. The DAM singles were released by Cherry Red Records on CD.
In 1994, Mike Kelley, Cary Loren, Byron Coley and Thurston Moore compiled a three-CD boxed set of DAM music, artwork and liner notes as Destroy All Monsters: 1974–1976 on Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label.
The original lineup (Kelley, Loren, Niagara and Shaw) reformed for reunion shows in 1995 at the Magic Bag in Detroit, Spaceland in Los Angeles, and Bodies in San Diego. Six issues of Destroy All Monsters Magazine (1976–1979) were edited by Cary Loren and published with added DAM student artwork, flexi disc and history in the book Destroy All Monsters: Geisha This (1995). Four VHS tapes of DAM films directed by Loren were also issued between 1995-1996; Grow Live Monsters, Clear Day, Shake a LIzard Tail or Rust Belt Rump and Strange Früt: Rock Apochrypha. An exhibition of DAM artwork was shown in 1995 at the Book Beat gallery. A live CD, Silver Wedding Anniversary, resulted from the reunion concerts and was released in 1996 on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label and included performance highlights from the reunion shows.
In 1996, the group performed in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. A display of DAM artwork was held at the Deep Gallery in Tokyo. DAM began work on the installation and film Strange Früt: Rock Apochrypha, an investigation of Detroit culture. This exhibition was first shown at "I Rip You, You Rip Me" festival, a series of exhibitions, performances, symposiums, and workshops examining the radical subculture and music scene of Detroit in the late sixties and early seventies, and was held at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and Nighttown, curated by artists Ben Schot and Ronald Cornelissen. Strange Früt: Rock Apochrypha was exhibited at and completed in 2000 at COCA (Center on Contemporary Art) in Seattle, WA., and at Artists Take On Detroit (2001) exhibition held at the Detroit Institute of Arts. This work was also selected for inclusion in the 2002 Whitney Biennial of Art in NYC.
Discography
Albums
1975 – Greatest Hits (cassette only)
1995 – Destroy All Monsters 1974–1976
1996 – Radio Teardrop
1996 – Silver Wedding Anniversary
1998 – Pig or Backyard Monster Tube
2001 – Swamp Gas
2002 – Detroit Oratorio
2003 – Live in Tokyo
2009 – Sextet (1975, vinyl only)
2009 – Destroy all Monsters 1974–1976 (triple album reissue)
2011 – Get Out of My Bedroom!
Live albums
2002 – The Detroit Oratorio (live)
2003 – Live in Tokyo & Osaka
Videos
1996 – Shake a Lizard Tail or Rust Belt Rump (VHS)
1996 – Clear Day: DAM Live (VHS)
1998 – Strange Fruit (VHS)
2007 – Grow Live Monsters (DVD reissue from 1995 VHS)
Singles
1978 – "Bored"/"You’re Gonna Die"
1978 – Days of Diamonds EP
1979 – "Nov. 22"/"Meet The Creeper"
1979 – "What Do I Get?"/"Nobody Knows"
1995 – "My Cowboy Hero/ I'm Bored/ Calling All Girls" (1974)
1996 – "Killing Me Softly/ Detroit Rock City"
1997 – "Attack of the Chiggers/ Typical Girl" (1974)
1998 – "Paranoid of Blonds / Take Me With You"