Troy Gregory
Encyclopedia
Troy Gregory is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker and solo artist. He is best-known for his work with The Dirtbombs
, Prong, and The Witches
.
, Bantam Rooster
, Katmandu, Five Horse Johnson
) and Matthew Smith ( Outrageous Cherry
, Volebeats ).
1984 —- played bass, keyboard, and sang in Criminal with guitarist Douglas Pulvirenti (Cinema Blue) and drummer Paul Pulvirenti (Elliott Smith
, Telephone, No. 2
, Atomic 61, Godwads)
1986 —- was one of the top choices for Metallica
after bassist Cliff Burton
died.
1987 —- played bass for L.A. punk group Wasted Youth
with drummer Joey Castillo
( Queens Of The Stone Age
).
1987 —- recorded and toured with Arizona metal band Flotsam and Jetsam
.
1990 —- recorded and toured with New York industrial metal band Prong
1991 —- played bass on the album Love Of Life by New York group Swans
led by Michael Gira
of Young God Records.
1992–-2008 —- moved back to Detroit and formed The Witches
, who were considered a key group in the new wave of Detroit rock. Members included John Nash
( Johnny Nashinal of Electric Six
), Phil Skarich ( LCD Soundsystem
, Deadstring Brothers ) and Eugene Strobe ( The Sights
, Paul Green School Of Rock). The group released four albums; a fifth remains unreleased.
The Witches performed at the Detroit Film Theatre for the premiere of Detroit rock documentary It Came From Detroit
1996 —- was invited by Killing Joke
to replace original bassist Youth
( Paul McCartney
, producer ) for their European Democracy tour.
1998 —- played bass for Simon Bonney
( Crime and the City Solution
) along with Matthew Smith , drummer Jim White
( The Dirty Three ) and guitarist Chuck Prophet
( Green On Red
) . Two songs were featured in the Denis Leary
film Underworld. The album Eyes Of Blue remains unreleased.
1998 —- played violin, bass and guitar with Kim Fowley
( Alley Oop, Kiss
, The Runaways
, Helen Reddy
) for the recording Michigan Babylon and a live performance that ended with Fowley being attacked.
1998 —- played bass on the album Larval 2 with avant garde guitarist Bill Brovold ( John Zorn
, Rhys Chatham
).
1999–-2000 and 2003–-2008 —-
played bass, fuzz bass, violin, cello, drums and vocals with The Dirtbombs
. Spin
magazine named The Dirtbombs one of the top ten best live bands in the world. Performed at Cannes Film Festival
at party for the Julian Schnabel
film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
. Played the Diego Rivera court at the Detroit Institute Of Arts.
2002 —— released solo album Sybil
. The recording featured Troy backed by thirteen different Detroit groups including The Dirtbombs, Electric Six
( then called The Wildbunch ), Bantam Rooster
, Slumber Party
, Larval, Outrageous Cherry
, The Come Ons and The Volebeats.
2003–-2004 ——
music featured at New York's Giant Art Space exhibit on Detroit along with that of Motown, Iggy Pop
and Derrick May.
2004 —— released second solo album Laura. Gregory played all instruments on the album, which he co-produced with Jim Diamond
of Ghetto Recorders.
2006 —— toured and recorded with Detroit R & B legend Nathaniel Mayer
. The album Why Don't You Give It To Me was named album of the month by Julian Cope
. The recording also featured Dan Auerbach
(The Black Keys
), Dave Shettler ( SSM
, The Sights ) and Matthew Smith.
September 2008 ——
Announced his departure from The Dirtbombs to record and perform as a solo artist.
Wrote, directed, edited and scored first feature film World War Love.
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
, Prong, and The Witches
The Witches
The Witches is a children's book by Roald Dahl, first published in London in 1983 by Jonathan Cape. The book, like many of Dahl's works, is illustrated by Quentin Blake. Its content has made the book the frequent target of censors. It appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most...
.
Chronology
1978 —- while still in grade school started first band with drummer Mike Alonso ( Electric SixElectric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
, Bantam Rooster
Bantam Rooster
Bantam Rooster was an American garage punk band, formed in 1994 in Lansing, Michigan and disbanded in 2003. Bantam Rooster was a duo composed of vocalist and guitarist Thomas Jackson Potter and drummer Eric Cook with later members Mike Alonso and Nick Lloyd filling in on drums.Known for their...
, Katmandu, Five Horse Johnson
Five Horse Johnson
Five Horse Johnson is an American blues-rock band, formed in 1995 from Toledo, Ohio. They have toured with such popular groups as Clutch and Halfway to Gone. The band combines hard rock, blues and other influences into a blend of stoner rock/blues music they call their own...
) and Matthew Smith ( Outrageous Cherry
Outrageous Cherry
-History:Outrageous Cherry formed in 1992 as a solo project for Matthew Smith, but soon expanded to a four-piece after he began performing live in 1993...
, Volebeats ).
1984 —- played bass, keyboard, and sang in Criminal with guitarist Douglas Pulvirenti (Cinema Blue) and drummer Paul Pulvirenti (Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Telephone, No. 2
No. 2
No. 2, released as Naming Number Two in North America, is a 2006 New Zealand film written and directed by Toa Fraser in his feature film debut. It was released 16 February 2006 in New Zealand and 3 August 2007 in the U.S...
, Atomic 61, Godwads)
1986 —- was one of the top choices for Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
after bassist Cliff Burton
Cliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
died.
1987 —- played bass for L.A. punk group Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth may refer to:* Wasted Youth , 1980s hardcore punk band* Wasted Youth , 1980s goth post-punk band* Wasted Youth , Canadian teen punk rock magazine...
with drummer Joey Castillo
Joey Castillo
Joseph Willam "Joey" Castillo is an American drummer currently playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal...
( Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
).
1987 —- recorded and toured with Arizona metal band Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and jetsam
In maritime law, flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict describe specific kinds of wreck.The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage....
.
1990 —- recorded and toured with New York industrial metal band Prong
Prong
Prong is an American heavy metal band formed in 1986. Prong had two independent releases, Primitive Origins and Force Fed. The albums attracted the attention of Epic Records, who signed the trio in 1989. The group disbanded in 1997 after the Rude Awakening tour, but re-formed in 2002...
1991 —- played bass on the album Love Of Life by New York group Swans
Swans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
led by Michael Gira
Michael Gira
Michael Rolfe Gira is an American musician, author, and artist. He is the main force behind the recently reformed New York City musical group Swans and fronts the Angels of Light...
of Young God Records.
1992–-2008 —- moved back to Detroit and formed The Witches
The Witches
The Witches is a children's book by Roald Dahl, first published in London in 1983 by Jonathan Cape. The book, like many of Dahl's works, is illustrated by Quentin Blake. Its content has made the book the frequent target of censors. It appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most...
, who were considered a key group in the new wave of Detroit rock. Members included John Nash
John Nash
John Nash may refer to:*John Nash , Anglo-Welsh architect*John Forbes Nash, Jr. , American mathematician, 1994 Nobel Economics laureate, subject of the book and film titled A Beautiful Mind...
( Johnny Nashinal of Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
), Phil Skarich ( LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
, Deadstring Brothers ) and Eugene Strobe ( The Sights
The Sights
The Sights are a rock and roll band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1998. Members include Eddie Baranek , Dave Tick Talkin Lawson , Gordon Smith and Skip Denomme . Former members include Mike Trombley, Mark Leahey, Nate Cavalieri, Matt Hatch, Bobby Emmett and Dave Knepp...
, Paul Green School Of Rock). The group released four albums; a fifth remains unreleased.
The Witches performed at the Detroit Film Theatre for the premiere of Detroit rock documentary It Came From Detroit
1996 —- was invited by Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
to replace original bassist Youth
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
( Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, producer ) for their European Democracy tour.
1998 —- played bass for Simon Bonney
Simon Bonney
Simon Bonney is an Australian rock musician, best known as the lead singer in Crime and the City Solution. The band was formed in 1977 in Sydney, Australia as an outlet for Bonney's songs and had a number of different line-ups throughout their history, with Bonney as the only constant member...
( Crime and the City Solution
Crime and the City Solution
Crime and the City Solution was a rock music band formed by Australian singer and songwriter Simon Bonney.They had four distinct line-ups: Sydney in 1977–78, Melbourne in 1979, and two groupings in Berlin from 1985–1990. The only common member in all four line-ups was Bonney.Other members included:...
) along with Matthew Smith , drummer Jim White
Jim White (drummer)
Jim White is an Australian drummer . He is the drummer for the Dirty Three, a band formed in Melbourne, but he has also played with a number of other groups, including:*Tren Brothers, consisting of Jim White and Mick Turner, guitarist of the Dirty Three....
( The Dirty Three ) and guitarist Chuck Prophet
Chuck Prophet
Chuck Prophet is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. A Californian, Prophet first achieved notice in the American psychedelic/desert rock group Green on Red, with whom he toured and recorded in the 1980s...
( Green On Red
Green on Red
Green on Red was an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground...
) . Two songs were featured in the Denis Leary
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
film Underworld. The album Eyes Of Blue remains unreleased.
1998 —- played violin, bass and guitar with Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
( Alley Oop, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, The Runaways
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
, Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
) for the recording Michigan Babylon and a live performance that ended with Fowley being attacked.
1998 —- played bass on the album Larval 2 with avant garde guitarist Bill Brovold ( John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
, Rhys Chatham
Rhys Chatham
Rhys Chatham is an American composer, guitarist, and trumpet player, primarily active in avant-garde and minimalist music. He is best known for his "guitar orchestra" compositions...
).
1999–-2000 and 2003–-2008 —-
played bass, fuzz bass, violin, cello, drums and vocals with The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
. Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine named The Dirtbombs one of the top ten best live bands in the world. Performed at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
at party for the Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. In the 1980s, Schnabel received international media attention for his "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates....
film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a 2007 biographical drama film based on Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir of the same name. The film depicts Bauby's life after suffering a massive stroke, on December 8, 1995, at the age of 42, which left him with a condition known as locked-in syndrome. The...
. Played the Diego Rivera court at the Detroit Institute Of Arts.
2002 —— released solo album Sybil
Sybil
In antiquity, the oracular seeresses of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean were referred to by the Greek term "sibyls". In modern times, when "Sibyl" is adopted for a woman's name, the conventional spelling is "Sybil".-People:...
. The recording featured Troy backed by thirteen different Detroit groups including The Dirtbombs, Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
( then called The Wildbunch ), Bantam Rooster
Bantam Rooster
Bantam Rooster was an American garage punk band, formed in 1994 in Lansing, Michigan and disbanded in 2003. Bantam Rooster was a duo composed of vocalist and guitarist Thomas Jackson Potter and drummer Eric Cook with later members Mike Alonso and Nick Lloyd filling in on drums.Known for their...
, Slumber Party
Slumber Party
Slumber Party is an indie rock band from Detroit, Michigan. In 2000, 2 years after the band's formation, they signed to Kill Rock Stars.-Albums:*Slumber Party - Kill Rock Stars *Psychedelicate -Kill Rock Stars...
, Larval, Outrageous Cherry
Outrageous Cherry
-History:Outrageous Cherry formed in 1992 as a solo project for Matthew Smith, but soon expanded to a four-piece after he began performing live in 1993...
, The Come Ons and The Volebeats.
2003–-2004 ——
music featured at New York's Giant Art Space exhibit on Detroit along with that of Motown, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and Derrick May.
2004 —— released second solo album Laura. Gregory played all instruments on the album, which he co-produced with Jim Diamond
Jim Diamond (music producer)
Jim Diamond is a music producer, studio engineer, and bass guitar player based in Detroit, Michigan. He worked on the first two White Stripes albums and played bass with The Dirtbombs.- Background :...
of Ghetto Recorders.
2006 —— toured and recorded with Detroit R & B legend Nathaniel Mayer
Nathaniel Mayer
Nathaniel Mayer was a rhythm & blues singer who started his career in the early 1960s at Fortune Records in Detroit...
. The album Why Don't You Give It To Me was named album of the month by Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
. The recording also featured Dan Auerbach
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine Auerbach is an American musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. He is married to Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has a daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008.- Childhood and early...
(The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
), Dave Shettler ( SSM
SSM
-Organisations:* Shattuck-Saint Mary's, a boarding school in Faribault, MN* Society of the Sacred Mission* Society of Saint Michael, a priestly fraternity of Anglo-Catholic bishops, priests, and deacons...
, The Sights ) and Matthew Smith.
September 2008 ——
Announced his departure from The Dirtbombs to record and perform as a solo artist.
Wrote, directed, edited and scored first feature film World War Love.
With The Witches
- Let's Go To the No Go Zone (1998, Pushover Records)
- Universal Mall (2000, Fall of Rome Records)
- On Parade (2002, Fall of Rome Records)
- Thriller (2006, Music For Cats)
With The Dirtbombs
- Dangerous Magical NoiseDangerous Magical NoiseDangerous Magical Noise is an album by the American rock music group The Dirtbombs.As every Dirtbombs album sounds different, this one was chosen to have a more pop-rock sound.- Track listing :# "Start the Party" – 1:41# "Get It While You Can" – 2:25...
(2003, In The Red RecordsIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
) - Billiards at Nine Thirty (2005, Sounds Subterrania)
- If You Don't Already Have a LookIf You Don't Already Have a Look-Disc two:...
(2005, In The Red RecordsIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
) - We Have You SurroundedWe Have You Surrounded-Personnel:* Ben Blackwell — Performer* Mick Collins — Producer, Performer* Troy Gregory — Performer* Jim Kissling — Engineer, Mixing* Chris Koltay — Engineer* Erik Maluchnik — Engineer* Patrick Pantano — Performer...
(2008, In The Red RecordsIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
)
As Troy Gregory
- Sybil (2002, Fall of Rome Records)
- Laura (2004, Fall of Rome Records)
With Nathaniel Mayer
- Why Don't You Give It To Me (2007), Alive Natural Sound Records
- Why Won't You Let Me Be Black (2009), Alive Natural Sound Records
With Flotsam and Jetsam
- No Place for DisgraceNo Place for DisgraceNo Place for Disgrace is the second studio album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was recorded between December 1987 and February 1988, and was released later in 1988. This is the band's major label debut on Elektra Records. It is the first Flotsam And Jetsam album to feature bassist Troy Gregory, who...
(1988, Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
/ Elektra RecordsElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
) - When the Storm Comes DownWhen the Storm Comes downWhen the Storm Comes Down is the third studio album by Flotsam and Jetsam, released in 1990. Re-released on June 10, 2008 by Metal Mind Productions. This release is remastered with a bonus track and limited to 2000 copies. The re-release also contains new packaging and liner notes from band members...
(1990, MCA RecordsMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
)