Toiling Midgets | en

San Francisco's 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 the late Ricky Williams joined the band to record 'Sea of Unrest' (Instant [Rough Trade US]) and lasted with the initial lineup through a brief West Coast tour. By 1983 they'd reformed with bass player Aaron Gregory and 3rd guitarist Annie Unger (Gun Club)

Over the years they've soldiered on with new members including bassists Joe Goldring (Wade, Swans,Enablers), and Seattle transplant Erich Werner (The Blackouts). They went through two other vocalists recording with American Music Club's Mark Eitzel from 1990-1991 and using touring vocalist David Ripley). After an ill fated attempt to reunite with 1st vocalist Ricky Williams, quashed by his post concert death from a heroin overdose in 1992, they resumed as a strictly instrumental act in the mid 1990's with longtime producer Tom Mallon on drums. They went on hiatus circa 1997, but after the turn of millennium, the group resumed gigging around San Francisco with a show at The Fillmore commemorating the life of the late punk club promoter Dirk Dirksen in 2007.

http://www.myspace.com/toilingmidgets

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