{{Short description|Punk band from Austin, Texas}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Dicks | image = dicks1.jpg | caption = Dicks performing in Austin, Texas in 2005; pictured left to right: Buxf Parrott and Gary Floyd | image_size = | origin = Austin, Texas | genre = Hardcore punk<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dicks-mn0000787696 |title=Dicks | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links |website=AllMusic |access-date=2020-03-14}}</ref> | years_active = 1980–1986<br>2004–2016 | label = R Radical, SST, Alternative Tentacles | website = | current_members = | past_members = *Gary Floyd *Buxf Parrott *Pat Deason *Glen Taylor *Debbie Gordon *Tim Carroll *Lynn Perko *Sebastian Fuchs *Brian Magee *Davy Jones *Mark Kenyon }}
'''Dicks''' were an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1980 and initially disbanded in 1986. After the first breakup, singer Gary Floyd formed the band Sister Double Happiness, with drummer Lynn Perko, then later fronted a project called Black Kali Ma. In 2004, The Dicks reunited and were active until 2016.
The Dicks went through two incarnations in the 1980s, changing its lineup when Floyd moved from Austin to San Francisco in 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Kevin L. |date=August 18, 2016 |title=The Dicks, Influential American Punk Band, Playing Final Show in October {{!}} KQED |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/11952459/the-dicks-influential-american-punk-band-playing-final-show-in-october |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818224029/https://www.kqed.org/arts/11952459/the-dicks-influential-american-punk-band-playing-final-show-in-october |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref> As a political band with Marxist lyrics during the Reagan Era, they did not shy from controversy. Floyd was one of a handful of openly gay musicians in the 1980s punk scene.<ref name="windy city">{{citation |url=http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=3405 |title=Gay Dinosaurs and Others |first=Gregg |last=Shapiro |date=2003-06-18 |access-date=2008-08-12 |periodical=Windy City Times }}</ref>
==History== ===Austin lineup (1980–1983)=== Dicks were formed in Austin in 1980 by Gary Floyd, Buxf Parrott, Pat Deason, and Glen Taylor. Their first single "Dicks Hate The Police", released in 1980, brought them much attention and is now regarded as a classic hardcore punk record.<ref name="True">True, Christopher "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p12754/biography|pure_url=yes}} Dicks Biography]", ''Allmusic'', Macrovision Corporation</ref> In the song Floyd sings from the perspective of a policeman who abuses his power by targeting minorities and abusing civilians.
Dicks often played shows with fellow pioneering Texas hardcore bands MDC, The Offenders, and The Big Boys; Dicks' full-length debut was the split album with The Big Boys, ''Live at Raul's Club.'' Dicks were among the first punk bands to address issues of homophobia and sexual identity, as in such songs as "Saturday Night at the Bookstore" and "Off-Duty Sailor".<ref name="True" />
===San Francisco lineup (1983–1986)=== In 1983, Floyd left Texas for San Francisco along with Debbie Gordon, the band's manager, who was considered a member of the band. Floyd and Gordon, along with new members Tim Carroll, Sebastian Fuchs, and Lynn Perko (formerly of all-women band The Wrecks), formed a second version of Dicks.<ref name="True" /> The LP ''Kill From The Heart'' was released in 1983 on SST Records and ''These People'' followed in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles. The group disbanded in 1986, although occasional one-off reunion shows featuring the Austin lineup occurred through the 1980s and 1990s.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}}
===Breakup and continuing influence=== The band remained influential in punk and underground circuits. San Antonio's Butthole Surfers had ended their 1984 album ''Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac'' with the cowpunk anthem "Gary Floyd" in tribute to the Dicks' bandleader. Dicks saw a resurgence in popularity{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} during the popularity of grunge when Seattle band Mudhoney released a cover of Dicks' "Hate The Police" on Sub Pop Records. Soon after, Chicago noise rockers The Jesus Lizard (three fourths of whom were also from Austin) released their cover version of Dicks' "Wheelchair Epidemic".
Gary Floyd later started Sister Double Happiness in San Francisco in 1986.<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}, p. 504-505</ref> After that band ended he formed and primarily played in Europe with The Gary Floyd Band; an overview of this material, "Backdoor Preacher Man", is available in the United States. Toward the late 1990s, Floyd played in Black Kali Ma, who released an album on Alternative Tentacles. Floyd later formed the band the Buddha Brothers, while Parrott and Deason went on to play in the Austin neo-bluegrass band Shootin' Pains and Trouser Trout, while Parrott and Taylor also played in Pretty Mouth.<ref name="Beets" /> Perko went on to join Imperial Teen.<ref name="Beets">Beets, Greg "[http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/AMDB/Profile?oid=oid:272292 The Dicks]", ''Austin Chronicle''</ref>
===Reunion, disbandment and Gary Floyd's death (2004–2024)=== In 2004, Dicks began playing regular reunion concerts in Austin and elsewhere. The lineup for the shows consists of the original Dicks, with the exception of Glen Taylor, who died in 1997.<ref name="True" /> His role was filled by three other Austin guitarists: Mark Kenyon, Brian McGee, and Davy Jones. At the 2009 Austin Music Awards show, Jesus Lizard singer David Yow joined the band onstage for "Wheelchair Epidemic".<ref name="Beets" /> At the same show, Dicks were inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.<ref name="Austin Chronicle Archives">"[http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicAwards?year=2008&category=Hall+of+Fame Austin Music Awards 2009-2009 Hall of Fame]", ''Austin Chronicle''</ref>
A documentary film, ''The Dicks from Texas'', was released in 2015 about the Dicks and Austin, Texas punk scene along with a tribute album, ''The Dicks From Texas and Friends'', with 27 bands covering 28 Dicks songs.
The Dicks announced that their final show would be October 30, 2016, at Grizzly Hall in Austin, Texas; however, due to popular demand, a second show was added the day afterward.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/08/18/the-dicks-influential-american-punk-band-playing-final-show-in-october/ | title= The Dicks, Influential American Punk Band, Playing Final Show in October|last1=Jones | first1= Kevin | date=2016-08-18 | publisher= KQED | access-date=2016-09-17}}</ref>
On May 2, 2024, Gary Floyd died after a series of health-related issues. He was 71, and was survived by his husband.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gary Floyd (1953–2024), founder of pioneering punks The Dicks|url=https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/gary-floyd-1953-2024-founder-of-pioneering-punks-the-dicks/ |website=Legacy.com |access-date=3 May 2024 |date=3 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Preminuo je Gary Floyd |url=https://glazba.hr/vijesti/preminuo-gary-floyd/ |access-date=7 May 2024 |publisher=Legacy |date=7 May 2024}}</ref>
==Members== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * Gary Floyd – vocals (1980–1986, 2004–2016); died 2024 * Buxf Parrott – bass, guitar, vocals (1980–1983, 2004–2016) * Pat Deason – drums (1980–1983, 2004–2016) * Glen Taylor – guitar, bass (1980–1983); died 1997 * Debbie Gordon – manager (1982–1986) {{col-2}} * Tim Carroll – guitar (1983–1986) * Lynn Perko – drums (1983–1986) * Sebastian Fuchs – bass, vocals (1983–1986) * Mark Kenyon – guitar (2004–2016) * Brian Magee – guitar (2004–2005, 2016) * Davy Jones – guitar (2005–2015); died 2015 {{col-end}}
'''Timeline''' <timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:30 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1980 till:12/31/2016 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
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BarData = bar:Floyd text:"Gary Floyd" bar:Taylor text:"Glen Taylor" bar:Carroll text:"Tim Carroll" bar:Kenyon text:"Mark Kenyon" bar:Magee text:"Brian Magee" bar:Jones text:"Davy Jones" bar:Parrott text:"Buxf Parrott" bar:Fuchs text:"Sebastian Fuchs" bar:Deason text:"Pat Deason" bar:Perko text:"Lynn Perko" bar:Gordon text:"Debbie Gordon"
PlotData=
width:11 bar:Floyd from:01/01/1980 till:12/31/1986 color:Vocals bar:Floyd from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2016 color:Vocals bar:Taylor from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Guitar bar:Taylor from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Bass width:3 bar:Carroll from:06/01/1983 till:12/31/1986 color:Guitar bar:Kenyon from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2016 color:Guitar bar:Magee from:01/01/2004 till:06/01/2005 color:Guitar bar:Magee from:01/01/2016 till:12/31/2016 color:Guitar bar:Jones from:06/01/2005 till:09/01/2015 color:Guitar bar:Parrott from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Guitar width:7 bar:Parrott from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Bass bar:Parrott from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Parrott from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2016 color:Bass bar:Parrott from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2016 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Fuchs from:06/01/1983 till:12/31/1986 color:Bass bar:Fuchs from:06/01/1983 till:12/31/1986 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Deason from:01/01/1980 till:06/01/1983 color:Drums bar:Deason from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2016 color:Drums bar:Perko from:06/01/1983 till:12/31/1986 color:Drums bar:Gordon from:06/01/1982 till:12/31/1986 color:Manager
</timeline>
==Discography==
===Albums=== *''Kill from the Heart'' LP (1983), SST Records *''These People'' LP (1985), Alternative Tentacles
===10"=== *''Ten Inches'' 10-inch (2006), Delta Pop Music
===Lives=== *''Live at Raul's Club'' LP (1980), Rat Race – Split with The Big Boys *''Dicks Live! Hungry Butt'' (2006), Hot Box Review
===Singles, EPs=== *"Hate the Police" 7-inch (1980), R Radical Records *''Peace?'' 7-inch EP (1984), R Radical Records: "No Fuckin' War"/"I Hope You Get Drafted"/"Nobody Asked Me" *''Live at Raul's'' 2×7″ (1992), Selfless Records - split with The Big Boys *''Hog'' 7-inch (2006), Delta Pop Music
===Compilations=== *''1980–1986'' CD (1997), Alternative Tentacles (compilation of out of print material)
===Compilation appearances=== *"Gilbeau" on ''Cottage Cheese from the Lips of Death'' (1983), Ward 9 Records *"I Hope You Get Drafted" on the ''International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation'' (1984), R Radical Records *"Legacy of Man" on ''Rat Music for Rat People Vol. 2'' (1984), CD Presents, Ltd
==See also== *List of hardcore punk bands
==References== {{Reflist}} * Art Black / Ira Robbins. "[http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=dicks DICKS]". ''Trouser Press Guide''. Retrieved February 15, 2006.
==External links== *[http://www.myspace.com/dicksthe The Dicks] on Myspace *[http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/usa/dicks_main.html A biography of THE DICKS at Kill From the Heart] * {{discogs artist|Dicks}} * {{IMDb name|2902009}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061106054713/http://www.operationphoenixrecords.com/suburbanvoicegaryfloyd.html Suburban Voice Interview] - Gary Floyd interview from 1998 *[http://www.newyorknighttrain.com/zine/liverecs/200607/0726.html Piece on the cultural importance of the Dicks] from NewYorkNightTrain.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dicks, The}} Category:Alternative Tentacles artists Category:Hardcore punk groups from Texas Category:American LGBTQ-themed musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1980 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1986 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2004 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Category:Musical groups from Austin, Texas Category:SST Records artists Category:1980 establishments in Texas Category:2016 disestablishments in Texas Category:American political music groups Category:Reagan Era