Crash Test Dummies

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Crash Test Dummies

I Crash Test Dummies (also known as Dummies) are a Canadian folk-rock band from Winnipeg, formed in 1988 and popular in the 1990s. As of 2001, there are only two band members, Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid; however, all other former band members, except Ben Darvill, reunited for a concert in October 2010. The origin of the band, in many senses, is linked to the history of the clubs Spectrum Cabaret and Blue Note Cafe, of which Curtis Riddel was owner. In the mid-1980s, Riddel teamed up with Brad Roberts to form the group Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs. The group changes its name to Crash Test Dummies, following the suggestion of a friend who attends medical school. Ellen Reid and Benjamin Darvill join the group permanently while George West, the original bass player, leaves and is replaced by Dan Roberts, Brad's brother. Riddel is replaced by Vince Labbert, who is in turn replaced by Mitch Dorge during the release of the album The Ghosts that Haunt Me. The group began to achieve commercial success with the release of The Ghosts that Haunt Me in 1991. The album sold 400,000 copies in Canada, largely due to the popularity of the single Superman's Song which earned the Dummies the 1991 Juno Award as group of the year. International recognition came with the 1993 release of their second album, God Shuffled His Feet, thanks in part to the emergence of a new type of radio stations: adult album-oriented alternative rock that began to play the single in high rotation. Mmm Mmm Mmm. The song reached number 4 on the US Hot 100, but did even better in the UK where it reached number 2, and number 1 in Australia. Curiously, it disappoints at home where it stops at position number 14. Two other songs from the album reached the Canadian top ten Swimming in Your Ocean e Afternoons & Coffeespoons". In mid-1994, the album surpassed one million sales (platinum) in the United States and the band earned three Grammy nominations and as many Juno Award nominations. To date, the album has sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide. In January 1995, the band released The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinheada cover of the XTC song of the same name. The song, together with Mmm mmm mmm, is part of the soundtrack of the film Dumb and Dumber starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. The single reached number 30 on the UK Singles chart and number 4 in Canada. In 1996, the Dummies released their third album A Worm's Life. The album was received coldly by critics and had moderate commercial success. The style becomes more rock, with a strong presence of guitars. Singles are well received in some markets (He Liked To Feel It ranks number 2 in Canada), but internationally it does not achieve the successes of Superman's Song o Mmm Mmm Mmm. In any case, the album reached platinum status in Canada in less than a month. Give Yourself a Hand, the fourth album by the Dummies, was released on 23 March 1999. The album shows a new sound for the Dummies. Ellen Reid is lead vocalist on three tracks, and Brad Roberts sings falsetto on several others. The whole sound of the album features more electronic sounds than in the past. Once again the single Keep A Lid On Things enters the Top Ten in Canada. In between albums, Benjamin Darvill became the first Dummy to release solo material. Under the name Son of Dave, Darvill releases the albums B. Darvill's Wild West Show e 01 with his Husky Records label. The little success achieved by both A Worm's Life that from Give Yourself a Hand makes the band feel that the BMG label is breathing down the band's neck, especially after it rejects no less than 35 songs during the production of Give Yourself a Hand. As a result, the record company and the band split up, and Brad Robert founded the independent record company 'Cha-Ching Records' (which later became 'Deep Fried Records'). Free from the restrictions of the Majors, the Dummies surprised their fans in 2001 by putting their solo projects back in the drawer to work on their fifth studio album. After escaping a near fatal accident in the winter of 2000, Brad found himself in the town of Argyle, Nova Scotia. It was here that he met some local 'lobster fishermen' whom he discovered to be good amateur musicians: Kent Greene, Dave Morton, and Danny MacKenzie. Together they record much of I Don't Care That You Don't Mind, which was to be Brad's first solo album. Later Ellen was involved in recording backing vocals on some tracks and Dan agreed to go on tour with Brad. When Ellen and Mitchel also agreed to go on tour, the album was released under the name of the Crash Test Dummies. The album marks the Dummies' return to acoustic sounds. Brad compares it to their first album The Ghosts That Haunt Me, although he describes it as more atmospheric and clean. At the end of 2001, a number of solo projects by the Dummies came out. Ellen Ried releases her debut album Cinderellen. Shortly afterwards, the long-awaited double-live and rockumentary by Brad Roberts: Crash Test Dude. 2002 opened with the surprise release of Mitch Dorge's first solo album: As Trees Walking. On the album Mitch plays almost all the instruments, some of the photos published in the CD booklet are his, and he wins the Praire Music Award as best instrumental album. Brad, Dan and Ellen return as Crash Test Dummies at the end of 2002 with a Christmas album. In 2003, Puss 'n' Boots was released. Exactly like I Don't Care That You Don't Mind the album comes to life as Brad's solo project. Co-written by Stuart Cameron, 13 songs are selected from a list of 30. Ellen sings backing vocals and Dan plays bass, but much of the music, a funky style that would not have sounded out of place on an album like Give Yourself a Handare played by other musicians. Songs of the Unforgiven, the Dummies' eighth studio album was released not long afterwards. After releasing three albums on his own record label, Brad realises that he is starting to lose money. As a consequence, he decided to stop recording and touring and took refuge in his home in New York where he devoted himself to teaching songwriting and became a devotee of yoga and meditation. Despite the hiatus, Brad occasionally began recording the album that would become 'Oooh La La!' with friend and producer Stewart Leman, using optigan and omnichord. Initially Brad planned to release the album only on the internet. In October 2007, Sony BMG released a best of entitled 'The Best of Crash Test Dummies, containing 12 tracks. Later, on 10 March 2008, it would be re-released under the title ""Best of Crash Test Dummies - Collections", and would contain the previously unreleased "Laid Back", "You Said You'd Meet Me (In California)", the latter a very early version of a track that would later be included on the album "Oooh La La!" An online store was also opened, allowing users to download post-BMG-Sony material, including Cape Breton Lobster Bash seriesa growing collection of songs written by Brad about his experience in Cape Breton and an annual tradition called the Lobster Bash. Oooh La La! is released on 11 May 2010. The release was preceded by an acoustic tour 'Acoustic Trio', featuring Roberts and Ellen Ried, accompanied by Stuart Cameron and Murray Pulver on guitar. On 9 October of the same year, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge join Brad and Ellen in their hometown of Winnipeg for the first concert-reunion of the original line-up. Ben Darvill was not present at the reunion, despite having played a concert in the city a few days earlier.

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October 2024

17/10/2024 - 8:20 pm - 11:00 pm

CRASH TEST DUMMIES + Frisàri – Milano

General Warehouses via Pietrasanta, 14 Milan

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