Sounds From The Junkshop #93 - Diamond Dogs

 

"I got a weak man's heart and a poor man's soul/I'm headin' for the rocks, I'm outta control" - Diamond Dogs - Bound To Ravage

Swedish old school rock 'n' rollers the Diamond Dogs were another band I was first alerted to via the much missed ChangesOne record label. As I've mentioned in SFTJ's past, ChangesOne was a bit of an early noughties institution for those of us from the Wildhearts fan community and they had a bit of an awesome roster around this time with the established likes of Bubble, Antiproduct, Broken Teeth, the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, the Black Halos, Danny Frye and the Devildolls and the Chasers (Danny McCormack from the Wildhearts/Yo-Yo's and Darrell Bath from the Crybabys/Dogs D'Amour/UK Subs in a project that sadly only lasted for the one single) rubbing shoulders with some of the more promising up-and-coming glam/punk bands of the time like the B Movie Heroes, Johnny Zhivago and the Cherrykicks.

The Dogs were another band similar to the Devildolls or the Cheetahs or Broken Teeth who'd managed a bit of minor success in their home country but hadn't found anyone to take a chance on them over on these shores which is where ChangesOne came in. Founded in the early '90s by frontman Sulo Karlsson and future Hellacopters guitarist Boba Lindstrom (their '90s line-up also included former Johnny Thunders guitarist and future Tyla collaborator Stevie Klasson), they peddled an enjoyable Faces-indebted brand of boozed-up '70s rock not a million miles away from the Quireboys (who they toured with regularly back in those days). It was the group's second album Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough (taken from a line in its excellent lead-off single Bound To Ravage) which brought them to my attention and it was an enjoyable slice of blues swagger propelled along by the band's tight musicianship and Sulo's presence up front.

Future albums would keep up the good work - 2006's Up The Rock featured the likes of Generation Upstart and Closest I've Ever Been To Memphis while 2010's The Grit And The Very Soul would see them turning in a surprisingly good cover of the Smiths' Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want and the title track to 2012's Set Fire To It All remains arguably their best moment. The group even collaborated with scuzz-rock veteran Jeff Dahl on the Atlantic Crossing album which kind of helped to legitimise them among the sleaze rock crowd. They were always a top live band as well with Sulo, similar to his old mate Spike, having the necessary charisma and swagger to win pretty much any audience over (it'd be really tempting here to put in a snarky comment about how much the "Quireboys" have shot themselves in the foot by getting rid of Spike. But I'll save that rant for another time).

Unfortunately the abrupt passing of the group's sax player Magic Gunnarrsson would hit the band hard and after just one further album, 2015's Quitters and Complainers, they would go on hiatus. Sulo would keep himself busy in the aftermath, fronting the Crunch which featured Cockney Rejects guitarist Mickey Geggus, Sham 69/Lords of the New Church/Shooting Gallery bassist Dave Tregunna and former Clash/Hanoi Rocks drummer Terry Chimes) who put out two excellent albums which may well feature in a future SFTJ. As well as this, he kept himself busy with a number of side projects including two collaboration albums. Full English was his rock effort featuring guest appearances from Spike, Tregunna and Wilko Johnson while Brilliant Outsiders was his country effort featuring the likes of Maria McKee, Chris Spedding, Paul Young and Linda Gail Lewis). He's also done a covers album of Garry Johnson (notorious street punk/Oi! poet) poems set to music.

The Dogs would reform in 2019 and have put out two albums since - Recall Rock 'n' Roll and the Magic Soul (Nite Songs review here) was a bit of a disappointment, half originals and half covers which felt more like the work of a band getting back into their stride but this year's Slap Bang Blue Rendezvous (Nite Songs review here) was a big improvement, a double album which saw the band taking on a number of different musical styles and doing it well even if it was a bit of a difficult one to digest in one sitting due to its sheer length. I'm pretty sure it'll be featuring in our end of year best of list in a few months' time.

Anyway, I'm glad that the Diamond Dogs are back with us - they gave me plenty of good nights out memories back in my twenties and a few cracking albums as well. Plus, in Sulo, they had one of the most genuinely charismatic frontmen of the era and long may it remain so. Touch wood with Covid now starting to lift, some UK tour dates may be forthcoming - the sooner the better if you ask me.