Little Angels

Little Angels came together as a British hard-rock band in Scarborough, England, during 1987, when vocalist/guitarist Toby Jepson, keyboardist Jimmy Dickinson, his brother Bruce on guitar, bassist Mark Plunkett, and drummer Dave Hopper were all still university students. Because Jimmy Dickinson remained underage for club shows, the musicians initially sharpened their sound almost exclusively inside local schools. The act began life under the name Mr. Thrud before issuing its first mini-LP, Too Posh to Mosh, in 1987; the recording featured replacement drummer Michael Lee. Steady touring, highlighted by an early support slot for a then-unknown Guns ‘N’ Roses, built a devoted audience that led to a Polydor contract and the 1989 full-length Don’t Prey for Me. Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero produced 1991’s Young Gods, an album aimed squarely at American radio that ultimately failed to connect; nevertheless, the band’s domestic following kept expanding, and 1993’s Jam entered the British charts at number one. Against expectations, Little Angels soon split, their dissolution commemorated by the 1994 compilation Little of the Past. The Dickinson brothers later reappeared in the group b.l.o.w.