Biography
Manchester's Slaughter & the Dogs assembled amid the first wave of British punk in 1976 and became the initial act to issue a record on the pioneering local independent Rabid Records, delivering the single "Cranked Up Really High." The quartet drew clear inspiration from the rowdier side of glam, taking its moniker from Mick Ronson's Slaughter on 10th Avenue and David Bowie's Diamond Dogs, while its membership featured vocalist Wayne Barrett, guitarist Mick Rossi, bassist Howard Bates, and drummer Mad Muffet.
Performances at London's Roxy Club secured the band's appearance in Don Letts' scene documentary The Punk Rock Movie and eventually yielded a deal with Decca Records. Additional singles of note arrived in the form of "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone" and "You're Ready Now," followed by the recording of the 1978 debut album Do It Dog Style. Yet friction with Decca and the exit of Barrett, whose voice had defined the group's character, undermined an otherwise promising trajectory.
Guitarist Billy Duffy joined the lineup, and Morrissey was briefly auditioned as vocalist before the remaining members opted to continue with Rossi handling lead vocals. That configuration proved fleeting, prompting Rossi, Bates, and Duffy to adopt the names Slaughter and then the Studio Sweethearts. After the trio disbanded in summer 1979, a Slaughter reunion took shape late that year; Barrett returned only momentarily before being supplanted by former Nosebleeds frontman Ed Banger. Performing under the Slaughter name, the new unit issued Bite Back in 1980 without impact and dissolved for good in 1981.
Duffy subsequently helped establish Theatre of Hate and later achieved prominence with the Cult. In 1991 Barrett and Rossi resumed songwriting and released the album Shocking under the Slaughter & the Dogs banner. Four years later the pair convened a fresh Slaughter & the Dogs lineup for Blackpool's Holidays in the Sun festival, recruiting bassist Nigel Mead and drummer Noel Kay; the performance later appeared as Cranked Up Really High in Blackpool 1996. Jean Pierre Thollet eventually took over on bass, and the group recorded the studio album Beware Of… in 2001. The original four members reconvened for a short tour in 2016, while Barrett and Rossi simultaneously confirmed they were preparing fresh material.
Performances at London's Roxy Club secured the band's appearance in Don Letts' scene documentary The Punk Rock Movie and eventually yielded a deal with Decca Records. Additional singles of note arrived in the form of "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone" and "You're Ready Now," followed by the recording of the 1978 debut album Do It Dog Style. Yet friction with Decca and the exit of Barrett, whose voice had defined the group's character, undermined an otherwise promising trajectory.
Guitarist Billy Duffy joined the lineup, and Morrissey was briefly auditioned as vocalist before the remaining members opted to continue with Rossi handling lead vocals. That configuration proved fleeting, prompting Rossi, Bates, and Duffy to adopt the names Slaughter and then the Studio Sweethearts. After the trio disbanded in summer 1979, a Slaughter reunion took shape late that year; Barrett returned only momentarily before being supplanted by former Nosebleeds frontman Ed Banger. Performing under the Slaughter name, the new unit issued Bite Back in 1980 without impact and dissolved for good in 1981.
Duffy subsequently helped establish Theatre of Hate and later achieved prominence with the Cult. In 1991 Barrett and Rossi resumed songwriting and released the album Shocking under the Slaughter & the Dogs banner. Four years later the pair convened a fresh Slaughter & the Dogs lineup for Blackpool's Holidays in the Sun festival, recruiting bassist Nigel Mead and drummer Noel Kay; the performance later appeared as Cranked Up Really High in Blackpool 1996. Jean Pierre Thollet eventually took over on bass, and the group recorded the studio album Beware Of… in 2001. The original four members reconvened for a short tour in 2016, while Barrett and Rossi simultaneously confirmed they were preparing fresh material.
Albums
