Biography
Formed in 1979, the Dagoes emerged as an Australian rock band whose sound freely blended '60s garage with new wave and punk elements. As early participants in Adelaide's independent music community, the group earned a reputation for energetic performances that sometimes swelled to nine members, most performing under whimsical Italian aliases such as Johnny Tomato and Tony Rome—the latter the stage name of principal songwriter and lead singer Neil Perryman. From 1980 through 1983 the band put out multiple singles and EPs via Greasy Pop, the Adelaide indie label operated by fellow member Doug "Frankie" Thomas and home to acts including the Spikes, Exploding White Mice, and Primitive Painters. Although the Dagoes projected a clever and magnetic presence, their recordings found scant audience beyond South Australia, prompting the group to split in 1983. The American reissue imprint Light in the Attic later assembled the band's singles into the 2015 compilation Supreme, the first Dagoes release ever distributed internationally.
Albums