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Bobby Beaton (guitar / vocals), Gerry Alvarez (guitar / vocals), John Davis (bass) and his brother Eric Davis (drums) were all between the ages of 16 and 19 and had absolutely no previous musical experience. Long nights spent in their parents' basement watching bad TV and listening to obscure mid-sixties records was the main inspiration for the band. Taking their name from the scary neighbors on TV's The Flintstones, the Gruesomes carefully crafted an image of matching black turtlenecks, Beatle boots and bowl haircuts and combined it with a snotty punk musical style. Early shows relied more on the group's energy and humor than actual musical ability, but despite this (or because of it) the Gruesomes became an instant club favorite.

Less than a year after picking up instruments for the first time, the Gruesomes recorded their debut LP for Og Records, a Montreal independent music label. The result was 1986's Tyrants of Teen Trash, a collection of primitive teen anthems that sold phenomenally in both Europe and North America and dominated the number one position on alternative playlists across the country.[citation needed] The band's follow-up releases on Og, 1987's Gruesomania and 1988's Hey! were also chart toppers and established the band as one of Canada's biggest selling underground acts

Famous for their smoldering live sets, the Gruesomes toured Canada and the U.S. playing to capacity crowds, often setting attendance records at top clubs In 1987, Ottawa's John Knoll replaced Eric on drums, taking away from the punk sound that the band originally had, and leaning more to the early r'n'b sound that they acquired. Always taking an irreverent approach to music, the Gruesomes were known for their humor and goofy stage antics. Their famous Halloween shows were schlocky tributes to horror themes, incorporating campy props such as coffins and Dracula capes.

In the late 1980s, the Gruesomes were Canada's best-loved touring band on University campuses and the alternative club scene The Gruesomes released two videos, 1987's "Way Down Below" and 1988's Monkees-inspired "Hey!". Both clips received heavy rotation on Canada's video station MuchMusic. When the Gruesomes broke up in 1990, they were still at the height of their popularity The pressures of constant touring and recording had finally caught up to the band. In an era when mainstream commercial success for punk oriented bands was virtually inconceivable, the Gruesomes felt that they had accomplished a great deal.

In Late 1999 The Gruesomes reformed and recorded possibly their best effort to date "Cave-In!". The 14 track album was released on CD in Canada and on 12" vinyl in Germany. A tour to support "Cave-In!" brought the band to Europe for the first time. Gigs in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy gave European fans their first glimpse of The Tyrants of Teen Trash (by this point only in their mid-30's). The Gruesomes continued to gig in Canada and The USA (including some very memorable performances at Cave-Stomp in NYC) and still perform occasionally.