Dead Boys

The Profile

Dead Boys are an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio, later active on the New York scene. Fronted by Stiv Bators with guitarist Cheetah Chrome, they emerged from Rocket From The Tombs and became cult figures thanks to the feral Young, Loud and Snotty (1977), the follow-up We Have Come for Your Children (1978), and the anthem Sonic Reducer.

Formed from Rocket From The Tombs; debut Young, Loud and Snotty (1977); second album We Have Come for Your Children (1978); signature track "Sonic Reducer"; initial run ended in 1979; reunited in 1989; singer Stiv Bators died in 1990 in Paris.

Two DeBaser reviews salute Dead Boys’ raw American punk: the 1977 debut Young, Loud and Snotty and the 1978 follow-up We Have Come for Your Children. Reviewers spotlight Sonic Reducer, Stooges/Detroit influences, and a grittier US angle versus UK punk. One piece notes Ramones ties and the bleak beauty of Ain’t It Fun. Both recall the band’s roots in Rocket From The Tombs and Stiv Bators’ 1990 death.