The Gruesomes

The Gruesomes are a Canadian garage punk band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that formed in 1985.

The band gained recognition following the 1986 release of their debut album, Tyrants Of Teen Trash (Og Music), which led to an "underground" following in Europe, the United States (US) and Canada. Subsequent releases increased their fan base and, after periods of touring, the band established itself within the global garage music scene.

History

With no previous musical experience, Bobby Beaton (guitar and vocals), Gerry Alvarez (guitar and vocals), John Davis (bass) and Davis' brother, Eric Davis (drums), were all between the ages of 16 and 19 when they began playing music together. It has been reported that the four teenagers were primarily inspired by long nights spent in their parents' basement watching TV and listening to obscure mid-60s records. Taking their name from the scary neighbours on TV's The Flintstones, the Gruesomes developed an image of matching black turtlenecks, Beatle boots and bowl haircuts, combining it with a "snotty" punk musical style. Early live shows relied more on the group's energy and humour than actual musical ability; however, the Gruesomes proceeded to become a popular club act, despite their inexperience.

The Gruesomes (The Flintstones)

The Gruesomes are a family of fictional characters who appeared on The Flintstones television series. They debuted in 1964 during the show's fifth season. They are similar to other monster families who appeared on television during the same time period, including The Addams Family and The Munsters.

A modern version of the family, renamed The Creepleys, appeared on the Laff-A-Lympics series.

Character history

Inspired by a previous Hanna Barbera monster family, Mr. & Mrs. J. Evil Scientist, the Gruesomes are a family consisting of married couple Weirdly and Creepella, and their son Goblin (AKA Gobby). Also living with the Gruesomes is Uncle Ghastly who is only seen as a hand and a shadow in "Meet the Gruesomes" and a hand coming from a well in "The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes" (he is also heard for the only time as a terrifying and creepy laugh in "The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes").

They first appear in an episode of The Flintstones titled "The Gruesomes". In this episode, Weirdly and Creepella Gruesome (voiced by Howard Morris and Naomi Lewis), along with their son Gobby, move into Tombstone Manor which is next door to the Flintstones. Trying to be neighborly, Fred and Barney agree to babysit Gobby, whose strange pets (including Schneider the spider and Occy the octopus) make for a tortuously eventful evening.