About Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog is an American band founded in Bergen County, New Jersey. Considered one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and rap music, Dog Eat Dog has released five full-length albums and two EPs. Since their formation in April 1990, the band's sound has evolved to incorporate elements of funk and ska. As of 2009, the lineup of the band consists of Dave Neabore , John Connor , Brandon Finley , and Roger Haemmerli .
Bassist Dave Neabore had joined Bergenfield, New Jersey band Mucky Pup before the recording of Mucky Pup's second album, A Boy in a Man's World. Soon after the album's 1989 release, guitarist Dan Nastasi quit Mucky Pup to help form the band Non-Fiction with former members of the band Hades and to briefly join Murphy's Law. Sean Kilkenny was a friend of Mucky Pup's who would occasionally play guitar with the band at social gatherings. His friendship and experience with the band led to his being hired as Nastasi's replacement. Kilkenny performed with the band for several New Jersey area shows before joining them on a European tour as well.
Neabore and Kilkenny began writing music together for Mucky Pup. When the music did not quite fit Mucky Pup's style, the two friends decided to form their own band. It wasn't long before friend and former Mucky Pup crew member, John Connor joined the duo on vocals. Connor had already been a vocalist for several local bands and together, the trio wrote songs like "Funnel King", "Strip Song", and "Psychorama". After a long search, the band also found a drummer known simply as Brett. After several rehearsals, they held their first "official" performance in Neabore's basement on April 1, 1990. The band packed fifty people into Neabore's basement and held a toga party. Kevin Reilly, a band friend, was invited to perform with the band on saxophone.
On April 22, 1990, Neabore and Kilkenny performed their final show with Mucky Pup. Shortly after their departure, Nastasi rejoined Mucky Pup and went on to record Now, which featured Marc DeBacker replacing Neabore on bass.
Following a positive reaction from friends, the band began playing birthday parties, ice cream parlors, and college fraternity houses. After hearing several live recordings, Nastasi expressed his interest in playing with the band and was invited to bring his equipment to one of their band practices. The practice sessions were fruitful and Nastasi was asked to join the band. For a short time, Nastasi played with both Dog Eat Dog and Mucky Pup. Brett later quit the band in order to move to San Francisco, and John "Booge" Milnes of Mucky Pup temporarily took the position until a permanent drummer could be found. The band also felt it was time to decide on a permanent name. For their earliest shows, the band had called themselves "Face Off", "F-Troop", "B-Load", and "Rubber Band". Dog Eat Dog was suggested as a name and the band agreed to keep it.
Dog Eat Dog decided to record their songs and entered the studio for two days. The result was their first five-song demo. Kilkenny's contacts with pro skateboarder Andy Howell led to several logo ideas, including the doghouse image used by the band for many years. Howell's artwork was previously used for New Deal Skateboards. With the demo tape completed, they continued to play larger shows. During the shows that followed, Mark Mari joined as the new drummer. The band considered the demo a success and quickly wrote and recorded a second five-song demo.
Map & Directions To Venue
