Dr and The Crippens


Dr and The Crippens are a British punk/hardcore band from Lancaster, England, who recorded and toured in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They started life in the summer of 1985 as a 3-piece band with the stated aim of being the 'Lancaster Ramones'. Singer and guitarist Andy Claw left due to his disillusionment with the more hardcore sound the band started to embrace. A new 4-piece line-up emerged in late 1986 and were offered an album deal with Manic Ears Records off the back of 2 demos recorded at Lancaster Musician's Co-Operative. Original drummer Ben re located to London shortly before the album sessions and Dave Ellesmere offered to drum following a chance meeting with Wayne at an MDC show. They became known for unusual costumes and innovative use of stage props during their live shows which included frequent use of an exploding head. The band recorded two sessions for Radio 1 DJ John Peel on 8 May 1988 and 16 July 1989.
After a short hiatus, the band re-emerged with a new sound in 1994 in the shape of Krill. Noting a marked change in musical style, the stage show remained largely the same, with a healthy dose of pyrotechnics strategically placed inside cabbages. The new genre attracted new fans, but those faithful to Dr and The Crippens remained loyal attendees at live shows, ensuring the last third of all sets contained Crippens favourites. Krill released one studio album 'Beef on the Bone' and split in 2000, playing their last show to a packed crowd at Lancaster's Yorkshire House.
In 2016, after spending time with other projects, Tommy Crippen decided there was a little space in the collective hardcore-punk nostalgia and a healthy appetite in the Japanese punk market to reform the band. Under the abbreviated name The Crippens, the band thawed out its cryogenically frozen head and began playing live again at UK punk/hardcore festivals and venues. The Crippens shows remain true to their original format and continue to record new material in the same vein. Since their reincarnation in 2016, a number of lineup changes have occurred, with a revolving door of past and present members, or those closely linked with the original band taking their turn in creating the chaos of Dr and The Crippens.

Members

Dr and The Crippens
  • Andy Claw Guitar/Vocals 1985/1986
  • BB Kablammo Drums 1985/1987
  • Wayne Crippenski – Bass/Vocals 1985/1993
  • Max Von Reinheart - Vocals 1986/1993
  • Tommy Crippen – Guitar/Vocals 1986/1993
  • Jesus Van Gogh – Drums/Vocals 1988/1991
  • MC Hammered Drums 1992/1993
Krill
  • Max Von Reinheart - Vocals
  • Tommy Crippen – Guitar/Vocals
  • MC Hammered Drums
  • Theo Crippen Bass/vocals 1994/1997
  • Spanka D Monkey Bass/vocals 1997/2000
The Crippens
  • Tommy Crippen - Guitar/Vocals
  • Theo Crippen - Bass/vocals
  • Loz Hamilton - Drums - Vocals
  • Mikey Dohnut - Vocals/keyboards
  • Malek Baali - Drums
  • Spanka D Monkey - Drums/vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • ''Live Hearts''

EPs

  • ''Avant Gardening''

Singles

  • "Live"
  • "Turn To Gas"
  • "Slice" / "El Salvador" split single with Japanese band Juntess

Compilations

  • Digging In Water
  • Hardcore Holocaust - The Peel Sessions
  • The North Atlantic Noise Attack
  • Hardcore Holocaust II - The Peel Sessions
  • Manic Ears - The Histyrical Years '86-'90
  • Grind Your Mind - A History Of Grindcore
  • Trapped In A Scene UK Hardcore 1985-1989
  • ''Cabaret Style ''

VHS

  • ''Live Snit - Live at the Fulham Greyhound, London''