Stiv Bators Band

The Stiv Bators Band was an American punk and garage rock group formed in 1979 by former Dead Boys frontman Stiv Bators following the breakup of the Dead Boys. The group featured guitarist George Cabaniss and bassist/guitarist Frank Secich of Blue Ash. Active from 1979 to 1981, the band recorded material that became the core of Bators’ debut solo album Disconnected (1980), released by Bomp! Records. <ref> Stiv Bators, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

History

After the Dead Boys dissolved in 1979, Stiv Bators pursued a new musical direction that blended punk rock with power pop and 1960s-influenced garage rock. He enlisted former Blue Ash musician Frank Secich, who had relocated to Los Angeles to work with Bators. Guitarist George Cabaniss joined shortly afterward, completing the lineup.<ref> Interview with Frank Secich, Psychedelic Baby Magazine, 2023. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

Between 1979 and 1980, the band recorded sessions for Bomp! Records with producer Greg Shaw. These recordings formed the album Disconnected (1980), considered the cornerstone of Bators’ post-Dead Boys catalog and an influential entry in early American power-pop-leaning punk.<ref> Disconnected – Stiv Bators, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

The group continued performing and recording until 1981, shortly before Bators relocated to Europe and formed the short-lived punk/new-wave hybrid band The Wanderers, and later the acclaimed gothic rock group The Lords of the New Church.

Members

• Stiv Bators – vocals (died June 4, 1990)<ref>

Stiv Bators, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

• George Cabaniss – guitar (died July 17, 2020)<ref>

George Cabaniss Obituary, Legacy.com, 2020. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

• Frank Secich – bass, guitar<ref>

Frank Secich Discography, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

Discography

Albums (as backing band)

• Disconnected (1980, Bomp! Records) – Stiv Bators solo album, performed by the Stiv Bators Band.<ref>

Disconnected, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

Singles

• "Evil Boy" / "The Last Year" (1979) – credited to Stiv Bators; performed by the band.<ref>

Stiv Bators – Evil Boy, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

• "Not That Way Anymore" / "Circumstantial Evidence" (1979) – Stiv Bators; Stiv Bators Band recordings.<ref>

Stiv Bators – Not That Way Anymore, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

Compilations containing Stiv Bators Band material

• L.A. L.A. (1994, Bomp!) – Includes early band demos.<ref>

L.A. L.A., Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

• Disconnected + L.A. L.A. (2005, Bomp!) – Combined album/demos release.<ref>

Disconnected + L.A. L.A., Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.

</ref>

Legacy

The Stiv Bators Band bridged the transition between the raw Cleveland punk of the Dead Boys and the garage-influenced, power-pop direction Bators explored in the 1980s. Their recordings, especially the Disconnected sessions, helped reposition Bators as a versatile songwriter capable of moving beyond the aggressive punk sound he had been known for.

References

<references group="" />