D-A-D
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D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as Disneyland After Dark, a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock. They have also used the names D.A.D. , D•A•D and D:A:D, each name represents a period in the band's history.
In the early 1980s in Copenhagen, Denmark, D-A-D started to play together under their original name Disneyland After Dark. They released their first EP in 1985, and they have now been together for more than twenty years.
The group made their international breakthrough in 1989.
One winter day Stig came up with the name Disneyland After Dark, that when the light is out at Disneyland anything can happen. He thought the name reflected their music. When they later became famous in the United States the Walt Disney Company heard about them and threatened them with a lawsuit. They changed the name to D.A.D to avoid the lawsuit, and in 1995 to D:A:D, that was inspired by a fan drawing that three boys had drawn. In 2000 they finally changed the spelling to D-A-D.
The band now consists of: Jesper Binzer, Jacob Binzer, Stig Pedersen and Laust Sonne.
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[edit] History
The first lineup of D-A-D was in the autumn 1982 with Jesper, Stig, Peter and Stig’s girlfriend Lene Glumer. In December 1982 they forced Lene Glumer to leave the band, because in their opinion, she did not fit in. Stig and Jesper met through friends in 1982. They decided to form a band, but they still needed a drummer. Their first concert was at the youth club Sundby Algaard, when Lene Glumer was still a part of the band.
[edit] Their music
They were tired of the pessimistic and arrogant attitude among punk musicians and their audience, and wanted to bring joy and life in their performances. It was while they were rehearsing they came by a sound they could have fun with. Stig tried to plat a three-note riff with a different rhythm. The others joined in, and made the style known in other parts of the world as cowpunk. The lyrics were made-up stories where abundant clichés were added to an ironic twist.
On their early works, a strong Danish accent is prevalent on the vocals, but this generally improves (along with the quality of the English!) with later albums.
[edit] Record deal
The band wanted to make a record, so they began recording demo tapes in their practice room. A friend of theirs owned a record store, and helped them to find contacts in the music business. John Rosing from management bureau Rock On heard about Disneyland After Dark. He sought out the band in the early 1984, and he became their booker. He took full management until a year before he died of cancer in 1998.
[edit] Band members
[edit] Laust Sonne
- Birth: December 11, 1974
- In the band: Drummer, backing vocals, vibraphone, keyboard.
- Other: Guitar, saxophone, xylophone, and bass.
Laust is from Frederiksberg. He has played in the band since 1999. Laust also plays in the bands Dear and Bugpowder.
[edit] Jesper Binzer
- Birth: September 4, 1965
- In the band: Lead vocal, guitar, banjo, and backing vocal.
Jesper has one younger brother, Jacob Binzer, who also plays in the band. Jesper is from Frederiksberg like Laust Sonne. Jesper was one of the founders of the band, back in 1982. Jesper also plays drums for the band The Whiteouts, and has also written a song for the Danish movie Bleeder. Jesper has had long hair since he started school, and he says he will never cut it, which is also the theme of “I won’t cut my hair”. Jesper is often seen with a black Gibson SG and an ESP Viper. Jesper also plays a Gibson Flying V.
[edit] Jacob Binzer
- Birth: October 28, 1966
- In the band: Lead guitar, backing vocal, kazoo, piano, and keyboard.
- Nickname: Cobber
Jesper Binzer's younger brother . Jacob is from Frederiksberg. He started playing piano, but when his older brother started to play in bands he switched to the guitar, because he wanted to play in bands too. Jacob has played in the band since 1984. Jacob is usually seen with a Gibson ES-446, a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Jazzmaster. Cobber also has a Gretsch Country Gentleman but is mostly used for studio work.
[edit] Stig Pedersen
- Birth: May 18, 1965
- In the band: Bass, and backing vocals.
He is from Amager. Stig also plays in a band called Hellbetty. Stig’s bass guitars have only two strings and some of them only one. His bass guitars are custom designs based on his own ideas and imagination. Some of Stig's basses include a bass shaped like a rocket, like an olive on a cocktail stick and one like a motorcycle. Stig also uses costumes on stage. His costumes include a helicopter helmet which can spray fire and a Roman helmet with a black leather skirt and cowboy boots.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Call Of the Wild (1986)
- D.A.D. Draws A Circle (1987)
- No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims (1989)
- Riskin' It All (1991)
- Helpyourselfish (1995)
- Simpatico (DAD) (1997)
- Everything Glows (2000)
- Soft Dogs (2002)
- Scare Yourself (2005)
[edit] Live albums
- Osaka After Dark (1990)(Japan Only)
- Psychopatico (1998)
- Scare Yourself Alive (2006)
[edit] Compilations
- D.A.D. Special (1989)(Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland only)
- Good Clean Family Entertainment You Can Trust (1995)
- The Early Years (DAD) (2000)
[edit] Quotes
D-A-D:s lyrics are often quite humorous, and sometimes also melancholic, resulting in funny, melancolic quotes:
- I grew up in a life-size pinball machine (from the song Laugh and a Half)
- Good-bye and many tanks (from the song Down that dusty third-world road)
