Dangerous Toys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)

Wikipedia: Pages needing attention/Culture and Arts

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (December 2006)

Dangerous Toys
Origin	Austin, Texas, USA
Genre(s)	Hard rock, Glam metal
Years active	1987 - 1996 (Reunions: 2003, 2005, 2006)
Website	Official Website
Members
Jason McMaster - Vocals Paul Lidel - Guitar Scott Dalhover - Guitar Mike Watson - Bass Mark Geary - Drums
Former members
Tim Trembley - guitar Danny Aaron - guitar Kevin Fowler - guitar

Dangerous Toys was an Austin, Texas-based hard rock band with a rough sound and often humorous lyrics. Their music can be categorized as heavy metal, alongside bands like L.A. Guns, Roxx Gang, and Guns N' Roses. Founded in 1987, Dangerous Toys put out four full-length albums and one live album before unofficially disbanding at the turn of the millennium.

Their major label debut, the Gold-certified Dangerous Toys featured the singles "Teas N' Pleas N' " and "Scared", both of which are still staples on specialty and satellite radio and VH1. In 2006 "Teas N' Pleas N' " was covered by Shadows Fall (Atlantic Records) on their B-Sides LP Fallout From The War, featuring guest vocals from Toys' vocalist Jason McMaster.

1 Early Days
2 Changing With The Times
3 Semi-Disbanded
4 Albums
5 External links

[edit] Early Days

Dangerous Toys was formed in October of 1987. Jason McMaster, singer for Watchtower, was invited by Tim Trembley to join his band Onyx as singer. Onyx included Scott Dalhover (guitar), Mike Geary (drums) and Mike Watson (bass).

In 1988, now calling themselves Dangerous Toys, the band were signed to Columbia Records. Soon afterwards Tim Trembley left the band, and they were without a second guitarist. On their eponymous debut album, produced by Max Norman (Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne) Scott Dalhover played all the guitar tracks. Shortly before its release, guitarist Danny Aaron joined. Though he did not play on the album, he appears on the back cover.

In 1991, their second album, Hellacious Acres, was released. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had produced albums for several major rock artists (The Cars, Queen, Journey). Acres featured the singles "Sticks And Stones" and "Line 'Em Up." Unfortunately, neither song charted as a hit. Soon after, CBS, now by 1991, was owned by SONY Music, was asked by the band to be contractually,released,after the band had written over 75 songs, sending demos to the label for months,only to be told "keep writing".

[edit] Changing With The Times

In 1992, Danny Aaron left the band. Kevin Fowler (Kevin's website) replaced him. Fowler,now a successful,regional Country music star, never played on a Dangerous Toys album, but played some 200 gigs with them in 1993. In January of 1994, Paul Lidel, from east coast band Dirty Looks(Atlantic), replaced Fowler.

The sound of the first two Dangerous Toys albums were in the vein of the pop-hair metal(Cock Rock) of the late eighties, albeit slightly heavier. By 1991, the grunge movement was fast making the hair metal sound out of date, and Hellacious Acres sold less than their debut.

The third Dangerous Toys album, Pissed(DMZ/Dos/Antones- Bullet Proof-Europe)1994, reflected this change. In attitude, the band reflected tougher metal values and a bigger attitude. Songs on this record reflect a slight turn for the times. .... another line-up change, Bring bassist Michael Hannon(Salty Dog-Geffen) in to replace original bassist,whom had just finished recording the "Pissed" record... Mike Watson, as Hannon fills in for over 200 shows in 94-95. Onward with another release...Jason McMaster now played bass as well as sang lead vocals. The band considered changing their name, but eventually stuck with Dangerous Toys, and even poked fun at it on the title of their fourth and final studio album to date.... The R-tist 4-merly Known as Dangerous Toys(DMZ/Dos/Antones)-1995. In fan opinion, it was their least popular record.

[edit] Semi-Disbanded

Enter 1999...A live album , Vitamins and Crashhelmets Tour-Live Greatest Hits(Deadline/Cleopatra), but afterwards band activity slowed. In 2001, they played a few shows, in their hometown of Austin, Texas and Tokyo, Japan, with Mike Watson back in the band. And again to Tokyo in 2003. Still,together irregularly, but managing to play at least one gig every year.

Most of the original members of Dangerous Toys re-united for Austin, Texas shows in February, 2003, May, 2005, and at Bat Fest (an anuual Austin event) with Rhino Bucket in September, 2006. Singer Jason McMaster,recorded a cover of Simple Man,(using label provided- studio musicians)for a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute album in 2007 (Deadline/Cleopatra). Portions of the show were recorded, and initially intended for release as as XX, a 20 year career retrospective CD/DVD. The XX project was postponed indefinitely in mid 2007.

Singer Jason McMaster also performed in various other Austin-based projects including Gahdzilla Motor Company(1997-2001, and Broken Teeth (his current project). Broken Teeth. In 2008, The band releases third studio recording,"Electric" (Textone-Cargo Distribution in Europe....Cloudmar/Killingbird Records US and Canada) early 2008. In 2005 Guitarist Paul Lidel , Lidel now plays with his new band.. Adrenaline Factor.

Bassist Mike Watson is currently battling diabetes. Tour dates are postponed.