After the Gories broke up in 1993, Mick Collins was in what Wikipedia calls a “basic garage rock band” called Blacktop from 1994 to 1996.  His next band, the Dirtbombs was founded in 1995 and is still active; they started out as a more eclectic side project while he was in Blacktop.  Wikipedia says that the Dirtbombs are “notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum, and guitar lineup” – in contrast to the Gories who didn’t have any bass guitarists.  The Dirtbombs have featured a variety of Detroit area musicians over the years; they include Jim Diamond, who played bass guitar for the band and appears as a guest musician on the Silencers album Cyclerific Sounds. 

The second album by the Dirtbombs, Ultraglide in Black came out in 2001 when the Garage Rock Revival was on the rise, led in part by Detroit’s own White Stripes.  The Dirtbombs were the opening act for the White Stripes in this period, with bandleader Jack White acknowledging his influence by the Gories.   

(December 2014)