The Generators

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The Generators
The Generators performing in Ludwigsburg, Germany in 2023
Background information
Genres	Punk rock
Years active	1997–2024
Labels	Triple X Records, DC Jam, People Like You, Concrete Jungle, Randale Records, TKO Records
Past members	Doug Kane Sir Doosky Mike Snow Ted Hahn Marco Duarte Steven Reese Chris Loya Barry Monroe Teddy Shrader Lou Guzman Johnny Slash Dirty Ernie Berru Don Osterberg Bryant Ortega Brandon Lutz Armando Del Rio Manny Murders Ace Von Johnson Rich Santia Danny Damned Sean Romin Greg Millan
Website	https://www.the-generators.com/

The Generators were an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1997, following the breakup of the 1990s punk rock group Schleprock. The original line-up featured vocalist Doug Dagger (Doug Kane), guitarists Mike Snow and Sir Doosky (Eric Ortega), drummer "Dirty" Ernie Berru, and bassist Rich Richards (Rich Santia). In the following years, the band changed the line-up. Shortly before Doug Kane's death in 2024, the band had decided they would not continue as The Generators in his absence.

The Generators formed in Los Angeles in 1997, following the breakup of the 1990s punk rock group Schleprock.^[1] The Generators released their debut album, Welcome to the End, on Los Angeles-based Triple X Records in 1998.^[2] By 2001, the band released a seven-song EP titled Ninety Nine, and two more albums: Burning Ambition on Urgent Music Ltd and Tyranny on TKO Records.^[3][4] The original line-up featured vocalist Doug Dagger (Doug Kane), guitarists Mike Snow and Sir Doosky (Eric Ortega), drummer "Dirty" Ernie Berru, and bassist Rich Richards (Rich Santia).^[5][6]

During the European leg of the Tyranny tour, Berru and Ortega temporarily left the band. Snow and Kane recruited drummer Mike Clark and began work on a new EP. Ortega rejoined the band before the recording session for the EP State of the Nation, released on TKO Records. In 2002, guitarist Mike Snow left the band. This coincided with the return of Berru as drummer. With Kane and Ortega as primary songwriters, the band released the albums Excess, Betrayal... and Our Dearly Departed in 2003, and The Winter of Discontent in 2006. Throughout these changes, Kane, Ortega, and Ernie remained band members. Bassist Teddy Hahn and guitarist Ace Von Johnson joined the band prior to the release of The Great Divide in 2006 and they remained with the band during their subsequent tour, which lasted until 2008.^[7]

In 2009, Ernie Berru and Teddy Hahn left the band. Derek O'Brien of Social Distortion handled recording duties on the next album and Brandon Lutz replaced Hahn as bassist. The resulting album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, was recorded and released via German label People Like You Records. A summer Europe tour with the Damned followed the album's release. Ace Von Johnson left the band following a disagreement with Kane on the tour.

In 2010, Ortega left for personal reasons, leading to a restructuring of the band's line-up in 2011. It included the return of Mike Snow, former Schleprock guitarist Sean Romin, and drummer Lou Guzman. The band recorded and released their eighth studio album, Last of the Pariahs, under DC-Jam Records.

In the years following, the band experienced additional line-up changes and released more music, including the 2013 six-song EP The Deconstruction of Dreams on Concrete Jungle Records and the 2014 album Life Gives Life Takes on Randale Records.

During a hiatus in 2014, Kane and Snow started a side project called Bedlam Knives, releasing a 7-inch record on Dr. Strange Records. At the same time, Ortega, Ernie, and former Generators bassist Brandon Lutz formed NeuAllies, releasing an EP that same year. Both Bedlam Knives and NeuAllies disbanded in 2015.

The band returned in 2016 with the album Earn Your Stripes, released on Randale Records.^[8] This was followed by a split EP titled Blood, Sweat & Glory with the British band Crashed Out, whom with they also toured.^[9] In 2017, The Generators released the single "Street Justice"^[10] and announced their upcoming album, Broken Stars & Crooked Stripes, set for release in 2018.

The Generators had another hiatus in 2019, during which Kane reunited with his 1980s Oi! band, Doug & the Slugz.

On 20 September 2022, the band announced via social media a reunion of its original 1997 line-up, scheduling shows through the end of the year and focusing the set on material from the first three releases.

Following the reunion dates, Kane, Ortega, and Snow regrouped with former member Ted Hahn (bass) and Marco Duarte (drums), who had previously filled in on tours. The line-up appeared at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2023 and undertook a European tour the following summer (2024).

Doug Kane passed away on May 30, 2024, at the age of 56, from cancer.^[11] Shortly before his death, the band had decided they would not continue as The Generators in his absence.^[12]

• Welcome to the End (1998), Triple X Records, US^[5]
• Ninety-Nine (1999), Outcast Records/Triple X Records, Europe^[13]
• Burning Ambition (2000), Urgent Music Ltd. US/People Like You, Europe & Japan^[5]
• Dead at 16 7-inch (2000), TKO Records
• Tyranny (2001), TKO Records US/People Like You, Europe & Japan
• State of the Nation (2001), TKO Records/ Dead Beat, US
• Sounds of the Street Vol. 2: Split CD w/ Vicious Rumors
• From Rust to Ruin (2003), TKO Records (compilation: greatest hits album)
• Riverboat Gamblers split 7-inch"
• Excess, Betrayal...And Our Dearly Departed (2003), People Like You, Europe & Japan, Fiend Music, US
• The Winter of Discontent (2006), People Like You, Europe & Japan, Sailor's Grave, US
• The Great Divide (2007), People Like You, Europe & Japan
• Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2009), People Like You, Europe & Japan
• You Against You 7-inch (2011), I Hate People Records
• Last of the Pariahs (2011), I Hate People Records, Europe & Japan, DC Jam, US
• 3 of a Kind (2012),^[14] Split with Sledgeback and C.A.F.B.
• The Deconstruction of Dreams (2013), Concrete Jungle Records
• Life Gives-Life Takes (2014), Randale Records
• Earn Your Stripes (2016), Randale Records
• Blood, Sweat & Glory (2016), split EP w/ Crashed Out, Randale Records/Longshot Music
• Street Justice (2017), Longshot Music/Randale Records
• Broken Stars & Crooked Stripes (2018), Randale Records

• Where the Bad Boys Rock 2004 (Live DVD) (2004), People Like You Records
• Where the Bad Boys Rock 2005 (Live DVD) (2005), People Like You Records

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Generators.

• Official website
• Sailor's Grave Records site
• People Like You Records site
• TKO Records Records site
• The Generators discography at Discogs
• Interview /Totalrock.hu/ Gabor Hun of Sledgeback interviewed Doug Dagger singer