1. 80s / Present Har… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist named Dirty Looks
1. 80s / Present Hard Rock/Metal Band
2. A late 70s/early 80s new wave/power pop trio from Staten Island
3. A punk pop band from New York with ex-members of Bent Outta Shape
1) From the ashes of Erie, Pennsylvania cover-band Crossfire, Danish-born vocalist/guitarist Henrik Ostergaard and fellow Crossfire band-mate and bassist Jimmy Chartley traveled to San Francisco to form Dirty Looks in 1984. Fellow Crossfire bandmate Boyd Baker would join them a year later. While in California and upon their return home to PA, the group had a revolving door membership, yet managed to release an EP and three independent (and hard to find) albums before Atlantic records came calling.
For their major label debut Dirty Looks consisted of Paul Lidel (guitar), former Harpo-bassist Jack Pyers (bass) and Gene Barnett (drums). The resulting album, Cool From The Wire, found its way onto the Billboard charts while getting substantial air-time on MTV for the video 'Oh Ruby'
For the follow-up album, there were conflicts with original producer Beau Hill and the original recordings for Turn Of The Screw were scrapped, but the re-worked album would be the group's most successful release reaching even higher on the Billboard charts.
The album of outtakes, Bootlegs was released in 1991, then the group broke up in 1993 following the release of Five Easy Pieces with Ostergaard forming Rumbledog, Lidel hooking up with Dangerous Toys (and later Broken Teeth and Adrenaline Factor, his current project) and bassist Brian Perry resurfacing in Jake E. Lee's Wicked Alliance, and most notable the 2002 resurrection of Industrial Thrash legends Prong.
Ostergaard began recording under the Dirty Looks moniker again in 1994 to record Chewing On The Bit album. Then he worked with Rumbledog again, releasing an album in 1995 with bassist Jassen Wilber, drummer Ron Sutton, guitarist Mike Ondrusek and guitarist Mike Smith. Ostergaard put out two releases as Dirty Looks in 1996.
With the personnel above minus Ondrusek and adding singer Gabriel Scott Robison, Ostergaard took a back seat in the vocal department and formed the Burning Orange project who released an album before calling it a day in 1996. Since then, Ostergaard has been retired from the music business to focus on family life.
Dirty Looks have reformed and have released a new album, "Gasoline" in 2007. Two more studio albums have been released since including "Superdeluxe" and "California Free Ride". Both albums were released in 2008. At the end of 2009 Dirty Looks signed with Nashville, Tennessee label FNA Records. In 2010 they re-released three albums.
On February 5, 2010, bassist Greg Pianka was stabbed to death in a bar brawl at Hi & Dri Pub along West Lake Road in Erie.
Henrik Ostergaard died, at the age of 47, on January 27, 2011.[5] The Erie County, Pennsylvania coroner stated that he had died of liver failure while under hospice care.
In December 2019, it was announced that members from the band's Cool from the Wire album, Paul Lidel, Jack Pyers, and Gene Barnett, along with former Broken Teeth vocalist, Jason McMaster, whom Lidel plays with in Dangerous Toys, and Broken Teeth guitarist, David Beeson,[6] would be performing two shows in 2020 with the tagline Dirty Looks - As Close As It Gets. The group was scheduled to perform Cool From The Wire in its entirety at Ballroom Blitz Music Festival in Glen Burnie, Maryland and at a fundraiser held in the DH&L Fire Station in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. These shows were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Pennsylvania show later rescheduled to Saturday, September, 18th, 2021 at the Selinsgrove Racetrack.
Discography
Dirty Looks EP (1984)
Dirty Looks (1984)
In Your Face (1986)
I Want More (1987)
Cool From The Wire (1988)
Turn Of The Screw (1989)
Bootlegs (1991)
Five Easy Pieces (1992)
Chewing On The Bit (1994)
One Bad Leg (1994)
Rip It Out! (1996)
Slave To The Machine (1996)
Gasoline (2007)
Superdeluxe (2008)
California Free Ride (2008)
Slave To The Machine re-issue remastered (2009)
The Worst Of Dirty Looks (2009)
Dirty Looks + EP re-issue remastered (2010)
In Your Face re-issue remastered(2010)
I Want More re-issue remastered (2010)
I.C.U. (2010)
2) Dirty Looks were formed in the late '70s in Staten Island, NY. Composed of Patrick Barnes (guitar/vocals), Peter Parker (drums/vocals), and Marco Sin (bass/vocals), the trio began playing their hard-rocking power pop at Max's Kansas City and CBGB where they were discovered by Stiff Records' Dave Robinson. Robinson signed them, anticipating they were "the next big thing." After releasing one brilliant single ("Let Go"), a good but unfortunately overlooked debut LP for Stiff, and a mediocre follow-up, the band faded into obscurity.
3) Dirty Looks were a punk pop band from New York with ex members from Bent Outta Shape. They put out a split with Bossy - also containing ex-members from Bent Outta Shape - on Salinas Records and a 7" ep on Iron Pier.
Go Away
Dirty Looks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning up one sign
Out there in your neighborhood
Your ice is on fire
Why don't you go away
Will you ever leave
Everything you do
Always feels the same
Will we ever dream
You minds and how you see
Rich girl, you're driving faster
Hold on to what you think is real
I never had it fade away
What's next
Another boring detail
Yes, I know you're way past due
Never try, try and do it better
Why don't you go away
Will you ever leave
Everything you do
Nothing's really new
Always feels the same
Nothing's really new
Whatever you do
You will never change
Too bad, you're goin' blind
Can't see past your own reflection
Don't push, you're act is in my face
Why don't you just go away
Will you ever leave
Everything you do
Nothing's really new
Always feels the same
Nothing's really new
Whatever you do
You will never change
Everything you do
Show me something new
Show me something new
Oh, won't you show me
Everything you do
Nothing's really new
Always feels the same
Nothing's really new
Whatever you do
You will never change
Everything you do
Show me something new
Show me something new
Nothing's really new
Whatever you do
Show me...
The song "Go Away" by Dirty Looks is a confrontational and powerful song that seems to be directed towards someone who is arrogant, entitled, and stagnant in their life. The opening lines "Tough breaks leaving you all covered with sweat/Burning up one sign" sets the tone of a person who is struggling with something and keeps pushing through, even when it's not working. The line "Your ice is on fire" suggests that this person is experiencing a paradoxical situation- something that is supposed to be easy and cool is actually becoming overwhelming and hot. The chorus "Will you ever leave/Everything you do/Nothing's really new/Always feels the same/Will we ever dream?" seems to indicate that the singer is not only fed up with this person's attitude, but also questioning whether they themselves will ever make progress or continue to be stuck.
The lyrics in the second verse "Your minds and how you see/Rich girl, you're driving faster/Hold on to what you think is real" are particularly cutting. It lays bare the fact that the person being addressed is living in a bubble of their own privilege and has become disconnected from reality. The bridge "Too bad, you're goin' blind/Can't see past your own reflection/Don't push, your act is in my face/Why don't you just go away" is probably the most direct part of the song. It suggests that this person's behavior is not only irritating but also becoming physically intrusive into the singer's space. The final climax of the song repeats the chorus and the plea to "Show me something new".
Line by Line Meaning
Tough breaks leaving you all covered with sweat
Your struggles are making you work really hard and exhaust you
Burning up one sign
You're showing a lot of passion and intensity in one particular area
Out there in your neighborhood
You're out and about, visible to those around you
Your ice is on fire
Your cool exterior is hiding an intense emotion that's burning inside you
Why don't you go away
I don't want you in my life anymore
Will you ever leave
I'm hoping you'll eventually go away
Everything you do
All of your actions and behavior
Nothing's really new
You're not bringing anything new or exciting to the table
Always feels the same
It seems like you're stuck in a rut, doing the same thing over and over again
Will we ever dream
I'm wondering if there's any hope for change or improvement in our situation
Your minds and how you see
Your thoughts and perspective
Rich girl, you're driving faster
You're flaunting your wealth and status
Hold on to what you think is real
Don't let go of your beliefs, even if they may not make sense to others
I never had it fade away
I've never lost my passion or excitement for something
What's next
What are your future plans and actions?
Another boring detail
You're caught up in mundane and uninteresting things
Yes, I know you're way past due
You're overdue for a change or improvement
Never try, try and do it better
You don't put in effort to improve or make things better
Too bad, you're goin' blind
You can't see the real situation or issues
Can't see past your own reflection
You're self-absorbed and not aware of others' perspectives
Don't push, you're act is in my face
You're being pushy and it's bothering me
Why don't you just go away
I really want you to leave me alone
Show me something new
Demonstrate something that's fresh and exciting
Writer(s): Mark Nesler, Anthony Jerome Martin
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Timothy Bender
Awesome! A forgotten gem from the past, this song, Always A Loser, Nobody Rides For Free and Turn Of The Screw are some of Dirty Looks finest tunes! Turn of the Screw-Who's screwing you!!!
Amilcar Santos
I can still remember everything about these guys in 87.Great band entertaining and fun to be around with ,seems like yesterday...DIRTY LOOKS the best performance I ever seen
Mark Neurohr
Henrik was a music god. so many memories of mine involve his music.
Mrjammed30
I so ove this band . Have for 20 years ! I hope even in the loss they continue to rock the world . Rock the heavens Henrik !!
Jody Jonas
Holy s-t! Never knew this video existed. Turn Of The Screw is a perfect album,1st track to the last!! 🤘🔥
michael lamberson
love this tune-love this band-
tkvaughn999
Man I miss the 90's more now than ever...
Phantom Rider 4One3Zero
no one i know has heard of these guys. :( saw em back in the late 80s at Studio one in Newark,NJ. they blew my mind live! good shyt!
Heather 123
Loved dirty looks for close to twenty years...rest in peace henrik. God bless your soul. Thanks 4 they rest music and wonfeful memories..
Todd Marsh
Henrik passed away in 2011. Saw them all across the country, in crowds as small as myself and 12 random friends in Flint, front and center just close enough so as to be under the spit spray he playfully spew opening song at the Roxy, to sitting on the tour bus for 2 hours while they waited for a Riverside venue to fix the sound system so they might continue the show...always high energy, real, loving the thing he was doing and not distracted by what was going on beyond...just wish I'd heard him perform My Only Friend...but I will eventually.