Dead Moon
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Fred Cole, Toody Cole, Andrew Loomis |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live recordings, compilation albums |
Dead Moon was a rock group originating from Portland, Oregon in 1987, comprised of vocalist and guitarist Fred Cole, bassist and singer Toody Cole, and drummer Andrew Loomis. The band ceased activity in 2006, reunited in 2014, and ultimately disbanded permanently in 2017 following the passing of both Loomis and Fred Cole. Their discography includes ten studio albums, six live recordings, and three compilation albums.
History
Dead Moon merged elements of punk and country music with somber lyrical themes to create a raw, minimalist sound. Fred Cole took charge of most of the production work, mastering tracks using a mono recording lathe previously employed for The Kingsmen's iconic "Louie Louie". Initial releases such as In the Graveyard were issued through their own label, Tombstone Records, which was connected to their music gear shop. The band attracted interest from the German label Music Maniac Records and embarked on extensive European tours before embarking on U.S. tours in the mid-1990s, cultivating a dedicated fan base across Europe.
Their career was internationally documented in the 2004 film Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story. While they recorded for various labels including Empty Records, the majority of their albums were distributed globally via Music Maniac and domestically through Tombstone, which also functioned as a cooperative for mastering and pressing. Despite being in their fifties, the Coles maintained an active presence with their 2004 release Dead Ahead, continuing to tour until the compilation Echoes of the Past appeared in 2006.
In December 2006, Dead Moon declared their dissolution, culminating with a farewell concert held on November 26, 2006, in Groningen.
Following the band's breakup, the Coles collaborated with Portland punk artist Kelly Halliburton, who had connections to Fred Cole's earlier bands, to form Pierced Arrows. This new group launched in May 2007 alongside a reformed lineup of Poison Idea. Meanwhile, Andrew Loomis joined The Shiny Things in 2006, working with former members of The Wipers and Napalm Beach.
Dead Moon reunited for a show at Portland's Crystal Ballroom in 2013. After these reunion performances, Halliburton took over drumming duties for their final series of concerts.
Andrew Loomis succumbed to cancer on March 8, 2016, aged 54; Fred Cole passed away from cancer on November 9, 2017, at age 69.
On October 5, 2017, the city of Portland designated this date as Dead Moon Night to commemorate the band’s legacy.
As of 2023, Toody Cole leads 'Toody Cole and her Band', featuring drummer Halliburton, performing selected gigs including appearances in Mexico City.
Equipment
Toody is known for playing a late-1960s semi-hollow Vox teardrop bass guitar, prized for its shorter scale length and playability. Her typical rig includes V-4 Ampeg and Ampeg SVT bass amplifier heads paired with an Ampeg 4x12 speaker cabinet for live shows in the U.S., and a VHT 2-15 speaker cabinet when performing in Europe. Fred’s setup consisted of a 50-watt Marshall Red Head amplifier coupled with a Guild Thunderbird guitar and supported by 4x12 cabinets on both continents. Both Fred and Toody favored Shure SM58 microphones during performances. Andrew Loomis’s drum kit comprised bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat cymbals, floor tom, and a single ride cymbal.
Band members
Studio albums
- In the Graveyard (1988)
- Unknown Passage (1989)
- Defiance (1990)
- Stranded in the Mystery Zone (1991)
- Strange Pray Tell (1992)
- Crack in the System (1994)
- Nervous Sooner Changes (1995)
- Destination X (1999)
- Trash & Burn (2001)
- Dead Ahead (2004)
Compilation albums
- Dead Moon Night (1990)
- Thirteen Off My Hook (1990)
- Echoes of the Past (2006)
Live albums
- Live Evil (1991)
- Hard Wired in Ljubljana (1997)
- Alive In The Unknown (2002)
- Live at The Casbah 10/21/2004 (2004)
- Dead Moon, Live at Satyricon (2015)
- What A Way To See The Old Girl Go (2017)
- Going South (2023)
Singles
- "Parchment Farm" (1988)
- "Don't Burn the Fires" (1988)
- "Black September" (1989)
- "D.O.A." (1990)
- "Over the Edge" (1991)
- "Fire in the Western World" (1992)
- "Day After Day" (1992)
- "Clouds of Dawn" (1992)
- "Dirty Noise" (1993)
- "Ricochet" (1994)
- "Sabotage" (2002)