DBG (Death By Gluten) is band originating in Keene, New Hampshire. They formed in early 2006 and have produced such hits as The Emo Song, Got Wheat, Tod Durch Gluten, and, their most popular piece, The Real Epic Tale.

History

Formation

Keene High School students R-Boss, Torhole, and D-Zou became bored with the tiresome process of applying to colleges and decided to band together to form an alternative rock band. Because Torhole was the only member of the band with musical talent, J-Kwon was quickly recruited to head up the technical production team. Steadfastly determined not to simply allow their dream of forming a band to slip away, the team searched for a purpose. When Mikey-J, a good friend of all of the members with a terrible gluten allergy, was hospitalized after eating what he thought was gluten-free toast, the band found its inspiration. Selecting the name Death By Gluten, the five band members (having adopted Mikey-J as their mascot) set out on a mission to increase public awareness of gluten allergies in melodious ways.

Early Days

In an effort to make a name for themselves quickly, Death By Gluten attempted to hitch itself to the Emo phenomenon which was, at the time, taking New England by storm. Their first effort at recording a song was the infamous Emo Song, which contained the most miserable lyrics that the band could think of. Dedicated to C-Batz, another source of inspiration for the members, the song succeeded in achieving recognition for the band, though the reactions were not always positive. Although the song has become a cult favorite among many music fans, DBG did not anticipate the massive alienation of their potential Emo fanbase that occured. Many Emo listeners felt unfairly targeted by the song, and others felt that DBG was unfairly taking advantage of their chosen genre of music in an attempt to make money.

For their part, Death By Gluten maintains that Emo music is not actually music, rendering those complaints invalid.

The next song recorded by DBG was the beginning of their campaign to raise gluten allergy awareness. The song was Got Wheat, and served as an upbeat, easy to learn song that captured the attention of those who had enjoyed The Emo Song as well as new listeners curious to hear what DBG was really about. Less than two minutes long, Got Wheat flirted with the bottom US singles chart for several weks before dropping off entirely, but the band was thrilled with this modest degree of success.

Inevitable Problems

In October 2006, while touring in Brattleboro, Vermont, Torhole was approached after the show by a young woman in her early twenties. According to a statement released by the band's manager, Ry Bear several days later, Torhole accompanied the woman to her hotel room where they shared several drinks. When Torhole did not return to the band the next day, DBG was forced to cancel their scheduled appearance in Concord, New Hampshire, and the search began.

Torhole resurfaced less than a week later, and offered no explanation for his departure. Because the identity of the mysterious seductrous was never revealed, fans of the band have speculated that she was killed by the errant band member. Both DBG and authorities assigned to the disappearance case have issued statements denying that Torhole was involved in foul play, and have maintained that the woman's identity has been withheld at her request, honored out of respect for her privacy.

Still, the disappearance of Torhole and the revenue lost by the band during his absense caused visible friction within the band that the media seized upon. Rumors circulated that R-Boss and Torhole had not spoken since the singer's return, a rumor supported by the fact that, when on tour, the two pointedly faced their trailers in opposite directions. Some more imaginative conspiracy theorists have speculated that they woman that Torhole disappeared with may have been the sister (or perhaps daughter) of R-Boss, but all band members have declined to comment.

Adding to the confusion that the band had already been thrown into, D-Zou took a spontaneous two week leave of absense in November 2006. In a hasty effort to shore up positions and avoid missing further tour dates, local musician Patrick Riley was added to the band and Shane Bone was invited to join the production team. Although D-Zou returned to the band without incident, the tension during recording sessions was described by band advisor K-Fat as "physicaly uncomfortable." The band rarely spent time together outside of concept meetings and recording sessions, and Torhole was reported spotted soliciting prostitutes on numerous occasions. Upon his return to the band, D-Zou was repeatedly spotted with a young brunette. Band manager Ry Bear would identify the girl only as D-Zou's "fiance", and rumors once again began to circulate, some theorizing that the girl might be the same girl who had previously seduced Torhole away from the band. Both Torhole and D-Zou have consistently refused to comment, but D-Zou's whirlwind romance with the vixen came to an abrupt end. They were married on December 2, 2006, but filed for divorce a mere sixteen days later, citing "irreconcilable differences." Since that time, band relations are believed to have improved moderately.

DBG Today

In the midst of all the confusion, Death By Gluten still managed to produce The Real Epic Tale, its most popular song to date. As a single, it reached #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and it continues to sit near the bottom of the list today. Though band relations are reportedly improving, given the unstable nature of its members, they could decline again at any moment.

Discography

Singles

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