Biography

Swedish rock group formed 1991 in Katrineholm, Södermanland, by Sulo Karlsson, Anders Boba Lindström and The Duke of Honk. Influenced by British early 1970s R&B.

After making highly acclaimed demo tapes with star producer Max Martin the members moved to Stockholm upon finding fame in 1992 and debut album Honked was recorded in Sunlight Studio with inimitable producer Tomas Skogsberg. The first single “Blue Eyes Shouldn’t Be Cryin’” launched in 1993 made its way to a rotation on MTV’s classic hard rock show Headbangers Ball.

Through constant touring, Diamond Dogs soon built a large reputation for their energetic live shows, with the charismatic and dynamic stage antics singer Sören ”Sulo” Karlsson, as well as its innovative use of the piano as a lead rock instrument, Henrik ”The Duke of Honk” Widen is a pioneer in sound and style for gritty rock’n’roll keys. Sulo is the main songwriter, and Honk serves as the group’s principal producer.

Keeping busy the better part of the 1990s playing live shows, Diamond Dogs took a break in 1997 and Anders ”Boba” Lindström became a full member of The Hellacopters.

Two years later DD was contracted on new label with worldwide distribution in 1999. They cut a five track record in 24 hours and named it “Among the non-believers”, released in early 2000. It became the restart of a successful journey that eventually took Diamond Dogs to world wide cult status.

The group went into the new millennium with their second long player As Your Greens Turn Brown, SAE Studios, Stockholm, released in March 2001. The first single “Goodbye Miss Jill” got a fair bit of airplay around the world, and already being recognized as one of rock’s most dynamic stage performers, Diamond Dogs now had earn a sizable following.

After spending the early part of 2001 on the road with an active touring schedule, the band went back into the Sunlight Studio under the wings of Tomas Skogsberg and recorded their third album Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough, released in 2002, which yielded a hit single “Bound To Ravage”. This is perhaps the most raw and stylistic album in the band’s catalogue, effective songs with sharp edges and loads of attitude. It was made in a hurry at a time in their career when they really had more focus on traveling the world as a hard glam boogie road collective, and later that year the group again embraced their touring, playing clubs, festivals and concert halls, either headlining as main act, or opening on tours for bands like The Cult, Ian Hunter, Hanoi Rocks, The Damned, Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Nazareth. For the album Black River Road, 2004, Robert ”Strings” Dahlqvist (Hellacopters) joined Diamond Dogs.

Diamond Dogs have over the years created a reputation as one of the best rock’n’roll live acts there is out there, and their shows is often stretched out to over 3 hours.

In 2014 their longtime member and saxophone player Mats Magic Gunnarsson died in a drowning accident, and Diamond Dogs were going to honor him with a last album and tour. The following year album Quitters & Complainers was released, and European tour “Stop Barking Up The Wrong Tree” ended in October 2015 in Oviedo, Spain with a huge final show, opening for Iggy Pop, a spectacular farewell night, the group then disbanded.

Sulo Karlsson was to form London punk band The Crunch together with Terry Chimes (Clash), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and Mick Geggus (Cockney Rejects). Sulo also have had artistic collaborations with Wilko Johnson (Dr Feelgood), Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive), Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine), Billy Bremner (Rockpile), Paul Young and Maria McKee to name a few. 

The Duke of Honk is also associated with Swedish female pop stars Meja and Louise Hoffsten, The Solution (Hellacopters/Hydromatics/Diamond Dogs), Rednex, Conny Bloom (Electric Boys), The Nomads, Lisa and The Lips (The Bellrays), Swedish folk hero Kjell Höglund, US soul singer Gabriel Kelley, and many more rock’n’roll acts.

Throughout the years Diamond Dogs members have at some point in their careers also been serving as members in bands/artists such as Johnny Thunders, Ian Hunter, KSMB, Electric Boys, Glenn Hughes, Nationalteatern, Wilmer X, Dogs D’amour, Michael Schenker, Eldkvarn, Glen Matlock, The Facer, Silver Ginger 5, UK Subs…

On Diamond Dogs recordings you can also hear guest appearances of Danny Bowes (Thunder), Randy Bachman (BTO), Louise Hoffsten, Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris), Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy), Fjodor (Ebba Grön), Neon Leon, Henry Gibson (Curtis Mayfield), Nicke Andersson (Hellacopters), Jeff Dahl, among others.

The group reunited in 2019 with the album Recall Rock’n’Roll & The Magic Soul, Wild Kingdom Records.

Although based in Sweden, the band had always considered Spain its second home because of its big popularity and frequent touring there. Diamond Dogs have played classic music venues like Razzmatazz, Mephisto, Sala Apolo, KGB, Helldorado, Sala Heineken, La Riviera, El Sol, and often having a varying of Spain’s biggest rock bands performing as support acts. Diamond Dogs have performed seven concerts at the historical venue Antzokia in Bilbao where they also recorded their live album ”Let’s Have It-Live In Bilbao”. Diamond Dogs have been headlining many of Spain’s largest rock festivals (Festimad, Primavera Sound, Serie Z among others), and at their second time appearance on Azkena Rock Festival’s main stage the festival had Roky Erickson opening up for them. Diamond Dogs sold out the football stadium in Benidorm on a double bill with British hard rockers and friends The Cult. In 2007 Diamond Dogs did five sold out concerts in a row at the legendary theatre Södra Teatern in Stockholm with their celebration show for the great Sam Cooke, which they later also took to Madrid for two more sold out shows at Sala El Sol. It resulted in the live album ”Soul Folks-The Sam Cooke Concerts” which was released the following year.

Diamond Dogs have toured Europe together with UK’s Quireboys, and US’ rocker Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites). Good friends Spike and Dan are also guesting on several Diamond Dogs recordings. Diamond Dogs have been special guests support on two Ian Hunter tours. Diamond Dogs have been special guests support on two The Damned tours. Diamond Dogs have been special guests support on tours with Hanoi Rocks, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The Nazareth, and at one exclusive gig with Iggy Pop.

Diamond Dogs have toured Great Britain countless of times and played over 270 gigs at many of UK’s premium rock venues, including Camden Palace, Electric Ballroom, Nottingham Rock City, Manchester Academy 2, Glasgow Cathouse and The Ferry, Bristol Bierkeller, Camden Underworld, Baths Hall, Utility Newcastle Arena and O2 Academy, Holmfirth Picturedrome, London Borderline, JB’s Dudley, Sheffield Boardwalk, London and Manchester Hard Rock Café, Cleethorpes and Blackpool Winter Gardens…

Nowadays the English music press speaks about the band as sounding more British than the Brits themselves!

The biggest Danish daily newspaper ”B.T.” expressed their admiration for Diamond Dogs with a half-page concert review for one of their Copenhagen shows, with the article headline: ”The meaning of life”.

Diamond Dogs album ”The Grit & The Very Soul” was voted ”Best international album of the year” 2011 by the allied Spanish music press:

In the year 2025, thirty-four years after it all started, Diamond Dogs are about to release their 16th full length record ”Macon Georgia Giant”. A collaboration with UK guitar legend Chris Spedding, and containing 11 songs in the true spirit of Little Richard.

LINE-UP:
SULO –  vocals & guitar
THE DUKE OF HONK – keys & vocals
LARS KARLSSON – guitar
SLIM MARTIN – guitar & vocals
BELLAN BELLNAS – bass & vocals
FEDERICO DE COSTA – drums & vocals

Discography

Albums:

Honked (1994)
As Your Greens Turn Brown (2001)
Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough (2002)
That’s The Juice I’m On (2003)
Atlantic Crossover (2003)
Black River Road (2004)
Bound To Ravage (2005) Compilation
Up The Rock (2006)
It’s Mostly Likely (2008)
The Grit And The Very Soul (2010)
Set Fire To It All (2012)
Quitters And Complainers / Let’s Have It – Live-In Bilbao (2015) 2 records
Honked! All Over Again (2019) Reissue
Recall Rock n Roll And The Magic Soul (2019)
As Your Greens Turn Brown (2020) Reissue
Weekend Monster (2020) Compilation
Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough (2020) Reissue
The Atlantic Juice (2020) Compilation
Slap Bang Blue Rendezvous (2022)
About The Hardest Nut To Crack (2023)
Macon Georgia Giant (2025)

Singles/Maxis:

Blue Eyes Shouldn’t Be Cryin (1993) Single
Honked (1993) Single
Good Time Girl (1994) Maxi
Among The Non Believers (2000) Ep
Shortplayer (2002) Ep

FORMER MEMBERS:
Mats Magic Gunnarsson – saxophone (2003 – 2014)
Jesper Karlsson – drums (1999 – 2008)
Kent Axen – guitar (1991 – 2002)
Anders Boba Lindström – guitar (1991 – 2004)
Darrell Bath – guitar (2001 – 2003)
Fredrik Fagerlund – guitar (2003 – 2012)
Thomas Broman – drums (2018 – 2020)
Magnus Leie – guitar (1995 – 1998)
Peter Smoliansky – drums (1995 -1998)
Stevie Klasson – guitar (2000 – 2004)
Robert Strings Dahlqvist – guitar (2004 – 2007)
Stefan Björk – bass (1995 – 2005)
Frederic Lundbergh – drums (1991 – 1995)
Mattias Hellberg – guitar (2000 – 2004)
K Marcus – bass (1991 – 1995)
Johan Johansson – bass (2003 – 2009)
Martin Tronsson – bass (2009 – 2014)
Johannes Drain Nordell – drums (2008 – 2015)