The Cheater Slicks originated in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1988, when brothers Tom and David Shannon -- both guitar players -- recruited drummer Dana Hatch and bassist Merle Allin (brother of G.G. Allin) to play in an original, bluesy garage rock band. After Allin, the Slicks tried out Alpo (formerly of the Real Kids) on bass before scrapping the bassist idea completely and settling on a three-piece lineup.