The Gristle join forces with punk legend Handsome Dick Manitoba for Kick Out the Jams.

Swedish rock duo The Gristle team up with Handsome Dick Manitoba, the longtime voice of New York punk pioneers The Dictators, for a collaborative version of Kick Out the Jams. The single brings together a band rooted in blues, punk and heavyweight garage rock with a singer whose own history reaches directly into the world of MC5.

For Manitoba, the song carries a personal connection. Alongside decades fronting The Dictators, he sang with DKT/MC5, performing with original members Wayne Kramer, Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson. His involvement gives the collaboration a connection to the musicians who first turned Kick Out the Jams into a rallying cry.

The Gristle and Manitoba have already crossed paths on the road, with the Swedish duo previously touring alongside the singer. This release brings that live connection into a shared recording, uniting artists from different generations around a song that embodies their appetite for uninhibited rock ’n’ roll. Max from The Gristle explains how the collaboration came about;

- "Right in the middle of the tour, in the middle of the party I set up a makeshift studio backstage in a tiny fucking room. In front of all chaos. That’s where we recorded all the vocals. We wanted it to feel raw close and honest. I just laid a rough guitar track for us to sing along to.

Then I took the recordings to my friend Martin Ehrencrona at Cobra Studio in Stockholm. (Viagra Boys, among others.) where I laid one big, fat, dirty guitar track right across the whole song, with Pistolen on drums. (Peter Jansson.)

I’m incredibly proud of how it turned out. Massive thanks to Dick Manitoba for an unforgettable tour, Jon Kapetan (Dick’s manager) and Carl-Marcus at Icons for all the support and encouragement!"

Following their debut album Urban Myth, released in March 2026, The Gristle continue to build on a sound shaped by thick riffs, blues grit and punk urgency. Their stripped-down approach makes them a fitting partner for Manitoba: guitar, drums and a belief that rock music should make itself felt.

Kick Out the Jams by The Gristle and Handsome Dick Manitoba is released October 16th via Icons Creating Evil Art

About The Gristle

Formed in 2020, The Gristle are a Swedish rock duo consisting of Max Bob Malmquist on guitar and vocals and Peter “Pete” Jansson on drums. Combining garage rock, blues and punk with heavy grooves, they have taken their music to stages across Sweden, Germany and the UK. Previous live highlights include Fuzz Fest in Stockholm and Malmö and appearances alongside Dregen, Truckfighters, Spiders and Handsome Dick Manitoba.

About Handsome Dick Manitoba

Handsome Dick Manitoba is a defining personality of New York punk, best known for his decades as frontman of The Dictators. His career also includes Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, performances with DKT/MC5, and fourteen years hosting a show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM. His unmistakable voice and larger-than-life stage presence connect this collaboration to a lifetime spent in rock ’n’ roll.