The Toy Dolls in Gdansk

The Toy Dolls are a British punk band formed in Sunderland in 1979 and led by guitarist and singer Michael “Olga” Algar. Their fast, humorous songs and precise guitar work are represented by “Nellie the Elephant,” “Dig That Groove Baby” and “Yul Brynner Was a Skinhead,” while early albums include Dig That Groove Baby and Idle Gossip. Twenty Two Tunes Live from Tokyo, released in 1990, documented the group’s tightly arranged three-piece live format and Algar’s rapid lead playing. In later decades, The Toy Dolls performed at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool and Hellfest in Clisson.