The Bhopal Stiffs was an American hardcore punk band formed in Chicago in 1985 by singers/guitarists Larry Damore and Vince Marine, bassist Steve Saylors, and drummer Dave Schleitwiler.
Honing a melodic, mid-tempo approach very much in tune with the prevailing Windy City punk sound of the period, the group gigged steadily, in time becoming the de facto house band at the Chicago bar Exit.
In 1987, the Bhopal Stiffs recorded a ten-song demo tape, with the single "Not Just My Head" following on the Dazit label later that year and played gigs in Indiana, Wisconsin, St Louis and many shows in Chicago.
Marine exited the lineup in early 1988, with guitarist Ron Lowe stepping in and Larry Damore assuming sole vocal duties; the reconfigured group recorded the six-song E.P.A.
Larry, Steve and Dave started jamming with John Haggerty, who had just left Naked Raygun and joined a few of the Stiffs practice sessions.