THE MEDICINE DOLLS – unleash filthy new single
- Posted on 12-03-2026
Cape Town’s glam-soaked punk provocateurs The Medicine Dolls return with a ferocious new single and music video, “Tip The Waitress”, a snarling slice of punk-splattered rock ’n roll that captures the band at their most unapologetic and unhinged.
Formed in 2018, The Medicine Dolls are a four-piece sonic riot hailing from Cape Town, South Africa. Founded by vocalist Gory Guttersnipe and bassist Bex Knickerless, the band later solidified its lineup with guitarist Slava Nikonov and drummer Callula Jane Clay-Smith. Together they’ve cultivated a reputation for fusing raw rock ’n roll energy with theatrical flair, delivering performances and visuals dripping in dark glamour, sleaze, and rebellious attitude.
Drawing influence from cult icons such as The Cramps, The B-52s, Nina Hagen and modern provocateur Ashnikko, the band blends punk grit with campy theatricality and biting attitude to create a unique visual and sonic cocktail. The result is music that feels both vintage and futuristic, equal parts trashy, glamorous and defiantly weird.
Accompanying the release is a striking new music video directed by internationally acclaimed South African filmmaker Ryan Kruger. Known globally for his bold, surreal and unapologetically gritty visual style, Kruger gained cult recognition through projects like the boundary-pushing feature film Fried Barry. His work blends grindhouse aesthetics, dark humour and visceral storytelling, making him the perfect collaborator to bring The Medicine Dolls’ twisted rock ’n roll universe to life.
Kruger’s direction amplifies the band’s chaotic energy, leaning into the Dolls’ signature mix of punk sleaze, theatrical glamour and subversive imagery. The result is a visually explosive video that captures the spirit of the song while pushing the band’s aesthetic into even more daring territory.
With “Tip The Waitress”, recorded at Atomic Studios in Cape Town alongside long-time collaborator and producer Matthew Fink, The Medicine Dolls once again prove why they remain one of the most exciting and visually distinctive underground rock acts to emerge from South Africa’s alternative scene.
Turn it up. Let it get dirty.
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