Vampire Lovers (band)

Last updated

The Vampire Lovers
Origin Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres Punk rock, death rock, garage punk, horror punk, alternative rock
Years active1982 (1982)–1984 (1984), 1988 (1988)–1990 (1990)
LabelsSundown, Bent, Hecuba, Schlock Value, Magic Monster
Past membersAxle Conrad
Shane Cooke
Dave Chamberlain
Matthew Le Noury
Brendan Kibble
Jason Shepherd
Ziggy Staten
Murray Shepherd
Brian Mann

The Vampire Lovers, also styled as Vampyre Lovers or Vampire Lovers, were an Australian punk rock band formed in 1982 in Brisbane, Queensland. Original band members were Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad on vocals, Brendan Kibble on guitar, Shane Cooke on bass guitar, Matt "Nasty" Le Noury on guitar and Dave Chamberlain on drums. Other members included guitarist Jason Shepherd; and drummer, Ziggy Staten. Initially the group existed from 1982 to 1984 and then reformed in 1988 to disband finally in 1990. In 1983 their first single, "Buzzsaw Popstar", brought greater recognition from the Australia alternative rock fans. In 1991 they released a mini-LP, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, a year after they had disbanded.

Contents

The Vampire Lovers were a primary group behind Brisbane's third wave punk scene during 1982 to 1984. In addition, they were stylistically seen as part of the Australian approach to punk rock rather than the U.K. forms that proliferated in Australia. According to music historian, Ian McFarlane, Brisbane produced "some of the most anarchistic bands of the Australian punk rock era" and that it was a city nationally renowned for its ultra conservatism. While British fanzine journalist, Hugh Gulland, felt they were "[f]irmly rooted in The Damned / Misfitshorror punk axis" and suggested that their appeal extended to fans of garish apparel exemplified by "pink leopardskin". In a 1988 interview, the group described themselves as "Australia's only genuine death rock experience". Both Le Noury and Cooke were in Hitmen D.T.K. in Sydney during the early 1990s and recorded on some of that group's later work. In 2004, a retrospective compilation, 13 Tasteless Masterpieces, was issued by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster and was considered to have some really raw, crude snot. [1]

History

1981–1984

The Vampire Lovers were formed in 1981, after the demise of Brisbane punk rock group, The Flying Squad, (who featured Brendan Kibble and Shane Cooke) Initially with Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad on vocals, Brendan Kibble on vocals and guitar, and Shane Cooke on bass guitar. By 1982 they had enlisted other local musicians, Matt "Nasty" Le Noury on guitar and Dave Chamberlain on drums, to complete the original line up, but Kibble quit shortly after [2] and went on to form The Bam Balams. The Vampire Lovers named themselves after the 1970 Hammer Horror movie, of the same name. [2] According to music historian, Ian McFarlane, Brisbane produced "some of the most anarchistic bands of the Australian punk rock era" and that it was a city nationally renowned for its ultra conservatism. [3] Vocalist Axle Conrad suggested to Steve Bell from Time Off magazine that "You were certainly targeted if you looked different in any way. Wearing those clothes was like a badge of honour - the more you looked out there, the more gang you were, the more you perpetuated the 'us versus them' vibe." [4]

Ian Mc.Farlane regarded the Vampire Lovers as "a third-generation garage punk outfit". [2] British fanzine, Bucketfull of Brains 's journalist, Hugh Gulland, felt they were "[f]irmly rooted in The Damned / Misfitshorror punk axis" and suggested that their appeal extended to fans of garish apparel exemplified by "pink leopardskin". [5] The Vampire Lovers' admiration for unusual or camp horror movies were expressed in some of their lyrical themes for songs. [6] A review by The Barman of the website I-94 Bar, described them as "[f]our young, trash movie-obsessed reprobates". [7]

In 1983, the group released their first extended play, Buzzsaw Popstar, on the Sundown label. [2] "Buzzsaw Popstar", the lead track, received airplay on 4ZzZ, a local community radio station as well as charting on both the Juke and RAM Magazine's Australian Alternative Charts. This enabled the band to achieve greater recognition beyond their home state. Tim Yohannan from U.S. fanzine, Maximum Rocknroll, described the original E.P’s songs as garage/’77 punk with good production and its lyrics were considered to be “pretty decent” and “highly caustic”. [8] Rob Younger (from Radio Birdman) reflected on Buzzsaw Popstar, "For what it’s worth, I think BUZZSAW POPSTAR is a masterpiece. I once (about 1988?) had to master a compilation album (At The Solicitor’s Request) of various Brisbane bands at EMI/301 in Sydney, and B P stood out by miles." [9] [7] In 2004, former Australian Democrats senator, Andrew Bartlett, recalled "I used to be heavily involved in 4ZZZ in the 1980s ... I saw a guy who I’m sure used to be the singer in a band called The Vampire Lovers – they did a song called 'Buzzsaw Popstar' which still sounds good today". [10]

In July 1984, a second single followed, "Sweethearts Blown Mindless", which saw them continue with their highly caustic tone, as JUKE magazine noted after being confronted with both the release of this single and the band's name. “Vampire Lovers?!! Thought I’d heard it all. Not so as these boys charge straight ahead at a hundred miles an hour, artistic temperaments”. [11] According to The Barman it evokes the Raw Power -era Stooges with a different drummer and Lux Interior of The Cramps instead of Iggy Pop. [7] The Big Australian Rock Book virtually concurred, claiming that the single took "initial inspiration from the likes of Radio Birdman and The Stooges". [12]

By the second half of 1984, the group fell apart as the local punk, post-punk movement disintegrated, "turning their back on stardom, the Vampire Lovers split in late '84, claiming to have been thwarted by 'creative differences'". [13] The following year Le Noury on guitar and Cooke on bass guitar formed a Detroit rock-influenced group, The Four Horsemen, with Murray Shepherd (ex-Screaming Tribesmen and Fun Things) [3] [14] on drums and Nick Lee (The Cimmerians) on vocals. [2] Dave Chamberlain joined the Subsonic Barflies.

1987–1990

During late 1987, Buzzsaw Popstar had been reissued, regained local popularity, and prompted the band to reform the following year. [15] Conrad, Cooke and Le Noury recruited heavy metal musicians: Ziggy Staten on drums, and Jason Shepherd (younger brother of Murray Shepherd) on guitar. [2] In November 1988 they released a single, "Heavy Planet Fuzz", for the Bent label. [2] Brisbane's Time Off magazine analyzed the record by saying that "This third single sees the Vampire Lovers in deadly form, playing their characteristic blend of seventies garage and eighties hard edged rock and roll." [16] In an interview, that same month, with Matthew Eaton of The Courier-Mail , they described themselves as "Australia's only genuine death rock experience". [17]

The group had relocated to Sydney and, during 1988, started recording an EP, Weirdo Wastelands, for the United States indie label Hecuba Records, which was released the following year. Overseas signings were considered an unusual and rare achievement for Brisbane bands at the time. The songs were described by Noise for Heroes' Steve Gardner as "some kind of out of control speed metal-hardcore hybrid ... Even when it sounds metally there's a lot more effort in playing and less in posing than most metal bands, so the judges' scores are going to be pretty good on this one". [15] A final line up change occurred in 1988 when Le Noury left to join Hitmen D.T.K. [2] [18] The remaining members recorded a mini-LP, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, but disbanded in 1990 before its release. [2] Cooke joined Le Noury in Hitmen DTK. [18] In 1991 the posthumous work, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, was released on Schlock Records.

Legacy

In the mid-1980s The Vampire Lovers gained international recognition when Jello Biafra of US hardcore punk outfit Dead Kennedys promoted "Buzzsaw Popstar" on college radio stations. [2] McFarlane declared "[d]espite their intermittent break-ups and infrequent gigs, The Vampire Lovers have enjoyed a cult status all the same". [2] In October 2004 a retrospective compilation album, 13 Tasteless Masterpieces, was issued by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster. [7] [19] It was judged to have some really raw, crude snot. [1]

Another single was released in 2009 featuring live versions of their songs Buzzsaw Popstar and Death Dwarf originally recorded in 1988. According to I-94 Bar's The Barman, 'This in-your-face version of the single holds up well. "Death Dwarf" is a break-neck Ramone-ic derivation that lives off a spiky guitar figure. Nasty and nice. It all sounds live and unpolished but that won't worry fans. [20] The original recording of Buzzsaw Popstar had also been included as part of the 2015 CD Compilation called "Stranded, The Chronicles of Australian Punk". This CD was a wide retrospective of Australian punk, officially released by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four by Four label.

Charts

YearTitleAustralian Alternative Top 10 Singles Chart
Highest PositionWeeks In
1984"Buzzsaw Popstar" [21] 410
"Sweethearts Blown Mindless" [22] 22
1987–1988"Buzzsaw Popstar" [23] 34

Personnel

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Saints (Australian band)</span> Australian rock band

The Saints were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1973. Founded by singer-songwriter Chris Bailey, drummer Ivor Hay, and guitarist-songwriter Ed Kuepper, they originally employed fast tempos, raucous vocals and a "buzzsaw" guitar sound that helped initiate punk rock in Australia and identified them with the greater international movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Kuepper</span> Australian musician

Edmund "Ed" Kuepper is a German-born Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the punk band The Saints in 1973, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and the grunge-like The Aints!. He has also recorded over a dozen albums as a solo artist using a variety of backing bands. His highest charting solo album, Honey Steel's Gold, appeared in November 1991 and reached No. 28 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His other top 50 albums are Black Ticket Day, Serene Machine and Character Assassination. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 he won Best Independent Release for Black Ticket Day and won the same category in 1994 for Serene Machine.

Bam Balams were an Australian rock band which formed in 1984 and disbanded in 1992. They were led by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Brendan "Wig" Kibble. The group issued one album, Genuine Rock & Roll Medicine Show, an EP and six singles. Their records did well in the Australian independent charts but they did not appear on the ARIA Charts. They toured nationally but did not perform overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mark of Cain (band)</span> Australian indie rock band

The Mark of Cain are an alternative metal band from Adelaide, South Australia. Their style has been likened to that of Helmet and Rollins Band, yet this band pre-dates both groups and was influenced by the early work of Joy Division, Big Black and United States hardcore groups. The Mark of Cain were formed in mid-1984 by brothers, John (guitar) and Kim Scott, with Rod Archer on vocals and Gavin Atkinson playing drums. Before long, Archer had left the group and John Scott took on the lead vocal role and the group has remained a trio ever since. The Scotts have been the core of the band which has featured 10 different drummers. Since January 2001, former Helmet member John Stanier has been their drummer; he is also concurrently with Tomahawk and Battles. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the group's sound as "Gloomy, monotonous vocals and bleak slabs of metallic guitar did battle over a lurching rhythm section to arrive at a harsh sound." Rod Archer died on 26 February 2016. 2019 marked the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Battlesick album. A major national tour took place in October and the album was re-released on vinyl to celebrate the occasion. Eli Green again tours with the band fulfilling the drumming duties.

Brendan Kibble aka "Wig" is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his work with Australian bands The Bam Balams and Navahodads and the American bands The Texreys and The Go Wows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Younger</span> Australian musician, songwriter and producer

Rob Younger is an Australian rock musician, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He is a founding mainstay of the punk rock group Radio Birdman, and he is a pioneer of the local independent music scene. Radio Birdman, formed with Deniz Tek on guitar in November 1974, was one of the first punk rock bands ever formed in Australia, and it is considered one of the most influential and crucial bands in Australian music history. Younger formed a short-term super-group, New Race, in 1981. He also formed New Christs in that year, who is still active today.

Lime Spiders were an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with Mick Blood on lead vocals. He was later joined by Richard Lawson on drums, and David Sparks on guitar. Their debut studio album, The Cave Comes Alive! was released in June 1987 and reached the top 60 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Their most successful single, "Weirdo Libido", was released in January that year and reached the top 50 on the related Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In April its music video was the first ever shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV music series rage. The track was used on the 1988 feature film Young Einstein's soundtrack. The group disbanded in 1990 and in 1999 Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted they had provided "raucous sound mixed screaming vocals and wild, fuzz-tone guitar riffs to arrive at a mutant strain of acid punk that bordered on heavy metal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Screaming Tribesmen</span> Australian rock band

The Screaming Tribesmen were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1981 by mainstay Mick Medew on lead vocals and lead guitar. With various line-ups they released three studio albums, Bones and Flowers, Blood Lust (1990) and Formaldehyde (1993), before disbanding in 1998. They reformed in 2011 for performances until June 2012. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described how they, "fashioned a memorable brand of 1960s-inspired pop rock that combined equal parts existential lyric angst, melodic inventiveness and strident guitar riffs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Go-Betweens</span> Australian rock band

The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout its existence. Drummer Lindy Morrison joined the band in 1980, and its lineup would later expand to include bass guitarist Robert Vickers and multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown. Vickers was replaced by John Willsteed in 1987, and the quintet lineup remained in place until the band split two years later. Forster and McLennan reformed the band in 2000 with a new lineup that did not include any previous personnel aside from them. McLennan died on 6 May 2006 of a heart attack and the Go-Betweens disbanded again. In 2010, a toll bridge in their native Brisbane was renamed the Go Between Bridge after them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beasts of Bourbon</span> Australian band

Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums, Spencer P. Jones on guitar, Tex Perkins on vocals, Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris Sujdovic on bass guitar. Except for mainstays Jones and Perkins, the line-up changed over time as the group splintered and reformed several times. Their debut album, The Axeman's Jazz was released in July 1984. Their debut single, "Psycho", was a cover version of the Leon Payne original. The group disbanded by mid-1985 and each member pursued other musical projects.

The Johnnys are an Australian pub rock band from Sydney forming in 1982 and still active today that combines country and punk musical styles. Members are Graham Hood, Billy Pommer Jr and Slim Doherty and have included founder, Roddy Ray'da and Spencer P. Jones.

Russell Keith "Rusty" Hopkinson is an Australian rock musician and record label owner. He joined alternative rockers, You Am I, in 1993 on drums, percussion and backing vocals. He had previously been a member of the Bamboos (1986–87) and Kryptonics (1987–88). He established a record label, Reverberation, in 2003 with his former Kryptonics bandmate, Ian Underwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Baker (musician)</span> Australian musician

James Lawrence Baker is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of various rock and punk rock groups, including the Victims, the Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and the Dubrovniks. In 2006 Baker was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The following year, Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Masuak</span> Musical artist

Christopher William Masuak is a Canadian-born Australian musician, guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He joined the punk rock group, Radio Birdman, then the hard rockers, the Hitmen, and the Screaming Tribesmen (1984–89). Masuak has also been a member of New Christs (1983–84), the Juke Savages (1992–96), the Raouls (1996–97), and Klondike's North 40 (2002–08). He currently plays with The Viveiro Wave Riders in his adopted country of Spain. He has released material as Chris Boy King and as Klondike. Radio Birdman were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in July 2007.

Not from There were an Australian indie rock trio, which formed in 1991 in London, England by Anthony Hills on bass guitar, Simon Lambert on drums and Heinz Riegler on lead guitar and vocals. They relocated to Brisbane in 1992. Their 1998 single, "Sich Öffnen", was listed on radio station Triple J's Hottest 100. Their debut album, Sand on Seven, won the Best Alternative Release category at the ARIA Music Awards in 1999. Not from There's sound was characterised by grinding bass lines, fuzzed-out guitar riffs and occasional usage of dubs or samples.

Brisbane punk rock had its main impact between 1975 and 1984 as part of the overall punk rock scene in Australia. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, the Queensland capital provided "some of the most anarchistic bands" of that era whilst it was "arguably the most conservative city" in the country. The development of the local punk movement differed from other cities because of its relative geographic isolation from other similar trends. The Brisbane scene also received a greater scrutiny by local police where early punk bands formed as "an obvious backlash to an oppressed society". This generated antagonistic and individualistic groups or "snot" driven punk bands.

The Hitmen are an Australian hard rock band formed in November 1977 by long-term members, Johnny Kannis on lead vocals and Chris Masuak on lead guitar as Johnny and the Hitmen. The group went through numerous line up changes in its first run from 1977 to 1984. They regrouped under a new name, Hitmen DTK, between 1989 and 1992. They have issued three studio albums, Hitmen, It Is What It Is and Moronic Inferno. The Hitmen reformed in 2007; Masuak left in 2015.

The Fun Things were a punk rock band that was formed during the heyday period of punk rock. Known for their admiration of Radio Birdman, they also have been documented as being "modeled on almost exclusively on the Radio Birdman/Stooges/Sex Pistols mould". Original band members were Brad Shepherd on guitar and vocals, John Hartley on bass guitar, Graeme Beavis on guitar and Murray Shepherd on drums. Brad Shepherd and Murray Shepherd were brothers in the band, which released one highly acclaimed E.P. and has become "one of the most collectable artifacts from Australia's punk rock era".

The Groove was an Australian R&B, pop group which formed in early 1967 with the lineup of Geoff Bridgford on drums, Jamie Byrne on bass guitar, Tweed Harris on keyboards, Rod Stone on guitar and Peter Williams on lead vocals and guitar. In December 1967 their single, "Simon Says", peaked at No. 17 on the Go-Set National Top 40 Singles Chart. They followed with "Soothe Me", which peaked at No. 14 in April 1968. Also in April they released their self-titled debut album. In July that year they won the national final of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds competition with the prize including a trip to London. They relocated there in March 1969, and early the following year they changed their name to Eureka Stockade, they disbanded in 1971. On 13 October 2004 Tweed Harris died of throat cancer, aged 63.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan McGuire (musician)</span> Musical artist

Duncan Hazlett McGuire, was an Australian musician, songwriter, recording engineer and producer. McGuire was a founding member of the jazz fusion band Ayers Rock from 1973 until he left in 1976. As a bass guitarist, he appeared in several of Doug Parkinson's groups, including the Questions (1965–1968), Doug Parkinson in Focus (1968–1969) and the Southern Star Band (1978–1981). He went into music production in the early 1980s; in October 1980, he co-produced and engineered the debut self-titled album by Australian rock band INXS. Duncan McGuire was diagnosed with lung cancer, and he died in July 1989 of an associated brain tumour, aged 46.

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 Dahl, Jeff (November 2004). "Vampire Lovers". Carbon 14 (25).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McFarlane, 'The Vampire Lovers' entry. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 McFarlane, 'The Fun Things' entry. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  4. Bell, Steve (2004). "Bloody Good Memories". Time Off (1194).
  5. Gulland, Hugh (Winter 2004). "Vampire Lovers". Bucketfull of Brains . No. 67. London.
  6. "'Heavy Planet Fuzz' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 12 January 2013. Note: User may have to click on 'Search again' and Enter a title, e.g. Heavy Planet Fuzz; or Performer, e.g. Vampire Lovers.
  7. 1 2 3 4 The Barman (18 November 2008). "13 Tasteless Masterpieces – Vampire Lovers". I-94 Bar. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  8. Yohannan, Tim (September 1987). "Vampire Lovers Buzzsaw Popstar EP". Maximum Rocknroll . No. 52. San Francisco.
  9. (2004) Album notes for 13 Tasteless Masterpieces by the Vampire Lovers, p. 12. Magic Monster.
  10. Bartlett, Andrew (4 October 2004). "Pig City Launch and Other Distractions". The Bartlett Diaries. Australian Democrats. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  11. Nimmervoll, Ed (21 July 1984). "Vampire Lovers "Sweethearts Blown Mindless"". Juke Magazine . No. 482.
  12. St. John, Ed (1984). "Index". The Big Australian Rock Book.
  13. At the Solicitor's Request (Media notes). Various Artists. Rubber Records. 1987. 001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. McFarlane, 'The Screaming Tribesmen' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  15. 1 2 Gardner, Steve (20 June 2000). "Weirdo Wastelands e.p. – Vampyre Lovers". Noise for Heroes. NKVD Records (Steve Gardner). Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  16. Sawford, Gavin (25 November 1988). "Vampire Lovers return from the grave for good". Time Off.
  17. Eaton, Matthew (24 November 1988). "The Blitz column". The Courier-Mail . Queensland Newspapers (News Limited (News Corporation)). p. 44.
  18. 1 2 Holmgren, Magnus; Georgieff, Didier; Regan, Craig; Bennetts, Gye. "The Hitmen". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  19. 13 Tasteless Masterpieces at MusicBrainz Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  20. "Buzzsaw Popstar b/w Death Dwarf". I-94 Bar. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  21. Nimmervoll, Ed, ed. (28 January – 14 April 1984). "Alternatively". Juke Magazine . Mount Eliza, Vic: Leonard J Shaw: 6. ISSN   1320-209X.
  22. Nimmervoll, Ed, ed. (14 July – 18 August 1984). "Alternatively". Juke Magazine . Mount Eliza, Vic: Leonard J Shaw: 6. ISSN   1320-209X.
  23. Nimmervoll, Ed, ed. (5 December 1987 – 2 January 1988). "Alternatively". Juke Magazine . Mount Eliza, Vic: Leonard J Shaw: 22, 21, 42, 21 (respectively). ISSN   1320-209X.
  24. 13 Tasteless Masterpieces (Media notes). Vampire Lovers. Magic Monster. 2004. p. 4. MM001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)