| The Screaming Jets | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Love Bomb |
| Origin | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Hard rock, pub rock |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | rooArt, Phonogram, Warners, Grudge, Universal, Independent, StockXChange, Atlantic |
| Website | www.screamingjets.com.au |
| Members | |
| Dave Gleeson Paul Woseen Jimi "The Human" Hocking Mickl Sayers Scotty Kingman |
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| Past members | |
| Grant Walmsley Brad Heaney Richard Lara Craig Rosevear Ismet Osmanovic Col Hatchman |
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The Screaming Jets are an Australian hard rock band formed in Newcastle in 1989 by front man Dave Gleeson on vocals, Grant Walmsley on guitar and Paul Woseen on bass guitar and backing vocals. The band has three albums that peaked in the top five on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart, All for One (1991), Tear of Thought (1992) and The Screaming Jets (1995). Their 1991 single, "Better", reached No. 4 on the related Singles Chart. Walmsley left in 2007 and formed his own band.
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The Screaming Jets were formed as a hard rock group in January 1989 in Newcastle by three former members of a high school band, Aspect: singer Dave Gleeson, bass guitarist Paul Woseen and guitarist Grant Walmsley.[1][2] Gleeson and Walmsley had met in 1981 at St Francis Xavier’s College in Hamilton, they first performed together for a school dance at the Newcastle Town Hall.[3] They formed Sudden Impact in 1985, which later became Aspect; Woseen joined in 1988.[4] Other founding members of The Screaming Jets were guitarist Richard Lara and former The Radiators' drummer Brad Heaney.[2] Their first performance was as The Love Bomb at a Newcastle pub in March.[4] Renamed as The Screaming Jets, they won the inaugural National Band Competition run by youth radio broadcaster Triple J in November.[1][4] They relocated to Sydney by early 1990 and supported The Angels on a national tour. In May, they signed with independent label, rooArt.[4] Their debut extended play (EP), The Scorching Adventures of the Screaming Jets, was issued in December.[1]
In April 1991, The Screaming Jets released their debut studio album All for One which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart and spawned a No. 4 hit single, "Better".[5] The album showed influences from Van Halen, AC/DC and The Angels.[1] It reached the Top 50 on the ARIA End of Year Albums Chart for 1991.[6] Two top 40 singles, "Stop the World" and "Shine On", followed.[5] The controversial track "F. R. C." ("Fat Rich Cunts") was a crowd favourite – a live version was released on Stealth Live! (EP, 1991) – which Gleeson would dedicate to Michael Gudinski or Russ Hinze at concerts.[1] At times, "F. R. C." was performed by guest vocalists from Mortal Sin, The Choirboys or The Angels.
Following the album's release, the group relocated to the United Kingdom where they based themselves for over two years. They toured there, the rest of Europe and the United States and supported varied hard rock and heavy metal bands. Their third EP, Living in England, was issued in June 1992 and included cover versions of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues and AC/DC's "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)".[1] The EP spawned the title single, "Living in England", which peaked in the top 20 in July.[5]
The Screaming Jets' second album Tear of Thought was released in October 1992 on rooArt in Australia and Europe, and on Atlantic Records in the US.[1][2] The band supported Ugly Kid Joe on a European tour in 1993, when Heaney was fired mid-tour. He was temporarily replaced by ex-Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland.[1] A cover single of Boys Next Door's "Shivers" peaked into the Top 20 in February 1993, while the album eventually reached No. 3 in July 1994.[5] Heaney was permanently replaced in the line-up by former BB Steal drummer Craig Rosevear, also from Newcastle, in July 1993. In January 1994, after a US tour backing Def Leppard, Lara was replaced by Melbourne guitarist Jimi "The Human" Hocking (ex-Spectre 7).[1][2] Both "Helping Hand" (March) and "Tunnel" (August) were Top 40 singles from Tear of Thought.[5]
While The Screaming Jets remained only moderately successful overseas, in Australia they became one of the top-drawing live bands of the early to mid-1990s. Their single releases rarely peaked high on the charts, they achieved significant airplay on rock radio and their tours were successful.[1][4]
In September 1995, The Screaming Jets released their third album, The Screaming Jets, which peaked at No. 5.[5] It was co-produced by the band with Robbie Adams (U2).[2] It was the first CD launched via live Webcast. The double-A sided single, "Friend of Mine" / "Sad Song", was issued in October and reached the top 50.[1][5] The group continued to tour and started recording their fourth album, World Gone Crazy late in 1996, it was released in August 1997 and peaked into the top 20.[5] The album was produced by Steve James and rooArt had passed their contract to BMG.[4] Hocking had left by June and was replaced on guitar by Ismet "Izzy" Osmanovic (ex-Judge Mercy).[1][2] BMG released a compilation album, Hits and Pieces in November 1999.[1] One new track, "I Need Your Love" was issued as a single and the limited edition included an eight-track bonus disc.[1]
By the late 1990s the band were touring less and had not released an album of new material since 1996. As well as undertaking the extensive Last Great Rock’n’Roll Show of the Century Australian tour which was launched in November 1999, the group had started recording their next studio album, Scam, with former Skyhooks producer Ross Wilson.[1][2] By early 2000 Rosevear left to be replaced by on drums by Col Hatchman.[4]
The Screaming Jets released their fifth studio album, Scam, in October 2000 on Grudge Records through Universal Music.[1][4] They were selected to tour with Kiss and Alice Cooper in 2001. In June the band performed their last concert in Newcastle before an extended break from touring and recording. The live album, Live Forever, of the show was released in December 2002. They did not play live again until mid-2004.
Since 2004 they continued to record and tour, though more sporadically than during the early 1990s and signed with Universal Records. They recorded another EP, Heart of the Matter, which was released in August 2004. In November, Hatchman left the group, his last performance was recorded for a live CD (Rock On), and associated DVD (Rock On), both were released in 2005, on Liberation Records. Hatchman was replaced by current drummer Mickl "The Slayer" Sayers formerly of Sydney band Tripguage. In October 2006, four Screaming Jets songs were listed in the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown: "Helping Hand" (voted 447 out of 2006), "Eve of Destruction" (voted 683 out of 2006), "Shivers" (voted 1588 out of 2006) and "My Badger Drinks" (voted 1596 out of 2006).
Early in 2007, founding member and guitarist Walmsley left the band and was replaced by Scotty Kingman, who engineered the band's next album, Do Ya.[7] According to Gleeson, Walmsley left because his external commitments interfered with the band's schedules.[8] Walmsley formed indie roots band, Agents of Peace, in Newcastle with Rod Ansell on harmonica, saxophone, guitar and vocals; Travis May on piano and organ; and Allon Silove on double bass and vocals.[9] In October 2008, The Screaming Jets released Do Ya through StockXchange Music, which is distributed by Sony Music. New songs "141" and "Do Ya" became regular live additions to their set lists. In October 2009, Osmanovich left and Hocking returned to the line-up.[4][10] In late 2010, Osmanovich joined guitarist Kevin Borich in a new version of The Party Boys called Kevin Borich's Party Boyz and toured the Australian east coast in early 2011.[11] Other members are Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo), John Swan (Swanee), Harry Brus (Kevin Borich Band) and Mick O'Shea.[12]
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