| Beasts of Bourbon | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sydney, NSW, Australia |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1983–2008 |
| Labels | Red Eye, Albert Productions, Bang! Records |
| Associated acts | The Cruel Sea |
| Members | |
| Tex Perkins, Spencer P. Jones, Tony Pola, Brian Henry Hooper, Charlie Owen | |
| Past members | |
| Kim Salmon; James Baker, Brad Shepherd | |
Beasts of Bourbon was an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1983, with a line-up that has changed as the band splintered and reformed several times [1]
Contents |
The group was started by vocalist Tex Perkins to fulfill a booking his previous band, Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, could no longer make. The band began playing together in small venues in Sydney. The initial version of the group included Spencer P. Jones of The Johnnys, Boris Sudjovic and Kim Salmon of The Scientists and James Baker of Hoodoo Gurus. This lineup was featured on the band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, recorded in 1984 in a single afternoon for $100 by Tony Cohen. A cover of Leon Payne's "Psycho" was a hit on alternative radio. Although the album became an underground success, the band was largely a side project for its members until 1988.
The original line-up fell apart in 1984 when the Scientists left Australia to tour overseas; fill-ins included Stu Spasm of Lubricated Goat and Brad Shepherd of Hoodoo Gurus. When both the Johnnys and the Scientists fell apart, however, the original line-up reunited in 1987, to record Sour Mash in 1988 and Black Milk in 1990.
The band toured Europe on the back of Sour Mash. In 1991, Baker and Sujdovic left to be replaced by Brian Henry Hooper and Tony Pola - the bassist and drummer of Kim Salmon's new band, The Surrealists. This line-up recorded the highly popular album The Low Road in 1991. The band disintegrated in Europe while touring to support the album.
A double album of live tracks and rarities, titled The Belly of the Beasts - Live '91 & '92 and Shit We Didn't Put Out the First Time, was released to mark the group's 10 years together, and the group toured extensively in support of the album. Following the tour, it appeared as if the Beasts would announce their demise. Salmon left the group to concentrate on the Surrealists and Perkins' group The Cruel Sea was achieving huge success with their album The Honeymoon is Over.[2]
In 1996, the group reformed, with former Divinyl Charlie Owen on guitar, and released Gone in 1997. The album received lukewarm reviews, but produced a minor single in with "Saturated". In 1997 the band went on hiatus.
In 2003, they reformed to record a live album, Low Life, released on Spooky Records. In 2006, they reformed to play in the Big Day Out Festival around Australia and New Zealand.
In late December 2006, Albert Productions signed an exclusive worldwide recording deal with the band, and they released a new album, Little Animals, on April 21, 2007.
Tex Perkins said, "The Alberts label releases have been a huge influence on the Beasts of Bourbon, so to be signed to this legendary label is not only a great honour and the start of an exciting new chapter in the bands history, it feels like…..Destiny".
The group played with Australian bands and artists at the Rockin' for Rights concert, which protested the Workchoices legislation.
After a show in Berlin in April 2008, the group cancelled their remaining tour dates and ended the band.