| The Vampire Lovers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Genres | horror punk, punk rock, alternative rock |
| Years active | 1982–1984, 1988–1990 |
| Labels | Sundown, Bent, Hecuba, Schlock Value, Magic Monster |
| Associated acts | The Subsonic Barflies, Roddy Rayda and The Surfin' Caesars, The Lost Boys, The Girlies, Bam Balams, The Four Horsemen, The Hitmen D.T.K. |
| Past members | |
| Axle Conrad Shane Cooke Dave Chamberlain Matthew Le Noury Brendan Kibble Jason Shepherd Ziggy Staten Murray Shepherd Brian Mann |
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The Vampire Lovers, also known as Vampyre Lovers or Vampire Lovers were a Brisbane punk rock group formed in 1982 in Queensland, Australia.[1] Music historian, Ian McFarlane, stated that 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.[1] Original members were Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad on vocals, Shane Cooke on bass guitar, Matt "Nasty" Le Noury on guitar and Dave Chamberlain on drums.[1] They also included guitarists, Brendan Kibble, Jason Shepherd, and drummer Ziggy Staten.
According to British fanzine journalist, Hugh Gulland, the band was "Firmly rooted in The Damned / Misfits - horror punk axis" and suggested that the group’s horror punk appeal extended to fans of garish apparel like "pink leopardskin".[2] In a interview with the band in 1988 they described themselves as "Australia's only genuine death rock experience".[3]
The band existed from 1982 to 1984 and reformed in 1988 to disband in 1990.[1] Generally recognized in Australia by the alternative crowd for their first single from 1983 called "Buzzsaw Popstar", the band eventually released one mini L.P. called Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, which appeared in 1991, one year after the band broke up. Both Le Noury and Cooke were in Hitmen D.T.K. in Sydney during the early 1990s and recorded on some of the group’s later releases.[4] A retrospective compilation called 13 Tasteless Masterpieces was released by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster in 2004.[5]
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Originally formed after the demise of Brisbane punk rock group, The Flying Squad in 1981, by Brendan Kibble (Flying Squad singer/guitarist) and Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad (vocals), they enlisted other local musicians Matt "Nasty" Le Noury (guitar) and Shane Cooke (Flying Squad bass guitarist).[1] In 1982, Dave Chamberlain joined on drums to complete the original line up, but Kibble quit shortly after.
The Vampire Lovers named themselves after the 1970 lesbian Hammer Horror movie, The Vampire Lovers. Their fixation for unusual or camp horror movies, high powered motorcycles, illicit drugs and deviancy is attested by lyrical themes in their original songs, generally written by Conrad, Cooke and Le Noury (Nasty) such as "Heavy Planet Fuzz", "Death Dwarf", "Gothic School of Twilight Punk" and "Second Generation Psychopath". A review of the band branded them as "Four young, trash movie-obsessed reprobates with a taste for weed and strong acid."[5] Axle, vocalist for the band, explained that the band were inspired by "mind altering substances and movies like Pink Flamingos, Eraserhead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre."[6]
After many delays, the group released their first EP, Buzzsaw Popstar, on the Sundown label in 1983.[1] "Buzzsaw Popstar", the lead track, received extensive airplay on 4ZzZ, a Brisbane community radio station. This enabled the band to achieve cult notoriety in their home state of Queensland and has since moved Rob Younger (from Radio Birdman) to declare it "a masterpiece".[5]
A second single was released six months later in 1984 called "Sweethearts Blown Mindless" and has generally been regarded as sounding like the Raw Power Stooges with a different drummer and Lux Interior (The Cramps) sitting in for Iggy.[5] Shortly after the single release at the later half of 1984 the group fell apart as the original punk/post punk movement disintegrated in Brisbane. It was asserted that, “turning their back on stardom, the Vampire Lovers split in late ’84, claiming to have been thwarted by ‘creative differences’.”[7] The following year Le Noury (guitar) and Cooke (bass guitar) went on to form Detroit rock influenced group, The Four Horsemen, with Screaming Tribesmen and Fun Things' drummer Murray Shepherd and vocalist, Nick Leigh from The Cimmerians. Dave Chamberlain went on to sing with the Subsonic Barflies.
In 1987, Buzzsaw Popstar was re-released and regained much of its local popularity, and prompted the band to reform the following year. Conrad, Cooke and Le Noury recruited new members, heavy metal musicians Ziggy Staten and Jason Shepherd, brother of Murray Shepherd. 1988 saw the release of the single "Heavy Planet Fuzz" for the Bent label in November. They started recording a Jukebox EP, Weirdo Wastelands, in 1988 for the United States indie label Hecuba Records which was released in 1989. Overseas signings were considered an unusual and rare achievement for Brisbane bands at the time. The songs were described as some kind of out of control speed metal-hardcore hybrid.[8] A final line up changed occurred in 1988 when Le Noury left to join Hitmen DTK,[4] and the remaining members recorded a mini LP, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, but disbanded in 1990 before its release. Cooke joined Le Noury in Hitmen DTK,[4] and the posthumous album by The Vampire Lovers was released in 1991 by Schlock Records. A retrospective compilation called 13 Tasteless Masterpieces was released by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster in 2004.[5]
The cult reputation of The Vampire Lovers along with renewed interest in the group resulted in it being featured in the band section of the vampire web site Vampire Rave from 2009. In January 2010, The Vampire Lovers ranked 2nd. most popular vampire band with a rating of 9.704. [9]
| Year | Title | Australian Alternative Top 10 Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Position | Weeks In | ||||
| 1984 | "Buzzsaw Popstar"[10] | 4 | 10 | ||
| 1984 | "Sweethearts Blown Mindless"[11] | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1987–1988 | "Buzzsaw Popstar"[12] | 3 | 4 | ||