The Meanies

The Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1988. The current band members include Link Meanie (Link McLennan), Ringo Meanie (Mark Hobbs) and Wally Meanie (Roderick Kempton). The Meanies had a hiatus in the mid-late 1990s, but began performing again in 1998. The band is known for its highly energetic performances, with vocalist Link being injured on stage on several occasions.^[1][2]

Australian Rolling Stone said The Meanies songs, "will all be short, between two and three minutes every time. Each burst of savage punk/pop noise will also be a potential anthem; an unclean riff with a beating heart of pure melody."^[2]

They have been cited as influential for bands including Frenzal Rhomb.^[3]

History

In the 1990s, they performed primarily in Melbourne, and toured in Australia, Japan and Europe with acts including Nirvana, The Lemonheads, Pop Will Eat Itself, Redd Kross, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam and Bad Brains. They played at the Australian Big Day Out festival in 1992, 1993 and 1994.^[2][4][5]

In 2006, they released a DVD entitled The Meanies: A Seminal Australian Punk Tale,^[5] which features a documentary, Sorry 'bout the Violence, 11 video clips and a live concert filmed in 1994. The band toured the east coast of Australia in support of it in August–September 2006.

In 2008, the Meanies performed to promote the release of a series of 7” singles featuring previously unreleased tracks and cover versions of Meanies tracks performed by bands such as Cockfight Shootout, Digger and the Pussycats, The Drones, Dan Kelly and You Am I.^[6]

On February 14, 2008, original member Dennis DePianto, better known as D.D. Meanie, died at St. Vincents Hospital in Melbourne. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child, and towards the end of his life he also suffered a short battle with cancer. He was in The Meanies from their inception until 1995.^[7]

Guitarist Tas Blizzard died on August 1, 2008, as a result of a car accident.^[8] His blue Ford station wagon went out of control as he was driving along the Bellarine Peninsula in wet conditions around 3pm Friday. The car spun into a dam alongside the road and was almost completely submerged. Blizzard was the only person in the car.

Discography

Singles

• Darkside of My Mind / Meanie Way / You're Pathetic (1990, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy and The Meanies
• The Reason Why / Groovie Meanies / Don't Smile (1990, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy and The Meanies
• Lyin' / The Meanie Twist / I'm Amazed (1991, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy
• Paranoid / What Am I to Do? / Welcome Back to Me (1991, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy and The Meanies
• Never / Steve Sex God / Sorry 'Bout the Violence (1991, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy
• Probe TV / Record Sale / Macho Wankers (1991, Au Go Go)- Produced by A.O'B and The Meanies
• Scum / The Meanie Way / Groovie Meanies (1991, Sympathy for the Record Industry) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy
• Inside / Steve Sex God / Record Sale (1992, Lance Records)
• Them / Mantra / Goodbye Man (1993, Jukkim)
• Dead Stuff / Cruelty's Fun / Emulator / Lay Your Body Down (1993, Au Go Go) - Produced by A.O'B and The Meanies
• Just What You Need / Best Feel Good Movie / Play the Slay Bells (1993, Hip Records) - Produced by A.O'B and The Meanies
• One Right to Grieve / Monolith / Song for Suzy (1993, Munster Records)
• Rhyming Logic / Operator / Darkside of My Mind (1993, Merge Records)
• Conan / Laymans Guide to Heaven / Hologram / Hat of the Gods (1994, Au Go Go) - Produced by Conrad Uno and The Meanies
• 10% Weird / Hollywood Dreamin' / Family Tree / Aim In Straight Lines (1994, Au Go Go) - Produced by Conrad Uno and The Meanies
• Ton of Bricks¹⁾ / One Right to Grieve²⁾ / Rhyming Logic³⁾ / Homonculous⁴⁾ / Monopoly Money⁴⁾ (1994, Au Go Go) - 1) Produced by Conrad Uno and The Meanies, 2) Produced by A.O'B and Link, 3) Produced by Chris Thompson, 4) Produced by Lindsey and Link
• It's a Long Way to the Top - (AC/DC tribute, split with Boots)
• Battle of Wax (2007)
• If I Say Uncle (2008)

EPs

• Gangrenous (1991, Au Go Go) - Produced by A.O'B and The Meanies
• In Search Of... (1992, Au Go Go) - Produced by A.O'B and The Meanies
• Six Suitable Tracks (2000, Full Toss Records)^[9]
• Secrets of the Ancients Revealed (2001, Munster Records)

Albums

• Come 'n' See (1992, Au Go Go) - Produced by Michael 'Ded' Kennedy and The Meanies
• The Meanie of Life (1992, Au Go Go)
• Televolution (1994, Empty Records)^[9]
• 10% Weird (1994, Au Go Go/Munster Records)

Videos

• The Meanies (Taiyo Films/Madman 2006)

Compilations

Compilations that The Meanies have appeared on.

• Boogie Wonderland (1990)
• Oh God Part 3 / How 'Bout It Baby (1990)
• Lemon No. 12 (1991)
• From Babylon to Brunswick (1991)
• Teeth (1991)
• Wally's Wild Weekend (1992)'
• Crack in the Sun or Fade in the Shade' (1992)
• Self Mutilation - One, Two, Three, and more (1993)
• 3RRR Live in Your Lounge Room (1993)
• Fuse Box - An Alternative Tribute
• eMpTy Records Sampler (1994)
• Just Because We Love You (1995)
• Punk Rock Megaexplosion (Factory 5)(1995)
• La 1a Internacional (1995)
• Ox-Compilation No. 20 "Pogo Tribe Detector" (1995)
• Vulgar Tongue compilation (1996)
• eMpTy Sampler II (1997)
• Survival from out of Nowhere 2
• Happenin' Chick Fanzine Issue No. 3 (1998)
• Punk You! compilation
• Bigger Than Tina (soundtrack)
• Fuck the Millennium (2001)
• Richie Ramone's Army of Rockers (2002)

See also

• Even
• Au Go Go Records

References

External links

• The Meanies