Our resident high energy Detroit rock freak celebrates the release of the soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch’s Stooges documentary Gimme Danger with a look at Australia’s own proud legacy of Stooges-influenced high energy rock action, from the mid-70s to now. We kick off with Radio Birdman, trawl 40 years of soul and skin-baring and inspired lunacy, and ultimately come full circle with a new track from Birdman’s Detroit-born and bred leader Deniz Tek. It’s a long journey and a wild ride, so strap yourself in and hold on tight.
1. Radio Birdman - TV Eye/Kick out the Jams/Descent into the Maelstrom
When Deniz Tek came to Australia from Detroit in the early 70s, he would eventually find a singer by the name of Rob Younger. Rob was one of a handful of people in Sydney who knew of the Stooges and fellow high energy Detroit rockers the MC5. Radio Birdman was thus born. Soon enough Birdman’s enigmatic power was such that they would cast a shadow over the Australian punk scene as well as over the Sydney underground scene for the next decade. Their influence spread internationally after their demise; indeed they are now seen as one of the most internationally influential Australian bands of all time. Which is why ARIA inducted them into their Hall of Fame in 2007. Check them out here performing 3 songs live on the ABC’s ‘The Real Thing’ in 1977. They kick off, appropriately for us, with their great cover of the Stooges’ ‘TV Eye’.
2. The Saints - Erotic Neurotic
As Birdman were forming in Sydney in ’74-‘75, the Saints were coming together in Brisbane. While they didn’t wear their influences on their sleeves quite as prominently as Birdman did, it wasn’t hard to hear the Stooges in their desperate blare. This version of their early showstopper was filmed live at Paddington Town Hall, at a legendary co-headliner they did with Birdman before heading to London. Ed Kuepper’s guitar sound here is a thing to behold.
3. The Lipstick Killers - Hindu Gods of Love
These guys picked up the Birdman baton at the end of the ‘70s, and even made it to LA, where their posthumous live album ‘Mesmeriser’ was recorded. They’d begun life as the Psycho Surgeons, whose sole single famously came in a sleeve splattered with real pig’s blood. The Lipstick Killers' only release while they were around was this incredible single, produced by Deniz Tek in 1979.
4. The Chosen Few - There’s A Lot of it Going Around
Melbourne’s punk scene rejected rockist moves fairly on, which perhaps explains why the strongest Stooges influence down South at the time was heard in the music of these boof-heads from down on the Mornington Peninsula. Denigrated by scenesters upon its release, their 1978 EP is now one of the holy grails of Aussie punk. Check out this killer riff.
5. Fun Things - Ain’t Got Time
Brisbane Birdman and Stooges freak Brad Shepherd was in his mid-teens when he formed the Aliens in 1978; his drumming brother Murray was even younger. By 1980 they were the Fun Things, and they recorded THE great Australian Stooge-punk EP. We’ll hear more from Brad further down the line.
6. The Birthday Party - Nick The Stripper & Loose
The Stooges – and Iggy – had a massive influence on Melbourne punk, but, as mentioned earlier, Melbourne’s first wave punks were quick to reject heavy guitar stuff as old hat. It was a post-punk scene almost from the get-go. Nick Cave’s Boys Next Door followed – or perhaps led – that shift, but after moving to London and finding things pretty unispiring there, they went back to their roots for inspiration and struck out with a vengeance. The Birthday Party took the Stooges’ total chaos to harrowing new extremes, in both their original material and in the occasional cover of the Stooges themselves. Check out a couple of Birthday Party tracks - ‘Nick the Stripper’ and ‘Loose’ - for an example of each.
7. New Race - November 22nd 1963
By 1980, Radio Birdman’s legacy had grown exponentially. When Tek, Younger and bass player Warwick Gilbert teamed up with Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton and MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson under the name New Race for a brief, one-off tour they played to massive crowds and recorded one of the all-time great live albums ‘The First & The Last’. This incredible number, inspired by the Kennedy Assassination, was first recorded by Ron Asheton in his late ‘70s band Destroy All Monsters.
8. The 31st – Real Gone
This Brisbane band was almost like a finish school for future rockers – guitarist Mick Medew would later form the Screaming Tribesmen, bassplayer Tony Robertson would play with the Hitmen, the New Christs and numerous others, and drummer Chris Welsh and singer Ron Peno would later join the Died Pretty. Peno, as front man of Birdman pals the Hellcats in Sydney, brought with him first hand experience of the Sydney scene, and was a great lyricist. ‘Real Gone’ is one of 4 demo tracks that have finally just seen digital release. They’re all great.
9. Hitmen - I Don’t Mind
When Birdman split in ’78, Deniz Tek, Ron Keeley and Pip Hoyle formed the short-lived Visitors, and Rob Younger the short-lived (and unrecorded) Other Side. Chris Masuak, Warwick Gilbert and Birdman’s MC Johnny Kannis eventually came together in the Hitmen, whose plan was to take Birdman’s brand of Stooges-influenced high energy rock out to the suburbs and onto the charts. They succeeded admirably with their first part of the plan, but, one Countdown appearance notwithstanding, failed with the bigger end of it. By the time they made their first album, Brad Shephard had joined on second guitar and Mark Kingsmill was their drummer – Brad & Mark would later reunite in the Hoodoo Gurus.
10. Sunnyboys - New Kicks (Demo)
Although the Sunnyboys played with a lighter touch than many others on the post-Birdman Sydney scene, Jeremy Oxley’s Iggy-like timbre must’ve been the envy of many. It was unlikely a coincidence that they included a song called ‘The Stooge’ on their ‘Get Some Fun’ album, but it was their harder earlier stuff that confirmed they were very much part of the continuum.
11. Scientists - We Had Love
Perth punk was as heavily indebted to New York – the Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls and all things Johnny Thunders – as Sydney was to Detroit, but when the Scientists moved to Sydney in ’81 some of the local preferences seemed to take hold. While the Stooges were but one of many things that went into the Scientists’ strange brew, the influence of ‘The Stooges’ and ‘Funhouse’ was clear to hear in the Scientists wilder and freer pieces, like the raucous ‘We Had Love’.
12. Sacred Cowboys - Nothing Grows in Texas
Melbourne band whose members came primarily from same early punk scene as the Birthday Party people and who, like Cave &c o, were wanting to get back to something wilder by the early 80s. ‘Texas’ has a bit of the twang that was suggested by the band’s jokey (and Get Smart-inspired) name, but was the only song really like that. Front man Garry Grey was very much inspired by Iggy’s confrontational stage persona.
13. Celibate Rifles - Back in the Red
Thanks to Radio Birdman, the Stooges’ influence was everywhere on the Sydney alternative scene by the mid-‘80s, and the mighty Celibate Rifles were one of the bands who also had a significant impact here. By now the ‘new’ Australian rock’n’roll sound was wowing pundits worldwide, and this great version of ‘Back in the Red’ is from the Rifles’ great ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ album, recorded live at CBGB’s.
14. Lime Spiders - Out of Control
Another great Sydney ‘80s band in Birdman and the Stooges’ thrall, the Spiders combined ‘Nuggets’/’Pebbles’ style 60s garage rock stylings with Detroit high energy and, like the Rifles, toured internationally. Famously, Iggy Pop and Joey Ramone both visited the band backstage when they played New York.
15. Screaming Tribesmen - Igloo
Brisbane’s original Tribesmen combined the Fun Things with guitarist/singer Mick Medew, who’d previously been in long lost Brisbane band the 31st, with exiled Sydney singer Ron Peno on vocals (see track 8). The Tribesmen combined Detroit high energy with ‘60s pop; they would soon feature Chris Masuak of Birdman/Hitmen/New Christs fame on lead guitar and become one of the most popular bands on the scene.
16. Died Pretty - Mirror Blues
Died Pretty singer Ron Peno first came to attention in Sydney as singer of Birdman acolytes the Hellcats. At the time, he was known to some as Ronnie Pop, such was his Iggy obsession. Of course Ron developed a unique voice and stage persona, and became a fantastic lyricist, but the Stooges influence was there as the chaos of Died Pretty's early shows made abundantly clear. I think it’s there in this early epic too.
17. New Christs - Born Out of Time
A million line-up changes down the road, Rob Younger’s New Christs remain one of Australia’s great underground rock bands. The first live line-up, which formed to support Iggy on his first Australian tour in 1983, recorded two of the greatest Australian singles ever, and ‘Born Out of Time’ is the better of the two.
18. Harem Scarem - Dog Man
While Sydney followed Birdman down the Stooge-hole, Melbourne in the early-to-mid-‘80s was very much in the thrall of Nick Cave and the Birthday Party. Harem Scarem were certainly the most intense and loose of Melbourne’s young bands at the time. They toned things down a bit later (and covered the Stooges great ‘Open Up & Bleed’ on their brilliant ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ album) but the early stuff had a down and dirty ‘Funhouse’ hump to it for sure.
19. Hard-ons - Girl In The Sweater
They became known for hyper-fast punk-pop and hardcore later on, but in the early days the Hard-ons very much into 1976 punk like the Ramones and the Damned, as well as ‘60s garage punk. And the Stooges. They covered ‘1970’ early on, and recorded it for Au-go-go Records’ infamous 1987 Stooges tribute album ‘Hard To Beat’, which was an attempt to make explicit the ongoing influence of the Stooges on the Australian scene, and which garnered much international attention, including from Stooges Iggy, Ron and Scott themselves. (If you were wondering: Iggy was amused; Ron and Scott were flattered)
20. Exploding White Mice - Fear
Equal parts Ramones, Radio Birdman and Stooges, Adelaide’s Mice started off as a primarily covers band (they did ‘Down on the street’ on ‘Hard To Beat’) but started writing great songs and had a fantastic guitar sound. ‘Fear’ is one of the great lost Australian singles of the 80s.
21. Cosmic Psychos - Lost Cause
The Psychos were one of a handful of bands who helped bring pummelling punk rock action to Melbourne in the mid-‘80s. Before the beery bogan shtick took over, long-forgotten original Psychos guitarist Peter ‘Dirty’ Jones helped set the template with a sound that was equal parts Johnny Ramone wall of sound and untamed Ron Ashton wah wah.
22. Stress of Terror - Not Right
Another track from ‘Hard To Beat’, the Stress of Terror was a little known project for influential Melbourne punk/post-punk drummer (the late) John Murphy (Whirlywirld) and shows that a Stooges influence remained in some of the harsher electronic music of the period.
23. God - Real Cool Time
Much-loved for their unforgettable ‘My Pal’ single, Melbourne’s teenage tearaways followed that up with their own contribution to ‘Hard To Beat’. They were likely the only band on there to feature members who hadn’t even been born when the song they covered had been first recorded by the Stooges. ‘My Pal’ had a massive impact and continues to obsess new generations of fans Australia-wide. Band members Joel Silbersher, Tim Hemensley, Sean Greenway and Matty Whittle would continue to create Stooges-informed rock in their subsequent bands, including Hoss, the Powder Monkeys, the Freeloaders and the Yes-Men.
24. Venom P Stinger - Walking About
With roots in the likes of the Sick Things and the Fungus Brains, Venom P were a uniquely Melbourne art-punk outfit featuring guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White, both of whom would go on to the Dirty 3. If anyone ever came close to combining the chaos of side 2 of ‘Funhouse’ with the aggression of hardcore punk it was these guys for sure.
25. Seminal Rats – La Grande Bouffe
From the outer suburbs of Melbourne and influenced by big brothers into Birdman and the Sick Things amongst others, the Rats were the first hardcore Detroit-style rock band to appear out of the Southern city in the ‘80s. Their influence on the likes of God and Bored was massive; meaning in turn that, although unrecognised by virtually everybody, they hold a key place in ongoing continuum of underground rock in Australia. Incredibly tight and given lift off by the thrilling lead guitar of the late Mick Weber, the Rats mixed strong originals with the odd Stooges, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and Alice Cooper cover, and are still worshipped by those who know.
26. Bored - Backstreet Girl
When these guys appeared out of Geelong in 1988, they took Melbourne by storm with a style heavily influenced by the Stooges as well Lobby Loyde’s Coloured Balls, Black Sabbath and punk rock. Guitarists Dave Thomas and John Nolan lit a flame that was probably hotter than had been seen locally since the days of Tek/Masuak and early Ed Kuepper. Bored’s influence on the Melbourne and Geelong scenes, and thus the Australian scenes of the subsequent decades, is only now being realised.
27. Beasts of Bourbon - Chase the Dragon
If there’s a lineage that starts with Iggy and then goes to Nick Cave, Tex Perkins is probably third in line. Originally a goof-off swamp punk party band featuring Tex up front of members of the Hoodoo Gurus, Scientists and Johnnys, by the early 90s the Beasts had become a much more serious and intense proposition. It was no surprise that the band was invited to reform to support Iggy & the Stooges on their ‘Ready to Die’ tour here in 2013.
28. Asteroid B612 - Straight Back to You
By the early 90s, Sydney’s love affair with the Stooges and their ilk was nearly over. There were still a few old hold-outs though, and a handful of younger bands trying to keep things happening. Asteroid pretty much led the younger pack. With the support of Bored’s Dave Thomas they made some great records that were highlighted by the flamethrower guitar of Johnny Spittles. A few years later Sweden’s Hellacopters would acknowledge Asteroid B612’s influence as they make a name for themselves internationally.
29. Hoodoo Gurus – I Got A Right
Our MVP Brad Shepherd (Brad is tied with Chris Masuak actually) makes his third appearance on our list leading the Gurus through a MIGHTY charge through the Stooges pre-‘Raw Power’ classic. ‘Nuff Said!
30. Powder Monkeys – Get the Girl Straight
Spinning off from Bored – who Tim Hemensley had joined after God split – the Monkeys were a close approximation of the Stooges in terms of both lifestyle, the literary ear and eye of their lyricist/frontman and their no holes-barred attack. Another band that would have a profound influence on the European underground rock scene (Hellacopters etc; Tim’s old God bandmate Sean Greenway who also have an impact with his band the Yes Men), the Powder Monkeys made 3 great albums and Hemensley, who passed away in 2003, is now regarded as a Melbourne rock’n’roll icon.
31. The Drones - Shark Fin Blues
Landing in Melbourne from Perth in the early 2000’s, the Drones managed to combine ‘80s Melbourne’s love of darker sounds with the a sullen but joyous guitar-driven racket in a manner that hadn’t been heard since prime Scientists 15-20 years earlier. A more unique sounding outfit than most – Gareth Liddiard’s mangled Australian accent when singing makes sure of that – the Drones take the Stooges’ doctrine of constant change to heart more than most as well.
32. Grinderman - Honey Bee
As if becoming the new Leonard Cohen wasn’t enough, Nick Cave realised he still wanted an outlet for his inner Iggy, and formed the hard-driving Grinderman, together with Bad Seed Warren Ellis, in 2006. Nick, having been away from home away for so long, was probably unaware of the Stooge-rock tradition of the Melbourne late ‘80s-90s scene, but Warren, a mate of the Powder Monkeys and others from the early days of the Dirty 3, would certainly have known it. Grinderman kept the tradition alive.
33. The Hits - Take Your Pills
Hailing from Brisbane but also heavily influenced by the Powder Monkeys (and God - check out the nod to ‘My Pal’ on this track) and of course the whole lineage of earlier Aussie Stooge-sounds, the Hits are seen by those who know about these things as the absolute real deal. It’s a bit of a thankless task these days as ‘rock’ goes through another lowish ebb in terms of its position in the alternative music pantheon, but these guys and girls clearly aren’t in it for wine and roses.
34. Power - Electric Glitter Boogie
A young Melbourne outfit set on doing it their own way and making some big waves, Power are more often compared to the Coloured Balls but there’s a clear Stooges vibe in what they do for sure too.
35. Deniz Tek - Prison Mouse
May the Circle be Unbroken and all that jazz… so we come back 40 years after the Birdman footage above was shot with a new album from the man who started it all out here when he brought firsthand knowledge of Detroit rock with him to Australia in the early ‘70s. These days Deniz spends half his year here and half in the States. Birdman are active again (new tour just announced actually), and Deniz has entered perhaps the most prolific stage of his career and life. His new album ‘Mean Old Twister’ is a ripper too, and full of hard driving soulful rock’n’roll. Check it out. We have an interview with Deniz that we’re running soon too – so stay tuned.
For further examples of the Stooges influence on Aussie underground rock, check out the aforementioned 1987 Stooges tribute album ‘Hard to Beat’ on Au-go-go Records, and the 2002 compilation ‘Do The Pop!’ (so named after Radio Birdman’s attempt to create an Iggy-inspired dance craze) on Savage Beat/Shock. Both were compiled by your correspondent, and we promise that both rock hard as well as edify, even if he does say so himself…
- DL
