Tex Perkins
Encyclopedia
Tex Perkins is an Australian singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

, who is widely known for fronting the popular Australian rock-band
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (band)
The Cruel Sea are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney formed in late 1987. Originally an instrumental-only band, they became more popular when fronted by vocalist Tex Perkins in addition to Jim Elliott on drums, Ken Gormly on bass guitar, Dan Rumour on guitar and James Cruickshank on guitar...

, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon
Beasts of Bourbon
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 - Beginnings :...

, Thug, James Baker Experience, The Butcher Shop, Salamander Jim, and Tex, Don and Charlie
Tex, Don and Charlie
Tex, Don and Charlie is an Australian super group formed by Tex Perkins from The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon and others, Don Walker from Cold Chisel and widely respected guitarist Charlie Owen. Their first album Sad But True was released in 1993 with the second released in 2005.The band was...

. He has also released many solo records. In 1997, a portrait of Tex Perkins by artist Bill Leak
Bill Leak
Bill Leak is a cartoonist and painter, primarily of portraits. He is the daily editorial cartoonist on The Australian newspaper. He has won the Walkley Awards nine times....

 won the Packing Room award at the Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...

.

Early groups

Perkins started his musical career in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

 cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...

 outfit Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, before moving to Sydney in 1982, garnering considerable attention in the Sydney independent music scene and also touring Melbourne, before the departure of guitarist Mark Halstead ended the band.

He later formed Salamander Jim with Kim Salmon
Kim Salmon
Kim Leith Salmon is an Australian indie rock musician and songwriter, who attained fame in June 2004, when he was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association Hall of Fame....

 from The Scientists
The Scientists
The Scientists are an influential post-punk band from Perth, Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as Exterminators and then Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/London-based swamp rock band of the 1980s...

 and Richard Ploog
Richard Ploog
-External links:...

 from The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...

. Due to touring commitments for Ploog & Salmon, Perkins formed a different line up with Stu Spasm, Lachlan McLeod and Martin Bland. In 1985 this line-up recorded and released their only record, an EP titled Lorne Greene Shares His Precious Fluids on Red Eye Records.

Perkins and Peter Read formed Thug in Sydney in 1987 when Read's flatmate had a fascination for collecting & amassing electronic equipment. After using some of the gear on initial recordings in Read's home studio, Perkins was eager to take it to the stage. With the help of Lachlan McLeod and others, Thug became one of Sydney's most unusual and confrontational live acts. Thug's live sets would last twenty to twenty-five minutes, featuring dancers, theatrics, bizarre electronic equipment and—at one performance—an entire audience showered in flour. Each Thug gig would end with its members mock brawling amongst themselves; audience members also would participate from time to time. Sometimes it would get out of hand, during one such mock brawl, Perkins required stitches after landing on a broken glass someone had thrown onto the stage. Thug, along with Lubricated Goat
Lubricated Goat
Lubricated Goat was an Australian noise rock band of the 1980s.They achieved brief notoriety for playing on a television program naked, wearing only their instruments and shoes...

 and Kim Salmon & The Surrealists spearheaded a very overlooked and underrated era of Australian music in the late 1980s. This output was released on the Red Eye Records offshoot Black Eye Records. Thug's debut 7" single was the legendary "Dad/Thug", an electronic affair which was an assault on the ears. The tracks from the Mechanical Ape / Proud Idiots Parade EP and the Electric Woolly Mammoth album were later released on CD as Everything is beautiful in its own way.

Another early group, The Bumhead Orchestra, was revived in 2005 for performances at festivals such as What Is Music? and Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...

. The group usually consists of roughly 20 members, and Perkins acts as a "conductor".

The Beasts of Bourbon

The Beasts of Bourbon grew from a simple side project to a true supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....

 of the Australian pub rock
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Australian music today....

 scene. Forming in Sydney in 1983, the original Beasts lineup comprised Perkins, Spencer P. Jones
Spencer P. Jones
Spencer P. Jones is a Melbourne based guitar player from Te Awamutu, New Zealand. He has been a member of The Emotional Retreads, Country Killed the Cow Penalty, Escape Committee, Cuban Heels, Beats Working, North 2 Alaskans, The Johnnys, The Beasts of Bourbon, Olympic Sideburns, Paul Kelly and The...

, James Baker
James Baker (musician)
James Baker is a rock musician from Perth, Western Australia. He has drummed with, and was instrumental in the founding of several influential Australian bands including The Scientists, Le Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and The Dubrovniks.-Early days:Baker has named Ronnie Bond of The Troggs as...

, Kim Salmon and Boris Sudjovic. The band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, was an underground success, but the Beasts continued to be just a side project for its members until 1988 when the Beasts reformed to record Sour Mash
Sour mash
Sour mash is a process in the distilling industry that uses material from an older batch of mash to start fermentation in the batch currently being made, analogous to the making of sourdough bread. The term sour mash can also be used as the name of the type of mash used in that process, and a...

, followed by 1990's Black Milk and 1991's The Low Road. In 1993, the group toured extensively to support the double album From the Belly of the Beasts, then disbanded temporarily. They reformed to release Gone
Gone (Beasts of Bourbon album)
Gone is the fifth studio album by the Australian rock band Beasts of Bourbon, released in 1997.-Track listing:#"Saturated" - 3:53#"Fake" - 4:07...

in 1997, which received lukewarm reviews, but produced a minor single called "Saturated".

In 2003, they reformed to record a live album, Low Life, released on Spooky Records. In 2006, they reformed to play the Big Day Out Festival around Australia and New Zealand.

In late December 2006 it was announced that Albert Productions had signed an exclusive worldwide recording deal with the band and on 23 April 2007, released their new album Little Animals.


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 – Tex Perkins

The Cruel Sea

After toying with different band members, The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (band)
The Cruel Sea are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney formed in late 1987. Originally an instrumental-only band, they became more popular when fronted by vocalist Tex Perkins in addition to Jim Elliott on drums, Ken Gormly on bass guitar, Dan Rumour on guitar and James Cruickshank on guitar...

 came into fruition in 1988 with the union of Ken Gormley on bass, Jim Elliot on drums, Danny Rumour on guitars and James Cruikshank on keyboards and guitars, taking their name from the 1960s surf instrumental group, The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...

. In 1989 Perkins (their then-lighting technician) started joining them onstage. This sparked an interest from Red Eye Records, and the band was signed and released a 1989 album Down Below featuring Perkins on vocals. They received an ARIA award nomination in 1993 following the release of their second album, This Is Not the Way Home. The instrumental single "4" and the title track received high rotation play on independent and commercial radio.

The group's third album, The Honeymoon Is Over (1993), and its title song, won four ARIA Music Awards of 1994
ARIA Music Awards of 1994
The Eighth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 March 1994 at the State Theatre in Sydney...

. They followed with a high-profile world tour. 1995 saw the release of the hugely successful Three Legged Dog album, which spawned the hits "Better Get a Lawyer" "Just a Man" "Anybody but You" and "Too Fast for Me". They claimed another ARIA award in 1995 for 'Best Group' with their work on Three Legged Dog. The band then took a three-year break during which time Perkins released his first solo album, Far Be it From Me. The Cruel Sea returned to their instrumental roots and embarked on a series of gigs without Perkins.

In 1998, The Cruel Sea released Over Easy and again a rigorous touring schedule supporting their Takin all day national tour. After the success of his first album, Perkins released his second solo album Dark Horses.

Tex, Don and Charlie

Tex, Don and Charlie is an Australian super group formed by Tex Perkins from The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon and others, Don Walker
Don Walker (musician)
Don Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter known for writing many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. He played piano and keyboard with the band from 1973 to 1983, when they disbanded. He has since continued to record and tour, both solo and with Tex, Don and Charlie,...

 from Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...

 and widely respected guitarist Charlie Owen
Charlie Owen (musician)
Charlie Owen is an Australian guitar player who lives in St Kilda Melbourne Australia. He is a member of Tex, Don and Charlie, The Beasts of Bourbon, Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses, Large Number 12s, Maurice Frawley and The Working Class Ringos, Tendrils, the Divinyls and Tex Perkins and his...

. Their first album Sad But True was released in 1993. Their potent, distinctively Australian country-blues cocktail matured on stage, as faithfully reflected in their heady live album of '95, Monday Morning Coming Down.

The band was founded in 1992 as Tex Perkins relates: "I saw Charlie and thought "Jesus Christ". He was easily the best rock guitar player I had seen. He was really dexterous, but gutsy. Not flashy. I think it had a lot of jazz in him as well. I made a mental note that I'd like to work with Charlie and about I year later I heard he was playing with Don Walker in Catfish. Then somebody suggested I do something with Don Walker and I said "Sure, as long as Charlie Owen is there"."

Over the next 10 years they mostly went separate ways, but remained in contact. Charlie Owen worked with Perkins and the Dark Horses during this time.

In March 2005. Tex, Don and Charlie had been talking about a second album for four years; swapping songs in the mail for three; nailing them together over various stolen rehearsal sessions for nearly two. All is forgiven was released in August 2005 and a successful tour followed.

Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses

Originally part of a solo project to fulfil a recording contract, the Dark Horses had formed into a band by the release of the second album Dark Horses in 2000. Like much of Tex Perkins' musical past, Charlie Owens was a big part of the Dark Horses project. Other Dark Horse collaborators were Jim Elliot, Joel Silbersher
Joel Silbersher
Joel Silbersher is a musician from Melbourne, Australia, who was the singer and guitar player for rock and roll band, GOD . GOD had a minor but enduring hit with "My Pal," a song written by Silbersher. Since its release in 1988, "My Pal" has been covered by bands such as Magic Dirt, Violent Soho,...

, Murray Paterson
Murray Paterson
Murray Paterson is an Australian songwriter and musician most notable for his collaborations with Tex Perkins.Among his compositions are: Fine Mess and Ice in the Sun from the Tex Perkins album Dark Horses; Lucid, Midnight Sunshine and A Name on Every One from the Tex Perkins’ Dark Horses album...

 and Skritch Needham
Skritch
Skritch is an Australian musician. He sings, plays drums, guitar, bass and keyboards and has been a member of Gota Cola, Broken Head, Mary Trembles, Tex Perkins' Dark Horses, Skam Artist and Ranger.-References:...

. In August 2006 Perkins commented on ABC2's Dig program that the Cruel Sea and Dark Horses were no more. On June 10th, 2011, Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses released a new, self titled album, and in September and October of 2011 they conducted a national tour to launch the album. Band members for the 2011 tour were Charlie Owen
Charlie Owen (musician)
Charlie Owen is an Australian guitar player who lives in St Kilda Melbourne Australia. He is a member of Tex, Don and Charlie, The Beasts of Bourbon, Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses, Large Number 12s, Maurice Frawley and The Working Class Ringos, Tendrils, the Divinyls and Tex Perkins and his...

, Joel Silbersher
Joel Silbersher
Joel Silbersher is a musician from Melbourne, Australia, who was the singer and guitar player for rock and roll band, GOD . GOD had a minor but enduring hit with "My Pal," a song written by Silbersher. Since its release in 1988, "My Pal" has been covered by bands such as Magic Dirt, Violent Soho,...

 and two new members, bassist Steve Hadley and drummer Gus Agars.
  • Far Be It from Me (1996) #43 AUS
  • Dark Horses (2000) #24 AUS
  • Dark Horses / Long Night of the Dark Horses (2001) This was a repackaged album with a bonus disc
  • Sweet Nothing (2003) #34 AUS
  • Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses (2011) #73 AUS

TNT

What started out as a bit of a joke, drew enormous interest and triggered a US and European tour in September 2006. After only a handful of shows together and 6 months songwriting (though many years friendship), Tim Rogers
Tim Rogers
Tim Rogers is the frontman of Australian rock band You Am I. He is also a solo artist, as well as having fronted and released albums with bands The Twin Set and The Temperance Union.-History:...

 and Tex Perkins (T'n'T) quickly recorded a debut album in August 2006. With neither of them strangers to studio time, this debut album, My Better Half
My Better Half
My Better Half is the first, and so far only, album by T'N'T, better known as Tim Rogers and Tex Perkins. Initially meant to be an EP to sell at shows, the recording process resulted in a full-length album....

 was released in September 2006. The first single was "Everybody Hates You When You're Popular".

Tex Perkins And His Ladyboyz

Consistent with his history of less serious bands, in 2008 Tex Perkins formed a new group to release an album of covers featuring duets with other Australian musicians such as Nic Cester
Nic Cester
Nicholas John "Nic" Cester is an Australian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, and is the lead vocalist in rock band Jet...

, Suze DeMarchi
Suze DeMarchi
Suze DeMarchi is an Australian singer/songwriter best known for fronting the band Baby Animals .-Biography:...

, Adalita
Adalita Srsen
Adalita Srsen is an Australian rock musician, known best as a founding member of rock band Magic Dirt.-Early life and childhood:Adalita was born in Geelong, Australia on 25 February 1971. She told Rolling Stone magazine in 2003 that her father, a Croatian cabaret performer, named her after a...

 and Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...

. Covering popular songs from the 70s and 80s by acts such as Dr Hook and Hall and Oates, "No 1s and No 2s" was followed by tour of non-traditional rock music venues such as Sydney's Star City Casino
Star City Casino
The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, The Star Sydney Casino features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned...

. Perkins has since dismissed this album as a contractual obligation - Universal Music wanted him to record a covers album, and the Ladyboyz were his passive-aggressive response.

The Man in Black

In 2010 and 2011, Tex Perkins and The Tennessee Four performed a series of shows in Australia and New Zealand. Titled "The Man in Black - The Johnny Cash Story", the show featured two hours of Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

’s music interwoven with the story of his rise to stardom, his fight for survival and his eventual redemption. Tex Perkins and Rachael Tidd (as June Carter), performed faithful renditions of Cash's songs, while telling Cash's story in the third person between songs. It is worth noting that both Cash and Tex Perkins have baritone voices. During the show, Tex humorously emphasises the name of Cash's guitarist Luther Perkins
Luther Perkins
Luther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...

.

Trivia

  • Perkins appeared on Battle of the Choirs
    Battle of the Choirs
    Battle of the Choirs is an Australian reality talent competition that premiered on the Seven Network on 15 June 2008. The show is hosted by David Koch, with the judging panel consisting of Jonathon Welch, Iva Davies, Charli Delaney and George Torbay....

    on the Seven Network
    Seven Network
    The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

     in Australia on 27 July 2008.
  • Perkins was guest host on the Australian television show RocKwiz
    RocKwiz
    RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...

     on 10 January 2009 and on 27 February 2010.
  • Perkins helped ABC 612 radio host Spencer Howson
    Spencer Howson
    Spencer Howson is the "Breakfast" radio presenter on 612 ABC Brisbane, an ABC Local Radio station in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...

    correct this Wikipedia entry live on air after Howson started the interview by referencing incorrect information from Wikipedia on 16 September 2009.

Footnotes

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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