Although the best-known band of the early Australian punk scene of the late '70s was the Saints, the
first band to wave the punk rock flag in the land down under was Radio Birdman. Formed by Australian émigré Deniz Tek (originally from Ann Arbor, MI) and Aussie surfer-turned-vocalist Rob Younger in 1974, Radio Birdman's approach to rock & roll was rooted in the high-energy, apocalyptic guitar rant of the Stooges and MC5, sprinkled liberally with a little East Coast underground hard rock courtesy of Blue Öyster Cult.
Their first EP, Burn My Eye, released in 1976, was a great record and still remains a seminal chunk of Aussie punk. Loud and snotty, with Younger bellowing his guts out and Tek on a search-and-destroy mission with his guitar, this was a great debut that set the stage for the impending deluge of Aussie punk bands waiting in the wings.
However, in 2014 Radio Birdman returned for another Aussie tour, though Chris Masuak's absence
from the lineup proved controversial among fans. The tour was staged in part as a warmup for the release of a career-spanning box set, featuring remastered editions of the group's albums, studio rarities, and an unreleased live disc.
Original line-up:
Chris Masuak (Guitar)
Deniz Tek (Guitar)
Pip Hoyle (Keyboards)
Rob Younger (Vocals)
Ron Keeley (Drums)
Warwick Gilbert (Bass)
Last line-up:
Chris Masuak (Guitar)
Deniz Tek (Guitar)
Jim Dickson (Bass)
Pip Hoyle (Keyboards)
Rob Younger (Vocals)
Russell Hopkinson (Drums)
THE EP's (Trafalgar Records) 1992
02. Snake 3:09
03. I - 94 3:35
04. Burned My Eye 1:55
MORE FUN! 1988
05. Dark Surprise 3:57
06. Breaks My Heart 2:54
07. More Fun 2:01
08. Didn't Tell The Man 3:12
DEATH BY THE GUN EP 1978
SIDE 1.
01. Death By The Gun 3:23
02. Didn't Tell The Man 3:04
SIDE 2.
02. Didn't Tell The Man 3:04
SIDE 2.
01. Dark Surprise 3:23
02. If I Wanted 2:59
02. If I Wanted 2:59
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot. I was lucky enough to catch these guys live in London after their '96 reformation and the fire was still burning bright.
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