Tex Perkins: Encyclopedia II - Tex Perkins - Early Groups

Tex Perkins - Early Groups

Perkins started his musical career in Brisbane cowpunk outfit Tex Deadly & The Dum Dums before moving to Sydney and forming Salamander Jim with Kim Salmon from The Scientists and Richard Ploog from the Church. Due to touring commitments for Ploog & Salmon, Tex formed a different line up with Stu Spasm, Lachlan McLeod and Martin Bland. In 1995 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 unique 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 and Kim Salmon & The Surrealists spearheaded a very overlooked and underrated era of Australian music in the late 80's. 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.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Early Groups", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki