Cosmic Psychos

Cosmic Psychos
Cosmic Psychos, left to right: Ross Knight, John McKeering, Dean Muller Performing in June 2007.
Background information
Also known as	Spring Plains
Origin	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Punk rock, yob rock, Grunge
Years active	1982 (1982)–present
Labels	Mr Spaceman, Survival, Amphetamine Reptile, Shagpile, Shock, Timberyard, Pitshark, Missing Link
Associated acts	Dung, The Onyas
Members	Ross Knight Dean Muller John McKeering
Past members	Peter "Dirty" Jones Steve Morrow Neal Turton-Lane Bill Walsh Robbie Watts

Cosmic Psychos are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1977 as Spring Plains. Founding members included Ross Knight on guitar and vocals; Robbie Addington on guitar and vocals; and Steve Morrow on vocals. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described their music as "arty kind of punk noise, somewhere between The Birthday Party and a more narcotic sounding Ramones". Late in 1984 the group was renamed as Cosmic Psychos. They issued their debut album, Down on the Farm, in December 1985. Several albums have followed and were backed by national tours and international tours to Europe and North America including festivals with Mudhoney, Nirvana, L7, Helmet and Motörhead. In 1990 Jones was replaced by Robbie Watts on guitar and vocals. By 2005 Walsh was replaced by Dean Muller (Hoss, Chris Russell's Chicken Walk) on drums. On 1 July 2006 Watts died of a heart attack, aged 47, and the band continued with John McKeering (ex-The Onyas]]) joining.

Cosmic Psychos developed from Spring Plains which formed in 1982 in Melbourne with a line-up of Peter Jones on guitar and vocals; Steve Morrow on lead vocals; Neal Turton-Lane on bass guitar; and Bill Walsh on drums and vocals. According to Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, their music was "arty kind of punk noise, somewhere between The Birthday Party and a more narcotic sounding Ramones". In 1984 the group recorded a track, "American Hymn", for a various artists compilation, Asleep at the Wheel. Late that year Morrow and Turton-Lane were replaced by Ross Knight (ex-Rancid Spam) on bass guitar and lead vocals. They financed a self-released cassette which included "Custom Credit".

By early 1985 the group were performing as Cosmic Psychos, which McFarlane felt used "equal parts Stooges riffs, Ramones tempos, lashings of wah wah guitar, American 1980s hardcore attitude and a healthy dose of yobbo humour. [They] played no-frills, stripped-down punk rock". In December 1985 they issued a five-track mini-LP, Down on the Farm, on Mr Spaceman Records. It included "Custom Credit" and was produced by Ross Giles (Depression). In October 1987 they issued a single, "Lead Me Astray", which was co-written by Walsh, Knight and Jones. In December Mr Spaceman Records followed with the band's debut self-titled LP, which was produced by Rene Roth. In June 1989 a performance at Melbourne's The Palace was recorded and issued in November 1990 as their first live album, Slave to the Crave. An early band manager was Neil Rogers (of The Bo-Weevils, and a 3RRR radio show host).