Slaughtermen (band)
| The Slaughtermen | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Post-punk |
| Years active | 1984–1989 1994–1995 |
| Labels |
Au Go Go Cleopatra Agape Massive |
| Associated acts | The Armchairs The Sports The Mercurials Paul Kelly and the Dots Hunters and Collectors |
| Past members | see Members below |
The Slaughtermen are an Australian post-punk alternative southern gospel group, formed in Melbourne in 1984.
Founder members of The Slaughtermen were Rob Eastcott (piano), Mark Ferrie (bass guitar, vocals), Jans Friedenfelds (aka Johnny Crash, drums; ex-JAB, Models, Sacred Cowboys), Pierre Jaquinot (guitar), Peter Linden (pedal steel) and Ian Stephen (vocals, keyboards). Ferrie and Stephen were later joined by Andrew Pendlebury (ex-The Sports; lead guitar, vocals), Terry Doolan (ex-Sacred Cowboys; rhythm guitar, vocals), and Des Hefner (ex-The Birthday Party; drums, vocals). The band's first single, "God's Not Dead" b/w "Jesus Saves White Trash", was released on the Au Go Go label in 1986. This was followed with 1987's Still Lovin' You LP on the Cleopatra Records label, and 1988's Melbourne, Memphis and the Mansion in the Sky LP on the Agape label. The Slaughtermen gained a following playing revved up versions of southern gospel songs and barroom country classics at inner city rock venues in Sydney and Melbourne between 1985 and 1988.
The band enjoyed a year's residency at the Rising Sun Hotel in Melbourne which built a fairly even following of believers and sceptics. Singer Stephen, only added to the mystique and/or confusion by purchasing a twenty five dollar Reverendship from a religious organization from out of the back pages of the National Enquirer. A nationally broadcast hour-long live concert on Australia's ABC TV, cemented their unique place to this day, as Australia's first and only southern gospel group ( perhaps Steve Messer's Strange Country come close but their material is fundamentally different), albeit twelve thousand miles from the original source of inspiration, America's Deep South.
"The Slaughtermen were, and still are, one of the most original bands ever to see the light of day in Australia." Mathew W. McPherson, Rolling Stone Australia
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