The Meanies
| The Meanies | |
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| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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| Website | themeanies |
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The Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1988 by D.D. Meanie (a.k.a. Dennis DePianto) on lead guitar, Link Meanie (a.k.a. Lindsay McLennan) on vocals and guitar, Ringo Meanie (a.k.a Mark Hobbs) on drums, and VB Meanie (a.k.a. Dave Christopher) on bass guitar and vocals. As from September 2015 the line-up is Link, Ringo and Wally Meanie (a.k.a. Roderick Kempton) on bass guitar and backing vocals. The Meanies had a hiatus from 1996 to 1998.
The band provides energetic performances, with Link injured on stage on several occasions. The group have issued three studio albums, Come 'n' See (March 1992), 10% Weird (August 1994) and It's Not Me It's You (September 2015). Founding member (from 1988 to 1995), D.D. Meanie (Dennis DePianto), died in February 2008 after being diagnosed with cancer. Their guitarist from 1993 onwards, Tasman "Tas" Blizzard, died in August 2008 in a car accident.
The Meanies formed in Melbourne in 1988 as a punky power pop group by D.D. Meanie (a.k.a. Dennis DePianto) on lead guitar, Link Meanie (a.k.a. Lindsay McLennan) on vocals and guitar, Ringo Meanie (a.k.a Mark Hobbs) on drums, and VB Meanie (a.k.a. Dave Christopher) on bass guitar and vocals.
According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they "were the undisputed kings of the inner-city/all-ages circuit. The band's frantic, Ramones-inspired power pop and hyperactive live shows drew capacity audiences of alacritous fans. The Meanies were also one of the most productive independent recording bands of the day."
Chris Johnston of Rolling Stone opined that their songs, "will all be short, between two and three minutes every time. Each burst of savage punk/pop noise will also be a potential anthem; an unclean riff with a beating heart of pure melody."Frenzal Rhomb cited them as one of their five influential bands.
During 1989 VB Meanie (Dave Christopher) was replaced on bass guitar by Kinky Meanie (later "Wally" Meanie, a.k.a. Roderick Kempton). Christopher moved to Adelaide where he founded Free Moving Curtis as Dave Plague. In the early 1990s, the Meanies performed primarily in their hometown, where they contacted local label owner, Bruce Milne, of Au Go Go Records, which issued three tracks, "Big Bertha", "Mr Authority" and "Our New Planet", on a Various Artists' split extended play, Boogie Wonderland (April 1990), with three tracks each by tour mates, the Throwaways, and Nice Girls from Cincinnati. McFarlane felt, "the Meanies weighed in with the best track, the short, sharp and very catchy 'Our New Planet'."
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