Vampire Lovers (band)
| The Vampire Lovers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Genres | Punk rock, death rock, garage punk, horror punk, alternative rock |
| Years active | 1982–1984, 1988–1990 |
| Labels | Sundown, Bent, Hecuba, Schlock Value, Magic Monster |
| Associated acts | The Subsonic Barflies, Roddy Rayda and The Surfin' Caesars, The Lost Boys, The Girlies, Bam Balams, The Four Horsemen, The Deniz Tek Group, The Hitmen D.T.K. |
| Past members | Axle Conrad Shane Cooke Dave Chamberlain Matthew Le Noury Brendan Kibble Jason Shepherd Ziggy Staten Murray Shepherd Brian Mann |
The Vampire Lovers, also styled as Vampyre Lovers or Vampire Lovers, were a Brisbane punk rock group which formed in 1982 in Queensland, Australia. Original band members were Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad on vocals, Brendan Kibble on guitar, Shane Cooke on bass guitar, Matt "Nasty" Le Noury on guitar and Dave Chamberlain on drums. Other members included guitarist Jason Shepherd; and drummer, Ziggy Staten. Initially the group existed from 1982 to 1984 and then reformed in 1988 to disband finally in 1990. In 1983 their first single, "Buzzsaw Popstar", brought greater recognition from the Australia alternative rock fans. In 1991 they released a mini-LP, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, a year after they had disbanded.
According to music historian, Ian McFarlane, Brisbane produced "some of the most anarchistic bands of the Australian punk rock era" and that it was a city nationally renowned for its ultra conservatism. While British fanzine journalist, Hugh Gulland, felt they were "[f]irmly rooted in The Damned / Misfits – horror punk axis" and suggested that their appeal extended to fans of garish apparel exemplified by "pink leopardskin". In a 1988 interview, the group described themselves as "Australia's only genuine death rock experience". Both Le Noury and Cooke were in Hitmen D.T.K. in Sydney during the early 1990s and recorded on some of that group's later work. In 2004, a retrospective compilation, 13 Tasteless Masterpieces, was issued by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster.
The Vampire Lovers were formed in 1981, after the demise of Brisbane punk rock group, The Flying Squad, (who featured Brendan Kibble and Shane Cooke) Initially with Axle "Axe Babe" Conrad on vocals, Brendan Kibble on vocals and guitar, and Shane Cooke on bass guitar. By 1982 they had enlisted other local musicians, Matt "Nasty" Le Noury on guitar and Dave Chamberlain on drums, to complete the original line up, but Kibble quit shortly after and went on to form The Bam Balams. The Vampire Lovers named themselves after the 1970 lesbian Hammer Horror movie, of the same name. According to music historian, Ian McFarlane, Brisbane produced "some of the most anarchistic bands of the Australian punk rock era" and that it was a city nationally renowned for its ultra conservatism. Vocalist Axle Conrad suggested to Steve Bell from Time Off magazine that "You were certainly targeted if you looked different in any way. Wearing those clothes was like a badge of honour - the more you looked out there, the more gang you were, the more you perpetuated the 'us versus them' vibe."
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