Garry Gray (lead singer/lyricist); Spencer P Jones (guitar); Penny Ikinger (guitar); Nick Reishbeth (bass); Stephan Fidock (drums); special guest Ash Wednesday (Mirage). Original members: Mark Ferrie (6 string bass); Terry Doolan (guitars); Andrew Picouleau (bass); Johnny Crash (drums); Ian Forrest (keyboards).
NOTHING GROWS IN TEXAS 1982: Garry Gray, Mark Ferrie, Terry Doolan, Johnny Crash, Andrew Picouleau, Ian Forest.
Influences
Garry Gray, Velvet Underground, Stooges, Alan Vega, Alex Chilton....Hunter S Thompson, William S Burrows....Samuel Fuller & Shock Corridor, Get Smart.
Seconds
Sounds Like
COOL AID GONZO ROCK : NEW SACRED COWBOYS 2007 BANG! DISC
OUT NOW ON BANG! RECORDS: ORDER NOW!
http://www.bang-records.net/site/fichadisco.php?id=42
august 2006:
pic liz reed
The original line-up: Kill Kill Kill
Division 4
SACRED COWBOYS:
The Sacred Cowboys' frontman is Garry Gray (lead singer/lyricist), who as a member of the 'Negatives' ('77/'79) and the 'Reals' ('75/'76) was a pioneer of indie music in Melbourne.
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"I have been fortunate as a musician. In the Reals and the Negatives, I worked with Chris Walsh, Ollie Olsen and Mick Holmes. In the early Sacred Cowboys, Janis Friedenfelds, and Mark Ferrie. In the late 80's , Stephan Fidock joined the group on drums. In the 1990's and 2000's, Penny Ikinger and Spencer P Jones worked with me in the group. Ash Wednesday in the late '80s and 2000's. Some of the great sounds you hear on the albums come from the strong production sense of Terry Doolan (original gutarist) and Nick Rischbieth (bass palyer). I have collaborated with numerous musicians under the umbrella of the Sacred Cowboys." Garry.
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Gray was a founding member of the Sacred Cowboys along with Mark Ferrie in 1982: "Each line up I've worked with that matters persues the group's music with that same intensity....you may find years on your calendar where you don't hear from me ... but we continue on ... there is no reformation here ... when we are available, you'll see us... the group has never split up.... and have resumed where we have left off many times ... bringing something new each time."... from the late 90s and the Providence tour to 2006 when they hit Melbourne with a stellar line up which included: Spencer P Jones (guitar); Penny Ikinger (guitar); Nick Reishbeth (bass); Stephan Fidock (drums); and special guest .....s for the August 2006 shows, Ash Wednesday....and later the April 2008 show in Australia saw a different side of this bands diverse range and its depth.
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Founding 1982 members include Johnny Crash (drums) and Mark Ferrie (bass) who were both previously members of Melbourne pop band the Models; Terry Doolan (guitar); Andrew Picouleau (bass); and Ian Forrest (keyboards). Nick Reishbeth joined the group in 1983. In 1987 Stephan Fidock joined on drums.
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The 'Sacred Cowboys' began playing inner city Melbourne in early 1982. Within six months, the 'Cowboys' signed with Mushroom/White Label and recorded the 'Nothing Grows In Texas' single. After their so-called 'legendary performance' on Molly Meldrum's Countdown pop TV show on the ABC, Molly said, "This is the worst group I've seen in 5 years." This set the tone for their long career as one of Australia's seminal alternative groups.
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Ram Magazine's Ed Southern had this to say about the 82-85 'Cowboys': "He's an icon from the fantasy of the Great Western Dream. Dripping rock power an insatiable survivor riding roughshod, etched against a deep desert sunset he is the good, the bad, and the ugly. Give him spirits, a rifle and shade for his laughing eyes. He projects, scratches against the night, guttural, sombre, aloof, melodic and loud. He is committed to every performance. He takes no prisoners. He is the Sacred Cowboy. Here is a rock genre that can only be described as the coming of age of all we have ever felt. The big guns discovered again."
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Between '82 and '85 the Cowboys relesed 2 singles, 'Texas' and 'Bangkok', a self-titled EP on the White Label, their first self-titled album on French Label, New Rose, and the live/basement tapes 'We Love You' album on ManMade.
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Phase 2 ran from '87 to '92. Juke magazine's Byron Smith wrote in '89/'90: "There are many notable exceptions, but I don't think the early Cowboys always fully captured their live venom in the studio. This is where 'Trouble From Providence' holds all the aces and a knowing smirk. Hypnotic guitars and Gray's powerful lyrics push it all along. It creates a distinctive new signature for the Cowboys and at times almost the total attainment of their Suicide/Chilton vision. Garry Gray's persona of ice-cold authoritarian is etched into the music and drags it along with him, yet with that sense of irony that is key to what the band is about. The Cowboys return LP delivers something that all too few records ever touch upon these days". As well as the 'Providence' album, 2 singles were released: title track 'Trouble From Providence', and their signature tune, 'Hell Sucks'.
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The Cowboys continued playing and recording in the '90s. Notably, the Cowboys released a 'best of' cd ep called 'Black City', which saw the Cowboys playing live and writing new material. This album was listed in Australian Rolling Stone's Top 100 albums of the 20th century. 'Things To Come' was released in '96. The '90s line-up saw Spencer P Jones and Penny Ikinger joining Terry Doolan on guitar both live and in the studio.
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In 2005, the 'Hell Sucks' single from 'Trouble from Providence' was selected for Clint Walker's, 'Inner City Sounds' compilation. The subsequent review of 'Hell Sucks' by Unpeeled Website reads, "Sacred Cowboys ..Hell Sucks.. is such an awesome bit of sneering, rocked-riff cool-aid gonzo rock that they should be rolling around in coke encrusted silk sheets wondering what year it is."
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Out now on Bang! Records in 2007: the 'Cold Harvest' album. When Gray reformed the Cowboys in August 2006, the group played a series of shows in Melbourne, Australia and found time to record the finishing touches to 'Cold Harvest'. Joining Terry Doolan in the first line of the guitar assault we find Spencer P Jones and Penny Ikinger. Gray says, "'Cold Harvest' is a departure from 'Providence'. Most of the songs are narrative in style, a kind of urban uprising driven by dysfunctional dreamers and powerless onlookers. I wanted us to do this as a guitar album."
Gray says, "2008 has seen more Sacred Cowboys releases. some early Cowboys work and previously unreleased material. I've started writing for a new album and so gathering the forces to finish that work."
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The 'Sacred Cowboys' ride again. Gray says, "It's about time. The world is at high noon and there's gonna be a showdown. Stay tuned for more surprises."
So I'm in Biarritz right GG, and I find this gorgeous ashtray for you in an Antiques shop..... however upon enquiry the silly old fuck running the store tells me it's 235 Euros! Jesus! So I had to take a piccie for you instead! Hope ya can make it out....it's a Stihl Chainsaw-wielding lumber-jack cum Benny Hill chasing a chick & removing her bra! Hoot hooot! xxx ....
---------------------------- THANKS FOR THE ADD! greetings and respect from BAT-SPIDER-MASTER ---------------------------- ----------------------------
..ow Gee...I'll be right there, just been having tea with Grigori... . ...you know how it is...tea, scones, stimulatin conversation.. and before you say it- yes, Ive been consorting with Rasputin again....whats one bearded man to another...one say marm...the other say motha! ...L ..x .o x
Heading back to the MotherLand aka France today GG....off to Biarritz from Sunny San Sebastian. Cannot wait to talk the Frenchy-La-French again! Oui oui. Hope you are smiling, happy and kicking out the jams as per usual. Love ya...xxx
nice one. it's been a trip this myspace doppleganger scene. i'll have to tell you about it sometime. just to let you know, i'm trying to watch my comments - you should too. codes travel in strange ways. P
...Gary.. . ...Im sittin at the bus stop town bound the teenage girls to my left speak in street talk from a street they aint never been to if there is one truth they impart blathering bolshy statements 'blood'....is -they aint goin nowhere we is white trash all our hope for hybrid vigour has done nothing to deliver us 'blood' the extinguished cigarette to my right I had not the pleasure to partake of I prefer to look upon its spent and trodden form as a reminder -ashtrays dont taste nice when you lick them. . ...lyndelle... ....x0x.... ... .. .
....Sydney offers a reprieve of sorts... . . ....six seconds sunshine.... ..and the pebbles of the republique smile once again.... ...lyndelle.. ..bizzouxes.. ... .. .
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