The New Christs were formed by ex Radio Birdman singer Rob Younger. He had been offered the support spot on Iggy Pop’s Australian tour of 1984 and needed a band fast. He found interest from members of groups such as Celibate Rifles, Radio Birdman, Lime Spiders and Hoodoo Gurus. The tour proved a wild success and the band stayed together, and recorded two singles for Citadel Records: the psychotic Like A Curse and the angrier-than-thou Born Out Of Time. These releases gained universal acclaim for their tough and uncompromising nature. Shows were well attended, oft-times record-breaking. Despite escalating prospects - an album deal and European tour were proposed - the other members chose to return to their former bands.
Bandless, Younger pursued a career producing records for some of the finest Australian bands (Died Pretty, Eastern Dark, Stems, more). He was ‘on hold’, treading water.
In 1986 Barracudas bass player Jim Dickson returned to Australia from the UK to form a new band with Rob. Featured were Charlie Owen (Divinyls, Beasts of Bourbon), a gifted but as yet unknown guitarist, and drummer Louis Burdett who soon left to be replaced by Nick Fisher (Ed Kuepper, Wet Taxis). This line-up released a series of hard-hitting singles Black Hole, Headin’ South, Another Sin and the Dropping Like Flies EP. These tracks were compiled as Divine Rites, and its European release allowed the group to tour the UK and Europe for 3 months. The release of their debut album – 1989’s Distemper - through Citadel / Blue Mosque, saw the band receive ecstatic reviews and high-rotation airplay. Public demand in Europe necessitated the album be released in all EC territories, and the band again toured there. After returning home, and for no apparent reason it would seem, the band broke up. They reformed briefly in 1990 to play a series of shows around Australia supporting the Ramones. Then nothing.
Three years later Younger, bassist Christian Houllemare (Happy Hate Me Nots) and Bill Gibson (Lemonheads, Eastern Dark) dragged in another shit-hot guitar player whose name Rob no longer remembers and created a new line-up, recording the Pedestal EP and Woe Betide mini-album. (At this time, Canadian label Lance Rock found it necessary to release the apocalyptic Born Out Of Time compilation, featuring an upbeat selection encapsulating their 10-year existence.)
In 1997, the band released the Lower Yourself album. It included current live standouts Jenny, We have Landed, and the gloriously demented Fuzz Expo. The boys played a well-received 7-week tour of the UK and Europe, but on return, quarrelled about something no-one can remember anymore and almost broke up.
In 2001, The New Christs recorded We Got This for Laughing Outlaw Records. In reality, the label rescued the band from imminent oblivion. An unpaid studio account saw the band’s equipment locked out of reach and recriminations were flying thick and fast. Nevertheless, tracks such as Spit it Out, On Top of Me, Groovy Times, and the brooding, Burroughsian Khartoum, are considered by many as some of their finest songs and the album received astonishing reviews the world over. Unfortunately, there was no band to promote it: having suffered at the hands of a corrupt and uncaring music business for – as the boys themselves put it - ‘too fucking long’, and blighted with interpersonal problems, called it quits.
Rob continued to produce records for Australia and European bands for the next few years, and then, in 2006, put together a new version of the Christs. With drummer / psych nurse Stu Wilson, former New Christ bass player Jim Dickson, Dave Kettley – known affectionately as ‘Tea Bags’ - of The Dead Set on guitars, and ex Zambian Goat herder Brent ‘ Rain Man’ Williams taking ..s and guitar duties, Rob was once again leading the band into a new era. They headed off to Europe, playing to adoring fans across Spain, France, Germany and Belgium. Some recent sporadic activity saw The New Christs rock Melbourne and in Sydney they supported Sweden’s wonderful Soundtrack of Our Lives.
Now, for reasons best known to them, The New Christs are cooking up a brand new album, as yet unnamed. It won’t be released until we find a label willing to endanger their reputation as upstanding members of the music industry. However, the lads are still heading off to tour Europe in May and will be releasing a limited edition 7" single to be sold only at shows. Stay tuned for more...
just a pix from yesterday unexpected show in Pescara Cosenza quitted, Pescara hosted & Loved NC ;-) thanx guys for the friendly, warm and forceful gig. Chicco
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