Vampire Lovers (band)

1981–1984

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."

Ian Mc.Farlane regarded the "notorious" Vampire Lovers as "a third-generation garage punk outfit". British fanzine, Bucketfull of Brains's 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". The Vampire Lovers' admiration for unusual or camp horror movies were expressed in their lyrical themes for songs such as "Drink My Blood, Suck My Veins" and "Second Generation Psychopath". A review by The Barman of the website I-94 Bar, described them as "[f]our young, trash movie-obsessed reprobates". Jeff Dahl former member of the Angry Samoans and Powertrip said of the Vampire Lovers, "(w)ild and raunchy displays of ultra-punkness from this infamous Aussie backwoods unit..., You get the feeling these guys weren't playing punk rockers".

In 1983, the group released their first extended play, Buzzsaw Popstar, on the Sundown label. "Buzzsaw Popstar", the lead track, received airplay on 4ZzZ, a local community radio station as well as charting on both the Juke and RAM Magazine's Australian Alternative Charts. This enabled the band to achieve greater recognition beyond their home state. Rob Younger (from Radio Birdman) declared it "a masterpiece". In 2004, former Australian Democrats senator, Andrew Bartlett, recalled "I used to be heavily involved in 4ZZZ in the 1980s ... I saw a guy who I’m sure used to be the singer in a band called The Vampire Lovers – they did a song called 'Buzzsaw Popstar' which still sounds good today". In July 1984, a second single, "Sweethearts Blown Mindless", followed and according to The Barman it evokes the Raw Power-era Stooges with a different drummer and Lux Interior of The Cramps instead of Iggy Pop. By the second half of 1984, the group fell apart as the local punk, post-punk movement disintegrated, "turning their back on stardom, the Vampire Lovers split in late '84, claiming to have been thwarted by 'creative differences'". The following year Le Noury on guitar and Cooke on bass guitar formed a Detroit rock-influenced group, The Four Horsemen, with Murray Shepherd (ex-Screaming Tribesmen and Fun Things) on drums and Nick Leigh (The Cimmerians) on vocals. Dave Chamberlain joined the Subsonic Barflies.

1987–1990

In 1987, Buzzsaw Popstar was re-released, regained local popularity, and prompted the band to reform the following year. Conrad, Cooke and Le Noury recruited heavy metal musicians: Ziggy Staten on drums, and Jason Shepherd (younger brother of Murray Shepherd) on guitar. In November 1988 they released a single, "Heavy Planet Fuzz", for the Bent label. Brisbane's Time Off magazine analyzed the record by saying that "This third single sees the Vampire Lovers in deadly form, playing their characteristic blend of seventies garage and eighties hard edged rock and roll." In an interview, that same month, with Matthew Eaton of The Courier-Mail, they described themselves as "Australia's only genuine death rock experience".

The group had relocated to Sydney and, during 1988, started recording an EP, Weirdo Wastelands, for the United States indie label Hecuba Records, which was released the following year. Overseas signings were considered an unusual and rare achievement for Brisbane bands at the time. The songs were described by Noise for Heroes' Steve Gardner as "some kind of out of control speed metal-hardcore hybrid ... Even when it sounds metally there's a lot more effort in playing and less in posing than most metal bands, so the judges' scores are going to be pretty good on this one". A final line up change occurred in 1988 when Le Noury left to join Hitmen D.T.K.. The remaining members recorded a mini-LP, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, but disbanded in 1990 before its release. Cooke joined Le Noury in Hitmen DTK. In 1991 the posthumous work, Acid Commandos from Planet Fuzz, was released on Schlock Records.

Legacy

In the mid-1980s The Vampire Lovers gained international recognition when Jello Biafra of US hardcore punk outfit Dead Kennedys promoted "Buzzsaw Popstar" on college radio stations. McFarlane declared "[d]espite their intermittent break-ups and infrequent gigs, The Vampire Lovers have enjoyed a cult status all the same". In October 2004 a retrospective compilation album, 13 Tasteless Masterpieces, was issued by United Kingdom indie label, Magic Monster.

Another single was released in 2009 featuring live versions of their songs Buzzsaw Popstar and Death Dwarf originally recorded in 1988. According to I-94 Bar's The Barman, 'This in-your-face version of the single holds up well. "Death Dwarf" is a break-neck Ramone-ic derivation that lives off a spiky guitar figure. Nasty and nice. It all sounds live and unpolished but that won't worry fans.

Personnel

Albums

Extended plays

Singles