Lubricated Goat are an Australian
noise rock
Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...
band which originally formed in 1986 by multi-instrumentalist
Stu Spasm
Stuart Gray (born 1961), better known by his moniker Stu Spasm, is an Australian musician and composer best recognized as the frontman for the experimental noise rock outfit Lubricated Goat.
Biography
Spasm (Gray) commenced his musical journe ...
. They achieved brief notoriety in November 1988 for appearing nude on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
TV program ''
Blah Blah Blah
Blah, blah blah etc. may refer to:
Music
* ''Blah-Blah-Blah'' (Iggy Pop album), 1986, or its title song
* ''Blah Blah Blah'' (Blahzay Blahzay album), 1996
* ''Blah Blah Blah'' (EP), 2018 by Armin van Buuren or the title song
* ''Blah Bla ...
'', wearing only their instruments and shoes. Mainly influenced by
the Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
and
the Birthday Party, they are credited for playing a grimy, confrontational style of rock, which preceded
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
. They have issued five studio albums, ''
Plays the Devil's Music
''Plays the Devil's Music'' is the debut studio album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1987 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Plays the Devil's Music'' liner notes.
;Lubricated ...
'' (1987), ''
Paddock of Love
''Paddock of Love'' is the second album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1988 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Paddock of Love'' liner notes.
;Lubricated Goat
*Brett Ford ...
'' (1988), ''
Psychedelicatessen'' (1990), ''
Forces You Don't Understand'' (1994) and ''
The Great Old Ones'' (2003).
History
Lubricated Goat were formed in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia in 1986 by
Stu Spasm
Stuart Gray (born 1961), better known by his moniker Stu Spasm, is an Australian musician and composer best recognized as the frontman for the experimental noise rock outfit Lubricated Goat.
Biography
Spasm (Gray) commenced his musical journe ...
(real name Stuart Gray) on lead vocals, guitar, synthesiser and bass guitar. Spasm had previously been a member of Exhibit A, Zulu Rattle,
Salamander Jim,
Beasts of Bourbon
Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris ...
,
James Baker Experience,
Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas are an English electronic music group, for which Richard Fearless serves as frontman. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of Dead Elvis. Owing to an Irish record ...
and Hot Property. The original band also included Martin Bland on drums and backing vocals (ex-Head On, Crawling Eye, Acid Drops,
Bloodloss, Zulu Rattle, Salamander Jim, Primevils),
Brett Ford
Brett Taylor Ford (30 December 195921 July 2007) was an Australian rock music drummer and songwriter.
Ford was a founder of noise rockers, Lubricated Goat (1986–89) in Perth. During the 1980s Ford played in many different bands, including th ...
on drums, and Pete Hartley on bass guitar and guitar (the latter two both formerly of
the Kryptonics).
En route to Sydney after a visit to England, Spasm went via
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
to visit former Singing Dog drummer Ford, who was then playing in the Kryptonics with Hartley. While in Perth, Spasm recorded side 1 of the band's debut album, ''
Plays the Devil's Music
''Plays the Devil's Music'' is the debut studio album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1987 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Plays the Devil's Music'' liner notes.
;Lubricated ...
'', at No Sweat Studios with Ford and Hartley. Side 2 was recorded in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
on a
4-track with Bland.
Lubricated Goat signed to
Red Eye Records offshoot Black Eye Records, established by John Foy.,
which released ''Plays the Devil's Music'' in July 1987. According to Australian musicologist
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017.
As a journalist ...
, "For the musicians involved, it was simply a chance to exist on the very edges of the Sydney rock scene, and to play out a sick joke for their own entertainment... Foy... liked the joke and formed the Black Eye label specifically as an outlet for the recorded works of this bunch of noise terrorists".
In Sydney, Spasm recruited bassist
Guy Maddison
Guy Bernard Maddison (born 31 March 1965) is an Australian punk and grunge musician. From 1986 to 1989 he worked as a member of noise rock group Lubricated Goat and appeared on their album ''Paddock of Love''. He was a member of Bloodloss (19 ...
of Perth band the Greenhouse Effect (later a member of
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...
), Hartley switched to lead guitar. Most band members lived on Cleveland Street in an old, run-down three-story mansion which was dubbed Gracelands. The house was a haven for musicians and artists who hosted art shows and nude discos.
In July 1988 the group released their second album, ''
Paddock of Love
''Paddock of Love'' is the second album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1988 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Paddock of Love'' liner notes.
;Lubricated Goat
*Brett Ford ...
'', which included the track "In the Raw".
On 2 November 1988, the band provided a nude performance,
lip-sync
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals.
Audio for lip syncing is generated th ...
ing to "In the Raw", on the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
TV program, ''
Blah Blah Blah
Blah, blah blah etc. may refer to:
Music
* ''Blah-Blah-Blah'' (Iggy Pop album), 1986, or its title song
* ''Blah Blah Blah'' (Blahzay Blahzay album), 1996
* ''Blah Blah Blah'' (EP), 2018 by Armin van Buuren or the title song
* ''Blah Bla ...
''.
The event created national media outrage, according to McFarlane: "The sight of the Goats' real (and imagined) body parts was enough to prompt scores of irate callers to jam the ABC's switchboard for 30 minutes, for the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' to run a front-page exposé and for current affairs shows like the ''
Midday Show'', ''Hinch'' and ''Newsworld'', plus radio commentators like
Ron Casey, to call for an end to such moral depravity".
The criticism was met by ABC-TV's presenter,
Tim Bowden
Timothy Gibson Bowden (born 2 August 1937), is an Australian author, radio and television broadcaster and producer, and oral historian. He was born in Hobart, Tasmania, and studied at the University of Tasmania, where he graduated with a Bachel ...
of ''Backchat'', who "appeared shirtless behind his desk so as to give an impression of nudity while discussing listener's letters about
hat group'sappearance".
A documentary film about the event, directed by
Cousin Creep
Cousin Creep is the performance name of Australian-born radio presenter, Craig Barnes. He was involved in the local alternative and independent music scenes. In the late 1980s he published a limited run cassette fanzine, ''Aliens Mutants''. Fro ...
and also titled ''
In the Raw'', explained why the band were nude for that performance. It premiered on 11 December 2009 at the 19th
Meredith Music Festival
The Meredith Music Festival (otherwise known simply as Meredith or MMF) is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the "Supernatural Amphitheatre", a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith i ...
. The lineup for the ABC performance included musician Peter Read (also of the band Thug), who was brought in on a temporary basis when another band member felt uncomfortable about appearing nude.
In a line-up change, Hartley was dismissed and Ford quit, replaced respectively by guitarist Charles Tolnay (ex-
Grong Grong
Grong Grong is a small town that is located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated on the Newell Highway, east of Narrandera in the Shire of Narrandera.
The name ''Grong Grong'' is an Aboriginal term mea ...
,
King Snake Roost
King Snake Roost (also known as KSR) were one of a number of Australian and International guitar-based bands who emerged from within the punk rock and post-punk scene of the mid-1980s that came to be defined as noise rock. King Snake Roost fo ...
) and drummer Gene Revet (ex-Ragdoll, the Space Juniors).
In May 1989, they issued the ''Schadenfreude'' EP.
Lubricated Goat's back catalogue was reissued by
Amphetamine Reptile Records
Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet w ...
in the United States and on Normal in Europe before the band embarked on its first US tour in mid-1989.
Tolnay and Revet did not participate in the tour; Spasm and Maddison were joined by ex-Bloodloss member Renastair EJ (on guitar and saxophone) and Bland (on synthesiser as well as drums).
Later, after Maddison's departure, this line-up recorded a third full-length album, ''
Psychedelicatessen'', with Lachlan McLeod (ex-Salamander Jim) on bass guitar and audio sampler.
McFarlane noted that the album showed "a variety of styles (from noisy free-form jazz to noisier hard rock), with tortured guitars and raw vocals being the band's characteristic mode of operation".
In 1990, the group commenced its first European tour, one that was plagued with tragedy via the stabbing of Spasm in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
– "in a drug deal gone wrong", according to McFarlane.
The incident placed Lubricated Goat on hiatus.
Various incarnations of Lubricated Goat (often featuring only Spasm) existed in the early 1990s, documented on the 7" singles "Meating My Head" (1990, part of the
Sub Pop Singles Club), "Shut Your Mind" (1992,
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...
) and "Play Dead" (1993, Sub Pop). During this period, Spasm was also a member of
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
supergroup,
Crunt
Crunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career.
Bjelland consi ...
, which featured his then-wife
Kat Bjelland
Katherine Lynne Bjelland (born December 9, 1963) is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. ...
of
Babes in Toyland as well as
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spenc ...
drummer, Russell Simins; Crunt released their
eponymous debut in 1994.
Lubricated Goat resumed activity in the mid-2000s. Among the members were Australian drummer Hayden Millsteed (also a founder of New York
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
band
Bell Hollow
Bell Hollow were a post-punk revival band based in Brooklyn, New York, composed of Nick Niles (vocals/keyboards/guitar), Greg Fasolino (guitar), Christopher Bollman (bass) and Todd Karasik (drums). The band's music was often categorized as a blen ...
), who performed on the band's 2003 album, ''
The Great Old Ones'', which featured re-recordings of previously released Lubricated Goat and Crunt tracks.
In 2007, a new line-up of Lubricated Goat started writing and performing new songs alongside their older ones. This ensemble included Anne Mette Rasmussen on keyboards, sound effects and backup vocals; Creighton Chamberlain (formerly of
Heroine Sheiks) on bass; and drummer Rich Hutchins (formerly of
Live Skull
Live Skull is a post-punk/experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1982.
In an overview of their abrasive no wave-influenced music, ''Trouser Press'' said, "As part of the same New York avant-noisy scene that spawned Sonic Youth, Lyd ...
and
Of Cabbages and Kings).
The line-up changed again in 2009, with Chamberlain replaced by Jack Natz, formerly of the 1980s
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
band
the Undead
The Undead is an American horror punk band formed in 1980 in New York City's East Village by Bobby Steele (vocals and guitar), Chris "Jack" Natz (bass) and Patrick Blanck (drums). They were one of the pioneers in the New York hardcore scene. ...
as well as Black Snakes,
Cop Shoot Cop
Cop Shoot Cop was a noise rock group founded in New York City in 1987. They disbanded in 1996. The band were frequently classified as industrial rock, but were often quite different from many bands so dubbed: having a distinctive instrumental l ...
and Red Expendables. Natz had previously played bass in Lubricated Goat intermittently from the late 1990s through to the mid-2000s. Rasmussen left to form her own band, LoveStruck, which also included both Spasm and Hutchins.
Spasm later headed the Art Gray Noizz Quintet with Hutchins, Ryan Skeleton Boy (formerly of Woman) on bass, Andrea Sicco (of Twin Guns) on guitar, and rotating fifth members such as metal percussionists, sax or trombone players.
Temporary 1988 member Read died in Melbourne in 2016 after battling
liver cancer
Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Plays the Devil's Music
''Plays the Devil's Music'' is the debut studio album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1987 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Plays the Devil's Music'' liner notes.
;Lubricated ...
'' (1987, Black Eye Records)
*''
Paddock of Love
''Paddock of Love'' is the second album by Australian noise rock band Lubricated Goat, released in July 1988 by Black Eye Records.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Paddock of Love'' liner notes.
;Lubricated Goat
*Brett Ford ...
'' (1988, Black Eye Records) (1989,
Amphetamine Reptile Records
Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet w ...
)
*''
Psychedelicatessen'' (1990, Black Eye Records/Amphetamine Reptile Records)
*''
Forces You Don't Understand'' (1994, PCP Entertainment)
*''
The Great Old Ones'' (2003, Reptilian Records)
Extended plays
*''
Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude (; ; 'harm-joy') is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another. It is a borrowed word from German, with no direct translation ...
'' 12" (Black Eye Records, 1989)
Singles
*"Meating My Head" 7" (1990,
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
)
*"Shut Your Mind" 7" (1992,
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...
)
*"Play Dead" 7" (1993, Sub Pop)
Compilation appearances
* "Jason's Place" on ''Waste Sausage'' LP (1987, Black Eye Records)
* "In the Raw" on ''Good Beer, Tasty Sandwiches'' cassette (1989,
Twin/Tone Records
Twin/Tone Records was an independent record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which operated from 1977 until 1994. It was the original home of influential Minnesota bands the Replacements and Soul Asylum and was instrumental in helping the T ...
/Amphetamine Reptile Records)
* "Bad Times" on ''Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking in the Streets Volume Four'' double 7" EP (1990, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
* "Bad Times" on ''Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking in the Streets Volumes 4–7'' CD (1990, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
* "All Too Sane", "Guttersnipe", "Kill Somebody Today", "Can't Believe We're Really Making Love" and "Jason the Unpopular" on ''Love God – Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' CD (2000,
Koch Records
MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...
)
* "Play Dead" on ''Color of Noise Comp'' CD (2012, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
* "Play Dead" on ''The Color of Noise (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' LP (2015, Amphetamine Reptile Records)
References
External links
Trouser Press entry
{{Authority control
Amphetamine Reptile Records artists
Australian rock music groups