Richard John Ploog (born 29 October 1962) is an Australian
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
, songwriter, producer and singer who was a member of rock band
The Church between 1981 and 1990. Ploog also drummed for
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 ...
in 1983,
Damien Lovelock
Damien Richard Lovelock (21 May 1954 – 3 August 2019), known familiarly as Damo, was an Australian musician, sports broadcaster and writer. He fronted the hard rock band The Celibate Rifles from 1980 as their lead singer-songwriter and later ...
in 1988 and with fellow The Church member
Peter Koppes
Peter Koppes (born 21 November 1955) is an Australian guitarist, best known as a founding and almost-continuous member of the independent rock band The Church. He is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing mandolin, drums, piano, and harmonica. ...
in 1991 for an album and tour.
He is the father of Irie Ploog.
Biography
Richard John Ploog was born on 29 October 1962 and is from
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 ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. As a
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
, he joined various bands including, The Name Droppers, The Brats and Exhibit A.
In early 1981, at the age of 18, he replaced
The Church's founding drummer, Nick Ward. In April the band released their debut album, ''
Of Skins and Heart'' and the associated single, "The Unguarded Moment", which had been recorded late the previous year with Ward.
Ploog's first recording with The Church was the five-track double single, "Too Fast for You" released in July. When ''Of Skins and Heart'' was released internationally (
Carrere Carrere or Carrère may refer to:
As a name
* Georges Carrère (1897–1986), French classical violinist
* Edward Carrere (1906–1984), Mexican art director
* Emmanuel Carrère (1957–), French author, screenwriter, and director
* Fernando Car ...
for Europe,
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
for North America) it was re-titled as ''The Church'' with "Tear It All Away" replacing original track "Fighter Pilot...Korean War".
On early record covers of ''The Church'', Ploog was incorrectly credited with all the drumming—Ward is not listed.
Aside from drumming, Ploog also contributed song writing to The Church's releases.
He also became involved in various side projects. Firstly, with
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 ...
as a drummer in 1983 and then performing with its members,
Tex Perkins
Gregory Stephen Perkins (born 28 December 1964), better known by his stage name Tex Perkins, is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted the Australian rock band The Cruel Sea, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, James B ...
on vocals and
Kim Salmon
Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Dar ...
on guitar and harmonica, as Salamander Jim in February 1984.
He worked on
The Celibate Rifles
The Celibate Rifles were an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with a line-up that included mainstays Dave Morris on rhythm guitar and Kent Steedman on lead guitar, within a year they were joined by Damien Lovelock on lead vocals. T ...
' vocalist
Damien Lovelock
Damien Richard Lovelock (21 May 1954 – 3 August 2019), known familiarly as Damo, was an Australian musician, sports broadcaster and writer. He fronted the hard rock band The Celibate Rifles from 1980 as their lead singer-songwriter and later ...
's debut solo album, ''Wig Wig Wig Wig World'' in 1988.
Ploog left The Church after recording their seventh album, ''
Gold Afternoon Fix'' which was released in February 1990.
According to
Steve Kilbey
Steven John Kilbey (born 13 September 1954) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band the Church. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter. As of 2020, Kilbey has released 14 solo albums and has col ...
, he left the band "because of musical personal differences.
He was replaced by
Jay Dee Daugherty
Jay Dee Daugherty (born March 22, 1952) is an American drummer and songwriter most known for his work with Patti Smith. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, he has been nominated twice to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Biography
Moving to N ...
(ex-
Patti Smith Group
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''.
Called the "punk poet ...
). Ploog joined The Church member
Peter Koppes
Peter Koppes (born 21 November 1955) is an Australian guitarist, best known as a founding and almost-continuous member of the independent rock band The Church. He is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing mandolin, drums, piano, and harmonica. ...
' group The Well to tour and record ''From the Well'' (1990) and ''Iridescence'' (1991).
Ploog has also drummed for The Wigmen, The Deadly Hume, Funkicide,
and
The Sleep-ins
The Sleep-ins are an indie rock band formed in Sydney, Australia. They are signed to the US label 128 Records. The band gained notoriety with their 2010 album ''Songs About Girls & Outer Space'', which charted on the CMJ New Music Report. "Silv ...
.
Ploog returned to live drumming in 2013 with a series of gigs accompanying
Steve Kilbey
Steven John Kilbey (born 13 September 1954) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band the Church. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter. As of 2020, Kilbey has released 14 solo albums and has col ...
and
Mark Gable
Mark Dixon Kitchen (born 8 September 1950), known professionally as Mark Gable, is an Australian musician who serves as the frontman and a founding member of the rock band The Choirboys. The band was formed in Sydney in 1979.
Mark was born in ...
.
He is also a member of
Groom Epoch. The band have released three albums, ''
Scalar Trails'' (2014), ''
Solar Warden'' (2018) and ''
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
'' (2019).
References
;General
* Note: Archived
n-linecopy has limited functionality.
;Specific
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ploog, Richard
Australian drummers
Male drummers
1962 births
Living people
The Church (band) members