The Creatures (Australian Band)
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The Creatures were a
garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
band which formed in
Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 1965 as The Beagle Boys. They changed their name in February 1966 and relocated to
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 ...
where they were active during the mid- to late 1960s. The line-up included three Marcic brothers: Eric on guitar, Herman on bass guitar, and Rudolph on drums; together with Keith Matcham on lead vocals and Michael Parnis on rhythm guitar. Australian music journalist,
Glenn A. Baker Glenn A. Baker (born 28 July 1952) is an Australian journalist, commentator, author, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music. He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed ...
, described their appearance: "at a time when moderate long hair was becoming acceptable,
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
dyed their tatty locks to bilious pastel shades and invited the media to react with appropriate horror". The group were billed as "the wildest, longest, coloured hair group in Australia, and 'Australia's answer to the Rolling Stones'". Richard White had replaced Parnis before the first single, "All I Do Is Cry" (1966), appeared. Hair colours were: red for Eric, blue for Herman, green for Rudolph, purple for Matcham, and pink for White. The Creatures were known for their hard-driving 60's punk and
protopunk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated wi ...
sound, as typified by their singles, "All I Do Is Cry" (1966) and "Ugly Thing" (1967). Greg Lawrie replaced Eric on lead guitar prior to the second single. As Lawrie had "very short brown hair", he was given a red wig to wear, but during one performance "his wig came off! ... he put it back on and it was the wrong way, and he couldn’t see what he was doing." By December 1967 they had relocated to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and were renamed as Chocolate, where they issued another single, "I'm an Animal" (1969). After the group disbanded, Lawrie joined Carson County Band in January of the following year. Herman played in Toby Jugg, alongside
Garth Porter Garth Ivan Richard Porter (born 24 September 1948) is a New Zealand-born Australian multi-instrumental musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a member, on keyboards and backing vocals, of the pop group, Sherbet (1970–84), and co-wr ...
(later in Sherbet). In 1998 Kustom 65 record label issued a compilation album, ''It's a Kave-in!'', with The Creatures' "All I Do Is Cry". The same track was covered by Shutdown 66 for the tribute album, ''Wild About You!'', recorded live-in-the-studio by radio station, 3CR's Cara Beltrame in 2004.


Discography

* "All I do is Cry" / "Mona" (sound 66 S45-01) (March 1966) * "Ugly Thing" / "Your One and Only Man" (RCA 101803) (December 1967) * "I'm an Animal" (released under the name Chocolate, 1969).


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creatures (Australian band) Musical groups established in 1965 Victoria (Australia) musical groups Musical groups disestablished in 1969 Protopunk groups Australian garage rock groups