Almanac Music: Top Ten – Australia’s best three-piece bands
Hi all
The recent Double J celebration of Australia’s best music caused me to reminisce about a number of the awesome bands that featured. I was, like many, probably as surprised by who made it, who ranked too low (‘Berlin Chair’ at 81!) and what made the top 10 (‘Untouched’ at 3?). But overall, like the All-Australian team, it creates controversy as to who is in and not, and for every glaring omissions, you have to dump someone out (although I still think ‘Nick Vlaustin’ was stiff to miss as was ‘My Pal by God’).
So for no apparent reason except that a few of these bands stood out. I found myself on a recent dog walk thinking about Australia’s best bands but more specifically, what sort of band. The common or popular format for a band is a four-piece, so drums, and two guitars plus singer or three guitars.
So if that’s too hard to rank, I came up with my list of the top ten Aussie three-piece outfits. Some of the great international bands through history have been three-pieces, such as Nirvana, Green Day, The Police, Muse, Motorhead, Violent Femmes, Blink 182, ZZ Top, Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Boy Genuis, Husker Du, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and even Peter Paul and Mary!
So just to start an argument or have people ponder their own record collections, I give you my top ten Australian three-piece outfits. (Please note I have chosen the classic line up for these bands, some of whom later became four or five-piece acts):
Silverchair
Hilltop Hoods
You Am I
Crowded House
Spiderbait
Regurgitator
The Living End
Cosmic Psychos
Dirty Three
Wolfmother
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About Sean Curtain
"He was born with a gift of laughter, and a sense that the world was mad". First line of 'Scaramouche' by Sabatini, always liked that.
Cheers Sean. I think immediately of Melbourne powerhouse X. Unforgettable live act.
Kevin Borich Express.
I’ll throw in Something for Kate and The Waifs as two that would clearly make my top few. Actually, just remembered that Eskimo Joe fits this criteria too!
Hard-Ons
Mark, Hard Ons are the Jamie Elliott of the top ten, unlucky (dare I say stiff?) to miss.
I would add: The Vines; John Butler Trio and (my personal favourte, thematically) Tripod.
The Bee Gees (I’m old).
Great call PB, they get my vote.
And then there is Kim Salmon and the Surrealists (noting that several early incarnations of The Scientists were three piece units).
Some cracking bands there, Sean.
Dirty Three and The Living End get my votes.
Here’s a few other more contemporary acts:
The Grogans,
The Chats,
Sons of the East,
Pnau,
Rufus Du Sol,
and of course Ratcat.
The Mark of Cain
Great get Smokie. Ratcat, good time not a long time!
Tex, Don, and Charlie.
Cotton Keays & Morris
….as in Darryl Cotton (ex Zoot), Jim Keays (ex Masters Apprentces) and Russell Morris (ex himself).
They released 5 albums between 2002 – 2008; but in all truthfulness, they actually released one album, in 5 different ways….but it was a ‘beauty!’
Seedy Jeezus
Robot God
Brown Spirits
The Mark of Cain sits at the top of my list.
Was right into You Am I and Something For Kate in the mid-90’s.
Ratcat’s first EP was good.
Ia Wilson, X?! now you’re talking. Ian Rilen, Cathy Green, and Steve Lucas. I saw them a few times in the early 90’s most famously at The Punters Club Tuesday afternoon, ‘Rock Against Work’ shows. They rocked.
With Kevin Borich Express, as we know Kevin Borich came across ‘the ditch’ in the La De Da’s. Their lineup chopped and changed over the years, including a period circa 1973-74 when they were a three piece: Kevin Borich, Ronnie Peel and keith Barber.
Glen!
I just realised that I left the fuzz/stoner rock trio ‘Budd’ off my list.
Have had them on high rotation of late.