Beasts Of Bourbon

The Beasts of Bourbon emerged on the Australian pub rock circuit as an occasional diversion that gradually solidified into a full-fledged supergroup. Assembled in Sydney during 1983, the founding roster brought together Tex Perkins on vocals (later affiliated with the Cruel Sea), Spencer Jones on guitar (concurrently active with the Johnnys), James Baker on drums (also a member of the Hoodoo Gurus), and two members drawn from the Scientists—guitarist Kim Salmon and bassist Boris Sudjovic. The musicians first convened in modest Sydney clubs and captured their debut release, The Axeman's Jazz, during a single afternoon session in 1984. Although the record achieved cult status, the collective remained a secondary pursuit for its participants. Only in 1988 did circumstances shift when both the Johnnys and the Scientists disbanded, prompting the Beasts to reconvene for the recording of Sour Mash, widely regarded as their strongest work. The swamp rock aesthetic of the first album evolved into an effective blend of blues-rooted pub rock and punk energy. Black Milk, issued in 1990, further developed this hybrid approach. The Low Road followed in 1991 and introduced two replacements: after Baker and Sudjovic departed to focus on the Dubrovniks, Tony Pola and Brian Hooper—both from Salmon's concurrent project the Surrealists—joined the lineup. To commemorate the band's tenth anniversary, the double album From the Belly of the Beasts appeared in 1993, accompanied by extensive touring. Once the road dates concluded, dissolution seemed imminent; Salmon returned to the Surrealists while Perkins achieved major success with the Cruel Sea's The Honeymoon Is Over. Nevertheless, the group reconvened in 1996, adding former Divinyls guitarist Charlie Owen, and issued Gone the following year. Critical response proved muted, yet the album yielded the modest single "Saturated."