Last week, we gave you the rundown on two of Australia’s biggest alternative rock bands, Something For Kate and You Am I. This week we explore three other iconic alternative rock bands who have garnered a significant following throughout their respective careers and have greatly impacted the Australian music scene.
Jebediah
Formed in Perth in 1994, Jebediah have enjoyed widespread success throughout their extensive career, releasing 5 studio albums and playing bills alongside mega-acts like the Beastie Boys, the Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, and Everclear to name a few. The band consists of brothers Kevin Mitchell (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) and Brett Mitchell (drums), and their friends Chris Daymond (lead guitar) and Vanessa Thornton (bass).
Jebediah gained widespread recognition with their 1995 win of the Australian National Campus Band Competition, and it wasn’t long until they had skyrocketed to success with the release of their first single Jerks of Attention. Three of their albums made it to the top ten in the ARIA charts, with Of Someday Shambles (released in October, 2000) charting at number two. Even during their Hiatus years (from late 2005 to 2010), members of the band were busy pursuing other musical projects, with front man Kevin Mitchell releasing music and performing under the pseudonym “Bob Evans” which he’d began as a parallel solo career in 1999. He also appeared in supergroup the Basement Birds with fellow musicians Josh Pyke, Kavyen Temperley, and Steve Parkin. Brett Mitchell began drumming for Perth band, The Fuzz while Thornton joined Felicity Groom’s backing band, The Black Black Smoke. Jebediah rejoined in 2010, releasing their fifth album Kosciuszko and have been playing multiple shows and tours since then.
The Meanies
The Meanies are one of the most iconic bands to grace the Australian punk rock scene. Members Link Meanie (Link McLennan), Ringo Meanie (Mark Hobbs) and Wally Meanie (Roderick Kempton) banded together in Melbourne, 1989, playing their gritty punk anthems at venues such as The Tote in Collingwood, until their underground status soon propelled them onto the world stage, supporting the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Beastie Boys, The Lemonheads, Bad Brains and Fugazi. This new level of fame became too much for the band, leading them to call a hiatus in 1995 until reforming in 1998.
Although two of The Meanies’ original members tragically lost their lives, the iconic band released their latest album in 2015 and still give an incredibly energetic live performance.
Spiderbait
Spiderbait are another well know Australian alternative rock band, who formed in the town of Finely in rural New South Wales in 1991. The band consists of Mark Maher (who’s known as Kram) on vocals and drums, Janet English on bass, and Damian Whitty on drums. Spiderbait have enjoyed a slew of hit singles and albums throughout their career, with their very first single Circle K charting at number one in both the ARIA charts and triple J’s Hottest 100 in 1991. Their single Black Betty also reached number one in the ARIA Singles Charts in 2004 and they’ve collected two ARIA awards and had five top 20 albums. Spiderbait’s last studio album was released in November 2013 and they are known for their energetic stage presence.
You can catch all three of these incredible homegrown acts live at A Day On The Green. Melbourne On The Move are proud to be providing transfers to and from the Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong (November 12th), and Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley (November 13th), shows, so that you can experience a day of awesome Australian rock music without having to worry about getting home.