Sacred Cowboys

Sacred Cowboys were an Australian post-punk and rock band formed by mainstay Garry Gray, as a lead singer-songwriter, and Mark Ferrie in 1982. The line-up has changed as the group splintered and reformed several times, being active from 1982 to 1985, 1987 to 1991, 1994 to 1997 and 2006 to 2008. The August 2006 line-up was Gray with Stephan Fidock on drums; Penny Ikinger on guitar; Spencer P. Jones on guitar; Nick Rischbieth on bass guitar; and Ash Wednesday on keyboards. Past members include: Johnny Crash (aka Janis Friedenfelds) on drums and Mark Ferrie on bass guitar, who were both ex-Models; Terry Doolan on guitar; Andrew Picouleau on bass guitar; and Ian Forrest on keyboards.

The group have issued six albums: Sacred Cowboys (1984), We Love You ... Of Course We Do (1985), Trouble from Providence (August 1988), Things to Come (July 1996), Cold Harvest (January 2007) and 1982–85: Nailed to the Cross (February 2008). Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described them as "one of the most confrontational live outfits" with their music as "mixed post-punk moodiness and country raunch over a mutant swamp-blues backbeat".

Sacred Cowboys formed in early 1982 in Melbourne with Terry Doolan on guitar (ex-Fizztops), Janis Friedenfelds (aka Johnny Crash) on drums, Mark Ferrie on guitar (both ex-Models), Ian Forrest on keyboards (ex-True Wheels), Garry Gray on lead vocals (ex-The Reals, The Negatives) and Andrew Picouleau on bass guitar (ex-Metronomes, Popgun Men, X-Ray-Z).^{[1] [2]} Gray and Ferrie based the name from watching "The Groovy Guru", an episode of the US TV comedy series, Get Smart . In it, the Groovy Guru and his rock band, the Sacred Cows, use psychedelic music to control the minds of young people. Initially the group were a covers band playing Creedence Clearwater Revival, Alex Chilton, The Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, Suicide and Bob Dylan.^[1] They built a reputation as "one of the most confrontational live outfits" in the local scene.^[1]

Within six months, Sacred Cowboys had signed with Mushroom Records' White Label and recorded a single, "Nothing Grows in Texas", which appeared in November 1982. After a performance on TV pop show, Countdown , the host Molly Meldrum described them as "the worst group I've seen in five years", a title the band knew meant they were on the right side of the wrong side of the tracks.^{[1] [3]} Gray responded with "[Meldrum] had a very good medium at his disposal but he never really used it to benefit the broad spectrum of music that was available in the country".^[3] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, Meldrum's assessment had "instantly cemented their nefarious reputation as the local scene's enfants terribles . The band's music mixed post-punk moodiness and country raunch over a mutant swamp-blues backbeat".^[1] In July 1983 they released a second single, a cover of Chilton's "Bangkok".^{[1] [2]} In the next month they supported US hardcore punk band, Dead Kennedys, at their Melbourne gig.^[1]

In December Sacred Cowboys followed with a six-track self-titled extended play on the White Label, which was produced by Tony Cohen (Models, The Birthday Party).^{[1] [2]} At that time Chris Whelan replaced Forrest on keyboards.^{[1] [2]} Early in the next year, a self-titled album on French label, New Rose Records, was issued.^{[1] [2]} Meanwhile, Nick Rischbieth (ex-Related Mechanics) replaced Picouleau on bass guitar and at the same time the band decided to work without keyboards.^{[1] [2]} In 1985 a live, demo compilation, We Love You . . . Of Course We Do, named after a cover of The Rolling Stones single, "We Love You", appeared on Man Made Records.^{[1] [2]} However, by that time the group went off the road and Gray entered a drug rehabilitation centre to treat his heroin addiction.^{[1] [3]} In August 1988 he declared that the treatment was "not easy for anyone but the benefit is to be able to come out and continue working and I had to work better than I have before... not a lot of people can get through that sort of thing... Writing is something I've always enjoyed but now it's a more positive thing".^[3] Late in 1984 Ferrie and Friedenfelds formed The Slaughtermen, as a post-punk, alternative, southern gospel group.^{[1] [2]}

Late in 1987 Sacred Cowboys reformed with a line-up of Doolan, Ferrie, Gray and Rischbieth joined by Stephan Fidock on drums (ex-The Reels).^{[1] [2]} Ash Wednesday briefly joined on keyboards (ex-JAB, Metronomes, Einsturzende Neubauten) but left after recording the album, Trouble from Providence.^{[1] [2]} They signed to Sydney-based label, Citadel Records, which released the album in August 1988.^[1] It was produced by Ferrie, Doolan, Cohen, and Martin Armiger (Paul Kelly & the Dots, Stephen Cummings).^[2] McFarlane described it as "one of the best independent releases of the year".^[1] It was also issued by Germany's Normal Records, both in the standard nine-track vinyl LP format and as a CD with six bonus tracks.^{[1] [2]} The band issued two singles from the album, the title track in July and "Hell Sucks" in December.^[1] The latter was more popular and became the group's signature tune. Forrest rejoined on keyboards, late in 1990, but the group disbanded again at the end of the following year.^[1]

From early 1994 Sacred Cowboys reformed with a line-up of Doolan, Ferrie, Fidock and Gray, joined by Spencer P Jones, then Penny Ikinger on guitar (ex-Wet Taxis, Louis Tillett's Aspersion Caste).^{[1] [2]} They released a compilation CD, seven-track EP, Black City, early that year on the Siren label.^{[1] [2]} In 1997 the Australian edition of Rolling Stone listed it as one of the Top 100 albums of the 20th century.^[4] Another album, Things to Come, was released in July 1996.^[1] It was recorded at Atlantis and Espy Studios for Greasy Pole Records and distributed by Shock Records.^[5] By that time Spencer P. Jones had joined on guitar (ex-Beasts of Bourbon, Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls).^{[1] [2]} At various times Sydney-based alternative rock, blues rock band, Beasts of Bourbon, has included Doolan, Ferrie, Friedenfelds or Jones of Sacred Cowboys.^{[1] [2] [6]} By 1997 Sacred Cowboys had gone off the road again, Gray moved to France and was living in Montpellier.^[4]

In 2005 "Hell Sucks" was selected for Clinton Walker's compilation of Australian punk and post-punk music, Inner City Sounds. Sacred Cowboys reformed in August 2006 with the line-up of Fidock, Gray, Ikinger, Jones, Rischbieth and Wednesday and in 2008 with Mark Ferrie.^[7] They played a series of shows in Melbourne, and the remaining line-up recorded the finishing touches to the album, Cold Harvest, which was released on Bang! Records in January 2007.^{[7] [8] [9]} TJ Honeysuckle at i94bar.com noted that Ikinger and Jones were "hugely distinctive presences here" while Gray's vocal delivery "swings easily from snarling to caressing – he has a snake oil seller's charm at times, a cursing preacher's tone at others".^[8] Radio station, PBS 106.7FM's review described the album "the songs are narrative in style, a kind of urban uprising driven by dysfunctional dreamers and powerless onlookers".^[10] In February 2008 they issued a compilation album, 1982–85: Nailed to the Cross.^[11] Amazon's editorial review recalls their early style, "[they] played a wild, dangerous and completely unique brand of rock'n'roll inspired by the artists whose material they cover".^[12] The group toured in support of the release until August that year.^{[12] [13]}

• Terry Doolan – lead guitar, (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997)
• Janis Friedenfelds (aka Johnny Crash) – drums, (1982–1985) (deceased)
• Mark Ferrie – lead guitar, bass guitar (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2008)
• Ian Forrest – keyboards (1982–1983, 1990–1991)
• Garry Gray – lead vocals (1982–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008)
• Andrew Picouleau – bass guitar (1982–1984)
• Chris Whelan – keyboards (1983)
• Nick Rischbieth – bass guitar (1984–1985, 1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008)
• Stephan Fidock – drums (1987–1991, 1994–1997, 2006–2008) (deceased)
• Ash Wednesday (1987, 2006)
• Penny Ikinger – lead guitar (1994–1997, 2006–2008)
• Spencer P. Jones – lead guitar (1992–1995, 2006–2008)

• Sacred Cowboys – (1984)
• We Love You...Of Course We Do – (1985)
• Trouble from Providence – (August 1988)
• Things to Come – (July 1996)
• Cold Harvest – (January 2007)
• 1982–85: Nailed to the Cross – (February 2008)

• Sacred Cowboys – (1983)
• Black City – (1994)

• "Nothing Grows in Texas" – (1982)
• "Bangkok" – (1983)
• "Twisted Nerve" – (1983)
• "Trouble from Providence" – (1988)
• "Hell Sucks" – (1990)
• "Black City" – (1994)
• "Drop By Drop" – (1997)

• Official website archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
• Garry Gray interview at i94bar
• More recollections at i94bar

• Australian alternative rock groups
• Australian post-punk groups
• Musical groups established in 1982
• Musical groups disestablished in 1985
• Musical groups reestablished in 1987
• Musical groups disestablished in 1991
• Musical groups reestablished in 1994
• Musical groups disestablished in 1997
• Musical groups reestablished in 2006
• Musical groups disestablished in 2008
• Victoria (state) musical groups
• 1982 establishments in Australia
• 2008 disestablishments in Australia

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