Cosmic Psychos
Track | Album |
---|---|
Nice Day To Go To The Pub | Glorius Barsteds |
Lost Cause | Go The Hack |
Down On The Farm | Down On The Farm |
Feeling Average | Loudmouth Soup |
Fuckwit City | Cum The Raw Prawn |
Custom Credit | Down On The Farm |
Dead Roo | Blokes You Can Trust |
Pub | Go The Hack |
Dead In A Ditch | Off Ya Cruet! |
Hooray Fuck | Blokes You Can Trust |
1987 debut album – Peter Jones (guitar), Ross Knight (bass),
Bill Walsh (drums) – photo Ian Davidson
Contributor: Ann Sequinworld
In 1982, when drummer Bill ‘Cosmic’ Walsh and guitarist Peter ‘Dirty’ Jones of Australian rock band Spring Plains needed a new bandmate, they recruited farmer Ross ‘Psycho’ Knight (formerly of school punk band Rancid Spam) on bass and vocals. Choosing the name Dirty Cosmic Psychos for the new trio, they landed on their forever name Cosmic Psychos after being the subject of mockery by a member of Split Enz. As Knight recalls: “That donkey from Split Enz said ‘What a stupid name’. As soon as I heard that story, I thought, we’ll run with that. I’m quite happy with it.”
The music was local, uncomplicated, accessible, blending Detroit’s Stooges, the New York simplicity of the Ramones and their own unapologetic Australian swagger. While still working as a farmer in central Victoria, Ross Knight’s parallel career as a frequently-touring punk rock larrikin continues to be the integral force behind the band. (paraphrasing Tyler Jenke at The Note)
They issued a five-track mini LP Down On The Farm in December 1985 on Mr Spaceman Records which included the song Custom Credit which had previously been issued on cassette. The cover design and photo was by Ian Davidson. December 1987 saw the release of the band’s debut self-titled LP, produced by Rene Roth with Davidson on cover and camera duties again. 1989 saw the release of Go The Hack with arguably one of the most iconic cover photos of all time, again taken by Ian Davidson; who wouldn’t want to stand on a bulldozer with the Cosmic Psychos?
Robbie Watts replaced Peter Jones after the recording of the live Slave To The Crave album of 1990. This was followed the next year by Blokes You Can Trust, produced by Butch Vig, fresh from completing Nevermind. At the end of 2005, after a long hiatus, the Psychos went into the studio to record the album Off Ya Cruet! with new drummer Dean Muller (ex Voodoo Lust) replacing Bill Walsh.
After the shock of the tragic loss of Robbie Watts from a heart attack on the 1st of July 2006 (following a show in Bendigo) it was an option to drop the brand ‘Cosmic Psychos’. However, the Psychos family decided that “There’s more beer to be drunk!”. John McKeering (from the Onyas) had already been a friend of the band for quite some time and in 2006 was chosen to play guitar with them.
Cosmic Psychos’ studio and live albums have been released on several Australian indie labels including Mr. Spaceman, Survival, Shagpile, Timberyard and on Sub Pop and Amphetamine Reptile in the US. They were once offered $150,000 AUD to sign with Sony but refused, saying “You just don’t have a life. You end up having to erect a ten foot high brick fence around your house to keep people out,” adding, “We’re quite happy for the Cosmic Psychos to go on in their Cosmic Psychos way.”
Jumping forward, a fantastic documentary by filmmaker Matt Weston, released in 2013, titled Blokes You Can Trust featured a who’s who of global indie taste makers and music makers espousing the Cosmic Psychos’ legacy in Australian musical history. The documentary gave the band new life and they often found themselves fielding touring and interview requests from all around the globe. I strongly recommend this film, it’s highly entertaining and informative with some great live footage and band anecdotes, including … disclosed by L7’s Donita Sparks, “I unintentionally lifted the chorus of Lost Cause for an L7 song Fuel My Fire”. The accidental credit as co-writers of Fuel My Fire later proved to be lucrative for the Cosmic Psychos when the song was covered by the Prodigy on the multimillion-selling 1997 album The Fat Of The Land.
“In a milestone that few punk bands ever reach, the legendary Cosmic Psychos are proudly celebrating their 40th Anniversary, and they’re doing it in style” with a world tour. For these last four decades, the Cosmic Psychos have been spreading the gospel of cans with their quintessential Australian punk rock sound. Their longevity is truly remarkable and they’ve left an indelible mark on the punk rock scene.” (Beat Magazine)
Occasionally confounding foreign listeners, Cosmic Psychos write about what they know. They live in the bush, love a beer, and write about the bush, beer and kangaroos – the Melbourne-born trio’s uniquely Australian angle has won over many appreciative converts, their stage shows are intense. Cosmic Psychos live standards include Lost Cause, Pub and Custom Credit, which thunder along menacingly with their descriptions of wild women, alcoholism, chips, southbound trams, pubs, meat pies, spiders, beetroot and more pubs.
I hope you enjoy my Cosmic Psychos Top Ten and go on to explore their extensive and noisy back catalogue
Nice Day To Go To The Pub – Glorius Barsteds (2011)
“Cosmic Psychos sway between irrational belligerence and sauced-up wit.”
Lost Cause – Go The Hack (1989)
“I have 5 frames of the greatest record covers ever. In the top 3 is the Cosmic Psychos when they’re standing on the bulldozer.” Eddie Vedder
Down On The Farm – Down On The Farm (1985)
“When you read the farming manual, there’s a bit at the back that says you’ve gotta play in a punk band.” Ross Knight
Feeling Average – Loudmouth Soup (2018)
“Repetitive lyrics, fuzzed out guitar and wah-wah bass sound.”
Fuckwit City – Cum The Raw Prawn (2015)
“Here’s three ugly looking blokes, touring the world, playing at all these wonderful cities, dining in all these wonderful restaurants, meeting all these famous people. In the back of ma head I’m thinking to myself, I’m a fucking farmer!” Ross Knight
Custom Credit – Down On The Farm (1985)
“Proto-punk Stooges riffs at high-octane tempos with wailing, fuzzed-out guitar and goofy humour.”
Dead Roo – Blokes You Can Trust (1991)
“They’re our ambassadors, have a listen to their lyrics, they sing about dead kangaroos.” Ray Ahn from the Hard-Ons
Pub – Go The Hack (1989)
“The band starts its thank-you list with – to these people who we’ve shared a beer with.”
Dead In A Ditch – Off Ya Cruet! (2005)
“Hard-driving rhythms, fuzzed-out guitars, humorously sneering vocals, and true-to-the-bone working man’s attitude.”
Hooray Fuck – Blokes You Can Trust (1991)
“Blokes you can trust.”
Tour poster photo 2023 l-r Ross Knight, John McKeering, Dean Muller
Cosmic Psychos at The Key Club, Leeds, July 2024, filmed by Ann
Cosmic Psychos official website
Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust
A full-length film by Matt Weston on YouTube
Cosmic Psychos on 40 years of ‘stupid, clever’ punk
Andrew Stafford, The Guardian, December 2023
Cosmic Psychos biography (AllMusic)
Ann loves the psychedelic music of the 80s/90s. In between gigs, she runs her own business, Sequin World and Bead Monster. You can follow her on twitter @ann_sequinworld and other social media sites.
These are Ann’s other posts on this site: Loop, The Heads, Thee Hypnotics, Mudhoney, Wooden Shjips, The Lucid Dream, The BellRays, Moon Duo, The Telescopes, MC5, Leatherface, Tad, Kikagaku Moyo, White Hills, Janitors.
Some of the quotes relating to this top 10 are from reviews at the time of each record’s release, paraphrased here and there and attached to a song. This was a cut-up process and the quote may not originally have been about that particular song but … you know what … it doesn’t matter because it works.
TopperPost #1,130
Psychos have always been there, can’t remember a time before. I think their “compilation” album title was something like A Million Beers in 15 years”, which is hands down the best greatest hits title of all time. I saw them at an early Big Day Out, half cut and too much sun. They were the perfect pick me up, blew me away. Dead in A Ditch is my all time fav. Thanks Ann, great to see them here in toppermost land. We are a long way from the Blackeyed Susan’s Toto…