THUG

Tex Perkins and Peter Read formed Thug in Sydney in 1987 when Read's flatmate had a fascination for collecting and amassing electronic equipment. After using some of the gear on initial recordings in Read's home studio, Perkins was eager to take it to the stage. With the help of Lachlan McLeod and others, Thug became one of Sydney's most unusual and confrontational live acts. Thug's live sets would last twenty to twenty-five minutes, featuring dancers, theatrics, bizarre electronic equipment and—at one performance—an entire audience showered in flour.

 
Each Thug gig would end with its members mock brawling amongst themselves; audience members also would participate from time to time. Sometimes it would get out of hand, during one such mock brawl, Perkins required stitches after landing on a broken glass someone had thrown onto the stage. Thug, along with Lubricated Goat and Kim Salmon & The Surrealists spearheaded a very overlooked and underrated era of Australian music in the late 1980s. This output was released on the Red Eye Records offshoot Black Eye Records. Thug's debut single was the legendary "Dad / Thug", an electronic affair which was an assault on the ears released on Black Eye Records. Two albums followed 'Mechanical Ape / Proud Idiots Parade' (1987) and 'Electric Woolly Mammoth' (1988). The tracks from the 'Mechanical Ape / Proud Idiots Parade' and 'Electric Woolly Mammoth' album were later released on the compilation CD as 'Everything Is Beautiful In Its Own Way'. Peter Read died in 2016.

Members

Tex Perkins (vocals), Lachlan Mcleod (guitar), Peter Read (guitar)

References

http://www.last.fm/music/Thug/+wiki