ASTEROID B-612

Asteroid B-612 was formed in 1992 in Sydney. By the following year the line-up of Michael Gibbons on guitar, Grant McIver on lead vocals, Scott Nash on bass guitar, Darren Pierce on drums and John Spittles on guitar, recorded their debut self-titled album. It appeared on Destroyer Records. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they were "playing its brand of hard-edged Detroit-inspired 'sonic rock action'... Without falling prey to the pitfalls of such an established form, the band overlayed its bedrock of raunchy 12 bar blues with textbook riffs and searing, dual lead guitar workouts." They issued a split single, "Crash Landing" with a track ''Rock Action'' by fellow Sydney rockers, Brother Brick on B side on the Brain Salad Surgery label.

By late 1994 Stewart Cunningham (ex-Proton Energy Pills, Brother Brick) had replaced Gibbons on guitar and Ben Fox replaced Pierce on drums to record their second album, 'Forced into a Corner'. It was co-produced by Spittles, Lindsay Gravina and Dave Thomas for Destroyer Records, distributed by Shock Records, at Birdland Studios, Melbourne. The group signed with Melbourne-based label, Au Go Go Records, which issued their five-track EP, 'Teen Sublimation Riffs', in 1995. The group toured the United States supporting garage rockers, Gas Huffer – Cunningham left in mid-tour – late in 1996.

The group's "third and best album", 'Not Meant for this World', appeared in October 1996 and had been recorded with Cunningham before he left. Mike DaRonco of AllMusic observed, "On top of their added approach of angst and speed, provided their take on a grittier, straight forward approach of rock 'n' roll in the vein of The Stooges, Blue Oyster Cult and The New York Dolls." The Barman of I-94 Bar website opined, "its original incarnation suffered from a lack of balls in the bottom end".

After the album appeared Ken Watts (ex-Valvolux) joined on guitar and they continued touring in early 1997. McIver left during that year and was replaced by John's brother, Grahame Spittles on lead vocals. In November 1997 they released a single, "September Crush", with the members adopting performance names, Ben "Barn Stormer" Fox, Scott "Galveston" Nash, "Deluxe" Grahame Spittles, Johnny "Casino" Spittles and Ken "the Killer" Watts. A six-track EP, 'Different Licks for Different Chicks', followed in February 1999 on Rambling Records. They recorded their fourth studio album, 'Readin' Between the Lines' (2000), with Kent Steadman (of Celibate Rifles) producing for Full Toss Records. I-94 Bar's Roberto Calabro felt, "it's a great collection of songs. A record that opens the sonic possibilities of this band, going from the unbeatable hi-energy rock 'n' roll trademark to psychedelic numbers, from hard-driven mid-tempo to melodic songs with continuity." The group disbanded in 2004.

In late 2019 Golden Robot Records released all of the back catalogue for the first time on all digital platforms worldwide, this relationship was 20 plus years in the making with Golden Robot Owner Mark Alexander-Erber once owning the famous Iron Duke Hotel in Sydney where Asteroid B-612 would once play. Golden Robot has now released all of Johnny Casino's albums (Asteroid / Secrets / Easy Action / Solo) on all digital platforms. Bassist Scott Nash died on 28 December 2022.

 Members

John Spittles (guitar), Scott Nash (bass), Jason Slattery (vocals), Darren Pierce (drums), Michael Gibbons (guitar), Grant McIver (vocals), Ben Fox (drums), Stewart Cunningham (guitar), Ken Watt (guitar), Grahame Spittles (vocals)

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_B-612