In 1985 the group's style was described as post-Radio Birdman sound which is "a combination of fast, guitar-driven, hard rock and power pop". In March 1982 the group independently recorded a four-track extended play, 'But Jacques, the Fish?', at Honey Farms Studio, Duffys Forest. It was produced by Colin J Ford and engineered by Dave Connor with additional backing vocals by Martin, James Darroch, Tom Couvret and Steve Vineburg. The band was signed by Hot Records, which reissued their EP in March 1983. Darroch (ex-Trans Love Energy, Fifth Estate, Slaughterhouse 5) replaced Michael Couvret on bass guitar and, in April that year, the group released a debut album, 'Sideroxylon'. Eucalyptus sideroxylon is the scientific name of the red or mugga ironbark.
The album was produced by Connor and Ford with additional musicians including Simon Knuckey (Wet Taxis) on guitar, Tracey Pearson on saxophone, Sandie Rose on trumpet, Scott Spillane on backing vocals, Duncan Sproul on trombone, and Bruce Tatham on piano and organ. RAM 's Frank Brunetti found the band's "white trash thrash is one of the best manifestations of their style of music by the judicious use of other instruments – sax, trombone, trumpet, keyboards, extra guitars and vocals – the strength, humour, style and intelligence of their sonic attack comes through with undiminished force". Upon 'Sideroxylon 's release both Lovelock and Steedman focused on separate side-projects.
The Celibate Rifles resumed in 1983 and released the singles, "Pretty Pictures" (October 1983) and "Merry Xmas Blues" (December) which included acoustic guitars instead of the usual all-electric front. Rolling Stone 's Clinton Walker described "Pretty Pictures", as "a delicate acoustic ballad that surprised more than a few people". In January 1984 Darroch left to form The Eastern Dark – he died in a van accident in March 1986 which also injured his band mates. Couvret returned for the second album, 'The Celibate Rifles' (May 1984), which is also called five languages for its cover depicting the band's name in French, Arabic, English, Chinese and Spanish. The album was produced by Connor and Steedman and provided the singles "Wild Desire" (April 1984) and "Sometimes" (November). Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane, described it as "still rough-hewn but with more variation, style and power than the debut". David Fricke of Rolling Stone felt it displayed "urban teen frenzy with lyricist Lovelock's adult fears erupting in a glowing atomic fireball of bazooka guitars and terminal volume".
The band's only release for 1985 was the single, "6 Days on the Road", in July. Their third album, 'The Turgid Miasma of Existence', appeared in June 1986. It was produced by Steedman. Helen Fitzgerald of Melody Maker saw the group "evolve into a bucking, rearing creature that hijacks your turntable and confounds your friends by a series of evolutionary stages to reach peak form with this album that sees them oscillate wildly from loud and thrashy to subdued and glowering". The first 500 copies of the album included a limited edition EP of three tracks: "Eddie", "Ice Blue" and "Thank You America".
The Celibate Rifles toured the United States, where their records were praised by the underground press.The tour was arranged and financed independently by the band. In July that year they recorded a live performance at New York's CBGB music club, which was issued in November as 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' and "captured the band's sound in all its blistering glory". In September 1986 Couvret was replaced by Rudy Morabito (ex-Amused) on bass guitar and Jacquet by Paul Larsen (aka Paul Loughhead) on drums (ex-Funhouse, Gun Control). Couvret later played with Lime Spiders and Jacquet joined Voodoo Lust, then Mushroom Planet. The Celibate Rifles toured Europe and, during June 1987, recorded their next studio album, 'Roman Beach Party', in Weesp, Netherlands. It appeared in September with Steedman and Rene Roth producing. Sounds magazine's Roger Holland described the songs as showing the group's "sawn off rock potential all the way down to the bleached white of the bone, the lyrics reveal all the anger, insight and humour that makes them one of the most powerful rock bands in the world today". In 1988 Morabito was replaced by Jim Leone (ex-No Man's Land).
The Celibate Rifles' next release on Hot Records was a 12-inch EP featuring a cover of Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" (May 1988). The Celibate Rifles signed to True Tone Records and, in April 1989, they issued 'Blind Ear'. Steve Gardner of Noise for Heroes praised the album, "lyrically the band are obviously sharpening their focus on what ought to be fixed in the world, which is a great thing in my book ... there's nothing better than words that cut set to music that rips they are aware of global problems, and they're also aware of personal problems, and they sing about both with equal perception". It contained several singles, "Johnny" (February 1989), "O Salvation!" (June) and a double 7-inch with five tracks "Wonderful Life", "5 Lamps", "Where the Action Is", "She's So Fine", and "Hot Stuff" (March 1990).The band contributed a cover of John Paul Young's "Where the Action Is" to radio station 3RRR's Various Artists album, 'Used and Recovered By' (1990). In October that year Hot Records issued a compilation album, 'Platters du Jour' (English: Records of the Day), which featured a selection of rare early singles and EP sides with a limited edition 7-inch EP containing three unreleased tracks.
In October 1990, Larsen had left The Celibate Rifles to join The Screaming Tribesmen, he was replaced by Nik Rieth on drums. At the end of 1991, the group signed to Festival Records and in March 1992 they issued a double album, 'Heaven on a Stick', which was produced by Rob Younger (vocalist for Radio Birdman). Andrew Stafford was disappointed by "a slight letdown, and while it has its high spots, there's nothing on this album (with the possible exception of "Electric Flowers")
In April 1994 The Celibate Rifles issued 'Spaceman in a Satin Suit' which according to McFarlane "was their best studio album since 'Blind Ear''. It was produced by Phil Punch and Paul Tagg. The band contributed a cover of The Sports' "Boys! (What Did the Detective Say?)" to the various artists project 'Earth Music'. It appeared on the 'Eternally Yours ... for Earth Music' EP (August 1994) along with Died Pretty covering Laughing Clowns' "Eternally Yours" and Painters and Dockers doing Mental as Anything's "The Nips Are Getting Bigger". In 1995 Hot Records released a video album, Scratch? My Arse! on VHS, which includes ten tracks by The Celibate Rifles and five Lovelock solo tracks. In September 1996 Hot Records issued a compilation album, 'On the Quiet', as a selection of a acoustic re-workings of previously released material. It was produced by Rodney Ellis and Steedman. It came with a limited edition bonus all-electric EP of Australian covers.
In November 2000 the group issued their eighth studio album, 'A Mid-Stream of Consciousness'. Allmusic's Mark Deming applauded the release, "it makes it clear this band has lost nothing in the way of flash, fire, or smarts during their time away from the studio. If you're looking for lean and mean rock & roll, The Celibate Rifles have still got it in spades". On 19 July 2004 the group's ninth studio album, 'Beyond Respect', was issued. J T Lindroos writing for Allmusic found "it's no small feat that Lovelock's vocals manage to echo the distinct mannerisms of both Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison while still sounding original". On 18 August 2007 they released a 5×CD compilation box set, 'Ten Thousand Days', on Shock Records. In August 2011 The Celibate Rifles headlined the Big Freeze concert. Mess+Noise 's Max Easton described their appearance at the Golden Plains Festival in Meredtih in March 2012, as "one of the festival’s most successful dips into the past. Their appearance was chaotic ... with a set of Aussie garage classics, including the blistering song that broke them, 'Johnny'". The Celibate Rifles announced that they would perform no longer, following the death of lead singer Damien Lovelock from cancer on 3 August 2019, with the exception of a tribute show to him in November 2019. On 1 January 2020 The Celibate Rifles released a new single ''I'm Gonna Try'' which was a song recorded during Lovelock's final studio session prior to his death.
Members
Damien Lovelock (vocals), Kent Steedman (guitar), Dave Morris (guitar), Mike Couvret (bass),
Phil Jacquet (drums), James Darroch (bass), Rudy Morabite (bass), Paul Larsen (drums),
Jim Leone (bass), Nik Rieth (drums)
Electric Flowers ["Where the Wild Things Are" EP] | 22 MAR '92 | #51 |
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celibate_Rifles
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