Venom P. Stinger

Venom P. Stinger were an Australian noise rock band, formed in 1985. The original line-up was Dugald Mackenzie on lead vocals, Alan Secher-Jensen on bass guitar, Mick Turner on guitar, and Jim White on drums. They disbanded in 1988 and reformed two years later, they disbanded again in 1996. The group issued three albums, Meet My Friend Venom (January 1987), What's Yours Is Mine (October 1990) and Tear Bucket (1996).

Venom P. Stinger
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
Years active1985–1988, 1990–1996, 2010
Labels
Associated actsDirty Three, the Moodists, Sick Things, Fungus Brains
Past members

Turner and White joined violinist, Warren Ellis, to form a post-rock band, Dirty Three in 1992. Dugald Mackenzie died of cancer in October 2004 and Alan Secher-Jensen died in May 2019.

History

Venom P. Stinger were formed in Melbourne in 1985 by Dugald Mackenzie on lead vocals (ex-Sick Things, Brainshack), Alan Secher-Jensen on bass guitar (ex-Brainshack, Beachnuts), Mick Turner on guitar (ex-Sick Things, Fungus Brains, Moodists), and Jim White on drums (ex-People with Chairs Up Their Noses, Feral Dinosaurs).[1][2] Turner later cited the Birthday Party, Flipper, Dead Kennedys and the Saints, as early influences on the band.[3]

Venom P. Stinger's debut album, Meet My Friend Venom, appeared in January 1987 via No Master's Voice.[1][2] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt, "tracks like 'P.C.P. Crazy' and 'Venom P. Stinger' were clattering slices of avant-rock with absolutely no concession to commercial gains."[1] AllMusic's Brendan Swift declared, "[the album is] completely uncompromising and uncommercial."[4] The followed with a single, "Walking About", in June 1988 before disbanding.[1][2]

Secher-Jensen, Turner and White reassembled Venom P. Stinger in 1990 with Nick Palmer as lead vocalist.[1][2] Soon after the release of the band's second album, What's Yours Is Mine (October 1990), via Aberrant Records, they embarked on an American tour.[1][2] After leaving the group, Dugald Mackenzie, moved to Adelaide, South Australia, and died of cancer in October 2004. Patrick Emery of The Sydney Morning Herald, described Mackenzie, "[his] lyrics were laced with angst, catharsis and invective... [his] life followed the arc of punk-rock tragedy; his incandescent personality burnt out forever in 2004. Songs such as 'PCP Crazy', 'Going Nowhere' and 'Walking About' captured the nihilistic punk existence."[5]

The group issued a live album, Live (in Davis) (1992) and followed with a third album, Tear Bucket (1996), before disbanding in 1996.[1][2] McFarlane summarised their career, "[they] took the experimental avant-garde route to its logical conclusion with an unnerving sound that thrived on raw energy, a complex rhythmic base and unconventional song structures."[1] Writing for Spin, music critic Byron Coley described their sound, "magnificent, speedy scuzz-rock that blurs the distinctions between punk and noise like 40 stiff beers."[6] Their influence has been detected in a wide range of bands, from the likes of Halo of Flies and other American stalwarts of Amphetamine Reptile Records, to more recent Australian groups such as Melbourne's Eddy Current Suppression Ring.[7]

Between commitments to Venom P. Stinger, Turner and White had joined violinist, Warren Ellis, to form a post-rock band, Dirty Three in late 1992.[1][2] In 2013 American independent label Drag City reissued the original line-up's catalogue on a compilation album, Venom P. Stinger 1986–1991.[7][8] Alan Secher-Jensen died in May 2019.

Members
  • Dugald Mackenzie – lead vocals (1985–89, died 2004)
  • Alan Secher-Jensen – bass guitar (1985–89,1991–92,1993–96, died 2019)
  • Mick Turner – lead guitar (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96)
  • Jim White – drums (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96)
  • Nick Palmer – lead vocals (1991–92, 1993–96)

Discography

Studio albums
  • Meet My Friend Venom (January 1987) – No Masters Voice
  • What's Yours Is Mine (October 1900) – Aberrant Records
  • Tear Bucket (1996, US import-only) – Siltbreeze

Live albums
  • Live (in Davis) (1992) – Anopheles

References
  1. McFarlane, Ian (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Venom P. Stinger'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. p. 499. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  2. Entries at Australian Rock Database:
    • Venom P. Stinger: Holmgren, Magnus. "Venom P. Stinger". hem2.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 13 November 2003. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
    • Mick Turner (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96): Holmgren, Magnus. "Mick Turner". hem2.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 28 January 2004. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
    • Jim White (1985–89, 1991–92, 1993–96): Holmgren, Magnus. "Mick Turner". hem2.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 19 November 2004. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  3. Curtis, Tyler (24 October 2013). "Venom P. Stinger", BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  4. Swift, Brendan. "Venom P. Stinger | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  5. Emery, Patrick (6 December 2013). "Shortlist weekly album reviews". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. Coley Byron (November 1988). "Underground". Spin, pp. 100–101.
  7. Masters, Marc (29 August 2013). "Venom P. Stinger 1986–1991", Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  8. Venom P. Stinger (Musical group) (2013), Venom P. Stinger, 1986-1991, Chicago, IL: Drag City Inc, retrieved 6 October 2019
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