Frenzal Rhomb

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Frenzal Rhomb is an Australian punk rock band that formed in 1992, based in the city of Sydney. The band's current lineup is Jason Whalley (vocals), Lindsay McDougall (guitar), Tom Crease (bass) and Gordy Foreman (drums). McDougall is also responsible for Rock Against Howard, a compilation by Australian musicians against John Howard's government.

History

After touring as the support act while American punk rock bands Bad Religion, The Offspring and Blink-182 were in Australia, the group released their first album, 1995's Coughing Up a Storm (although their first release had been 1994's Dick Sandwich EP). Retitled Once a Jolly Swagman Always a Jolly Swagman, the album was issued on America's Liberation Records label two years later. Fat Mike, owner of Fat Wreck Chords and member of NOFX, signed the band to Fat Wreck and released the 4 Litres EP and Not So Tough Now. In September 1997, the band released the album Meet The Family, with new guitarist Lindsay McDougall after original guitarist Ben Costello left to become a full time animal rights activist. The album was the first Frenzal LP to be certified gold in Australia. Frenzal Rhomb were also the headliners for the Australian leg of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour (they were recruited for the American edition as well).

The LP A Man's Not A Camel was released in Australia in March 1999 and was supported by a nationwide tour. It remains Frenzal Rhombs' highest placing album to date, reaching 11 on the ARIA charts (it also spawned Frenzal's highest placing single, "You Are Not My Friend", which reached No. 48). Overseas gigs in the USA were dropped after singer Jason Whalley suffered a heart attack in late 1999 and Frenzal Rhomb spent the first few months of 2000 lying low. They returned with the album Shut Your Mouth in November 2000, originally released on Epic Records in Australia, an off-shoot of Sony. After poor sales and reviews and an awkward few months, Sony dropped the band in mid 2001 and they then signed with Epitaph Records in Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Lex Feltham left Frenzal Rhomb without warning in April 2002. The band claimed many stories about why he left, including one that he was fired after thinking that Frenzal Rhomb should incorporate synth and keyboard work. The last song he recorded with the band was a cover of Midnight Oil's "The Dead Heart" for a tribute album. After holding auditions in Sydney, Tom Crease was announced as the new Frenzal Rhomb bass player. In April 2003, the band released Sans Souci.

The band released Forever Malcolm Young in 2006 with a minor radio hit in the title track and some controversy^{[clarification needed]} over the song "Johnny Ramone was in a Fucking Good Band, but He Was A Cunt". National touring followed, along with the announcement that Jay would be leaving both Frenzal and his job at Triple J to go on a world travel with his girlfriend.

Frenzal Rhombs' last headlining tour was in March 2009 as "The Boys are Back in Brown" tour. They are playing some new dates in September and October, 2009 in Australia. ^[1]

Banned from Triple J

Prior to their employment at the station, their music was banned for a time by Triple J after Frenzal Rhomb criticised the station on air for playing the "same 40 songs".^[2]

Jackie O controversy

In July 2004, 2Day FM presenter Jackie O was to MC at the Bass in the Grass festival in Darwin^[3]. Jackie allegedly arrived late, causing the band to cut their setlist short by several songs, and then attempted to speak with the audience. In protest, McDougall began playing over her voice and Whalley later accused her and other music industry personalities of pushing original Australian bands aside to make way for more short-term marketable acts such as the winning and losing Australian Idol and Popstars contestants.

Jackie O and her co-presenter, Kyle Sandilands subsequently called Whalley on air. Whalley apologised for offending Jackie, but stood by his claims regarding the music industry. The conversation became heated as Sandilands told Whalley, "Your songs being played on this network or the Triple M network...it's just not going to happen now"; to which Whalley argued that Frenzal Rhomb were almost never played on Austereo anyway. During the conversation, Sandilands told Whalley that he was bitter and sad; and that Frenzal Rhomb is not played on the network "because it's pretty much shit". Sandilands argued that Whalley should not "pick fights with people that are female in the Northern Territory" and that if he himself were present, "it would have been on for young and old". Whalley argued that gender was irrelevent to the issue, and in response to Sandilands' threat of violence asked Jackie if she was aware that her security guard had threatened a band technician with violence. Sandilands said he endorsed the threat of violence.

ABC Television's Media Watch covered the exchange and raised concerns about the conduct of Kyle and Jackie O. The conversation is currently available on Youtube^[4] and for download^[5]. The incident resulted in Frenzal Rhomb being removed from the playlist of all Austereo radio stations, including the 2DayFM network and Triple M.^{[citation needed]}

Current involvements

Jason Whalley and Lindsay McDougall work on radio as Jay and the Doctor, and as Triple J breakfast show hosts from 2005 through 2007. Drummer Gordy Forman also plays in the Melbourne hardcore band Mindsnare.

Jay and Lindsay also have a musical side project with Bow Campbell from Front End Loader, called the Self Righteous Brothers. Based on the American band, The Frogs, the Self Righteous Brothers are an acoustic act with explicit lyrics covering topics such as pregnant junkies and incest.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006 Forever Malcolm Young was released which included, for a limited time, a special edition DVD covering the band's tours from 2002 up until 2005. It is titled Sucking All Over the World. Jay stated at one of their last performances at the Metro Theater in Sydney, "don't expect to see us around for a while cunts".^{[citation needed]}

On Friday 26 September 2008 a bulletin^[6] was posted on Frenzal Rhomb's myspace stating the possibility of touring again:

"So it looks like Jay is coming home from his year-long overseas jaunt sometime in Feb, and there's a 95% chance we're gonna do a Capital City tour in March. I say 95% because there's every possibility, being that Jay's been to some fucked up, out of the way places, that he'll come back as a dreadlocked, pot-smoking hippy who's pretty much resigned from society and won't even remember that he's in a band. . .oh, wait a minute. . . Anyway, we're going to tour, and as soon as we have more info, you'll fucken know about it. Up ya bum, and GO HAWKS. gordy"

Members

• Jason Whalley (1992 - present) (lead vocals, guitar)
• Lindsay McDougall (1996 - present) (backing lead guitar)
• Tom Crease (2002 - present) (bass)
• Gordy Foreman (1998 - present) (drums)

Former

• Lex Feltham (1992 - 2002) (bass)
• Ben Costello (1992 - 1996) (guitar)
• Bruce Braybrooke (1992) (drums)
• Karl Perske (1992-1995) (drums)
• Nat Nykyruj (1995 - 1998) (drums)

Discography

Albums

Singles

• SAE Demo (4 track Cassette tape demo) (1993) (Cassette-only)
• Sorry about the Ruse EP (1994) (CD / 7" only)
• 4 Litres 7" (1995) (7" only)
• Parasite (1996)
• Punch in the Face (1996)
• Disappointment (1997)
• There's Your Dad (1997)
• Mr. Charisma (1997)
• Mum Changed the Locks (1998)
• Some of My Best Friends Are Racist (1998)
• We're Going Out Tonight (1999)
• You Are Not My Friend (1999)
• Never Had So Much Fun (1999)
• I Miss My Lung (1999)
• War (2000)
• Coming Home (2001)
• Bucket Bong (2003)
• Ballchef (2003)
• Punisher (2003)
• Russell Crowe's Band (2003)
• Looking Good (2004)
• Forever Malcolm Young (2006)

All of the above singles were released as CD singles only, unless stated.

Other

• Short Music for Short People (1999)
• Rock Against Howard (2004)

References

1. ^ http://www.myspace.com/gofrenzalgo
2. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Early-morning-wakeup-call/2005/01/28/1106850095448.html
3. ^ Media Watch - Kyle & Jackie O - revenge
4. ^ Audio of interview
5. ^ Audio of interview for download
6. ^ http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=30474454&blogID=436157259
7. ^ http://www.tpa.net.au>
8. ^ http://www.tpa.net.au>

External links

• Frenzal Rhomb's Blog
• Frenzal Rhomb on MySpace
• Frenzal Rhomb discography at MusicBrainz
• Fat Wreck Chords