The Screaming Jets

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The Screaming Jets is a hard rock band from Newcastle, Australia that was inspired by the likes of AC/DC, Dirty Deeds and KISS.

The band was formed by three former members of Aspect, singer Dave Gleeson, bass player Paul Woseen and guitarist Grant Walmsley, in 1989. Along with second guitarist Richard Lara and former Radiators drummer Brad Heaney, the Screaming Jets won a national Battle of the Bands contest run by the youth broadcaster Triple J and a resultant EP, "The Scorching Adventures of the Screaming Jets" scored an ARIA Award nomination.

History

Winning a deal with Sydney independent label rooArt, the Screaming Jets released their debut album All For One that spawned a top-charting hit single in "Better" along with two others, "Shine On" and "Stop the World" that were only moderate performers and the controversial "FRC" that featured guest vocals by various members of Mortal Sin, The Choirboys and The Angels.

Following the album's release, the Screaming Jets went to the UK where they based themselves for over two years, touring there and throughout Europe with a variety of hard rock and heavy metal bands. During a series of shows with Ugly Kid Joe, Heaney was fired and replaced for the rest of the tour by one-time Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland.

The band's next album Tear of Thought, which featured Heaney's drumming, was initially slow to gain acceptance until a cover of Boys Next Door's "Shivers" saw the Screaming Jets back in the charts. Heaney was permanently replaced in the line-up by former BB Steal drummer Craig Rosevear and after a US tour with Def Leppard Lara was replaced by Melbourne musician Jimi "The Human" Hocking, who had previously fronted his own band, Jimi Human and Spectre 7, that released an album and two singles at the turn of the decade.

While the Screaming Jets remained only moderately successful overseas, in Australia they were one of the top-drawing live bands of the early-mid 1990s and perhaps the last remaining example of the pub rock acts that had ruled the country's live scene in the late 1970s - mid 1980s. While their single releases rarely scored high on the charts, they won significant airplay on rock radio and the band's tours were wildly successful. In 1995 the Jets' self-titled album made history when it became the first CD launched via live Webcast.

By the late 90s the Screaming Jets were touring less often and had not released an album of new material since 1996. Hocking had left in 1997 to be replaced by former Judge Mercy guitarist Izzy Osmanovich and after an extensive Australian tour in 1999, Rosevear left to be replaced by Col Hatchman. With the renewed energy, the Screaming Jets were selected to tour with KISS and Alice Cooper in 2001; at the end of that year the band announced an extended break from all touring and recording, playing a final series of shows.

In December 2002, the Screaming Jets did another brief tour in support of a self-financed live album that had been recorded the previous year, but then did not play live again until mid-2004. Since then have continued to record and tour, though more sporadically than during the early 1990s and have also signed a record publishing deal with Universal Records. In November 2004, Col Hatchman left the group. His last performance was recorded for a live DVD released in 2005, called "Rock On".

In October 2006, a number of Screaming Jets songs have been featured in the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown of songs including:

• Helping Hand (voted 447 out of 2006)
• Eve of Destruction (voted 683 out of 2006)
• Shivers (voted 1588 out of 2006)
• My Badger Drinks (voted 1596 out of 2006)

Early in 2007 founding member and guitarist Grant Walmsley left the band and has been replaced by Scotty Kingman, who engineered the bands latest album, which is yet to be released due to the band not being able to find a suitable distributor. Both Gleeson and Walmsley have not revealed publicly the reason for the split.^[2]

In October 2008, the band released their first album in 8 years titled 'DO YA' through label StockXchange Music in October 2008. The album is distributed through Sony Music. New songs '141' and 'Do Ya' have become regular live additions in recent setlists.

Band members

Current line up

• Dave Gleeson - Vocals (1989-Present)
• Scotty Kingman - Guitar (2007-Present)
• Izmet Osmanovich - Guitar/Backing Vocals (1997-Present)
• Paul Woseen - Bass/Backing Vocals (1989-Present)
• Mickl Sayers - Drums (2005-Present)

Previous members

• Grant Walmsley - Founding member/Songwriter/Guitar/Backing Vocals (1989-2007)
• Richard Lara - Guitar (1989-1993)
• Brad Heaney - Drums (1989-1993)
• Jimi "The Human" Hocking - Guitar (1993-1997)
• Craig Rosevear - Drums (1993-1999)
• Col Hatchman - Drums (2001-2004)

Discography

Videography

• Hits And Pieces (2004)
• Rock On (2005)

References

External links

• Official Screaming Jets Website
• Official Screaming Jets Myspace
• Interview at Saviours Of Rock