In the congested gig listings of the late eighties in Sydney, the Psychotic Turnbuckles were frequent visitors with their wrestling tropes, outrageous wigs and a larrikin sense of humour – drawing as they did on a melange of MC5 solid garage rock, punk and theatricality in the slipstream of bands like The Beats of Bourbon and Le Hoodoo Gurus (as they were back then). I always wrongly suspected they were, as I did with TISM, famous people from other bands, in disguise, having a bit of a laugh.
Now, 32 years later, there were signs that there was life in the carcass and that embers were still burning when the band began playing live again, culminating in this week’s release of new material. Creativity? No use-by date, never dies.
We here at the antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia are honoured therefore to premiere the first new release in three decades. And it’s just like the intervening times never happened. Which, given the vicissitudes of life today, is a jolly good thing.
‘Bad News Travels Fast’ is coupled with ‘Infected (With You)’ which are songs originally recorded by The Fuzztones and The Miracle Workers respectively but with the Turnbuckles own sense of style (or lack thereof).
Guitars fuzz, drums pound and the vocal delivery is sardonic, posed and imbued with a delicious insouciance. It’s a thoroughly satisfying aural enema that clears out the cobwebs, flushes out any negativity and then mugs you with a baseball bat, leaving you with a rictus smile and an inordinate sense of well being.
Lead singer Jesse The Intruder said the tracks were laid down after incessant request from fans.
We’re very busy people and a one-day session in the studio was all the time we could spare. Of course it sounds great. A 45 by us is the equivalent of anybody else’s double LP.
Of course it sounds great – sentiments I wholeheartedly endorse. It’s like a shining incandescent ray of light when all else is dark. Grungy rock delivered with a thousand yard stare and a glint of humour.
The video is suitable anarchic and psychedelic, featuring the (now) mature gentleman in their trademark day-glo wigs that could power entire cities with their wattage. Growing old was never so disgraceful and cathartic.
The double-a single is out tomorrow though the enigmatic i94 Records.
You can catch the Turnbuckles wrestling with their instruments at the inimitable Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney on September 5 with support from Spittin’ Chips (featuring two-thirds of the original Cosmic Psychos) and The No Such Things.
The Psychotic Turnbuckles are:
Jesse the Intruder – vocals
The Grand Wizard – guitar
Count Forza – guitar
The Infliktor – bass
Buddy “Bam Bam” Balam The
Brooklyn Bruiser – drums and
handclaps
Who are they?
